Oregon
Fishing License 2026.

License required?

Yes

Where to apply?

Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW). Online at myodfw.com, ODFW offices, and 400+ license agents statewide.

Cost

Resident annual angling: $50. Non-resident annual angling: $138. Resident 1-day: $23. Non-resident 1-day: $26.50. Combined Angling Tag (required for salmon/steelhead/sturgeon/halibut): $69 resident / $89 non-resident — allows harvest of 20 salmon or steelhead per year. Two-Rod Validation: $28.50.

Validity

Annual (Jan 1 – Dec 31), 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, or 7-day

Available online?

Yes

Oregon requires a separate Combined Angling Tag on top of the base license the moment you target salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, or halibut — the tag is marked in ink every time you keep one of those fish, with a hard annual cap of 20 salmon/steelhead combined. Required for ages 12+. Columbia River Basin Endorsement ($10.50) also required for anyone fishing the Columbia or its tributaries for salmon/steelhead/sturgeon. ODFW fees rose for the 2026 license year — verify current pricing before purchase.

Closed seasons

Salmon/steelhead seasons river-by-river, set annually and adjusted in-season by emergency rule. Columbia spring chinook: March–May quota-based. Deschutes steelhead: typically open July–December, closed or restricted if returns weak. Coastal wild coho: mostly closed (hatchery-only fishery).

Catch limits

Chinook salmon (Columbia): 2/day adults, hatchery-marked only during most windows. Steelhead: 1–2/day hatchery (adipose-clipped), wild release mandatory everywhere. White sturgeon Columbia: catch-and-release only below Bonneville (since 2014). Trout (statewide): 5/day 8" min on most waters. Halibut (nearshore + all-depth): set annually by Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Prohibited methods

Snagging banned. Barbless hooks required on the mainstem Columbia from Buoy 10 to the OR-WA border for salmon/steelhead. Bait banned on many Deschutes + upper Rogue sections (artificial fly and lure only).

Catch & Release

Mandatory for all wild steelhead statewide. Mandatory for all white sturgeon below Bonneville Dam. Mandatory for wild coho in most coastal rivers. Bull trout catch-and-release only everywhere.

The Combined Angling Tag is the state's headache — you must ink in date + location the moment you retain a salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, or halibut, and if you fill your 20-fish allowance you're done for the year regardless of open seasons. Annual regulations booklet is 150+ pages; the free ODFW Fishing app has river-by-river current rules.

Best season

Columbia spring chinook: March–May. Buoy 10 fall chinook: August. Deschutes summer steelhead: August–October. Tillamook Bay king run: October–November. Rogue halfpounder steelhead: August–October. Albacore offshore: August–September.

Freshwater

Columbia + Deschutes + Rogue + Umpqua + John Day — five blue-ribbon river systems. Cascade lakes (Crane Prairie, East Lake) for trophy rainbows + browns. Crater Lake holds kokanee + rainbows (catch-and-keep the invasives).

Saltwater

360 miles of Pacific coast. Newport + Depoe Bay + Garibaldi launch offshore charters for salmon/tuna/halibut. Estuaries (Tillamook, Nehalem, Coos Bay) for fall chinook staging before the run upriver.

Equipment

Fisherman's Marine (Portland, Oregon City) — flagship regional store. Caddis Fly Angling Shop (Eugene). Fly & Field Outfitters (Bend, for Deschutes). Countless small-town tackle shops on coast + Columbia.

Fishing guides

$350–$500/day drift boat steelhead / chinook (Deschutes, Rogue, Umpqua — 2 anglers). $200–$275/person Newport or Depoe Bay offshore charter. $600–$900/day sturgeon charter Columbia.

Transport

PDX (Portland) is the primary hub — Columbia fishery starts right there. RDM (Redmond) for central OR / Deschutes. OTH (North Bend) for south coast. Rental car essential; US-101 is the scenic coast route.

Safety

Columbia + Rogue Bar crossings are genuinely dangerous — hire a guide for first-time Tillamook or Rogue Bay visits. Hypothermia in Pacific surf year-round. Ticks on Deschutes canyon trails April–June. Rattlesnakes in John Day / Deschutes canyon country May–September.

License fees

$23–$138 base; +$69–$89 Combined Angling Tag for salmon/steelhead

Guide prices

$350–$500 drift boat; $200–$275 offshore per person; $600–$900 sturgeon

Daily budget

Budget DIY: $120/day. Guided river day: $400–$500. Coastal charter: $200–$300/person.