Fishing along the Northern Oregon coast offers an unparalleled experience for anglers of all levels. Whether casting a line from the rugged shoreline or venturing out on a chartered fishing boat, the diverse marine life promises an exciting and fruitful adventure. From salmon and halibut to crab, clams, and oysters, the abundant waters provide myriad opportunities to catch the freshest seafood. Experience the thrill of Northern Oregon's fishing sports on your next visit.
Fishing Oregon's Northern Coast
Tillamook Bay
Tillamook Bay, located around 90 minutes from Portland, is renowned for its diverse fishing opportunities. The bay is famous for large fall chinook runs and offers a significant fishery for spring chinook, sturgeon, and various other fish and shellfish.
Five productive streams feed into the bay, including the Miami, Kilchis, Wilson, Trask, and Tillamook rivers. The fall chinook season begins in late summer but peaks in October, and there's also a fall run of coho salmon, with hatchery fin-clipped fish that are available to catch.
For keeper-sized sturgeon, fishing is ideal from late winter to spring, with the West Channel being a preferred location. Anglers can commonly catch lingcod, rockfish, greenling, and perch near Garibaldi's jetties and rocks.
Crabbing from boats and the Old Coast Guard Pier is a popular activity, and clamming is also successful. Additionally, boats from Garibaldi venture offshore for salmon, halibut, and albacore tuna fishing.
Nestucca River
The Nestucca River is a prized location for anglers. With runs of spring and fall chinook salmon, and winter and summer steelhead, it provides fishing opportunities throughout much of the year.
Accessible along Highway 101 from Cloverdale to Beaver, and a well-maintained county road reaching up to Blaine and further, the Nestucca offers versatile fishing spots. Spring chinook start entering the river in April, with a peak in early summer.
The larger runs of fall chinook begin arriving in August at Pacific City, pushing into the river with the fall rains in late September through October. Wild coho salmon are typically catch-and-release unless the ODFW authorizes a limited harvest. Hatchery summer steelhead enter in April and can be fished into early autumn.
Winter steelhead first make their appearance in November or early December, and due to a wild broodstock program, the hatchery run continues into early spring. Anglers can also enjoy good fishing for sea-run cutthroat trout starting in the latter half of summer.