Oregon Spearfishing Rules Card

Legal status

Saltwater LegalFreshwater Permitted

Spearfishing is legal in Oregon in both salt and fresh water, but the freshwater rules are restrictive: game fish (salmon, steelhead, trout, whitefish, sturgeon, panfish, catfish) may NOT be speared, and only bass and walleye may be taken by spear in rivers and streams (a statewide opportunity.

License

Required: Oregon Angling License (plus Ocean Endorsement for ocean spearfishing; Combined Angling Tag for salmon/steelhead/sturgeon/halibut)

Resident: Resident annual angling license $50.00; one-day $29.00; two-day $48.00; three-day $68.00. Ocean Endorsement $9.00 annual / $4.00 daily (same price for residents and nonresidents). Senior (resident 70+, 5+ years residency) annual angling $34.00; Youth (12-17) $10.00.

Non-resident: Nonresident annual angling license $138.00; one-day $29.00; two-day $48.00; three-day $68.00; seven-day $117.00. Ocean Endorsement $9.00 annual / $4.00 daily.

Gear rules

• Spearguns: Legal where spearfishing itself is legal. ODFW harvest-method lists expressly name 'spear gun' for nongame fish, bullfrogs, and (in.
• Pole spears: Not named individually in ODFW rules. Pole spears fall under the generic 'spear' harvest method that is authorized for marine food fish.
• On scuba: Not expressly addressed. ODFW's regulations specify which harvest methods (spear, spear gun, etc.) are allowed for each species but, in.
• Spear/spear gun may be used on freshwater game fish ONLY for bass and walleye, and only where there are no size or bag limits for those.
• The Coquille smallmouth-bass spear allowance is limited to the Coquille River system; on the South Fork it runs from the mouth to the U.S.
• Anti-snagging gear restrictions apply in various waters; snagging is prohibited for game fish.
• In the ocean, an Ocean Endorsement is required to spearfish for marine species as of January 1, 2026.

Do not spear

• Salmon, may not be taken by spear
• Steelhead, may not be taken by spear
• Trout, may not be speared
• Whitefish
• Sturgeon, may not be speared; catch-and-release only with barbless hooks in the marine zone
• Shad, may not be speared
• Bluegill, crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, may not be speared
• Catfish, may not be speared
• Striped bass
• Any fish or wildlife inside Oregon's five marine reserves, no take by any method, including spear

Area restrictions

• Marine reserves are no-take: Cape Falcon, Cascade Head, Otter Rock, Cape Perpetua and Redfish Rocks prohibit take of any fish or wildlife, so all.
• Marine 'Management Designations for Marine Areas' further define open/closed areas and seasonal closures in the ocean, bays and estuaries, check them.
• The Coquille smallmouth-bass spear rule is geographically limited to the Coquille River system (mainstem and forks; South Fork mouth to the USFS.
• Statewide bass/walleye spearing applies only to rivers and streams that are open for bass/walleye harvest with no size or bag limits, not all waters.

Before you dive

• Never dive alone: one up, one down.
• Check current seasons and sizes the morning of the dive.
• Confirm with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW): https://myodfw.com/fishing/licensing-info