Free Fishing Weekend, Feb. 18-19

That’s this weekend! This President’s Day weekend (Saturday and Sunday) you don’t need a license to fish, crab or clam anywhere in Oregon. (Anywhere that’s open to fishing, crabbing or clamming, that is.) That’s no license, no tag, no endorsement, no validation needed. Check out the Recreation Report to make your weekend plans for fishing.

Youth turkey clinics

Turkey can be a great first hunt for young hunters. Help get them started with a youth turkey clinic on April 1 at the Denman Wildlife Area near Central Point or the White River Wildlife Area near Tygh Valley. Learn more, including how to register.

Best bets for fishing

This weekend’s best bets include trout, ice fishing and crabbing.

• On warmer winter days, fishing for holdover trout can be great alternative to stalking steelhead in skinny water. Look for larger lakes and reservoirs that are stocked regularly in the spring/summer/fall, and where some of these fish are still around. Here’s a list to get you started: Lost Creek Res., Applegate Res., Cooper Creek Res., Henry Hagg Lake, Detroit Res., Floras Lk. and Garrison Lk.  
• Several popular east side rivers that offer year-round trout fishing – including the Deschutes, Fall, Metolius and Blitzen.
• The spring stocking season has started in the Willamette Zone at locations like Junction City Pond, Henry Hagg Lake and EE Wilson Pond.
• We’ve gotten recent reports the ice conditions, and ice fishing, has been good in locations like Pilcher, Phillips and Wolf Creek reservoirs.
• Crabbing on the coast have been very good to excellent with some locations reporting limits.

Need more details? Check out the zone reports.

Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a global bird watching event happening this weekend, Feb. 17-20. Spend time in your favorite places watching birds. Identify them, count them and submit them to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world. Learn how you can participate.

Sign up to take, and teach, hunter education

Now is a great time to complete your hunter education requirements and there are several ways to do it. It’s also a great time to consider becoming a hunter education instructor. If you enjoy working with young people and sharing your passion for hunting, check out these 10 reasons to volunteer.