An Oregon fishing license costs $50 a year for residents and $138 a year for non-residents in 2026, with one-day licenses starting at $29 for anyone.1Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Recreational License Fee Schedule Those are the base prices. What you’ll actually pay depends on what you’re fishing for and where, because salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut, and certain waters all require additional tags or endorsements on top of the license itself.
Fees went up for 2026 for the first time since 2020, averaging 12 to 14 percent across the schedule, with smaller increases already scheduled for 2028 and 2030.2Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. What’s New for 2026 Annual licenses run January 1 through December 31, and next year’s license goes on sale December 1.3Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. Oregon Hunting and Fishing Licenses
Annual and Daily License Prices
For Oregon residents:
- Annual angling license: $501Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Recreational License Fee Schedule
- Combination hunting and fishing license: $86
For non-residents:
- Annual angling license: $138
- Seven-day angling license: $117
Daily licenses cost the same whether you live in Oregon or not:
- One-day angling and shellfish: $29
- Two-day: $48
- Three-day: $68
To qualify for the resident price, you need to have lived in Oregon for at least six consecutive months before applying.4Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 497.002 – Resident and Nonresident Defined Lose your printed license? A digital reprint through ODFW is free.5Business Xpress License Directory. Angling License – Resident Annual
Youth, Senior, Veteran, and Military Discounts
The youth license for ages 12 through 17 stays at $10 and is the best value in the system. It bundles angling, hunting, shellfish, the Columbia River Basin Endorsement, and the new Ocean Endorsement.2Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. What’s New for 2026
Oregon residents 70 or older who have lived in the state for at least five years pay $34 for a senior angling license or $56 for the senior combination fishing-and-hunting license.6Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. Pioneer and Other Licenses for Seniors The Pioneer Combination license, for residents 65 or older who have lived in Oregon for at least 50 years, went up to $10 for 2026 and covers fishing, hunting, the Columbia River Basin Endorsement, and the Ocean Endorsement.
Oregon-resident disabled veterans with a VA-rated service-connected disability of at least 25 percent get a free combination license covering hunting, fishing, shellfish, and the Ocean Endorsement, provided they’ve been Oregon residents for at least six months.7Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Recreation Active-duty military members can buy an annual angling license at the $50 resident rate whether or not they’re stationed in Oregon.1Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Recreational License Fee Schedule
One point of confusion worth flagging: the Oregon Disabilities Hunting and Fishing Permit does not replace the license. Holders still buy the standard license and any applicable tags. The permit provides accommodations, such as allowing assistance from another person, but it doesn’t waive the fee.8Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. Oregon Disabilities Hunting and Fishing Permit Information
Tags and Endorsements That Add to the Cost
The base angling license only covers trout, bass, panfish, and similar species. Targeting salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, or halibut, or fishing in certain waters, means additional required purchases.
Combined Angling Tag
Every angler 18 or older who fishes for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, or halibut needs a Combined Angling Tag.9Business Xpress License Directory. Annual Angling – Combined Angling Tag Residents pay $69, non-residents pay $89, and youth pay $5.1Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Recreational License Fee Schedule Each catch of those species has to be recorded on the tag immediately with species, location, and date.10Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. Combined Angling Tag Instructions and Location Codes
Columbia River Basin Endorsement
Fishing for salmon, steelhead, or sturgeon anywhere in the Columbia River Basin requires this endorsement. The basin covers the mainstem Columbia and Snake rivers, the entire Willamette zone, and every tributary draining into the Columbia.11Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. Who Needs a Columbia River Basin Endorsement It’s $9.75 when added to an annual license, $9.75 plus a $2 agent fee if bought separately, or $1 per day for daily license holders.12Oregon Public Law. Oregon Administrative Rule 635-011-0104 – Licenses, Tags, and Permits
Ocean Endorsement
New for 2026, an Ocean Endorsement is required for fishing in ocean waters and ocean bays. It’s $9 per year or $4 per day for both residents and non-residents. Youth license holders, Pioneer license holders, and disabled veterans get it free.2Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. What’s New for 2026
Other Add-Ons
- Hatchery Harvest Tag: $43, for recording and keeping additional hatchery salmon and steelhead beyond the Combined Angling Tag.1Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Recreational License Fee Schedule
- Two-Rod Validation: $34, for fishing with two rods in designated waters, mostly lakes and reservoirs.
- Shellfish license: $13 resident, $37 non-resident, required for crabbing and clamming.
What a Real Trip Actually Costs
Simple trout fishing at a Cascade lake stays cheap. A resident pays $50 for the year, or $29 for a single day, and nothing else.
Salmon fishing on the Willamette is a different math. A resident pays $50 for the license, $69 for the Combined Angling Tag, and $9.75 for the Columbia River Basin Endorsement, totaling $128.75 before any hatchery tags. A non-resident on the same trip pays $296.75.
Ocean fishing adds the new $9 Ocean Endorsement, or $4 for a daily. If you’re paddling a kayak or drift boat, add a Waterway Access Permit from the Oregon State Marine Board: $6 for seven days, $20 for one year, or $35 for two years, plus a small portal or transaction fee. Children 13 and younger are exempt, and motorized boat owners already pay through registration.13Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. Waterway Access and Aquatic Invasive Species Permits14Oregon State Marine Board. Waterway Access Permit FAQs
When You Don’t Have to Pay Anything
A few situations skip the license fee entirely:
- Children under 12 don’t need a license for trout, bass, panfish, and similar species. A youth combined angling tag ($5) is only required if they’re targeting salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, or halibut.15Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 497.075 – General License, Tag and Permit Requirements; Exemptions
- Resident landowners fishing on their own property are exempt, as long as they aren’t targeting salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, or halibut.
- Anyone fishing during a Free Fishing Weekend needs no license, Combined Angling Tag, Columbia Basin Endorsement, Ocean Endorsement, or Two-Rod Validation.16Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. Free Fishing Days and Events Schedule
Oregon’s 2026 free fishing weekends are February 14–15 (Presidents’ Day), June 6–7, and November 27–28 (the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving). Catch limits, size restrictions, and season closures still apply.17Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. Free Fishing Days and Events
What Skipping the License Costs
Fishing without a valid license in Oregon is a Class A misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $6,250.18Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. License Violations and Penalties If a court finds you profited from the violation, the fine can be doubled to match your gain.
ODFW can also file a separate civil suit to recover damages for illegally taken fish. Restitution runs $25 per game fish like trout or bass, $750 per salmon, steelhead, halibut, or standard-size sturgeon, and $5,000 per oversized sturgeon. Each fish counts as its own violation, and the court can add the state’s attorney fees on top.19Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 496.705 – Damage Suits for Unlawful Killing of Wildlife Set next to a $50 license, the arithmetic is not close.