Smith River (Mainstem, Douglas Co.)
The rule for this water, with the receipt.
Exceptions to the Southwest Zone rules, as the regulations word them
Southwest Zone · River · OR
The rules for this water, verbatimOfficial text
Straight from OR's official regulations. Rules in force today lead; out-of-season rows are dimmed. Nothing is paraphrased. Not legal advice: verify the posted rules at the water.
- May 22-Sep 15Open for trout, May 22 - Sep 15, catch-and-release only.
- Open all year for hatchery steelhead.
- Jul 1-Nov 30Open for Chinook Jul 1 - Nov 30.
- May 22-Sep 15Open for trout, May 22 - Sep 15, catch-and-release only.
- May 22-Sep 15Artificial flies and lures only May 22 - Sep 15.
- Jan 1-Apr 30 (out of season today)Open for hatchery steelhead Jan 1 - Apr 30 and Dec 1-31.
- May 22-Sep 15Open for trout May 22 - Sep 15, 2 per day, 8 inch minimum length.
- Use of bait allowed only in tidewater.
- See Smith River, North Fork.
Southwest Zone rules (base layer)
The Southwest Zone is all waters draining directly to the Pacific Ocean from the Umpqua River south to the Oregon-California border, and including, the Umpqua River drainage; and those portions of Klamath River drainage in Jackson County. Regulations for marine fish, marine shellfish and marine invertebrates are listed under the Marine Zone .
- Rogue River tributaries below Lost Creek Dam, Applegate River tributaries below Applegate Dam, all Illinois River tributaries, including the East Fork and West Fork Illinois River are closed to all angling, except as noted under Exceptions .
- Angling in streams above tidewater for all species during May 22 - Aug 31 is restricted to artificial flies and lures. See exceptions for use of bait in Coquille, Rogue, Applegate and Umpqua river basins.
- Use of bait allowed in bays and tidewaters year round.
- Anglers may not continue to angle for jack salmon or trout after retaining limit of adult salmon or steelhead.
- See Health Advisory .
- See marine zone for additional regulations that apply to coastal bays.
- Multi-species restrictions: It is unlawful for any person to fish for, or take and retain, any species of salmon, Pacific halibut, or marine fish while possessing on board any fish not allowed to be taken in the area at that time.
| Species | Bag limit | Size and specifications | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Bag Limit | Size Limit and Other Specifications | Season |
| Trout | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. Streams: (including tidewaters and bays); 2 per day, 3 daily catch limits in possession. | Angling restricted to artificial flies and lures in streams above tidewater, May 22 - Aug 31. See Exceptions where use of bait is allowed. 8 inch minimum length. Only 1 trout over 20 inches in length may be taken per day. Rainbow trout over 16 inches are considered steelhead in streams. Salmon under 15 inches are considered trout, except coho salmon, which are always considered salmon regardless of size. No limit on size or number of brook or brown trout in streams unless noted under Exceptions . | Lakes: Open all year Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open May 22 - Oct 31 unless noted under Exceptions . |
| Salmon and Steelhead | In the aggregate: 2 adult salmon or steelhead per day, 20 per year. 5 jack salmon per day, 2 daily jack limits in possession. Wild salmon bag limits are determined annually. For current information, visit the MyODFW website . In the Coos, Coquille, Tenmile, and their tributaries, open for steelhead angling, one additional hatchery steelhead may be retained per day for a total aggregate of 3 adult fish harvested daily from Jan 1 - Apr 30 and Dec 1-31 only. | Hatchery steelhead, hatchery coho salmon, pink salmon, and sockeye salmon, may be harvested as part of the adult and jack salmon daily bag limit in waters that are open to angling for Chinook salmon or steelhead. Only hatchery steelhead may be kept, except as noted under Exceptions for the mainstem East Fork Coquille River, Illinois, Chetco, Elk, Pistol, Rogue, Sixes and Winchuck rivers and Hunter and Euchre creeks. See new Rogue-South Coast steelhead angling regulations below. Wild coho salmon seasons are determined annually before September; please visit the MyODFW website for current season information. Wild Coho Aggregate Bag Limit applies to NW and SW Zones. See description on Northwest Zone for detailed information. Angling restricted to artificial flies and lures in streams above tidewater, May 22 - Aug 31. See Exceptions where use of bait is allowed. There is no annual limit on hatchery salmon or hatchery steelhead as long as the appropriate number of Hatchery Harvest Tags have been purchased to record the catch. | Closed unless noted under Exceptions . |
| Sturgeon | Catch-and-release only. | Closed to the retention of white sturgeon and green sturgeon. All sturgeon must be immediately released unharmed into the water. Sturgeon over 54 inches in fork length cannot be removed totally or in part from the water. Only one single-point barbless hook may be used for sturgeon. Angling restricted to artificial flies and lures in streams above tidewater May 22 - Aug 31. See Exceptions where use of bait is allowed. | Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons. |
| Bass | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions . Streams: No limit. | No more than 1 over 15 inches in length in lakes. No minimum length in streams. Angling restricted to artificial flies and lures in streams above tidewater, May 22 - Aug 31. See Exceptions where use of bait is allowed. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons. |
2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations - Southwest Zone · Captured in the state's own words; checked against the source July 2, 2026.
How this answer was assembled
- StatewideStatewide river rules are the base layer: default season, gear, bait, and limits.
- This waterSpecial rules written for this exact water replace the statewide defaults where they speak.
- Emergency orderEmergency orders in effect today override everything else. They sync quietly when the phone has coverage and never lock you out of the app.
Where this stretch begins and ends
The drawn shape is the named water, matched from the official list against OpenStreetMap and accepted only because the name resolved to a single feature in this water's zone.
Different sections of this water can have different rules. The exact section boundaries are not marked on the map yet; each rule above describes in plain words where it starts and ends, and that written description is the authoritative boundary. Map boundaries come water by water, never as a guess.
Season at a glanceDerived
Next change: partially changes Sept. 16, 2026.
Sampled mid-month from the dated rows; short windows can slip between samples. The rows above are authoritative.
At the water nowContext
Forecast: National Weather Service. Flow: nearest active USGS gauge in this water's area, which may sit on a different reach. Conditions are context, not rules.
What are you fishing for here?Advice
Pick from the species named in Smith River (Mainstem, Douglas Co.)'s rules. Setups are checked against the gear rules in force today, and your picks are remembered on this device only. These are rule-aware suggestions, not a claim about what is biting; advice, not law, and the rules above govern.
You also need (Oregon)
- Angling license. Everyone 12 and older needs an Oregon angling license.
- Combined Angling Tag. Required at every age to angle for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, or halibut. One per year, covering up to 20 salmon or steelhead combined; hatchery fish can go on a separate Hatchery Harvest Tag.
- Columbia River Basin Endorsement. Required at every age when angling for salmon, steelhead, or sturgeon in the mainstem Columbia from Buoy 10 upstream and in all rivers and tributaries flowing into the Columbia.
- Two-Rod Validation. Allows two rods on standing waters (lakes, ponds, reservoirs; five lines when ice fishing). Not valid in rivers, bays, estuaries, or the ocean.
Checked against 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations - license information on July 2, 2026.
Receipts
Local services near Smith River (Mainstem, Douglas Co.)
Tackle shops, guides, and boat launches that serve this water will appear here - a separate lane below the rules, so a local business can reach you without ever getting between you and the regulation.
Run a shop or guide service on Smith River (Mainstem, Douglas Co.)? Get listed.