Skip to main content

A Guide to Winter Fishing on the Oregon Coast




When it comes to finding the perfect winter fishing destination, the Oregon Coast won't leave anglers disappointed. The mild weather coupled with an abundance of fishing locations and fish make Oregon's coastline a perfect place for winter fishing adventures.

What's the Weather like on the Oregon Coast in Winter?

The average temperatures in the winter on the Oregon Coast are around: high 51° F and low 42° F. Other weather factors include high wind gusts up to 80 mph and the bulk of the annual rainfall of 75" coming down from October to May.

Basically, the wintertime weather on the Oregon Coast is rugged enough to filter out the fair weather visitors, yet mild enough to welcome anglers looking for some of the best fishing in the world without the crowds.

Types of Fish to Catch and Where

Weather is mostly a secondary consideration for anglers visiting the Oregon Coast; their first consideration focuses on the types of fish there are to catch. In this regard, winter fishing in Oregon has much to offer.

Here are the main types of fish anglers will find on the Oregon Coast throughout the year:

  • Winter Steelhead
  • Summer Steelhead
  • Fall and spring Chinook salmon
  • Coho salmon
  • King salmon
  • Trout
  • Sturgeon
  • Striped bass
  • Searun Cutthroat
  • Pacific Halibut
  • Tuna
  • Lingcod

During the winter (December through February) on the Oregon Coast, the main attraction for anglers is the winter steelhead. According to Tillamook Coast Oregon:

"The winter steelhead run starts around Thanksgiving on the North Coast, and is at its peak by mid-winter. Winter steelhead continue to run into early spring, when summer steelhead start arriving to take their place."

Winter steelhead fishing spots are located from the top of Oregon's coast to the bottom; from the Columbia River to Brookings, winter steelhead runs offer anglers plenty of places to throw in their lines.

Winter steelhead are an exciting catch because of their size and how hard they fight, at least according to an article found on Travel Oregon called: "Winter Fishing on the Southern Oregon Coast", written by Eileen Garvin, which explains:

"Winter-run steelhead are the main attraction because of their size and extremely hard fight. They average 8 to 12 pounds, but fish as big as 20 pounds are caught each year. King salmon season runs through December, and they can sometimes top 50 pounds."

One of the best locations along the Oregon Coast for fishing, in general, is Tillamook Bay, which is the second largest bay in Oregon to Coos Bay. The Tillamook Bay area also boasts of having five rivers, two bays, six lakes, and an ocean in its vicinity.

The Tillamook coast is a destination within a destination when it comes to winter fishing on the Oregon Coast. Winter steelhead can be fished from the bays or the major rivers flowing into Tillamook Bay, including:

  • Kilchis River
  • Tillamook River
  • Miami River
  • Wilson River
  • Trask River

Winter steelhead may be the main attraction when it comes to fishing on the Oregon Coast during the winter months, yet there could very well be some Chinook salmon left over from the Fall, or some white sturgeon to be found in places like the Columbia River or Tillamook Bay.

There are also many lakes along the Oregon Coast with rainbow trout and largemouth bass, such as Tahkenitch Lake (just north of Umpqua River), Siltcoos Lake (south of Florence), Lake Lytle (Tillamook area), and more.

cc from flickr.com

Fishing Trip Options

There are many options available when it comes to fishing on the Oregon Coast during the winter. These include:

  • Types of fish trying to catch
  • Types of waterways to fish
  • Types of fishing equipment to use
  • Types of fishing locations and techniques
  • Geographical areas to focus on
  • Solo, group, and/or fishing guide trip
  • Basecamp location

Basically, there are many options available for visitors or residents when it comes to the type of fishing trip they want or need. Beginners may want to hire a fishing guide or charter to learn the ropes; they can ride in a boat with a local guide and learn how to fish, where to fish, when to fish, etc.

Even if an angler was experienced, they may want to hire a fishing guide to learn more about a local area and have the chance to fish from a boat down a river or out in the Pacific Ocean.

Then, there are the types of fishing techniques to use, such as: fly fishing, trolling, shore fishing, drift boat fishing, dock fishing, etc.

Whether or not anglers are bringing a boat, family, fishing buddy, or any experience, they'll find the Oregon Coast provides plenty of options when it comes to planning a fishing trip. And, for anglers willing to endure the mild winter, the Oregon Coast offers world-class fishing without the crowds.

Columbia River Gorge cc from commons.wikimedia.org



Waterways and Fishing Destinations

Along the 361 miles of Oregon's beautiful coastline, there are many well-known and not so well-known fishing hot spots. Here are the well-known rivers to note (from north to south), according to Romantic Oregon Coast Vacations and Best Fishing in America:

  • Columbia River
  • Alsea River
  • Tillamook area rivers (noted above)
  • Nestucca River
  • Nehalem River
  • Siuslaw River
  • Umpqua River
  • Siletz River
  • Coquille River
  • Rogue River
  • Coos Bay
  • Chetco River
  • Sixes River
  • Elks River

Some of these rivers are stocked with fish from hatcheries; all of these are where anglers can find steelhead and Chinook salmon during their respective seasons.

These rivers are evenly spread out along the Oregon Coast, giving anglers many choices when it comes to fishing in the winter. And, while fishing the entire Oregon coastline in one season might be too ambitious, a more reasonable plan would be to choose a certain section to visit each year.

Tillamook Bay cc from flickr.com


Tillamook Bay Area

One of the best locations for fishing along the Oregon Coast is the Tillamook Bay Area; as we touched on before, this area has five salmon and steelhead producing rivers flowing into the Tillamook Bay. The Wilson River is likely the most well-known of the five, yet these main rivers are only part of the total waterways in the area.

According to an article found on Best Fishing in America called: "Fishing Near Tillamook, Pacific City and Rockaway", here are some other fishing spots to check out in this specific area:

  • Battle Lake
  • Cape Meares Lake
  • Hebo Lake
  • Loren's Pond
  • Nehalem Bay
  • Nehalem River
  • Netarts Bay
  • Smith Lake
  • Spring Lake
  • Tahoe Lake
  • Three Rivers

This extended list of fishing holes to visit in the Tillamook Bay area is an example of how rich Oregon's coast is with natural rivers, lakes, and bays. Whether anglers are trying to find a secret spot to catch the big one or take their chances in a well-known hot spot, they'll find all the opportunity they need in the Tillamook Bay area to fish during the winter.

The Tillamook Bay area also has many great places for anglers to stay during their winter trip; staying in a beach house (where a boat can be parked) while being close-by these fishing hot spots will make everything easier and more enjoyable.

View from Oregon beach house cc from flickr.com


Winter Fishing in Oregon

In the Travel Oregon article mentioned earlier, fishing guide Andy Martin explains what makes winter fishing in Oregon special:

"Oregon's best river fishing takes place in the winter. It's the best time of year to catch trophy-size salmon and steelhead. The Coast also has mild weather in the winter, so even though it's wet, it's often much warmer than other areas of the state."

That sums up what winter fishing on the Oregon Coast is all about. Truly, it offers anglers a fishing destination to remember, especially, in the wintertime when the crowds are gone and the winter steelhead start to run.

Comments

  1. John peterMarch 30, 2021 at 9:42 AM

    You have worked nicely with your insights that makes our work easy.Top Fishing Guides The information you have provided is really factual and significant for us. Keep sharing these types of article, Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The next war will start before the Boomer Gen passes away

The NWO will leverage the Zionist brainwashing the Boomers have undergone. It makes sense that the hidden hand or the shadow government would start the next war before the Boomer Gen passes away, as they are the ones who support Israel the most. In general, the younger generations don’t care about Christianity or Israel. Their programming is to care about themselves and technology. If this is true, the next war will start within an estimated 5-10 years. The youngest Boomers were born in 1964, so are 61 years old. The oldest were born in 1946, so are 79 years old. To note: That means the youngest of the Greatest Gen are 80 years old. 2025 is also the first of the Beta Gen. So, there is a limited window of time for the NWO to leverage the Zionist propaganda they worked so hard to install into these older generations. Although these older gens are too old to do the fighting, they will spearhead the political and social support needed to send off the younger gens to die. The NWO also caref...
Post a Comment
Read more

An Ode to Grandpa Lee

An old-time pioneer amid modern vanity and "progress." The man stood tall in the wind with the sun beating down on his flat-brim cowboy hat. He was a working man, focused on his pioneer family in the western country they called home. Building and designing structures high and wide, the man skipped across wooden beams high in the air, under shadows cast only by moving clouds; wide open spaces watched the scene as death-defying feats were carried out in relative obscurity, as just another day of work. The man was an old-timer with relatively few years to boast, a before his time pioneer with an adventurous and loving wife plotting business in sagebrush lands far beyond the hyped city life bustling with seemingly meaningless activities. His skin was as leather, scorched in the sun and beaten with high winds containing drifting sand mixed with alkaline dirt. The dry mountain air in the high desert cleansed his heart with comfortable respite from the high temps and harsh weather e...
Post a Comment
Read more

Between a Rock and a Hard Place in America

The inevitable cycle of conspiracy and deceit until sin and death are destroyed forever by Jesus Christ. The world is in between a rock and a hard place when it comes to politics and current affairs. There is no way out of the problems we’ve created without the majority of people walking in the Holy Spirit. As it is, the vast majority of people are walking in the flesh, including me too much of the time. The modern world has been created to take us away from the spiritual, from faith in the Holy Bible. Technology in the form of television, the internet, and smartphones are the final tools needed to thwart our faith and set us up for deception. The old-time Christian revivals, even just over a hundred years ago before television are essentially not possible anymore with smartphones around. Smartphones and technology are too stimulating and distracting for people to commune with God like we used to. In my opinion, real Christian revival isn’t possible anymore with this technology. The Ho...
Post a Comment
Read more

Brainwashed Into Low-Functioning Morons

When being normal is deemed crazy in a land of morons. Stay in the present and hold the line, as the machine-gun fire of death could be heard ever so clearly. People were falling dead and maimed with every shot given by the hateful enemy. The gruesome scene was covered in scarlet and purple with precious jewels in goblets of wine. The ancient agenda, the lockstep effort, and the social engineering program were ongoing and ever-expanding into the ears and souls of hapless victims, born and raised in the lie. How would they ever know? When the truth was told to them, they simply heard nonsense, madness — how could that be? Meanwhile, the war was waging, silent weapons, deceitful explanations told by greedy sell-outs, ignorant fools, heartless controllers, and brainwashed simpletons. The society was full of low-functioning morons — the diabolical objective was working. Behind pretense and seemingly logical rational, the management of the morons continued into the dawn of a new age; a gold...
Post a Comment
Read more