Recreation Report
Marine Zone
Recreation Report
-Photo by Stephan Seable-
MARINE FISHING
January 29, 2026
Announcements
Starting 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:
Calmer ocean conditions persisted, and anglers had several good days to fish last week.
Depoe Bay: Anglers landed an average of 2.5 rockfish, mostly black and deacon rockfishes, though some anglers had a good mix of colors in their catches. Lingcod catch was excellent with close to 2 fish per person.
Newport: Anglers brought in over 2.5 rockfish on average. A good mix of black, deacon, canary, copper, and China rockfishes and kelp greenling were landed. Lingcod averaged 1 fish per angler.
Charleston: Anglers managed to bring in an average of about 2.5 rockfish. Lingcod was slower than the rest of the coast.
Brookings: Anglers had decent success with around 2 rockfish per angler. Mostly black, blue and deacon rockfishes were landed. Lingcod catch was around 1.5 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 fishing season is now closed. Season options for 2026 will be proposed in March.
2026 Ocean Salmon Pre-season Planning Meeting: The 2026 Ocean Salmon Industry Group Meeting is scheduled for Friday, February 27. This meeting will provide a review of the 2025 seasons, take a first look at the 2026 salmon forecasts, and begin the development of Oregon preferred recreational and commercial ocean salmon season concepts via public input to take forward through the Pacific Fishery Management Council regulation setting process. This meeting is open to the public and meeting detail can be found here.
Pacific halibut
The Pacific halibut fishing season is now closed. Season options for 2026 will be proposed in mid-February.
Public meeting on central coast spring all-depth Pacific halibut season: ODFW is hosting a Feb. 2 public meeting to get input on the number and timing of fixed and back-up dates for the central Oregon coast spring all-depth Pacific halibut season. Meeting details are here.
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 2023, the peak biomass estimate in Yaquina Bay 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 in Yaquina Bay.
- In 2025, there were spawning events on March 13, March 26, and April 4-6 in Yaquina Bay.
In the past, herring have been caught off the south jetty of Yaquina Bay, 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.