Columbia River Basin Endorsement

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

Anglers fishing for salmon, steelhead or sturgeon in the Columbia River Basin on all rivers and streams are required to have a Columbia River Basin Endorsement. See License Information for fees.

Endorsement is in addition to a fishing license and Combined Angling Tag.
Anglers with a resident disabled veteran, resident pioneer, youth license and youth under 12 licenses, will be issued a free endorsement upon request to fish for salmon, steelhead or sturgeon in the Columbia River Basin.

The endorsement may be purchased online or wherever fishing licenses are sold.

Money from the endorsement helps fund improvements to Columbia River fisheries, including: expanded off-channel commercial fishing areas, fisheries specific research and monitoring, additional hatchery production, and commercial/recreational fisheries law enforcement. More information about the endorsement and Columbia River fisheries reforms can be found on the Columbia River Basin Endorsement page.

Map of Oregon highlighting the Columbia River Basin Endorsement Area, showing major rivers and zones where an endorsement is required for salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon fishing. — Map of the Columbia River Basin Endorsement Area in Oregon, outlining key rivers and zones where anglers need an endorsement to fish for salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon.

Ocean Endorsement

Recreational anglers fishing in the ocean from beaches, jetties, and boats will be required to have an Ocean Endorsement, beginning January 1, 2026. See maps for the definition of the ocean. See License Information for fees.

You do not need an Ocean Endorsement if you are only taking shellfish, like Dungeness crab or clams, from the ocean. In this case a Shellfish License is required, not an Ocean Endorsement.
You do not need an Ocean Endorsement if you are fishing for salmon or steelhead in the ocean. However, if another marine finfish is retained (such as rockfish, lingcod, halibut, tuna, etc.), an Ocean Endorsement is required.
An Ocean Endorsement is included for free with resident Pioneer, resident Disabled Veteran, and Youth licenses, and will not be required on Free Fishing Days.

Map showing where an ocean endorsement is required, with the area seaward of the jetty marked as “Ocean Endorsement Required” and the inland area marked as “No Ocean Endorsement Required.” — This map shows where the ocean endorsement applies: anglers need an endorsement seaward of the jetty, while no ocean endorsement is required inside the bay.

Map showing the boundary where the ocean endorsement is required near Buoy 10 at the mouth of the Columbia River, with the seaward area labeled “Ocean Endorsement Required” and the inland area labeled “No Ocean Endorsement Required.” — Map of the Buoy 10 area illustrating where the ocean endorsement applies: anglers need an endorsement seaward of Buoy 10, while no ocean endorsement is required upriver.

An ocean endorsement is required when angling in the ocean past the visible ends of jetties (top map) and past Buoy 10 on the Columbia River (bottom map), and along coastal beaches.

Scan this QR code to access Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Resources information.