Recreation

Fishing

Fishing for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon walleye, and bass is popular on the Columbia River portion of the refuge. A boat ramp is available on the Patterson Unit. Boating is allowed on most of the Columbia River portions of the refuge and backwaters. Boats are not allowed on McCormack Slough except to retrieve birds during the legal hunting season.

Hunting

Regulated deer hunting is permitted on portions of the refuge, as is waterfowl and upland game bird hunting. For more information, call the Waterfowl Season Hunting Hotline at (503)922-HUNT. The McCormack Slough Fee Hunt Area (see Hunting Regulations) is open for waterfowl hunting three days per week: Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesday, Thanksgiving Day and New Years Day.

The non-fee areas of Umatilla NWR (Boardman, Patterson, Ridge, Whitcomb Island) have different hunt days. See the Umatilla NWR general hunt information page (coming soon) for information on these other hunt units.

A boat ramp is available on the Patterson Unit. Boating is allowed on most of the Columbia River portions of the refuge and backwaters. Boats are not allowed on McCormack Slough except to retrieve birds during the legal hunting season.

Wildlife observation and photography

The refuge is an important migration and wintering area for waterfowl and other birds in the Columbia River Basin, with up to 150,000 ducks and 30,000 Canada geese resting and feeding on its marshes and ponds in the fall, winter and spring.

A wildlife observation tower, photo blind, nature trail, and auto tour route are available on the McCormack Unit in Oregon. The gates on McCormack Unit auto tour route automatically open at dawn and close at dusk. The tour route highlights refuge management activities and provides opportunities for viewing both wildlife and habitat types. Vehicle access and designated parking lots are also present on the Boardman Unit in Oregon and on the Patterson, Ridge and Whitcomb Island Units in Washington. Parking is permitted only in designated parking areas.

Choose the right season for viewing the wildlife you wish to observe. Curlews are more visible in spring when they are doing their courtship flights. Mule deer bucks are more active during the fall rut. Large concentrations of waterfowl are common in November and December. Spring is a wonderful time to see spectacular wildflower displays on the refuge.

Hiking, Bicycling and Horseback Riding

Hiking is allowed along roads open to vehicle traffic and other designated hiking areas of the refuge. Bicycling and horseback riding are permitted only on roads that are open to motor vehicles. They are not allowed on trails or roads closed to vehicles. To protect nesting birds and wintering waterfowl, most refuge islands are closed to public entry year round.