Idaho Fish Report

Elk hunters: Look for CWD check stations

This year, successful elk hunters have a new reason to stop at ODFW check stations on their way home. ODFW is testing elk for the presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fast-spreading neurological disease that could impact Oregon’s elk and deer populations. Getting your animal tested will help ODFW detect, monitor and manage CWD. Learn more about CWD and the dates and locations of check stations.

Turn in wings and tails

Grouse and mountain quail hunters, please turn in your bird’s wings and tails – our biologist use them to help assess bird populations and set seasons. Use this map to find blue collection barrels where you hunt.

Best bets for weekend fishing

Looks as if we’re in for some cooler, wetter weather, which should be good news for anglers.

• Rains predicted for the end of this week and early next week may be enough to move salmon into the North Coast rivers.
• Salmon fishing in the estuary of the Chetco has been good, and anglers have been picking up a few in the lower river as well.
• There have been rumors of good striped bass fishing in the Smith River.
• More than 15,000 coho salmon have been counted at Willamette Falls. Enough rain could start pushing them into tributary rivers such as the Yamhill, Mollala, Rickreall, Luckiamute and the Santiam. 
• Fall can be a great time for trout fishing in locations as diverse as the North Fork Santiam above Detroit Reservoir, Foster Reservoir, the McKenzie River, the Fall River, Crane Prairied Reservoir, and the Grande Ronde, Umatilla and Wallowa rivers.
• Anglers are still catching kokanee in the Metolius arm of Lake Billy Chinook.
• High elevation, hike-in lakes are usually snowed in by late October/November. Fish them now while you still can.
• Crabbing is still open in bays and estuaries. Crabs have hardened and are full of meat.

Get legal shooting hours online

Bird hunters can check legal shooting hours on their phone. Bookmark this page.