Oregonians can go crabbing, fishing fee-free for 1 weekend in June

Oregonians can fish, clam and crab for free during Oregon’s annual Free Fishing Weekend in June.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said it will hold another free fishing weekend June 6-7, offering all Oregonians and nonresidents the chance to fish for free across the state for two days.

 No fishing or shellfish licenses or tags, endorsements or validations are required on these days. Oregon State Parks will also offer free parking at state parks on June 6.

While fishing may be free, ODFW said that all other fishing regulations apply. That includes single rod limitations, bag limits, size restrictions and closures.

Fishing regulations are available online and MyODFW.com for any in-season regulation updates.

Here’s what to know about Oregon June 2026 free fishing weekend.

Will Oregon lakes be stocked for 2026 free fishing weekend?

ODFW will be stocking many of Oregon’s lakes and ponds with rainbow trout for free fishing weekend.

People are encouraged to visit the recreation report at ODFW’s website to find the best fishing spots, and to check out the trout stocking schedule for stocking locations.

ODFW said that drought conditions will make a difference this year and some smaller lakes and ponds might be warmer than usual. The agency suggested fishing earlier in the day or fishing for warm water fish like bass, bluegill and crappie.

How to go crabbing and clamming during Oregon’s June 2026 free fishing weekend

For Oregonians who have never tried crabbing or clamming, free fishing weekend can be a good opportunity to learn.

ODFW provides information on how to get started crabbing on its website. It includes tips and tricks on how to crab, where to crab, how to measure a crab and how to tell if it is male or female.

People can also visit the website for information on how to get started clamming, including how to dig for clams, where to dig for clams and what species to look for.

As of May 26, crabbing is open coastwide. Razor clamming is only allowed from the Washington border to Cape Blanco. It is currently prohibited from Cape Blanco to the California border.

The agency warns that closures can happen at any time, especially closures related to shellfish biotoxins, or toxins carried by shellfish that can cause serious illness.

For updated recreational shellfish biotoxin closures, visit the ODA website or call the shellfish biotoxin hotline at 1-800-448-2474.

To get updated harvesting statuses, people can visit the Oregon Department of Agriculture website.

To check for additional closures during free fishing weekend, people can visit myodfw.com.

What are some events happening during fishing weekend?

ODFW and volunteers will be hosting free events around Oregon on June 6. These events will offer equipment and hands-on instruction for beginners learning how to fish.

Some of the scheduled events include:

• Twin Ponds in Ukiah from 9 a.m. to noon on June 6
• Olalla Reservoir in Toledo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 6
• Silverton Marine Park in Silverton from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 6
• Cleawox Lake in Florence from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 6
• Henry Hagg Lake in Gaston from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 6
• Alton Baker Park in Eugene will hold a youth-only event for anglers 17 and younger from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 6
• Small Fry Lake in Estacada from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 6.

Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval is a lifelong Oregonian who covers trending news, entertainment, food and outdoors. She can be reached at GSandoval@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval.