Great Gobs of Gobbling Hooks: Free fishing, crabbing, clamming after Thanksgiving
Free fishing days in Oregon Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29-30
File photo - Gavin Gooding of The Dalles, holds a nice trout caught at Taylor Lake in 2021. He returned this fish to the lake. Maybe it’s still waiting for you.
From the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife:
The Dalles, Ore., Nov. 14, 2024 — Make fishing part of your Thanksgiving weekend plans with friends and family. Everyone can fish, clam and crab for free in Oregon on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 29-30, 2024.
No fishing/shellfish licenses or tags (including a Combined Angling Tag, Columbia River Basin Endorsement or Two-Rod Validation) are required those two days. Both Oregon residents and nonresidents can fish for free.
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 too, especially for salmon and steelhead fishing. Click on the zone where you want to fish to see regulation updates.
The Recreation Report is updated weekly and features the best bests for fishing for the upcoming week. Depending on water levels and conditions, fishing could be good for Chinook or coho salmon; again be sure to check regulations first because not all rivers are open. Trout will also be stocked the week before Thanksgiving at several popular lakes in the Willamette Valley.
For beginners, Easy Angling Oregon is a great guide to getting started fishing in Oregon, https://myodfw.com/articles/easy-angling-oregon-introduction. And if you live near Portland, Bend, Medford, Roseburg or in Lane County, there are lots of nearby options.
Prefer to crab or clam instead? MyODFW.com has all the information you need to get started clamming or crabbing. Remember to check ocean conditions and take safety precautions—always clam with a friend and never turn your back on the ocean.
Call the ODA Shellfish safety hotline at 1-800-448-2474 or check their Shellfish Closures page before you go clamming or crabbing. The Oregon Department of Agriculture regularly tests shellfish and closes areas when naturally occurring biotoxins get to levels that make crabs and clams unsafe to eat.
Currently, crabbing is open in bays, beaches, estuaries, tide pools, piers and jetties along the entire Oregon coast. Crabbing is closed in the ocean due to the annual closure from Oct. 16-Nov. 30 each year.
As of mid-November, razor clamming is closed from Cascade Head to the California border due to high levels of the marine biotoxin domoic acid, but closures may change by Thanksgiving Weekend so check before you go.
