Recreation Report
Northwest Zone
Recreation Report
NW Fishing
July 16, 2026
Trout season opened in the Northwest Zone streams on Friday, May 22. See the regulation booklet for limits, open areas, and bait restrictions. Cutthroat trout are present in almost all areas open to angling and sea-run cutthroat are in tidewater.
Nehalem Bay is starting to get "summer" Chinook back with a few fish being caught already. These fish are early returning fall Chinook but start returning to the bay and river in July and August. Numbers will be low this early but should continue to improve over the next couple months. The Bag limit is one wild adult Chinook per day and five for the season (July 1 to Nov 30) as part of the overall daily bag limit.
Spring Chinook fishing is slowing down. The Trask, Nestucca, and Little Nestucca Rivers will offer the best chances of catching springers this time of year.
Summer steelhead fishing remains fair to good on the Nestucca and Wilson Rivers with some nice fish being caught. Fish are dispersed throughout the fisheries. The rivers are low and clear so targeting first light and using stealthy tactics will up the odds of success.
Trout stocking in the lakes has been completed for the spring. The next stockings will be evaluated for fall. There are still plenty of hold-over trout from the spring stockings and most North Coast lakes will still provide opportunity. As summer temperatures warm the higher elevation lakes that stay cooler will provide the best chances of success. Lost lake, South Lake, Hebo Lake, Lake Tahoe, and Town Lake are all good options for summer trout fishing.
Warm water fisheries for bass and sunfish are active and provide some good opportunity for weekend fishing. Cape Meares Lake, Coffenbury Lake, Cullaby Lake, and Vernonia pond all have decent populations of warm water species available for catching. Lake Lytle also has a good largemouth bass population, but it is very weedy making angling a challenge. Recent samplings showed that the population of bass in Cape Meares and Coffenbury are healthy with decent numbers and size of fish, however in Town Lake the population is down with low numbers remaining.
Summer steelhead are on the move in the Siletz River and fishing has been fair. Multiple batches of summer steelhead were recycled to the lower river for additional angler opportunity in May and June Recycled steelhead will have a colored tag at the base of the dorsal fin. Anglers are asked to please report tagged steelhead caught in the Siletz River to caleb.w.yann@odfw.oregon.gov with the date, tag color, and general location where fish were caught to monitor recapture and harvest rates in the basin. Additional summer steelhead have been recycled to Olalla Reservoir to provide anglers additional opportunities.
Trout angling opened in many Mid Coast streams on May 22. Sea-run cutthroat should be headed upstream in many coastal streams. Anglers are reminded to be aware of daily bag limits, bait restrictions and additional angling closures.
Warmwater fisheries can be a great option this time of year. Siltcoos and Takenitch lakes can be great places to target largemouth bass, yellow perch, and bluegill. Anglers can find success by targeting the margins as fish move in for spawning. Recent surveys indicate that largemouth bass are doing well at both locations.
Many Mid Coast lakes received trout stockings this spring: Big Creek Reservoir 1 and 2, Cleawox Lake, Devil's Lake, Thissel Pond, Woahink Lake, Carter Lake, Mercer Lake, Dune Lake, Alder Lake, Buck Lake, Sutton Lake, Olalla Reservoir, Siltcoos Lake, and Perkins Lake. Trout stocking has concluded for the summer and will be reassessed in the fall.
Siletz River HWY 229 is closed at approximately milepost 14 due to a large land slide covering the road. It will be closed for an undetermined amount of time.
Trout stocking:
April 27- June 5:
Alder Lake, Big Creek Res 1 and 2, Buck Lake, Cape Mears Lake, Cleawox Lake, Coffenbury Lake, Devil's Lake, Dune Lake, Eckman Lake, Hebo Lake, Nedonna Pond, Olalla Creek Res, Perkins Lake, Scout Lake, South Lake, Sutton Lake, Thissel Pond, Town Pond, Vernonia Lake,
Stocking stops after June 5 and resumes in September.
Check out the trout stocking schedule.
Trout stocking maps
Check out the ODFW fishing and trout stocking maps to find nearby fishing locations, driving directions and descriptions of amenities.
Announcements
Gear restrictions went into effect May 1 on Three Rivers and the Trask River. See waterbody updates below and the regulation book for details.
New for 2026: Tillamook Bay and River upstream of the Hwy 131 bridge is closed to all sturgeon angling (including catch and release).
Trask hatchery has some damage to their access road, the hatchery is still open to the public, but as a result anglers and visitors alike will need to park up top and walk down.
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Updates by waterbody
ALSEA RIVER: Cutthroat trout, crabbing, clamming, surf perch
Trout season in the Alsea River opened May 22. Sea-run cutthroat should be making their way upstream. Check your regulations before you head out for bait or stream restrictions. Alsea Bay can be a great option for crabbing and bay clamming. Be sure to watch the tides and follow daily limits. For more information on crabbing and clamming, refer to the Marine recreation report. Last updated 7/15/26.
KILCHIS RIVER: Cutthroat trout
Trout season opened in the Kilchis River on May 22. There are cutthroat trout throughout Kilchis and plenty of public access off Kilchis forest road. Sea-run cutthroat are showing up in tidewater. Last updated 7/15/26.
LOWER COLUMBIA TRIBUTARIES (Big Creek, Gnat Creek, Klaskanine River): Spring Chinook
Spring Chinook are still trickling into the Lower Columbia tributaries and there are fish up to the hatcheries on Big Creek, Gnat Creek, and Klaskanine River. The run is winding down, and overall fishing has been slow. Last updated 7/15/26.
NECANICUM RIVER: Cutthroat trout
Trout season opened on the Necanicum River May 22. There are cutthroat trout throughout the Necanicum River fishery. Sea-run cutthroat are showing up in tidewater. Concentrate on deep pools with cover and use stealthy tactics for the best odds of success.
The Highway 101 boat ramp south of Seaside will be closed to vehicle access until next fall to reduce dumping and illegal camping. A combination lock will be put back on the gate for angler access next fall usually around mid-October. Walk in access is still permitted through the summer. Last updated 7/15/26.
NEHALEM RIVER & NORTH FORK NEHALEM: Chinook, Cutthroat trout
The Nehalem gets a run of "summer" Chinook salmon (an early component of the Fall run) and those fish are starting to show up in the bay with a few fish being caught. Fishing is still slow but should continue to improve over the next couple of months. This is mostly a bay fishery with trolling spinners being a popular method. There is some bobber fishing opportunity in the upper tidewater as well. The wild Chinook bag limit is one adult per day/five for the season from July 1 to November 30, as part of the overall daily bag limit. Wild Chinook jacks may be retained as per the permanent regulations (up to 5/day). See the regulation updates online at: https://myodfw.com/articles/fall-coastal-salmon-management for more details.
Trout season opened on the Nehalem May 22. There are cutthroat trout throughout the Nehalem basin and no shortage of places to fish for them. Sea-run cutthroat are showing up in the bay and tidewater. Last updated 7/15/26.
NESTUCCA RIVER & LITTLE NESTUCCA RIVER: Spring Chinook, summer steelhead, cutthroat trout
Spring Chinook fishing on the Nestucca has slowed in the bay but there are fish up in the river with fair fishing from 1st bridge to Cloverdale. Targeting first light will up the odds of success, especially when fish have been holding for a while. The Little Nestucca river also has some springers, and those fish are showing up in the river up to Stella Falls.
The Nestucca also gets a hatchery summer steelhead run, and fishing has been fair to good. There should be fish present throughout the fishery (up to Elk Creek) by now, and Cedar Creek hatchery has been recycling summer steelhead to increase angler opportunity. The water is low and clear so targeting first light and using stealthy tactics will up the odds of success. Lures, beads, and jigs are all effective techniques.
Trout season opened in the streams May 22 and there are cutthroat trout throughout the Nestucca basin. Sea-run cutthroat are showing up in tidewater. Last updated 7/15/26.
River levels and predictions for the Nestucca are available here.
SALMON RIVER: Cutthroat trout
Trout season in the Salmon River opened May 22. Sea-run cutthroat should be starting to head upstream. Be sure to check your regulations before you head out for bait or stream restrictions. Last updated 7/15/26.
SILETZ RIVER: Summer steelhead, spring Chinook, cutthroat trout
Summer steelhead are moving throughout the Siletz River and fishing has been fair. The river is low and clear. Angling pressure has increased over the past couple weeks with most anglers targeting the gorge upstream of Moonshine Park. The bank access in the upper gorge offers a unique and often remote fishing experience for anglers looking to get away from crowds. Multiple batches of summer steelhead were recycled to the lower river for additional angler opportunity in May and June. Recycled steelhead will have a colored tag at the base of the dorsal fin. Anglers are asked to please report tagged steelhead caught in the Siletz River to caleb.w.yann@odfw.oregon.gov with the date, tag color, and general location fish were caught. Thank you to all the anglers who have been reporting tagged steelhead.
The Siletz is currently open for spring Chinook (April 1- July 31). Trout season in the Siletz opened May 22, and some sea-run cutthroat should start to become available in the lower river. Be sure to check your regulations before you head out for bait or stream restrictions. As a reminder, the Siletz River and tributaries upstream of Siletz Falls are closed to angling.
A landslide on HWY 229 has resulted in a road closure at approximately milepost 14.5. HWY 229 will be closed for the unforeseeable future until crews are able to safely remove the debris from the roadway.
As a general reminder for Anglers: Help to protect boating opportunities by maximizing distance from bank anglers and other boats. Safely row or motor around anglers and other boats and avoid motoring nearshore and in shallow areas. Last updated 7/15/26.
SIUSLAW RIVER: Cutthroat trout, rockfish, surf perch, crabbing
Trout season in the Siuslaw River opened May 22. Sea-run cutthroat should be making their way upstream. Be sure to check your regulations before you head out for bait or stream restrictions. Jetties can be a great place to target rockfish and surf perch during the spring. For more information on surf perch, crabbing, rockfish and lingcod, refer to the Marine Recreation Report. Last update 7/15/26.
THREE RIVERS: Cutthroat trout
Three Rivers from the mouth to the hatchery deadline is closed to angling July 16 to September 30. Upstream of the hatchery weir is still open but there won't be much up there other than cutthroat trout as hatchery Chinook and steelhead are stopped at Cedar Creek hatchery. Last updated 7/15/26.
TILLAMOOK BAY: Spring Chinook, marine bottom fish, cutthroat trout.
Spring Chinook fishing is winding down in Tillamook Bay with very few fish being caught over the past couple weeks. Most of the springers have moved up into the Trask River and numbers of bright fish still coming through are low.
Spring can be a good time to target rockfish off the Tillamook Bay jetties (the North jetty provides the only bank angling this spring as the South jetty is still undergoing repairs/construction). Ling cod fishing tends to be slower this time of year but there should still be a few around. Concentrate on slack tides for the best odds of success. Jigs, bait, and shrimp flies are all good methods.
Trout angling opened in Tillamook Bay May 22, and sea-run cutthroat are in the tidewater. Fishing is good and effort is low. Fishing should be decent through the rest of the month and well into August. Last updated 7/15/26.
TRASK RIVER: Spring Chinook, cutthroat trout
Spring Chinook are in the Trask. Fishing has slowed a little but there are still some fish being caught. Springers can be hard to entice to bite, especially when they've been holding for a while. Targeting first light can up the odds of success. The Trask does NOT get a hatchery summer steelhead release but is known to get some strays out of the Wilson River, and it sounds like a few of them have been getting caught. There has been an ongoing problem with litter at the hatchery hole, please pack out any trash you bring in. The section of the Trask River 200 ft above and 900 ft below Gold Creek at Trask Hatchery (which includes the "hatchery hole") is closed to angling on July 16 – October 15.
Angling is restricted to fly fishing or bobber fishing from the marker at Loren's Drift (RM 9) up to Cedar Creek Boat slide (RM 10.9) from May 1 to July 31 (See Bobber Fishing Rule on page 18 of the regulation book).
Trout angling opened in the Trask basin May 22 and there are cutthroat trout throughout the fishery, which includes the North, South, and East forks (no bait allowed in the forks between May 22-Aug 31) and sea-run cutthroat are showing up in tidewater.
Trask hatchery has some damage to the access road so anglers and visitors will need to park up top and walk down. Last updated 7/15/26.
WILSON RIVER: Summer steelhead, cutthroat trout.
Summer steelhead are in the Wilson River with fish getting caught. Fish are throughout the fishery (up to the South Fork). There is plenty of public access off Highway 6. The river is low and clear so targeting first light and using stealthy tactics will up the odds of success. Lures, beads, and jigs are all proven techniques.
Trout angling opened in streams May 22 and there are cutthroat trout throughout the Wilson River, and sea-run cutthroat are in tidewater.
There are no hatchery spring Chinook releases on the Wilson River. Last updated 7/15/26.
Wilson River levels and predictions are available here.
YAQUINA RIVER: Cutthroat trout, Chinook salmon, rockfish, surf perch
The Yaquina River and bay are open for Chinook salmon April 1 – December 31. Trout season in the Yaquina River opened May 22, and some sea-run cutthroat should be headed upstream. Be sure to check your regulations before you head out for bait or stream restrictions. Jetties can be a great place to target rockfish and surf perch during the spring. For information on marine species such as surf perch, rockfish and lingcod, refer to the Marine Recreation Report. Last updated 7/15/26.