Articles

ODFW Weekly Recreation Report Highlights
by ODFW, DECEMBER 21, 2018

Help ODFW celebrate the #25DaysOfFishmas Follow #25DaysOfFishmas on Instagram to learn more about some of Oregon’s more interesting and unusual fish. Add bird watching to your holiday to do list Join other birders from around the state in the Audubon Christmas bird count around the holidays this year. Depending on the area, the typical one-day counts start in mid-December and continue into early January. Experienced...
Full Story

Winter steelhead season set to take off
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, DECEMBER 20, 2018
Mad River

For North Coast river anglers, the past couple weeks were spent waiting on the rain – as well as the arrival of the winter steelhead. Well, we now have both. The latest storms delivered a much more powerful punch than predicted, especially to the Smith and Chetco. Both rivers peaked at well over 20,000 cfs, and got the flushing they...
Full Story

Fishing Opportunities Abound Over the Holidays, Despite Hatchery Issues in Central and Southern California
by CDFW, DECEMBER 20, 2018

The winter holidays are a popular time for families and individuals to enjoy recreational trout fishing, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) trout hatcheries plan to provide plenty of opportunities for anglers of all ages over the next two weeks. Specific plants of catchable trout are scheduled at 53 waters in 25 counties. Anglers planning trout fishing outings...
Full Story

Drift-Fish Your Way into a Steelhead's Mouth
Southern Oregon
by Larry Ellis, DECEMBER 15, 2018
Chetco River

It’s almost time to catch your first steelhead of the winter season, and if you’re a bank fisherman, drift-fishing is a prime way of getting them to bite. Whether you’re fishing the Chetco River or North Fork of the Coquille, every river has its favored drift-fishing water flows. Notice that I didn’t mention the word “hot-spots”, mainly because hotspots can change...
Full Story

Excess algae and aging infrastructure likely cause of fish egg loss at Cole Rivers Hatchery
by ODFW, DECEMBER 15, 2018

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery staff are reporting an unusual level of loss among spring Chinook eggs and newly hatched fish at Cole Rivers Hatchery. Agency fish health specialists believe an algae overload and aging infrastructure is the likely cause of the loss. Approximately 360,000 spring Chinook eggs and fry died since December 7 due to low dissolved oxygen...
Full Story

CDFW Releases Conservation and Management Plan for California Elk Populations
by CDFW, DECEMBER 14, 2018

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has released a Statewide Elk Conservation and Management Plan. The plan has undergone extensive public review and will help guide state wildlife managers’ efforts to maintain healthy elk herds. The plan builds on the success of efforts to reestablish elk in suitable historic ranges, and management practices that have resulted in robust elk populations...
Full Story