John Day Pool closes to sturgeon Jan. 30

Sunday, Jan. 29, is the last scheduled day to retain sturgeon in the John Day Pool.

The Dalles Pool closes to sturgeon Jan. 26

 Wednesday, Jan. 25, is the last scheduled day to retain sturgeon in The Dalles Pool.

Report your 2022 hunt by Jan. 31

If you bought a tag you must report, even if you weren't successful or didn't hunt.

South coast closes to crabbing

Recreational crabbing closed from north of Charleston to north of Gold Beach due to elevated levels of domoic acid.

Rogue-South Coast steelhead validation starts Jan. 1

Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, anglers in Rogue and South Coast rivers will need the new steelhead validation and harvest tag to fish for and harvest wild winter steelhead.

Razor clamming closed from Columbia River to CA border.

Due to high levels of domoic acid, razor clamming is closed along the entire Oregon coast.

Recreation Report

Marine Zone

Table of Contents

Recreation Report

Jan. 18, 2023

Juvenile California sea lion resting on beach, with Twin Rocks in the background.
Juvenile California sea lion resting on beach, with Twin Rocks in the background. -Photo by Patti Barry-

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

Steer clear of sea lions on the beach

There are reports of increasing numbers of sick and lethargic California sea lions on Oregon beaches. Many have been affected by Leptospirosis, a contagious bacterial infection of the kidneys, that can pass to humans and dogs. To stay safe, keep yourself and your dogs well clear of sea lions on the beach. Learn more.

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.

Bottomfish

The new year brings with it some bag limit changes; the general marine species bag-limit returns to five-fish per angler and cabezon are prohibited until July 1. Retention of quillback and yelloweye rockfish remain prohibited. Click ‘Regulation Updates’ below the map above to see what’s new for 2023 and for a link to the sport groundfish seasons page.

The ocean was flat enough for some boats to get out last Friday before the king tides came through. Anglers on the central coast caught at least one lingcod each, while daily bag limits of general marine species ranged from full (five fish) to half-full. The bag limits consisted of mainly deacon rockfish with some black, canary and China rockfishes mixed in.

Out of Brookings most boats came up short of a general marine species bag limit and lingcod (limit 2). Anglers reported a big swell, cloudy water conditions, and a fast drift creating difficult fishing conditions.

The offshore longleader fishery gives anglers an opportunity to catch more fish. At ten in aggregate, the daily bag limit is more than double the general marine species limit, and this fishery helps distribute effort away from nearshore species. Learn more about the gear and the fishery.   

Bottomfish fishing resources:

Pacific halibut

Halibut seasons will begin opening in early May of 2023. The process for setting the 2023 season is in progress; more information can be found on the sport halibut webpage.

Ocean salmon

The entire coast is now closed to fishing for salmon in ocean waters. The next scheduled opening is on March 15, 2023, for Chinook salmon in ocean waters from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. 

Shore and estuary fishing

Daily bag limits, seasons, and licensing requirements for shore-based anglers are the same as 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.

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.