ODFW lifts trout, bass limits at three Union County reservoirs

Anglers at Thief Valley Reservoir, Pilcher Creek Reservoir and Wolf Creek Reservoir can keep rainbow trout and bass without minimum or maximum size limits, and without daily or possession bag limits, from June 1 through Sept. 30. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said fish may be harvested by hand, dip net or angling, and a valid Two-Rod Validation allows the use of any number of rods under the temporary rule.

The change covers the three Union County reservoirs in ODFW’s Southeast Zone and is meant to give people a chance to take fish home before summer conditions get worse. ODFW said the reservoirs are expected to be drawn completely down by the end of August, leaving stocked trout and warmwater fish vulnerable in isolated pools as temperatures rise and water turns muddy. In that kind of low-water setting, the agency said, fish losses are more likely if the remaining water becomes too warm and turbid.

For Union County, the move is another sign of how tight the water year has become. Wolf Creek Reservoir was holding just 20% of its capacity in late April, and Thief Valley has repeatedly been forced into emergency-style fishing changes during dry years. ODFW took a similar step at Thief Valley in 2025, suspending size and bag limits from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30 after warning that the reservoir would be drawn down completely by the end of August.

Thief Valley’s history explains why the reservoir still matters far beyond fishing. Built in the 1930s on the Powder River near North Powder, it was created to store irrigation water for the Keating Valley. It has also been a regular spring trout destination, including a reported stocking of 10,500 rainbow trout in April 2024. With the new rule in place, nearby access points, campgrounds, bait shops and day-use areas around the reservoirs could see a bump as anglers move quickly to take advantage of the relaxed harvest rules before the water drops further.

The fish-management issue is also a public-health issue. ODFW warned that warm, low water can increase the risk of blue-green algae blooms, and the Oregon Health Authority said its 2026 cyanobacteria harmful algal bloom monitoring season began May 4. OHA notes that only a small portion of Oregon’s water bodies are monitored, so the absence of an advisory does not necessarily mean a reservoir is safe. In Union County, the summer forecast is now clear: water is scarce, fish are exposed, and the season’s rules have already been rewritten to match the drought.