10 Best Places For Fishing In Oregon

When you come fishing in Oregon including fly fishing in Oregon you are coming to fish in one of the most spectacular fishing places in the lower forty eight. You do have to have a fishing license in Oregon and the State of Oregon has some very complex fishing regulations which you must pay attention to if you are fishing in Oregon. Because some of the salmon and trout are considered protected under the Endangered Species Act it is illegal to catch them so you must be able to spot the differences if you pull one up on your line. Also some hatchery fish may be kept but wild fish must be released and this varies by river, and month of the year.

1) Upper Rogue River

With a total of 155 miles of Rogue River the Rogue River is divided into three areas of fishing so you have many places when you are fishing in Oregon on the Rogue River. If you get your fishing license in Oregon and are fishing for Steelhead or Salmon on the Upper Rogue you must look for the adipose fin which is the small fin just forward of the tail fin and hatchery fish will have it clipped off and wild fish have it intact. Coho Salmon is one of the Upper Rogue catches which will be in the 5 to 15 pound range and they can be caught by fly fishing in Oregon on the Upper Rogue.

2) Lower Rogue River

Fishing in Oregon can get no better than along the Rogue River and the Lower Rogue River will prove that. Whether fly fishing in Oregon or just fishing in Oregon on the Lower Rogue you must have a fishing license in Oregon to go fishing. On the Lower Rogue you can catch Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, steelhead and bottomfish.  This is a 40 mile stretch of the river with year round fishing. The fall Coho run is about 50,000 hatchery fish on their way back to the Cole M Rivers Fish Hatchery which is a 150 mile upstream run for them.

3) Diamond Lake

Diamond Lake is a very popular lake for fishing in Oregon for which you do need a fishing license in Oregon to fish for Rainbow Trout in this lake. The best way to fish in Diamond Lake is by boat and the best fishing period is May to October and after that it snows and the lake freezes. It is 3200 acres surrounded by beautiful lush scenery in the Cascade Mountains. You can catch the trout by fly fishing in Oregon at Diamond Lake and the trout will be approximately 10 to 24 inches in length.

4) Tillamook Bay

When fishing in Oregon in the Tillamook Bay you do need a fishing license in Oregon specifically an angling license to fish for the salmon. You can catch even by fly fishing in Oregon on the Tillamook Bay sturgeon year round. You can fish either from the bank or a boat. This is a large bay which is the point of entry for salmon and steelhead runs on various rivers which all then empty into the bay. Bottomfish like lingcod and rock fish are there year round.

5) Umpqua River

Fishing in Oregon on the Umpqua River requires a fishing license in Oregon to catch the salmon, steelhead, smallmouth bass, shad and white sturgeon. This is a good place to try fly fishing in Oregon as there is enough gamefish in these waters for year round fishing opportunities. Fishing access to the Umpqua River is pretty good with good access to open bank fishing. Just remember there are a number of specific rules for fishing this river so make sure you are familiar with them.

6) Pistol River

Located on the dunes of the Southern Oregon coast, when you are fishing in Oregon at this location you do need a fishing license in Oregon for this area. The best fishing is at the Pistol River State Park along route 101 and upriver via the North Bank Pistol River Road. A day use area five miles upriver provides some access but if you are fly fishing in Oregon at this location it will take some work as logging ruined fishing but it is coming back. Most of the fishable water in the upper river is boulder runs in deep canyons and it is scenic.

7) Lower Columbia River

A fishing license in Oregon is required for salmon, steelhead, cutthroat trout and sturgeon on this part of the river and there is good fly fishing in Oregon year round. The Columbia River meets Youngs Bay. The Youngs River has a large waterfall which blocks steelhead and salmon movement so you can find excellent cutthroat fishing above the falls.

8) Hood River

If you are fishing in Oregon in the Hood River in Central Oregon you will need a fishing license in Oregon to catch the steelhead that you can catch from the bank for a good long six month period. The river is a glacial fed river coming out of Mt Hood National Forest. You can try fly fishing in Oregon from the banks here too. The Hood River has both summer and winter steelhead making it one of the best fishing in Oregon especially when the spring Chinook return in May and June. 

9) Lost Creek Lake

Fly fishing in Oregon at this lake is good. But it is often closed due to an overgrowth of algae. You can catch rainbow trout, Chinook and smallmouth bass. It was formed by a dam on the upper Rogue and is 3,400 acres and averages 136 feet deep except in the middle where it is 300 feet.

10) Lake Selmac Park

You do need a fishing license in Oregon to fish for trout and bass here. This is a simple fishing lake where you are almost assured of catching a fish or catching something as they stock this lake regularly. You can go fishing in Oregon here from the banks or by boat.