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Retention for sturgeon allowed for 2-more days.
Effective October 19, the daily bag limit reduces for adult hatchery Chinook
Retention of wild adult fall Chinook salmon is prohibited effective October 5, 2019.
Steelhead, fall Chinook and coho bag limits reduced to one per day.
Recreation Report
Marine Zone
Regulation Updates
Looking for the latest crabbing and clamming updates?
Regulation updates as of October 1, 2019
These are in-season regulation changes adopted on a temporary or emergency basis or adopted after the regulation book was printed. Please see e-regulations for permanent regulations.
2019 Sport Groundfish
Cabezon closed:
- Effective August 16 through December 31, 2019 boat-based recreational harvest of cabezon is closed. This restriction does not apply to shore-based fishing.
China, copper and quillback rockfish closed:
- Effective August 23 through December 31, 2019 boat-based recreational harvest of copper, quillback and China rockfish is closed. This restriction does not apply to shore-based fishing.
Bottomfish open at all depths:
- Effective September 3, bottomfish anglers are allowed to fish at any depth, including beyond the 40-fathom regulatory line.
- During days open for all-depth halibut, anglers may retain bottomfish and halibut on the same trip.
More information can be found on the sport bottomfish seasons page
New for 2019
- Topsmelt and jacksmelt are no longer part of the general marine species bag limit and are now part of the baitfish (herring, anchovy and smelts) daily limit of 25 pounds in aggregate.
Reminders
- Yelloweye rockfish is prohibited at all times and in all waters.
- Descending devices are mandatory.
2019 Ocean Salmon
Season dates are below.
Statewide Regulations:
- Anglers fishing for salmon and all anglers fishing from boats with a salmon on board are limited to no more than 2 single point barbless hooks per line, and no more than one line per angler
- It is unlawful to fish for or take and retain any legal species while possessing on board any species not allowed to be taken in that area at that time
- Minimum lengths: Chinook = 24”, coho = 16”, steelhead = 20”, no min. length for pink, chum, or sockeye salmon in ocean fishery
- Refer to the “2019 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations” booklet for descriptions of special marine management areas including closed areas and additional restrictions
Leadbetter Point, WA to Cape Falcon, OR:
CLOSED to salmon angling
Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain:
Chinook Season (all salmon except coho): Open March 15 through Oct. 31
Bag Limit: Two salmon per day, closed to retention of coho.
Notes: Within the Stonewall Bank Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area salmon angling is restricted to trolling on all depth halibut days.
Humbug Mountain to OR/CA Border:
CLOSED to salmon angling
Details available at www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/.
NEHALEM BAY SPECIAL OCEAN MANAGEMENT AREA:
- Effective July 1 through October 31, 2019, no more than one wild adult Chinook Salmon may be harvested per day, and up to 5 for the season, in the North Coast Wild aggregate, including in the combined area of the Nehalem River Basin and the special ocean management area at the mouth of the Nehalem River (defined below). Salmon harvested in the Nehalem River/Bay shoreward of the visible tips of the jetty would be tagged on the Oregon Combined Angling tag as area code “66” – Nehalem R. & Bay below Hwy. 26. See NW Zone updates for details on bay and river regulations.
- Anglers fishing west of the visible tips of the jetty are fishing in ocean waters and must abide by all other ocean salmon regulations including: single point barbless hooks required, no more than 2 hooks allowed. Salmon harvested in this area would be tagged on the Oregon Combined Angling tag as area code “2” – Coastal Port of Departure - Nehalem Bay (or other applicable ocean port if you did not launch in Nehalem).
- The affected area is a seaward rectangle, approximately 0.4 miles south and 0.7 miles north of the center of the channel and 0.5 miles seaward from the mouth of the Nehalem River, defined by the following GPS points:
- Point 1: 45° 39’ 00” Latitude and 123° 56’ 31” W Longitude
- Point 2: 45° 39’ 00” Latitude and 123° 57’ 15” W Longitude
- Point 3: 45° 40’ 00” Latitude and 123° 57’ 15” W Longitude
- Point 4: 45° 40’ 00” Latitude and 123° 56’ 24” W Longitude
2019 Pacific Halibut
Season dates are below.
Columbia River Subarea (Leadbetter Point, WA to Cape Falcon, OR)
- Closed
Central Oregon Coast Subarea (Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt.)
- Effective September 3, on days open for all-depth halibut, anglers may retain bottomfish and halibut on the same trip.
- All-Depth Fishery: effective September 6, open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until the quota is taken or Oct 27, whichever is earlier. The daily bag limit is two halibut (effective August 23).
- Nearshore Fishery: Open seven days per week until the quota is taken or Oct 31, whichever is earlier. The daily bag limit is two halibut (effective August 23).
Southern Oregon Subarea (Humbug Mt. to the OR/CA Border)
- Open daily until the quota is taken or Oct 31, whichever is earlier. Beginning August 23, daily bag limit of 2 halibut.
- Beginning September 3, halibut anglers fishing outside of the 40-fathom regulation line may retain bottomfish.
Additional information about sport halibut management can be found on the ODFW halibut management webpage.
Descending devices are mandatory.
Recreation Report
Attention anglers – we want your photos!
Whether you’re out after trout or bass, steelhead or salmon, surfperch or rockfish, we’d love to see photos of your adventure. When you submit your photos to ODFW they could appear on our website or signs, or in social or brochures. What a great way to share your experience with others!
Saltwater News Bulletins
You can subscribe to receive e-mails and text message alerts for marine topics you are interested in. It’s easy to unsubscribe at any time. Your phone and e-mail information will remain confidential. Six different lists of interest to ocean enthusiasts are available: Bottomfish (recreational), Halibut (recreational), Ocean Salmon (recreational), Ocean Salmon (commercial troll), Commercial Nearshore Groundfish, and Marine Reserves.
BOTTOM FISHING
As usual, autumn finds bottomfish anglers pursuing other activities, but some level of effort is common through the winter when safe ocean conditions allow. The rockfish bite has been sporadic – from good to very slow, or vice versa, within a single day. Lingcod are trickling in. The week of Oct. 14, the first fall storm is due to hit much of the Oregon coast mid- to late-week with forecast seas of 18-20+ feet and winds of up to 50 knots. Anglers are reminded to carefully check the weather forecast before venturing out to the ocean fishing.
Retention of cabezon, China rockfish, copper rockfish, and quillback rockfish is prohibited. The quotas for these species have been reached. Shore-based fishing for these species remains open because quota is set aside to accommodate shore anglers.
Retention of yelloweye rockfish is prohibited by all anglers.
Excited to go bottomfish fishing but find yourself wondering what you can keep and how many? Click here
Want to work on your identification skills of commonly caught bottomfish? Try the Common Bottomfish online quiz by clicking here. And also try the “Yelloweye Rockfish or Not?” quiz.
The bottomfish fishery is open at all depths. The General Marine Species bag limit is 5 fish; a separate bag limit allows retention of 2 lingcod. For shore anglers, no more than one of the five fish may be a cabezon.
Anglers participating in the offshore longleader fishery frequently catch limits (10 fish) of large canary rockfish and yellowtail rockfish. The longleader gear fishery outside of the 40-fathom regulatory line is open all year.
Vessels fishing for or retaining bottomfish (including flatfish) species or Pacific halibut in the ocean are required (1) to have onboard a functioning rockfish descending device, and (2) use it to descend any rockfish released when fishing outside of the 30-fathom regulatory line. For more information and videos, please see the rockfish recompression webpage.
In addition to the descending device rule, ODFW continues to encourage anglers to use a descending device when releasing ANY rockfish with signs of barotrauma. Signs of barotrauma, such as bulging eyes and a gut protruding from the mouth, are reversible when fish are returned to depth with a descending device. Use a descending device to safely return fish to a depth of 60 feet or more. Even fish that are severely bloated can survive after being released at depth.
Waypoints (for fathom lines and other restricted areas)
2019 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations
PACIFIC HALIBUT
In the Columbia River subarea, the halibut fishery is closed for the remainder of the year.
Elsewhere (south of Cape Falcon), anglers have a few more weeks to take advantage of an increased bag limit (two halibut daily). What’s more, in the Central Oregon Coast subarea, the all-depth halibut fishery is open three days a week, Friday through Sunday, through Oct. 27, and anglers may retain bottomfish (including lingcod) and halibut on the same trip, even on all-depth halibut days. (This is because the bottomfish fishery is also open at all depths, effective Oct. 1).
Reports are that some of the regular halibut spots (e.g., “the rockpile” out of Newport) are not as productive as they have been. However, some exploring and patience have resulted in halibut being landed.
The Central Oregon Coast nearshore halibut fishery is open daily through Oct. 31. This fishery takes place inside of the 40-fathom regulatory line. On days closed to the all-depth halibut fishery (Monday-Thursday), halibut may not be targeted, retained or on-board while fishing beyond the 40-fathom regulatory line (e.g., for bottomfish).
The Southern Oregon subarea, open through Oct. 31, has seen some effort and success this year. One hefty halibut (landed in Brookings during the week ending June 16) weighed 56 pounds; the average this season is 22 pounds.
Additional information about sport halibut management, including landing estimates (posted by noon on Fridays), can be found on the ODFW halibut management webpage.
OCEAN SALMON
Anglers fishing for salmon and all anglers fishing from boats with salmon on board are limited to no more than 2 single point barbless hooks per line, and no more than one line per angler (treble and double point hooks are prohibited). The area from Humbug Mt. to the Oregon/California Border is now closed to all ocean salmon fishing for the remainder of the year.
The area from Leadbetter Pt., WA to Cape Falcon, OR closed to all salmon fishing effective Sept. 30.
In the area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt., the non-selective coho season ended on Sunday, Sept. 29. Fishing for Chinook salmon remains open in this area through October 31.
Fishing has been fair to poor for Chinook when ocean conditions have allowed access.
Details for the ocean salmon season, full catch and quota updates are available here.
You’ll find a guide and tips to identification of salmon and steelhead on the Ocean salmon fishing page here.
ALBACORE TUNA
Albacore tuna fishing success continues to be good for anglers who can access the offshore waters. A few albacore are still being landed by anglers fishing offshore waters.
SHORE AND ESTUARY FISHING
Public piers provide opportunities to catch surfperch and baitfish and to drop crab pots (but check first for crab health safety closures).
Surfperch are available in the surf year-round along sandy beaches and rocky shore, with the best fishing (and safest fishing) occurring when swells are small. Learn about ocean surfperch fishing.
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 hazard.