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Features: Trout-like in appearance, the body is silvery in color with a bronze or dark back. They can be distinguished from trout by the forked tail and the small, down-turned mouth. Lengths run to 20-inches. Whitefish are often erroneously called graylings by many anglers. Habitat: Mountain whitefish inhabit many Oregon streams and lakes, thriving best in clear, cold water. Techniques: Whitefish tend to go for flashy flies, but are known for quickly spitting them out. Many sportsmen look with disfavor on the whitefish and often throw it away as undesirable. However, the flesh of the whitefish is firm and tasty…

Features: Opah are also known as moonfish due to their round, laterally compressed bodies. These fish are very beautiful with pale red colored and lighter spots throughout resembling the craters on the moon, and orange-red fins. Opah grow to an average of 3-feet long and 100 pounds. Habitat: Opah can be found in temperate and tropical waters. They tend to be at depths of 300- to 1,000-feet during the day and come above 300-feet at night. Technique: These fish are rare in Oregon's waters and are difficult to catch by rod and reel, though they are occasionally brought in.

Features: Pacific cod are brown to gray on the back with brown spots or pale areas on the back and sides. They are lighter on their bellies. They have an elongated body with a square caudal fin, three dorsal fins, a chin barbel, and two anal fins. The anal fins are usually white-edged. Habitat: They are widely distributed in cooler regions of Pacific and adjacent seas- Japan to the Bering Sea and south to Santa Monica, California. They range in water 7- to 300-fathoms deep, but tend to hang out near the bottom of the water column, regardless of water…

Features: Greenish or bluish above with dark wavy worm-like marks along the back; shading to silvery below, usually with dusky spots on the lower side. Mackerel grow to be 25-inches long. Habitat: Pacific mackerel are usually found close to shore, but are not typically associated with any bottom structure. Technique: Mackerel are not usually targeted by Oregon’s anglers, but are often caught incidentally by salmon anglers. Small shiny spoon or baited hooks are good methods to use to catch mackerel.

Features: Redtail surfperch all fins are reddish in color, and have 8-11 reddish to brownish vertical bars along the sides over a silver to brassy body. Habitat: Surfperch are found mostly in the surf. Redtail will usually be found between the 2nd and 4th row of breakers and near deeper holes and areas of high sand erosion. Technique: Some anglers use a #4 to #6 hook secured 24-30 inches below a 1- to 2-ounce sinker on 8- to 10-pound line. Baits include sand and kelp worms, sand shrimp, clam necks, and mussels. Some anglers have found success fly fishing for…

Features: Black rockfish are dark gray to black on top, with a lighter belly, and black spots on their dorsal fins. They can grow to be 25-inches long. Take the "Black Rockfish or Not?" quiz Habitat: They are found over rocky reefs most typically shoreward of 180 ft. of depth, and are common along jetties and other structure in estuaries. Occasionally schools of black rockfish will come all the way to the surface. Technique: Rockfish feed on squid, octopus, krill, and other fish . They readily take both bait and lures. Common lures include rubber-tailed lead head jigs and shrimp…

Features: These fish are dark blue or black with a light belly, a blotchy pattern on the sides, and no spots in the dorsal fin. The easiest way to distinguish a blue rockfish from a deacon rockfish is that the blues have jaws that meet together when closed. Habitat: Like all rockfish, these fish use rocky reefs as habitat. They are common down to 500 feet or more, but also come in to shallow areas. Blue rockfish will often suspend in large schools well off the bottom over rocky areas. Technique: They readily take both bait and lures. Blue rockfish…

Features: Canary rockfish are named for their bright yellow to orange mottled bodies. They also have undertones of gray and three orange stripes across their heads. They grow to be 30-inches long, and have very firm and desirable meat. Habitat: Canary rockfish are a schooling fish, common along the Pacific Northwest coast over rocky reefs and pinnacles. Larger adults are usually further offshore, with younger fish sometimes common down to 100 feet. Yelloweye, canary and vermillion rockfish can look similar. See this rockfish identification article for distinguishing features for each species. Technique: They readily take both bait and lures. Locate…

Features: Olive brown to red on back, silvery-red to pink on sides. Lower jaw is long and extends at least to the eye socket. Short second anal fin spine. These fish can grow up to 3 feet long. Habitat: Most common between 160 and 820 feet deep. Adults show a preference to stay close to their home swatch of rocky bottoms or outcrops. Technique: Their diet consists of invertebrates and small fishes – try a lure that mimics these sea creatures.

Features: These fish are dark green, gray or brown on top with an off-white belly and silver or tan sides. The underside of the head and fins can be pinkish. Long second anal fin spine. Silvergrays can be confused with bocaccio rockfish which have a short second anal fin spine. Habitat: Most commonly found between 330 and 990 feet though subadults have been found in kelp beds only 56 feet deep. Adults live over various rocky-bottom habitats. Technique: Work rubber tail jigs or shrimp flies through the schools containing these fish.