Parts of Eagle Creek closed to fishing

The lowest reach of Eagle Creek on Clackamas River closed to angling Sept. 27 through Oct. 31

Razor clamming on Clatsop beaches opens Oct. 1

Razor clamming on the popular Clatsop County beaches reopens Oct. 1 after the annual conservation closure.

Coho fishing opens above Willamette Falls on Oct. 1

Several areas above Willamette Falls open to coho fishing on Oct. 1 -- including parts of the McKenzie, and mainstem, Coast and Middle Forks of the Willamette.

E-taggers, update your app

Update to the new version on or after Sept. 30. If you've already e-tagged this season, make sure you sync your phone to the app BEFORE Sept. 30.

Softshell clam advisory for Alsea estuary

ODFW recommends people avoid harvesting and consuming softshell clams from the Alsea Bay estuary due to biotoxin risks.

More fall salmon on Columbia River

Salmon fishing on the mainstem Columbia is now open through Sunday, Oct. 13.

Recreation Report

Marine Zone

Recreation Report Regulation Updates

Table of Contents

Recreation Report

Newport pacific Halibut
"His First Halibut" Newport -Photo by John Harrison-

Oct. 2, 2024‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌

‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌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

E-tagging tips for anglers

It's important for anglers to tag their salmon, halibut and steelhead immediately, which means you'll need to know how to navigate the MyODFW app outside of cell phone range. Here are some tips for e-tagging in the field.

For the latest regulations, including in-season changes

See the Regulation updates section above.

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.

Ocean salmon‌

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.

Leadbetter Point, WA to Cape Falcon, OR

Ocean salmon fishing is now closed for the season from Leadbetter Point, Washington to Cape Falcon, Oregon. Possession of a salmon onboard a vessel is prohibited within this area Sept. 5 onward.

Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain

Ocean salmon fishing remains open shoreward of the 40-fathom regulatory line in the area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain for Chinook salmon through Oct. 31. The daily bag limit is two salmon but closed to all coho.

For the week of Sept. 23-29, weather greatly reduced ocean effort and anglers focused their efforts inland. The average catch rate for the entire area was 0.35 salmon per angler. The highest rate was seen in Garibaldi with 0.44 salmon per angler.

Humbug Mountain to the OR/CA border

Ocean salmon fishing is now closed for the year in the area from Humbug Mountain to the Oregon/California border.

Pacific halibut ‌

Pacific halibut seasons continue along the Oregon coast. See the season details here (dates, places and other regulations). To view quota status, visit the Pacific halibut estimates page. Additional information on Pacific halibut fishing can be found on the sport halibut page.

The Columbia River subarea season is now closed.

The Central Oregon Coast and Southern Oregon subareas remain open at all depths, seven days per week, with a two-fish bag limit per angler. The last day to harvest Pacific halibut this year is Thursday, October 31.

Effort for halibut has been winding down, as anglers turn their attention to inland salmon fishing.

Port by port reports:

Ocean conditions last week made most days unfavorable for halibut fishing across most of the coast.

  • Garibaldi: No effort or fish were observed last week.
  • Depoe Bay: No effort or fish were observed last week.
  • Newport: Effort was low and catch rates were just over 0.5 fish per angler.
  • Charleston: No effort or fish were observed in port.
  • Brookings: Effort was low, and no catch was observed.

Thinking about combining your halibut trip with other species? Check out what you can combine with halibut, for a useful guide.

Bottomfish ‌

A few reminders:

Port by port reports:

Ocean conditions last week made most days unfavorable for bottomfish fishing across most of the coast.

  • Garibaldi: Catches were good with about 4 fish per angler, mostly consisting of black rockfish. Lingcod landings improved from about 0.33 fish per angler to over 1 fish per angler.
  • Depoe Bay: Catches were close to 3 fish per angler, with a good mix of black, deacon, China, and yellowtail rockfishes. Lingcod catch rates were about 0.25 per angler.
  • Newport: Anglers brought in an average of about 4 fish, with mostly black, deacon, and yellowtail rockfishes. Lingcod remained slow.
  • Charleston: Limits were landed last week, but effort was very low. Lingcod landings were about 0.5 fish per angler.
  • Brookings: Anglers landed about 3 fish per angler, with a mix of black, blue, and deacon rockfishes. Lingcod landings were very slow.

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

NEW for 2024: The daily bag limit for the longleader fishery is 12-fish per angler. 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.

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.