ODFW announces 2026 fishing and hunting fee increases alongside regulations
By Garrett Christensen on Monday, December 1st, 2025 in Featured Stories More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
EASTERN OREGON – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) recently posted the official 2026 big game hunt and sports fishing regulations and announced coinciding fee increases in numerous categories.
According to ODFW, recreational fees will increase by an average of 12%-14% for the 2026 seasons, with additional 6-8% staggered increases planned for 2028 and 2030. ODFW Noted that these increases remain below the inflation rate since 2020 (25-26%) and that some staff and programs have been reduced to help further limit fee increases.
For special licenses and discounts, the Youth Combo License will remain at $10 and also include the Ocean Endorsement. The Pioneer License will increase from $6 to $10 and include all major licenses plus the Ocean Endorsement. The Senior, Active Military & Veterans discounts remain unchanged. Resident Disabled Veterans will include a fee combo license and Ocean Endorsement. Finally, the Combined Angling Tag will increase from $46 to $69 to, as written by ODFW, “reflect the complexity and high cost of managing salmon/steelhead fisheries.”
The full breakdown of fee increases for 2026 through 2030 (As posted by ODFW) is below. Note that not all fees have planned increases, while some are planned to plateau after the initial 2026 increase:
