Sport Groundfish Program

Oregon's marine waters are home to many different species of groundfish. The group includes lingcod, sablefish, cabezon, rockfishes, greenlings, and many species of flatfishes, sharks and skates. 

The federal groundfish fishery management plan for Washington, Oregon and California covers 82 species of groundfish.  

Various resource management tools are used to control the harvest of sport groundfish in Oregon: bag limits, size limits, conservation area closures, and harvest caps. 

Strange but true...

Pacific Halibut is not considered a groundfish.

Some species of groundfish are not closely associated with the ground. Yellowtail rockfish, for example, are usually found higher in the water column.