Marine Zone

March 19, 2025

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: Ocean conditions improved for one day and anglers saw near limits of rockfish, mostly black and deacon. Lingcod landings were near limits as well.
• Newport: One good day last week allowed anglers to fish, but the bite was slow. Anglers landed about 2 fish with a mix of black, deacon, copper and China rockfishes, with a few kelp greenling. Lingcod landings were quite low compared to previous weeks.
• Charleston: Anglers were able to get out one day last week and landed about 3 fish per angler, with mostly black and deacon rockfishes. Anglers landed about 0.33 lingcod each.
• Brookings: When conditions allowed, boats got out and fishing was decent with about 3 rockfish per angler. Mostly black, blue, and deacon rockfishes were brought in. Lingcod landings were quite low.

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.

After seeing fewer herring on our March 10 acoustic survey than we did on our previous survey, activity in the bay picked up, with herring spawning on March 13. During our fifth survey on March 18, we came across a few schools of herring, as well as a number of anglers having success targeting them. These fish had not yet spawned, so we anticipate an additional spawning event and continued opportunities to fish for herring in the bay. Our next survey is scheduled between March 24 and 27, 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 planned ocean Chinook salmon season (all-salmon-except coho) opened as scheduled from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. from March 15 through May 15. The bag limit will be two salmon, except closed to retention of coho, with minimum size limits of 24" for Chinook and 20" for steelhead.

Any season adjustments prior to May 16 will be addressed through further in-season action. Make sure to sign up for notification.

Seasons from May 16, 2025 through May 15, 2026 are currently being developed. Season alternatives for the remainder of 2025 will be reviewed and a final season recommendation made at the April Pacific Fishery Management Council public meeting in San Jose, CA from April 10-15, 2025. Interested members of the public should visit www.pcouncil.org for information on how to participate in the April meeting.

See the season details here (dates, places and other regulations).

To check the quota status, visit the Ocean Salmon Management Program catch index page.

A guide to ocean salmon identification is available here.

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 be 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.