When is rainbow trout season in Oregon?

Oregon keeps rainbow trout open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.

What is the Oregon bag limit for rainbow trout?

The Oregon daily bag limit for rainbow trout is 5 / day combined trout on most waters; 8 / day Diamond Lake (ODFW-distinctive); 2 / day Lower Deschutes Quality Management with 10-13 in slot + only 1 fish over 20 in / day; Crater Lake UNLIMITED bag NPS removal policy; Klamath redband 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed conservation reaches. The possession limit is 10 in possession combined trout statewide. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size rainbow trout can you keep in Oregon?

The Oregon size rule for rainbow trout is 10-13 in slot + 20 in trophy on Lower Deschutes Quality Management; no statewide minimum elsewhere. Slot limit: Lower Deschutes native redband rainbow 2 / day with 10-13 in slot + only 1 fish over 20 in / day Quality Management + barbless single-hook + artificial-fly-and-lure only. Trophy rule: Diamond Lake country's premier high-Cascade stocked-rainbow trout reservoir + ODFW-distinctive 8 / day bag (one of country's most generous trout bags); East Lake + Paulina Lake country's only stocked-rainbow trout fishery inside a volcanic caldera (Newberry Volcano); Lower Deschutes native redband rainbow Quality Management country's premier native-redband-rainbow Quality Management reach; Klamath redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii) endemic to Klamath Basin in OR + adjacent CA found nowhere else in the world; Crater Lake unique NPS unlimited-bag removal policy (introduced species must be removed under NPS native-fish restoration framework).

Do you need a license to fish for rainbow trout in Oregon?

Yes. Oregon requires a valid fishing license to fish for rainbow trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Oregon license — compare resident and non-resident Oregon fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for rainbow trout in Oregon?

Yes. In Oregon, rainbow trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trolling permitted on most waters; Artificial-fly-and-lure only + barbless single hook on Lower Deschutes + Metolius + listed Quality Management reaches; Live bait prohibited on listed Klamath redband + Lahontan cutthroat + bull trout conservation reaches; ODFW Angling License required ages 12+ ($44 res annual / $116 NR annual); Confirm current-year ODFW Sport Fishing Regulations for reach-specific exceptions.

Do specific Oregon waters have different rainbow trout rules?

Yes. 5 named Oregon waters carry rules that override the statewide rainbow trout regulation, including Diamond Lake, Lower Deschutes reach, East Lake + Paulina Lake, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Oregon Rainbow trout 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Last updated May 27, 2026

Oregon rainbow trout fishery centers on the country's premier high-Cascade stocked-rainbow + native redband rainbow trout systems. Diamond Lake (3,015-acre Cascade Range volcanic lake — Douglas County — 5,183 ft elevation — USFS Umpqua National Forest) is country's premier high-Cascade stocked-rainbow trout reservoir — ODFW-distinctive 8 / day rainbow trout bag (one of country's most generous trout bags) + Tui chub forage-base reservoir fishery + ODFW stocks ~300,000 rainbow trout annually. East Lake + Paulina Lake (Newberry National Volcanic Monument USFS Deschutes National Forest — Lake County — caldera lakes inside the active Newberry Volcano caldera) carry country's only stocked-rainbow + brown trout + kokanee fishery inside a volcanic caldera. Wickiup + Crane Prairie + Crescent Lake + Davis Lake + Odell Lake Upper Deschutes high-desert reservoir tier carries the country's most extensive stocked-rainbow + kokanee high-desert reservoir system. The Deschutes River Lower Deschutes 100-mile Wild & Scenic reach (below Pelton Round Butte Dam) carries the country's premier native redband rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri Columbia River redband subspecies) Quality Management fishery — ODFW-distinctive native redband rainbow Lower Deschutes 2 / day with 10-13 in slot + only 1 fish over 20 in / day Quality Management + artificial-fly-and-lure only + barbless single-hook required. The Klamath Basin (Klamath County — Upper Klamath Lake + Wood River + Williamson + listed tribs) carries the country's only Klamath redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii — endemic to Klamath Basin in OR + adjacent CA, found nowhere else in the world — currently ODFW Sensitive Species) — 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed Klamath Basin conservation reaches. The McKenzie River + North Santiam + South Santiam + Middle Fork Willamette Cascade Range tributaries carry the country's premier wild redside rainbow trout fishery alongside wild cutthroat + stocked rainbow + Cascade-Range bull trout. Crater Lake National Park (Klamath County — 183,224-acre federal NPS park — country's deepest natural lake at 1,949 ft Mt Mazama caldera) carries the UNIQUE NPS unlimited-bag rainbow trout removal policy (introduced species — NPS native-fish restoration framework requires their removal — Crater Lake's only naturally-occurring fish populations are extinct, so all current rainbow + kokanee are introduced and must be removed). ODFW stocks ~5 million rainbow trout annually statewide via Roaring River + Trask + Bonneville + Cole Rivers + Klamath + Marion Forks + Round Butte + Sandy + Wallowa + Wizard Falls + Salmon River + Klaskanine + Big Creek + Cedar Creek + Leaburg + Oak Springs + Rock Creek State Fish Hatcheries (one of country's largest hatchery systems). Open year-round on most waters.

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round on most waters; ODFW-distinctive 8 / day Diamond Lake bag (one of country's most generous trout bags) + native redband rainbow Lower Deschutes 2 / day with 10-13 in slot + only 1 fish over 20 in / day Quality Management; Crater Lake unlimited bag under NPS native-fish restoration removal policy.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 5 / day combined trout on most waters; 8 / day Diamond Lake (ODFW-distinctive); 2 / day Lower Deschutes Quality Management with 10-13 in slot + only 1 fish over 20 in / day; Crater Lake UNLIMITED bag NPS removal policy; Klamath redband 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed conservation reaches
Possession: 10 in possession combined trout statewide

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: 10-13 in slot + 20 in trophy on Lower Deschutes Quality Management; no statewide minimum elsewhere
Slot: Lower Deschutes native redband rainbow 2 / day with 10-13 in slot + only 1 fish over 20 in / day Quality Management + barbless single-hook + artificial-fly-and-lure only
Trophy rule: Diamond Lake country's premier high-Cascade stocked-rainbow trout reservoir + ODFW-distinctive 8 / day bag (one of country's most generous trout bags); East Lake + Paulina Lake country's only stocked-rainbow trout fishery inside a volcanic caldera (Newberry Volcano); Lower Deschutes native redband rainbow Quality Management country's premier native-redband-rainbow Quality Management reach; Klamath redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii) endemic to Klamath Basin in OR + adjacent CA found nowhere else in the world; Crater Lake unique NPS unlimited-bag removal policy (introduced species must be removed under NPS native-fish restoration framework)

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; trolling permitted on most waters
Artificial-fly-and-lure only + barbless single hook on Lower Deschutes + Metolius + listed Quality Management reaches
Live bait prohibited on listed Klamath redband + Lahontan cutthroat + bull trout conservation reaches
ODFW Angling License required ages 12+ ($44 res annual / $116 NR annual)
Confirm current-year ODFW Sport Fishing Regulations for reach-specific exceptions

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Oregon waters:

Diamond Lake
Trout 8 / day combined (ODFW-distinctive one of country's most generous trout bags); ODFW stocks ~300,000 rainbow trout annually
Lower Deschutes River 100-mile Wild & Scenic reach
Native redband rainbow 2 / day with 10-13 in slot + only 1 fish over 20 in / day Quality Management + artificial-fly-and-lure only + barbless single-hook required
East Lake + Paulina Lake
Country's only stocked-rainbow trout fishery inside a volcanic caldera; trout 5 / day combined
Crater Lake National Park
UNLIMITED bag rainbow trout under NPS native-fish restoration removal policy (introduced species — all current rainbow + kokanee must be removed); artificial-only + no live bait; ODFW Angling License is controlling document
Klamath Basin
Klamath redband 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed Klamath Basin conservation reaches (ODFW Sensitive Species)

Official source

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) publishes the authoritative 2026 Oregonfishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

The rainbow trout rules on this page are sourced from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW)'s official rainbow trout regulation page.

Visit official Oregon fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Rainbow trout closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's emergency-order feed — check it before any Oregon trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is rainbow trout season in Oregon?: Oregon keeps rainbow trout open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
What is the Oregon bag limit for rainbow trout?: The Oregon daily bag limit for rainbow trout is 5 / day combined trout on most waters; 8 / day Diamond Lake (ODFW-distinctive); 2 / day Lower Deschutes Quality Management with 10-13 in slot + only 1 fish over 20 in / day; Crater Lake UNLIMITED bag NPS removal policy; Klamath redband 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed conservation reaches. The possession limit is 10 in possession combined trout statewide. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size rainbow trout can you keep in Oregon?: The Oregon size rule for rainbow trout is 10-13 in slot + 20 in trophy on Lower Deschutes Quality Management; no statewide minimum elsewhere. Slot limit: Lower Deschutes native redband rainbow 2 / day with 10-13 in slot + only 1 fish over 20 in / day Quality Management + barbless single-hook + artificial-fly-and-lure only. Trophy rule: Diamond Lake country's premier high-Cascade stocked-rainbow trout reservoir + ODFW-distinctive 8 / day bag (one of country's most generous trout bags); East Lake + Paulina Lake country's only stocked-rainbow trout fishery inside a volcanic caldera (Newberry Volcano); Lower Deschutes native redband rainbow Quality Management country's premier native-redband-rainbow Quality Management reach; Klamath redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii) endemic to Klamath Basin in OR + adjacent CA found nowhere else in the world; Crater Lake unique NPS unlimited-bag removal policy (introduced species must be removed under NPS native-fish restoration framework).
Do you need a license to fish for rainbow trout in Oregon?: Yes. Oregon requires a valid fishing license to fish for rainbow trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Oregon license — compare resident and non-resident Oregon fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for rainbow trout in Oregon?: Yes. In Oregon, rainbow trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trolling permitted on most waters; Artificial-fly-and-lure only + barbless single hook on Lower Deschutes + Metolius + listed Quality Management reaches; Live bait prohibited on listed Klamath redband + Lahontan cutthroat + bull trout conservation reaches; ODFW Angling License required ages 12+ ($44 res annual / $116 NR annual); Confirm current-year ODFW Sport Fishing Regulations for reach-specific exceptions.
Do specific Oregon waters have different rainbow trout rules?: Yes. 5 named Oregon waters carry rules that override the statewide rainbow trout regulation, including Diamond Lake, Lower Deschutes reach, East Lake + Paulina Lake, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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