Recreating during drought

With much of eastern Oregon suffering with drought conditions, here’s what that might mean for hunters, anglers and wildlife viewers.

Sign up for fishing, hunting, shooting workshops

Our workshops and events calendar has some appealing options:

• A kokanee fishing workshop and derby,
• introduction to hunting seminars,
• shotgun skills classes,
• 3D archery events, and
• upcoming pheasant hunting workshops.

Find more details, including how to register.

Best bets for weekend fishing

Just a couple of ideas to get you thinking:

• Warmwater fisheries should be in full swing on the North Coast and the Florence area. 
• We’re approaching the bulk of the summer steelhead run in the Siletz.
• July can be a great month to target early returning summer steelhead on the lower Rogue.
• Surf perch fishing in the Rogue estuary along the jetties and sand spit has been excellent.
• Anglers are still catching some good-size trout from Diamond Lake and Galesville Reservoir.
• Chinook fishing is in full swing in the upper Rogue River. 
• Fishing conditions on the South Santiam are good. And there are lots of Chinook and steelhead around with more on the way.
• There’s been good fishing for kokanee on Odell Lake.
• Fly-anglers on the Crooked River have been doing well on hopper/dropper combos.
• On the Williamson River there are large trout and a Hex hatch – a winning combination.
• Flows on the Wallowa River have been dropping steadily. Some of the best trout and whitefish fishing of the season will be between now and the end of July.
• There have been reports of some excellent bass fishing on the lower John Day.

Be sure to check the zone reports for more details and even more options.

Sign up for the latest information on boater access 

Marine Board’s Opportunities and Access Report incorporates information from federal and  state agencies, local facility operators and fellow boaters to provide up-to-date information so boaters can decide where to recreate and what to expect this season. Subscribe to receive email updates.