Fishing is free this weekend as family angling events return to Silverton, Eugene

Zach Urness, Salem Statesman Journal
·3 min read

This weekend is a great time to take up fishing in Oregon if you’ve never tried.

No fishing license is required Saturday and Sunday to fish, crab or clam anywhere statewide, although local bag limits and regulations still apply.

This weekend will also see the return of family fishing events that were put on hiatus the last two years due to COVID-19.

At these events, volunteers with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife provide visitors with all the fishing equipment they’ll need, including reels, rods, tackle, and bait while helping teach new anglers how to rig their line, cast a rod, land a fish and identify their catch in ponds specially stocked for the weekend.

Here’s a rundown of the times and locations for the events.

Saturday

  • Estacada, Small Fry Lake, Promontory Park, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Directions: 7 miles east of Estacada on Highway 224.

  • Eugene, Alton Baker Canoe Canal, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

  • Hebo Lake, 9 am.-2 p.m. Directions: Take Highway 101 to Highway 22 at Hebo. Travel 1/4 mile east on Highway 22 to Forest Service Road 14. Travel east 4.5 miles on Forest Service Road, 14 to the entrance of the Hebo Lake Campground.

  • Henry Hagg Lake, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Directions: From Highway 47 south of Dilley near Forest Grove, follow Scoggins Valley Road about 3 miles to the lake.

  • Silverton Reservoir, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. There is no on-site parking at this event. Free shuttles will run every half-hour 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Roth’s Market, Robert Frost School, Library, Church of the Nazarene in Silverton.

  • Toledo/Newport, Ollala Lake, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Directions: 9 miles northeast of Newport. From Newport, take Highway 20 east for approximately six miles, then head north on Olalla Road for about three miles.

Sunday

  • Forest Grove/Washington County, Henry Hagg Lake, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Directions: From Highway 47 south of Dilley near Forest Grove, follow Scoggins Valley Road about 3 miles to the lake.

  • Klamath Falls/Medford, Lake of the Woods, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Directions: Lake of the Woods is located off of State Route 140 midway between Medford and Klamath Falls.

More about free fishing weekend

Fishing is free in Oregon the first weekend in June on Saturday and Sunday, June 4-5. Everyone can fish, clam and crab for free in Oregon those two days.

No fishing/shellfish licenses or tags (including a Combined Angling Tag or Columbia River Basin Endorsement or Two-Rod Validation) are required those two days for either Oregon residents or nonresidents. It’s also free to park and camp at Oregon State Parks on Saturday, June 4.

All other fishing regulations apply including closures, bag limits and size restrictions. See the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for rules and remember to check for any in season regulation updates, especially for salmon and steelhead fishing, at https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon free fishing weekend includes family events in Silverton, Eugene