McKenzie River fishing guide

Public access & launches

Extensive public bank access along the McKenzie River, computed from public land ownership and hydrography.

• Frissell Boat Launch
  Boat launch
• EWEB Boat Ramp
  Boat launch
• McKenzie River Ranger District (Hwy 126)
  Boat launch
• McKenzie River Trailhead at Paradise Campground
  Boat launch
• PARADISE IN OREGON
  Boat launch
• Bruckart Boat Launch
  Boat launch
• Amitage County Park Boat Launch
  Boat launch
• Rodakowski Landing
  Boat launch
• Bellinger Boat Launch
  Boat launch
• Forest Glen LandingLane County
  Boat access
• Brukart LandingMcKenzie River Ranger District
  Boat access
• Deadmonds Ferry LandingLane County
  Boat access

Regulations

• Willamette Zone

  The following apply to open sections below: * Open all year for trout, hatchery steelhead, and wild steelhead greater than 24 inches in length. 5 hatchery trout per day, no minimum length. Wild trout must be released, including brook trout. * Mouth to Hayden Bridge Open all year for hatchery Chinook salmon in the mainstem. Open for Coho Oct 1 - Dec 31. See Mohawk River & Tributaries. * Hayden Bridge to Hendricks Bridge Open all year for hatchery Chinook salmon in the mainstem. Open for Coho Oct 1 - Dec 31. Gear Restriction: Bait allowed May 1 - Jun 15 when angling for salmon and steelhead with hooks 5/8 inch gap or larger. See Walterville Canal. * Hendricks Bridge to Leaburg Dam Open all year for hatchery Chinook salmon in the mainstem. Bait allowed Apr 22 - Oct 31 in the mainstem. Gear Restriction: Leaburg Dam downstream to Trout Cr (approx. 1 Mi) any attached weight may be no more than 6 ft from the lowermost hook, in addition to statewide Hook and Weight Regulations . See Leaburg Canal & Tributaries and Walterville Canal & Tributaries. Closed within 200 ft downstream of Leaburg Dam. * Leaburg Dam to Forest Glen boat ramp Bait allowed Apr 22 - Oct 31 in the mainstem. See Leaburg Lake and Blue River & Tributaries. * Forest Glen boat ramp to Tamolitch Falls (Blue Pool) Closed within the Carmen Spawning Channel and in the McKenzie River from Trail Bridge Dam to 200 ft below the Carmen Spawning Channel entrance. Above Tamolitch Falls (Blue Pool) including Carmen Reservoir and Clear Lake Willamette Zone regulations apply, including no limit on the size or number of brook trout. * South Fork McKenzie River and Tributaries Closed from Cougar Dam downstream 700 ft to concrete supports of the old adult fish trap.

• BassWillamette Zone

  Season

  Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except mainstem Willamette River and sloughs and tidewater areas of Columbia River tributaries downstream from Bonneville Dam are open all year.

  Bag

  Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions . Streams: No limit.

  Gear

  Angling restricted to artificial flies and lures in streams

  No more than 3 over 15 inches in length in lakes. No minimum length in streams. Angling restricted to artificial flies and lures in streams. See Exceptions where use of bait is allowed.

• Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow Perch, Striped Bass, Sucker, Northern Pikeminnow, Whitefish, Carp, ChWillamette Zone

  Bag

  No limit, unless noted under Exceptions .

  Gear

  Angling restricted to artificial flies and lures in streams

  No minimum length. Angling restricted to artificial flies and lures in streams. See Exceptions where use of bait is allowed. Closed to take and possession of Oregon Chub.

As of 2026-08-28.Guidance, not legal advice — always confirm current rules with the state.Official Oregon regulations

What’s in it

Recorded in/near this water. Occurrence-based unless a higher-confidence source is shown — see it per-species in the app.

More Oregon fishing

Oregon field notes

Portland, OR

Forest Park Is 5,200 Acres and the Gorge Is 40 Minutes. Here's How to Use Both.

One of the largest urban forest reserves in the United States sits inside the city limits, with a 30-mile trail running its length. Forty minutes east, a river gorge cuts through the Cascades with more waterfalls per mile than anywhere else in the country. Most people use one and ignore the other.

Portland, OR

Urban Fishing in Portland: Salmon in the Willamette, Smallmouth Under the Bridges, and Sturgeon Past the Skyline

Portland is one of the only major cities in America where you can catch salmon and steelhead inside city limits. The Willamette River runs through downtown holding spring Chinook, smallmouth bass, sturgeon, and walleye. The Columbia River forms the northern border. No boat needed for most of it.

Portland, OR

Birding Portland: The Island Where Half the Units Close in October

Portland has a 5,200-acre forest inside the city, one of the largest protected wetlands in any American city, and an agricultural island twenty minutes north where several of the best units close on October 1 and do not reopen until spring. Knowing which is which is the whole trick.

Bridal Veil, OR

The Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop After the Fire: What Grew Back and What Didn't

Five miles, six waterfalls, and 1,600 feet of climbing on the most famous stretch of the Columbia River Gorge, through forest that burned in 2017 and is still visibly recovering. It is the best short hike in Oregon and it now requires a timed permit in season, which almost nobody realizes until they arrive.

Government Camp, OR

The Timberline Trail: 41 Miles Around Mount Hood, and the River Crossing That Stops People

A loop entirely around an 11,000-foot volcano, 41.5 miles with 10,000 feet of climbing, and a free permit you pick up at the trailhead. The permit is the easy part. The hard part is a glacial river with no bridge that has turned back more parties than the elevation ever has.

Bend, OR

South Sister Without a Rope: Oregon's Easiest Big Summit Is Still a Long Day

A 10,363-foot volcano you can walk up, 26 miles from Bend, with a trail the whole way and no technical climbing. That accessibility is exactly why it catches people out: 12.6 miles and nearly 5,000 feet of gain on volcanic cinder is a mountaineering day wearing hiking clothes.

McKenzie River fishing — FAQ