Pacific halibut sport regulations

2022 recreational Pacific halibut seasons

All recreational Pacific halibut seasons close by regulation at 11:59 p.m. on October 31, 2022

Map of 2022 Recreational Halibut Seasons

For more info on tagging salmon and halibut, visit Tips for tagging fish and game

Columbia River Subarea (Cape Falcon, OR to Leadbetter Point, WA)

All-Depth Season: 

• CLOSED for the remainder of 2022

Nearshore Season:   

• CLOSED for the remainder of 2022

Central Oregon Coast Subarea (Humbug Mountain to Cape Falcon)

Spring All-Depth Season:  

• CLOSED for the remainder of 2022

Summer All-Depth Season:

• Quota = 67,445 pounds
• Opens Aug 4-6, every Thurs-Sat through August.
• Open 7-days per week beginning September 1 until October 31, 2022.
• Additional days per week and/or weeks may be added inseason depending on how much quota is available.

Nearshore:     

• Initial quota = 32,374 pounds
  • As of June 26, there is 31,400 pounds remaining on the quota (97%)
• Opens May 1, seven days per week, inside the 40-fathom regulatory line, through October 31, 2022.
• Reminder, when the all-depth fishery is open, all-depth rules must be followed, regardless of depth of halibut fishing.  Dates the all-depth fishery is open are shown above.

Southern Oregon Subarea (OR/CA Border to Humbug Mountain)

• Initial quota = 8,000 pounds
  • As of June 26, there is 7,200 pounds remaining on the quota (90%)
• Opens May 1, 2022, 7-days per week, through October 31, 2022.

Statewide regulations

• May be taken by angling with a single line, no more than 2 hooks, and by spear.
• It is mandatory to have a descending device onboard the vessel when fishing for Pacific halibut, and to use a device when releasing any rockfish species when fishing outside of 30 fathoms.
• Daily bag limit: 1 Pacific halibut through August 31. Beginning September 1, the daily bag limit is 2 fish in the Central Oregon Coast and Southern Oregon Subareas. The Columbia River Subarea bag limit remains 1 fish.  Annual limit: 6. No length limit.
• Pacific halibut possession limit: 1 daily limit at sea, 3 daily limits on land.
• Fathom lines and conservation areas are defined by waypoints.
• Pacific halibut seasons are managed and enforced based on port of landing.  Halibut may only be landed into ports located within areas currently open to halibut retention, regardless of area of catch.
• During the nearshore seasons (Columbia River and Central Oregon Subareas), bottomfish and salmon may be retained (as bottomfish and salmon regulations allow) with halibut.  However, once halibut are onboard, no fishing may occur outside of the 40-fm curve.
• When angling for Pacific halibut outside of the 40-fm curve only salmon (as regulations allow), bottomfish as regulations below allow, tuna and most other offshore pelagic species may be in possession or landed when Pacific halibut are onboard the vessel.
• It is unlawful to fish for or take and retain any species while possessing onboard any species not allowed to be taken in that area at the time.
• Anglers are advised to consult the 2022 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for General (statewide), Zone, and Special Regulations prior to fishing.

2022 longleader gear fishing with all-depth halibut (for all Oregon Subareas)

• During May, June, September and October, when the sport bottomfish fishery is open to all-depth, bottomfish (including lingcod) may be retained on all-depth halibut trips. Longleader gear fishing may not be conducted on the same trip with all-depth halibut. Midwater rockfish species such a yellowtail, widow, and canary rockfish are allowed, but only up to the regular 5 fish general marine fish daily bag limit.  (cannot retain 10 midwater rockfish as would be allowed with longleader gear)
• During July and August (months when the sport bottomfish fishery is restricted to inside of 40-fathoms)  During days open for all-depth halibut fishing, either a combination of sablefish, Pacific cod (sablefish and Pacific cod are part of the 5 fish general marine fish daily bag limit) & other flatfish (skates and rays are not flatfish) species (no other bottomfish species)  or longleader gear fishing for 10 midwater rockfish species may be retained when halibut are onboard the vessel.  Longleader gear must be used, rockfish cannot be retained from halibut or regular bottomfish gear.  Longleader gear fishing may be combined with an all-depth halibut trip but only outside of 40 fathoms, and once rockfish are onboard, NO FURTHER HALIBUT FISHING IS ALLOWED.   
• Find more information here. 

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Other resources:

• Waypoints for fathom lines and other restricted areas
• Catch estimates (sport halibut)
• 2022 Oregon Sport Fishing e-Regulations
• Cold spots for yelloweye rockfish -- recommended soft-bottom areas for halibut with low yelloweye rockfish bycatch out of Newport and Depoe Bay.
• Management of Oregon's sport halibut
• 2021 halibut newsletter