Marine Zone

Feb. 19, 2025‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌

‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌If there’s not a photo, it didn’t happen

Submit your fishing photo  to ODFW and we might use it here or elsewhere on MyODFW.com.

Announcements

For the latest regulations, including in-season changes

See the fishing regulations update page.

Saltwater News Bulletins

Be among the first to know about in-season changes! You can subscribe to receive emails and text message alerts for marine topics that interest you. It's easy to unsubscribe at any time. Your contact information will remain confidential. Three different lists of interest to ocean enthusiasts are available: bottomfish, halibut and ocean salmon.

Bottomfish ‌

A few reminders

• Cabezon are currently prohibited and will reopen on July 1, 2025 with a daily sub-bag limit of one fish per angler as part of the general marine bag limit.
• Retention of quillback rockfish and yelloweye rockfish remains prohibited.
• Click ‘Regulation Updates' above to see what's new for 2025 or visit the sport bottomfish seasons page.

Port by port reports:

• Depoe Bay: Good, but chilly, conditions early last week allowed anglers to get out on the water. Fishing was good with about 2.5 fish per angler consisting of mostly black and deacon rockfish with a few canary and China rockfishes and kelp greenling.
• Lingcod was excellent, with near limits for most anglers.
• Newport: Near limits of rockfish were observed for anglers able to get out last week. Anglers saw a mix of black, deacon, China, copper and canary rockfishes. Lingcod landings were excellent, with near limits for most anglers.
• Charleston: Anglers landed an average of about 2.5 rockfish. A good mix of black, deacon, blue, yellowtail and canary rockfishes. Lingcod landings were excellent with close to 1.5 fish per angler.
• Brookings: Conditions were tough last week and fishing was decent with about 2.5 rockfish per angler, with mostly black, blue, and canary rockfishes brought in. Lingcod was close to 1.5 fish per angler.

The offshore longleader fishery gives anglers an opportunity to catch more fish and to distribute effort away from nearshore species. Learn more about the gear and the fishery. 

Bottomfish fishing resources:

What can I keep and how many? Keep up with in-season regulation changes.

Know what you've caught with some helpful rockfish identification tips (including online quizzes and video).

Waypoints for fathom lines and other restricted areas.

Shore and estuary fishing

Daily bag limits, seasons and licensing requirements for shore-based anglers are the same as for boat-based anglers.

In Oregon, herring come into bays and estuaries to spawn usually between Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day, though run timing has varied in recent years.

• In 2022, the peak biomass estimate in Yaquina Bay occurred on March 22, with the first spawning event on April 11, one of the latest spawning events on record.
• In 2023, the peak biomass estimate was on March 1, with herring spawning between March 8 and March 25.
• In 2024, there were spawning events on March 9 and March 19, with the peak biomass estimate on March 13.

We conducted our first acoustic survey on Feb. 6 and saw little sign of herring in Yaquina Bay. Our next survey is planned for Feb. 20, so stay tuned!

In the past, herring have been caught off the south jetty, near the international dock and upriver near Sawyer's Landing. When fishing for herring, please be respectful and give way to the commercial vessels entering and exiting the commercial docks, as the channel is narrow and needs to remain accessible.

If you've never been herring fishing, here are 9 reasons to fish for herring (and anchovies).

There are plenty of rocky or sandy fishing sites up and down the coast where shore anglers can drop a line for saltwater fish. Read about how and where

Lingcod and many other bottomfish species are available year-round to shore anglers fishing in rocky areas. A common setup for lingcod is a jig head with a rubber swim bait – it's simple but effective. Also pack a measuring device for lingcod: the minimum legal size is 22 inches.

Surfperch are available in the surf year-round along sandy beaches and rocky shores, with the best fishing (and safest fishing) occurring when swells are small. Learn about ocean surfperch fishing.

Want more opportunities that don't include a boat? Check out the crabbing and clamming recreation report for updates on crabs, clams, mussels and more!

When fishing from shore or inside estuaries and bays, it is important to check the tide. Many fish that swim into estuaries and bays, including salmon, surfperch, and Pacific herring, tend to come in with the tide. Catch of these species is more likely to occur closer to slack tide. Additionally, the accessibility of some areas can be completely dependent on the tide. Do not allow the incoming tide to become a safety issue.

Ocean salmon

The ocean recreational salmon fishing season is closed. Season options for 2025 will be proposed in March.

Pacific halibut

The Pacific halibut fishing season is closed. The staff recommended 2025 Pacific halibut sport regulations have been posted on the Pacific halibut sport regulations page. They will not finalized until the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting on April 18. To read more about how the season is set and to get involved, visit the Management of the Pacific halibut sport fishery page.