Nestled in the center of the Cascade Mountains is Oregon’s premier trout fishery – Odell Lake. Odell is the current home of the Oregon state record Lake Trout, and is also one of the most popular Kokanee fisheries in the state. If you’re located in Bend, or Eugene it as about an hour and half drive.
Are there lake trout in Oregon?
Oregon’s state record for lake trout is 40.5 pounds, taken at Odell Lake in the 1980s. Lake trout prefer especially deep and cold lakes with abundant forage fish to fill their bellies. Only a handful of Oregon lakes have been planted with these oversized natives of the upper Midwest and Canada.
Where is the best trout fishing in Oregon?
Oregon is blessed with terrific fishing for native rainbow, cutthroat and bull trout.
Rainbow Trout
- Davis Lake (Fly Fishing)
- Lower Deschutes River (Fly Fishing the Salmonfly Hatch)
- Diamond Lake.
- East Lake.
- Henry Hagg Lake.
- Miller Lake.
- North Fork Reservoir.
- Odell Lake.
Where is Oregon’s biggest trout?
Crescent Lake
This is a large central Oregon lake off Highway 58 (southeast of Eugene) that is known for trophies of several species, most notably brown trout and lake trout (mackinaw). You’ll also find good-sized kokanee and some rainbow trout.
How many lake trout can you keep in Oregon?
| Northwest Zone Regulations | |
|---|---|
| Species | Bag Limit |
| Trout | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): 2 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. |
Are lake trout good to eat?
Generally speaking, when properly prepared from the lake to the table, I consider them excellent table fare. Yes – excellent. I do like Landlocked Salmon, browns and rainbows better, but not that much better.
Do I need a license to fish for trout in Oregon?
A general Oregon Angling License is all that’s required to fish for trout. Youth 12-17 years old need a youth license and kids under 12 fish for free. Trout habitats are often divided into lakes and ponds (stillwaters) or rivers and streams (moving waters).
Where is the best fishing in Oregon right now?
Willamette Valley
- North Fork Reservoir.
- Rainbow Trout.
- Willamette River Spring Chinook.
- Best Fishing in Oregon’s Willamette Zone (Mid-Valley-Salem-Corvallis Area)
- Green Peter Kokanee.
- Best Fishing in Oregon’s Willamette Zone (South Valley-Eugene Area)
- Best Small Streams for Winter Steelhead in Portland and Northwest Oregon.
What is the best bait to catch trout in a lake?
Live bait is generally the most consistently effective way to fish for lake trout. Minnows are usually the best option. Other good live bait options are nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, or anything similar to their native prey. One of the best artificial options for deepwater trout is a big bucktail jig.
What is best bait for trout?
For catching trout, many anglers turn to natural baits. Nightcrawlers and other types of earthworms are an excellent choice. Salmon eggs, mealworms and locally available baits can also be very successful and often are similar to food sources in the environment.
What lake has the biggest trout in Oregon?
Record coldwater game fish
| Species | Weight (pounds ounces) | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Trout, Macinaw or Lake | 40 | Odell Lake |
| Trout, Rainbow | 28 | Rogue River |
| Trout, Steelhead | 35 | Columbia River |
| Whitefish | 4 | Crane Prairie Reservoir |
What lake in Oregon has the biggest fish?
Wallowa Lake is now renowned, after producing the world’s largest kokanee in 2010. Ron Campbell caught his 9 pound, 10-ounce monster in June that year, eclipsing the previous record from Canada and also blasting previous U.S. and state records.
What is the biggest fish ever caught in Oregon?
GOLD BEACH, Ore. — Grant Martinsen made flyfishing history Monday on Oregon’s lower Rogue River, but he didn’t hang around long enough to realize it. Martinsen, 57, of Grants Pass, Ore., hooked and landed a fall chinook salmon that officially weighed 71½ pounds.
Can you fish for trout year-round in Oregon?
Oregon’s year-round fishing spans the state from native redband trout in eastern deserts to rockfish and halibut in ocean waters – with lots of salmon, steelhead, trout and warmwater fishing in between.
Can you keep wild Chinook in Oregon?
Hunter Creek, Pistol, Chetco, and Winchuck rivers: Open for wild fall Chinook under permanent rules although daily/seasonal bag limits are proposed to be reduced to 1 wild adult chinook per day and 2 for the season.
Can you fish at night in Oregon?
That said, night fishing continues to be a popular tactic, especially for tuna fishing. While you can’t fish for salmon or trout at night in Oregon, you can do so with other fish species like rockfish or lingcod.
Do you eat the skin on lake trout?
Fish skin is a delicious and nutritious part of the fish. It’s rich in the same nutrients found in the flesh of fish, and consuming fish with the skin on helps ensure nutrients aren’t lost during the cooking process.
What is the tastiest trout?
brook trout
The Tastiest Trout
Yet, whether through sentimentality or not, I still find brook trout to be completely delicious. Their meat is as light and delicate as stained glass and has an almost sweet flavor when compared with the flesh of other trout species.
Can you eat lake trout raw?
Here are a few common types of fish eaten raw: seabass, swordfish, salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna and salmon. Other types of seafood, like shrimp, crab, scallops, eel and octopus are also widely and safely eaten raw.
Can you fish with 2 rods in Oregon?
Licensed anglers who purchase the validation can use two rods wherever regulations allow them, which is primarily in ponds and lakes.
How much is the fine in Oregon for fishing without a license?
Fines are always more than $50 if it is your first violation. For any subsequent violation, the fine is greater than $50 and less than $500.