Recreation Report

Includes updates to fishing, crabbing, clamming and wildlife viewing

Free fishing weekend June 7-8!

Free fishing weekends and events make it easy for you and your family to learn the skills. Learn more about free fishing weekends here: Free fishing weekend! We recommended family-friendly fishing locations, and how-to tips on everything from buying your gear to cooking your catch. Here is your guide to local events: Take the family fishing and learn how to fish! Or find your own opportunities in an area near you in the Weekly Recreation Report.

Hunter Safety Education events are updated weekly. Space is limited!

Check for a date and location that works with your schedule. Register for a class

*Please log in to your VEM account if you need to withdraw or reschedule. VEM will automatically submit a refund, if more that 7 days prior to event start date and open a seat for another participant.

Sign up for one of the Hunter Recruitment Program workshops and events. These hands-on ODFW workshops will teach you the skills to improve your hunting performance.

ODFW offers a variety of classes and workshops throughout the year. Workshops are designed for adults – ages 18 and older. Take this opportunity to build your confidence in the field. Register for an event

Shotgun Skills workshop available in Southern Oregon! 

This class is for adults only, ages 18 and over. Learn more here: Shotgun Skills - Myrtle Point

Classes take place at Myrtle Point Sportsmen's Club: 95414 Sitkum Ln, Myrtle Point, OR 97458 on June 8, 2025 from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. The cost is $25.00 per person.

Migrating birds offer a chance to see and hear wildlife.

Visit wildlife areas near you for a chance to listen and watch as a variety of songbirds, swans, cranes, geese, and other winged wildlife fly over or stop over to raise the next generation. Or take your binoculars with you on a weekend road trip to a part of the state you don't usually visit. The Burns area and parts of Harney County remain flooded so check before you go for lodging availability.

Spring hunting forecasts

Spring bear and spring turkey hunts end on May 31

The 2025 spring black bear and wild turkey hunting forecasts are now online. See what our local wildlife biologists are saying about the seasons.

Hunter education workshops starting soon. Space is limited!

Events are updated weekly, so check back for a date and location that works with your schedule. Register for a class. Please log in to VEM system if you need to withdraw or reschedule. VEM will automatically submit a refund, if more than 7 days prior to event start date, and open a seat for another participant.

Mule deer hunts cancelled in Hart Mtn

 Due to wildfire impacts, ODFW has cancelled the Hart Mtn bow hunts 170R1, 170R2 and muzzleloader hunt 170M. Hunters will not be able to apply for or draw a tag to hunt mule deer for those hunts during the fall 2025 season.

Tags reduced in Murderers Creek

ODFW reduced tags for Murderers Creek mule deer hunts 146 (ALW) and 146R1 (archery), by 20 percent following drought and wildlife in 2024 that has impacted habitat in the unit on a large scale. Researchers note a decrease in mule deer survival.

Hunters can visit https://myodfw.com/articles/how-apply-controlled-hunt for instructions at the bottom of the page on how to edit their controlled hunt applications. The deadline to edit applications is May 25, 2025.

Phillip W. Schneider Wildlife Area is now open

Access trails, wildlife viewing, hunting and other opportunities.

Visiting hours: Open May 1 – January 31

Camping is permitted May 1 – Jan. 31, campers may not exceed 14 days per stay. Motor vehicle access is allowed only on open roads, or up to 300 feet off open roads for the purpose of camping. Passenger vehicles are cautioned on seasonal roads.

Let baby wildlife stay wild

Young animals are rarely orphaned, so leave them where you find them. Chances are, mom is nearby watching and waiting for you to go away before she rejoins her young. Learn more.

Enjoy shed hunting responsibly

Late winter/early spring is a popular time for deer and elk shed hunting. It's also a critical time for big game animals still recovering from winter. Follow these rules and guidelines to help protect these animals.

We'll stock millions of trout this year

And some will be for you! Each year, ODFW stocks millions of trout in the state's ponds, lakes and reservoirs for anglers to catch and keep. Check the trout stocking schedule and maps for locations near you.

Best bets for weekend fishing

• The States held a hearing on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, to set additional dates for the recreational spring Chinook fisheries on the Columbia River. Please see the fishing regulation update page for details.
• On May 22 fishing opens for trout. The closure happens every year, to allow native steelhead spawning and out-migrating smolts to navigate the rivers.
• Late season snow and ice has mostly cleared, but check before you go if your favorite fishing spot tends to get late season snow. You can always call a local biologist to find out if you can access your favorite fishing hole.
• There's also plenty of open water on Howard Prairie, Hyatt Lake and Fish Lake, where early spring fishing for holdover trout can be good.
• Haystack Reservoir continues to yield trophy-sized and brood trout in the 16-17-inch range!
• Boats can now launch on most lakes – good news for trout and kokanee anglers.
• Redband trout fishing from bank and boat is fair on Upper Klamath and Agency lakes.
• Anglers are catching spring Chinook on the Columbia, Willamette and Lower Rogue rivers.
• Anglers report excellent spring kokanee fishing at Lake Billy Chinook, Odell Lake, and Wickiup Reservoir. Fish at Lake Billy Chinook and Odell Lake are averaging 13 inches; while 14–17-inch fish can be found at Wickiup.Tips for catching more kokanee

These examples are for demonstration purposes only. Refer to the zone reports for more details and possibilities.