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Seize the Season & Get Outdoors
October is peak hunting and fishing season as buck deer, waterfowl and many upland bird seasons kick off. Chinook and coho are returning to their natal streams, winter steelhead are pushing upriver, and trout are actively feeding, getting ready for the lean winter months. For anglers in the Willamette Valley, a potential record coho run is generating excitement, opening the Willamette Coast and Middle Forks and the McKenzie for coho fishing. Don’t get fall FOMO, get outside!
Double Your Rods
The two-rod validation allows fishing with two rods in most lakes, ponds and reservoirs year-round and this fall, in the Willamette River and its tributaries upstream of Willamette Falls thru December 31 when coho retention is open.
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 Fall Fishing Best Bets
There are so many great choices for fall fishing: You can still head for the hills, where trout are biting in high mountain lakes in the Wallowa and Cascade ranges, but mosquitos are not. Sea-run cutthroat trout are in most North Coast rivers. Remember the weekly recreation report has your best bets for fishing.
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 Fall Trout Stocking
With water temps cooling down, trout stocking of popular fishing destinations is picking back up again. Trout stocking locations for October include Chickahominy, Dorena, Dexter, Lost Creek and Pine Hollow Reservoirs, Henry Hagg Lake, Alton Baker Canal, Becker and Burns Gravel ponds and more.
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 Er, Time to Go Crabbing?
We’re back in the “er” months also known as the best time of year to crab. Crabs typically have more meat, as summer molting is over, and they have filled out and their shells have hardened. Larger bays like Tillamook, Yaquina and Coos‌ have the best year-round opportunities and easy to access public docks too.
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 See Salmon Spawn
Our kind of fall colors: salmon and kokanee undergo a dramatic color change as they approach spawning, changing from silver in color to red, pink and orange. Watch for salmon gathering in gravel beds and disturbed areas in the gravel where females dug a nest for their eggs aka “redds”. Our guide has tips on where and when to catch a glimpse of this iconic Pacific Northwest natural event.
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 Lewis Woodpecker
An Oregon Conservation Strategy Species, Lewis's Woodpeckers are disappearing from Oregon landscapes. The only known remaining resident population in Oregon resides at White River Wildlife Area, where an OCRF-funded grant is learning more about their movements. ODFW staff is partnering with university research students to study these birds today, and identify resources we need tomorrow to help bring them back.Â
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Regulation Reminders
Reminder: Always check ODA’s shellfish closure page before crabbing or clamming, and check for in-season regulation changes before fishing as regulations can change, especially for salmon and steelhead.Â
Sports Pac holders: Pick up your tag by the deadline – exchange your voucher online or at a license sale agent.Â
Tag sale deadlines: Always the day before the hunt begins. Oct. 4 is the deadline for Western Oregon Buck Deer, Fall Bear, and Cougar. Â
Quail and grouse hunters, submit your wings and tails. Look for collection barrels (often bright blue with yellow signs) at major road junctions or highways in popular hunting areas. More info
Fishing for salmon on coastal rivers? We have created an easy and convenient way for you to keep fishing regulations on hand when you are out of cell service areas. Take a screenshot of the regulation summary for your river for easy reference.Â
Coho fishing to open on McKenzie, Middle Fork Willamette, and Coast Fork Rivers; two rods allowed. More info Â
Take part in ecreel research with Anglers Atlas on the Deschutes and Salmon Rivers and win prizes. The deadline to participate is Oct. 15. More info
Razor clamming reopens on Clatsop beaches on Oct. 1. More info
Ocean crabbing reminder: the ocean is closed to crabbing Oct. 16-Nov. 30; bay crabbing will remain open.Â
Tech Tip: ODFW’s Electronic Licensing System (ELS) and the MyODFW companion app underwent a major update on Monday, September 30, 2024. Hunters and anglers that use e-tagging MUST update to the latest app version before heading out for their next hunting or fishing adventure. Visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store on your phone to update your MyODFW app.
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 Game Bird Hunting Forecast
Upland bird season could be one of the best in recent years thanks to strong populations of chukar and quail in southern and eastern Oregon and partridge and pheasant in the Columbia Basin. Expect average grouse and robust mountain quail numbers in western Oregon. Ducks are a mixed bag but populations in eastern Oregon are rebounding from severe drought in 2021-22.
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 Prep for a Wild Turkey Day
Turkey Day isn’t that far away but there is still plenty of opportunity to serve a wild one this holiday. Fall hunting seasons areas are expanded this year. Take up to two turkeys in western Oregon, one in eastern Oregon or three beardless turkeys if you have access to private land in the Willamette Valley or Grant County. Hunting tactics differ for fall turkey, check out our online tips.
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 Hunter Safety Bloopers
We were digging in our hunter ed photo archives and unearthed these blooper photos of what NOT to do this hunting season. Hope they’ll give hunters a chuckle and remind them how to stay safe this hunting season.
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Catch of the Month Photo Showcase
Monster from the deep! If you’ve been too busy fishing, you might have missed this news of a 52+ pound Chinook caught in the Chetco River estuary. Congratulations to Steve Wood from Brookings for this incredible catch.
Want a chance to showcase your awesome catch to other anglers? Excited about your latest fishing trip? Snap a great photo while wildlife viewing? Proud picture of your recent harvest? Share your best photos and videos with us. Chosen photographs and videos will be displayed in the Catch of the Month spotlight in an upcoming issue of the ODFW Monthly Messenger, ODFW Photo Gallery and may be used in promotional materials.
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If you know of or suspect crimes against fish, wildlife, or habitat, please contact OSP Dispatch at: 800-442-0776 for the Northern Command Center or 800-442-2068 for the Southern Command Center; or call *OSP (*677) from a mobile device. Or email: TIP@osp.oregon.gov. |
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ODFW Messenger: Monthly Edition | October 2024 |
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The ODFW Messenger is a monthly email which highlights some of the best seasonal opportunity available, and we’ll cover content for fishing, hunting, clamming, crabbing, wildlife viewing, and everything in between. Consider the Messenger your short list for the best adventures in the current season. Lastly, we want to thank you for your continued readership and hope you’ll share it with your friends. |
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