Fish Report for 4-23-2021
ODFW Recreation Report
by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
4-23-2021
Website
ODFW email addresses to change
Beginning April 23, ___@ODFW.Oregon.gov will replace ___@state.or.us
For existing ODFW email addresses, all information before the "@" will remain the same. But the name will be followed by @ODFW.Oregon.gov.
Sign up for big game hunting course
Attend online or in-person
This 2-hour course gives adult hunters a broad overview of big game hunting in Oregon – including what you can hunt for and where to hunt. Find more details and register.
Have you applied for your big game tag?
Less than a month to go before the deadline
The deadline to apply for a big game tag is May 15, and that’s a Saturday this year. This means ODFW staff will not be available to help or answer questions on the last day to apply. All the more reason to apply early.
Best bets for weekend fishing
This weekend, anglers in Oregon can choose from bass, crappie, steelhead, salmon, surfperch and trout. Oh, and yellow perch and striped bass. But the most popular fish this time of year may be trout.
- Several popular trout fisheries open April 22, including Crane Prairie Reservoir, Laurance Lake, Odell Lake and Wickiup Reservoir in the Central Zone. And the Sprague, Upper Williamson and Wood rivers near Klamath Falls.
- Thousands of rainbow trout have been stocked in dozens of waterbodies throughout several fishing zones and the fishing has been very good.
- Fishing for holdover trout, those that were stocked last year and survived the winter, can be excellent early in the season. Especially right after ice-off. Look for larger lakes and reservoirs that were regularly stocked last year.
- Look for native trout fishing in rivers like the Blitzen, Chewaucan, Crooked, Deschutes, Fall, Klamath, Metolius, Sprague, Wallowa, Upper Williamson and Wood, to pick up as warmer weather makes fish more active.
Tips for kokanee fishing
Kokanee fishing starts to pick up in April in several popular fisheries. If you’ve been wanting to try kokanee fishing, or could us a few pointers, check out Kokanee fishing in Oregon for some tips.
Turkey season continues
Have you bagged your bird?
The spring turkey season opened last week, and hunting should get even better as the season progresses. The 2021 spring turkey hunting forecast will give you a glimpse of the upcoming season. Also check out the new 2020 turkey harvest by unit maps to help decide where to hunt this season.
Reserve a turkey hunting spot
No cost reservation program connects hunters and landowners
This program, now in its second year, brings hunters and landowners together to provide quality hunting experiences. Find more information about this program.
New interagency map shows wildfire impacts on recreation
Hunters, anglers and wildlife viewers will be living with the impacts of the 2020 wildfire season for a long time. To help you navigate the status of popular recreation sites, natural resource management agencies in Oregon have released an interagency status map that shows open, closed and reduced service areas on a single map, regardless of reason for closure.
More Reports
OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Reports
for Monday, April 19th, 2021Snake River: Spring Chinook season opens in Hells Canyon on April 24
Diamond Lake: Diamond Lake anglers can help improve fishery
OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Reports
for Friday, April 16th, 2021: ODFW Recreation Report
: Rogue Valley trout stocking changes
Eel River: The river is clear and the fish will be holding in the deeper slots
: A portion of the Oregon coast opens for razor clam harvesting
: Action Notice: 2021 Salmon Seasons Finalized by PFMC
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