Oregon · Bass (largemouth and smallmouth)
Bass (largemouth and smallmouth) size limit in Oregon
You can keep one today — within these limits
Central Zone lakes
Open year-round| Size limit | No size limit stated | total length |
|---|---|---|
| Daily bag | 5 | per person per day, no more than 3 over 15 inches |
| Possession | 15 | total you may hold |
No minimum size, five a day, with only three allowed over 15 inches.
Central Zone streams
Open year-round| Size limit | No size limit stated | total length |
|---|---|---|
| Daily bag | — | per person per day |
No daily or possession limit in streams, open only during trout, salmon or steelhead season on most waters (some Columbia River tributary sections flooded by dams are open all year).
No minimum size and no limit at all in streams — a real contrast to the capped lake rule.
What we left out on purpose
- The lower reaches of the Deschutes River (near its mouth at the Columbia River) are designated a thermal angling sanctuary with possible additional rules from July 15 – September 15, and separate salmon/steelhead seasons apply below Sherars Falls — none of this applies to the Lake Billy Chinook-to-Benham-Falls stretch this site tracks, so it is not modelled here.
- Sturgeon, salmon and steelhead run their own genuinely complex statewide and Columbia River Basin rules (annual tags, Combined Angling Tags, catch-and-release-only sturgeon) that don't apply to this stretch of the Deschutes and are not modelled.
- Oregon's other six zones (Northwest, Southwest, Willamette, Southeast, Snake River, Columbia River, Marine) and their own statewide defaults are not modelled — this site tracks only the Central Zone stretch of the Deschutes River.
- Bull trout are closed to angling everywhere in the Central Zone unless a specific water says otherwise; not modelled since it's a closed, protected species rather than a real bag figure.
Other species limits in Oregon
Where to try today
- Deschutes River 8/10 · On fire
- Diamond Lake 6/10 · Biting