Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (2024)

Species and Subspecies

The River otter is adapted for both terrestrial and aquatic environments. The heavily muscled, somewhat cylindrical body is thickest at the thorax and tapers posteriorly to a thick, flattened tail. The body tapers to a blunt and slightly flattened head. The legs are short and powerful; and the toes are webbed. The eyes are small, forwardly directed and set high on the head. The underfur is grayish, short, and dense, and overlain by longer, stiff and shiny guard hairs. The dorsum is brown and the venter a lighter brown or tan; the lower jaw and throat are whitish. In Oregon

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Workshop and Events

Article

Oregon's Klamath and Lake counties offer outstanding warmwater fishing in the region's lakes and reservoirs, and even in the lower reaches of some of the rivers and streams. The area covers the Upper Klamath Basin and extends east to include the Chewaucan and Warner Lakes Basins.

Article

Includes lakes in the Winema and Rogue River national forests, and the Sky Lakes and Mountain Lake wilderness areas.

July 15, 2023

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Following droughts in the 1930s that affected most of North America, major conservation efforts, both private and governmental, were enacted to reverse trends of degrading and disappearing wetlands. During this time period there was a major creation and expansion of Federal refuges and State wildlife areas. As the concept of waterfowl flyway management was endorsed and developed, wildlife areas were acquired and managed as part of a larger plan focused on migratory waterfowl needs. Klamath Wildlife Area was one of several wetland-focused wildlife areas established in Oregon. KWA was established in 1958, with primary objectives of protecting and improving waterfowl

February 09, 2018

Species and Subspecies

Adult Klamath black salamanders that live in Oregon are fully black with a smattering of bronze or green specks across the top of their heads, backs, tails and legs. The black salamander is one of the lungless salamander species and it breathes through its skin. Female black salamanders are generally larger than males and grow up to five-and-a-half inches in total length. Black salamanders live in forest, open woodland, moist talus (rock fragment piles) and streamside habitats. They use crevices in moist decaying logs or stumps, wet talus slopes or just under surface debris for cover during warm wet weather

Zones or Areas

Wide open spaces, wild windy places, and extreme temperatures characterize Oregon’s largest, most remote fishing zone. Redband trout are native to its rivers and streams, including the Williamson, Malheur and Chewaucan. Brown and hatchery rainbow trout can grow to trophy-size in many of its lakes and reservoirs, many of which also feature crappie, yellow perch and bass.

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Cole Rivers Hatchery is the largest producer of hatchery fish on the coast of Oregon. Almost all of the fish production at Cole Rivers is done to mitigate for the fish production that was lost when miles of high quality fish habitat was blocked by Applegate Dam (Applegate Reservoir) and William Jess Dam (Lost Creek Reservoir).

October 13, 2017

Recreation Report

September 05, 2017

Landing page

The Klamath Fish Hatchery was originally constructed in 1929. Many improvements have been made since original construction. The hatchery produces legal and trophy sized rainbow trout, fingerling rainbow trout, brown trout, and cutthroat trout for release throughout the Klamath Basin, Deschutes Basin, Umpqua Basin and the southeast part of the state. The hatchery assist with remote egg takes for wild rainbow and brown trout at Crane Prairie and Wickiup Reservoirs.

November 13, 2017

Article

All anglers fishing for salmon, steelhead or sturgeon (catch-and-release and retention) on all rivers and tributaries in the Columbia River Basin need to have a Columbia River Basin Endorsem*nt (CRBE).

Article

Follow this page for background on steelhead management, to provide feedback and learn about decisions when they happen for the Columbia, Deschutes, John Day, Umatilla, Walla Walla and Grand Ronde rivers. Sign up for email/text updates Update Feb 14, 2024: The pre-season forecasts for Columbia River basin upriver summer steelhead were recently developed. The aggregate forecast is improved over last year but still well below the 10-year average. Actual returns in 2023 (steelhead counts at Bonneville and Ice Harbor dams) were higher than pre-season forecasts and sufficient to keep steelhead fishing open on tributaries. The Deschutes, Umatilla, John Day, Grand

February 8, 2023

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Salmon River Hatchery was constructed in 1975. The facility is used for adult collection, egg incubation and rearing of fall Chinook, coho and summer steelhead.

November 13, 2017

Landing page

Roaring River Hatchery was constructed in 1924. Many improvements have been made to the hatchery since original construction. In 1987 and 1996 new raceway ponds were constructed to replace the original raceways. The hatchery is a mixed-stock facility, producing both anadromous fish and resident trout. The hatchery is used for rearing summer and winter steelhead from fingerling to smolt. The rainbow trout program involves broodstock maintenance, spawning, egg incubation and rearing.

March 02, 2018

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February 12, 2018

Landing page

Cole Rivers Hatchery was constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in 1973 to mitigate for spawning and rearing areas blocked by the construction of Lost Creek, Applegate, and Elk Creek Dams. The hatchery was named in honor of Cole M. Rivers, a biologist on the Rogue River for 20 years. The facility is used for adult collection, spawning, egg incubation and rearing of spring Chinook, coho, summer steelhead, and winter steelhead, and egg incubation and rearing of fall Chinook and rainbow trout. Infrastructure Repair and Renovation Updates

November 03, 2017

Landing page

The original portion of Fall River Hatchery construction was completed in 1929. Many improvements have been made since original construction. In 1952 the ten raceways were completed. The hatchery produces legal and trophy sized rainbow trout, and provides rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout fingerlings for air stocking programs throughout the state. The facility traps and spawns brown trout at a remote site.

November 15, 2017

Landing page

The major portion of Elk River Hatchery construction was completed in 1968. In 1971 the hatchery completed final construction on an intake and ten new ponds. The purpose of the facility is to supplement natural production of fall Chinook in the Elk and Chetco Rivers and winter steelhead in the Chetco River. The facility is used to collect Elk River fall Chinook, to incubate eggs and rear both natural and hatchery fall Chinook and winter steelhead.

November 17, 2017

Landing page

Trask River Hatchery was constructed in 1916 to replace an earlier hatchery that was located three miles upstream from the present site. Many improvements have been made to the hatchery since original construction including a new alarm system, early rearing building, and a 40’ x 60’ pole building. Trask Pond was constructed in 1970 and Tuffy Creek was constructed in 1988. The hatchery is used for adult collection, incubation, and rearing of fall and spring Chinook, coho, wild winter steelhead and hatchery winter steelhead.

November 30, 2017