Saltwater Fishing

Oregon’s ocean offers a variety of fishing opportunities. For the ocean-going angler, whether on a private boat or a charter, there’s trolling for halibut, tuna, salmon and ground fish. From shore, anglers canfish for rockfish and other groundfish near rocky jetties, or surfperch off sandy beaches.

Halibut

Halibut fishng seasons are usually set in March of each year under a quota system. Though seasons can be limited, few other Oregon fisheries offer the opportunity to catch such large, and tasty, fish.

Ocean Salmon

The highly anticipated ocean salmon season usually begins in late May or June. The seasons and daily bag limits are announced in April and will vary by species and location, so be sure to check the Ocean Salmon Sport Salmon Seasons before planning a trip.

Oregon Ocean Sport Salmon Seasons
Ocean Salmon Identification

Groundfish

The groundfish group includes many favorites such as lingcod, rockfish, greenling and cabezon. The groundfish season is open year-round and is a popular fishery among visitors to the Oregon coast.

Marine Recreational Fishing in Oregon brochures

• Central - Cascade Head to Florence (pdf)
• South - Winchester Bay to California Border (pdf)
• North - Columbia River to Nestucca Bay (pdf)

Crabbing and Clamming

Other helpful links

• Regulation Changes and Updates – Marine Zone
• Marine Sport Fishing Regulations
• Marine Sport Fish Identification Key
• Marine Commercial Fishing Regulations
• Saltwater Bulletins — Be among the first to know about an inseason halibut update by subscribing to email and text message alerts.
• Surfperch Fishing in Oregon (pdf) – how to fish for surfperch

For the latest information on saltwater fishing see the Marine section of the recreation report.