What Washington And Oregon Waterfowlers Can Expect During The 2026-27 Season
Time to dust off those decoys! Staff waterfowler MD Johnson has once again gathered intel from state and federal managers on what duck and goose hunters can expect as the heart of the 2026-27 season arrives. Find out how our harvest stalwarts are performing, as well as the duck species that is doing “fabulously well.”
Comment On Proposed 2027 Oregon Groundfish Regs, Deschutes Land Buy For ODFW Commission Meeting
ODFW outlines public comment opportunities ahead of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission’s last scheduled meeting of 2026.
SW WA, Lower Columbia Fishing Report (10-26-26)
Late October 2026 Chinook, coho and steelhead catch stats for the Lower Columbia and select Southwest Washington tributaries.
Walleye Deemed ‘Incompatible’ With Snake Salmon And Steelhead, Threaten Recovery
Walleye are piscis non grata on a 140-mile stretch of Washington, Oregon and Idaho’s Snake River. That’s the nut of a recently revealed tri-state policy statement as the nonnative species colonizes more and more of the watershed, threatening salmon and steelhead populations.
WDFW Recommends Making Columbia Fishing Endorsement Permanent; Comment Open
In a review of the legislatively reestablished Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement, WDFW recommends making permanent the $8.75 fee that supports its monitoring and management of Columbia system Chinook, A- and B-run, and other fisheries. It’s not required for bass, shad, etc.
WDFW Closing Coastal Rivers, Marine Areas 2-1, 2-2 Due To Drought, Lower Coho Returns
Salmon and game fish angling will close starting Saturday, October 24, on Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor system rivers, the Copalis and Moclips Rivers and Grays Harbor itself outside of two boat basins “due to low water conditions from the ongoing drought as well as lower-than-expected returns of coho salmon.”
2026 Northwest Upland Bird Hunting Forecast
Last month we looked at Northwest deer prospects. This month we’re turning to the feathersome forecast.
SW WA, Buoy 10, Lower Columbia Fishing Report (10-20-2026)
Mid-October 2026 coho, Chinook and steelhead catch stats for Buoy 10, the Lower Columbia and select Southwest Washington tributaries.
2 Washington Beaches Opening For Razor Clams Next Week, 2 Stay Closed Due To Marine Toxins
Mocrocks and Copalis beaches will open for digging razor clams on four separate evening low tides next week, but Long Beach and Twin Harbors remain closed till further notice due to elevated domoic acid levels.
IDFG Closing Steelhead Retention In Clearwater Basin
With historically low returns of A- and B-run steelhead back to the Inland Northwest this year, Idaho fishery managers announced that the Clearwater River will close to all steelhead harvest starting this Thursday, October 22, though C&R fishing will remain open.
Introduction Of Bipartisan Northwest Wetlands VIP Act In US House Applauded
Conservation groups including fishing and hunting organizations are cheering the introduction of the Northwest Wetlands Voluntary Incentives Program Act in the US House of Representatives this week, a bill that would help address the needs of waterfowl and migratory birds and salmon and steelhead.
OSP Looking For Tips In Poaching Of Large Granty County Bull Elk
Oregon fish and wildlife troopers are looking for information on who unlawfully killed a six-point bull in the mountains north of John Day and Prairie City between October 9-11.
Skagit Delta’s Island Unit Reopening For Waterfowl Season
A temporary pause in construction at the Island Unit of the Skagit Wildlife Area, where managers are reverting the duck hunting area to estuarine salmon habitat, will allow waterfowlers to access the boat-in-only unit this season.
SW WA, Buoy 10, Lower Columbia, Hanford Reach Report (10-13-2026)
Early to mid-October 2026 Chinook, coho and steelhead catch stats for Buoy 10, the Lower Columbia, select Southwest Washington tributaries and the Hanford Reach.
How The Massive Two-state Big Grass Fire Affected Mule Deer, Habitat
Wildlife biologists talk about how the 900-plus-square-mile Big Grass Fire that burned across Southeast Oregon and Southwest Idaho this summer impacted mule deer habitat and offer alternative areas to hunt for big game.
Court Dismisses Challenge Of WDFW’s Game Management Plan
“That’s validating.” Those were the words of WDFW Deputy Director Amy Windrope immediately after learning that a lawsuit challenging the agency’s 2026 Game Management Plan had been thrown out in its entirety by a Thurston County Superior Court judge late this morning for a lack of standing.