Marine Zone

MARINE FISHING

April 2, 2026

Announcements

As of Jan. 1, 2026, an Ocean Endorsement is needed for most recreational anglers fishing in the ocean. Check the Ocean Endorsement page for more information.

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

• Visit the sport bottomfish seasons page to see what's new for 2026.
• Retention of quillback rockfish and yelloweye rockfish remains prohibited.
• Cabezon is prohibited from January 1 through June 30.

Port by port reports:

Garibaldi: Anglers landed just over 3 rockfish on average, mostly black and yellowtail rockfishes. Lingcod landings were good at 2 fish per person.

Depoe Bay: Anglers landed just over 2.5 rockfish, with a mix of black, deacon, canary, and yellowtail rockfishes. Lingcod catches were decent with 1.25 fish per angler.

Newport: Anglers landed around 3.5 rockfish on average. Lingcod was decent with over 1 fish per angler.

Charleston: Anglers landed an average of 2 rockfish. Lingcod was good with around 2 fish per angler.

Brookings: Anglers caught 2.5 rockfish on average. Lingcod was slower with just over 0.5 fish per angler.

The offshore long-leader 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.

Ocean salmon

The ocean recreational salmon season from Cape Falcon to the Oregon/California border opened on March 15. The bag limit is 2 salmon per day, except no coho salmon can be retained. Minimum size limits are 24" for Chinook and 20" for steelhead.

Recreational landings of ocean caught Chinook have been highest in Brookings, with around 0.70 Chinook per angler last week.

Pacific halibut

Pacific halibut seasons will begin opening in early May. See dates recommended by staff (subject to approval on April 24). More information can be found on the sport halibut page.

Shore and estuary fishing

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

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. Register for one of several surfperch workshops listed in the Angler Education Program Schedule.

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.