Free Fishing Weekend

This Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 13-14) is Free Fishing Weekend in Oregon. That means you can fish, crab or clam anywhere in Oregon – anywhere that’s open to fishing, crabbing and clamming – with no license, endorsements or validations needed. Check out nearby fishing locations in Bend, Portland, Medford, Roseburg and Lane County.

Best bets for fishing

This weekend is Free Fishing Weekend – a great time to introduce a friend or family member to your favorite pastime!

• Ocean fishing for rockfish and lingcod has been good out of Newport and other ports.
• It’s winter steelhead season on the coast. While fishing hasn’t been lights out, there are fish throughout the systems and anglers are catching a few every day. Could be your turn!
• Some waterbodies in the NW, Willamette and SW zones are being stocked with trout just in time for the weekend. Look for updates in the zone reports.
• Ice fishing continues to be good at several locations in the SE Zone.

Sign up for a hunter ed field day

If you were unable to complete a field day last year due to COVID restrictions, you’re not off the hook. The temporary rule expires on March 31, and you’ll still need to complete a field day before you can hunt this fall. Find a field day.

Apply for your 2021 big game tags

The deadline is May 15, but you can apply anytime to beat the last-minute crunch. You’ll find big game population, past year’s harvest numbers, and other statistics for each hunt here.

Responsible shed hunting

More and more people are discovering shed hunting as a great winter pastime. To help reduce stress to deer and elk, please follow these tips for responsible shed hunting.