Ocean Report: Rockfish Thrive, Salmon Bite Improves, Surf Perch Abundant Across the Oregon Coast

This is Artificial Lure with your Pacific Ocean, Oregon fishing report for Friday, April 18, 2025.

First light hit at 6:24 am with sunset coming at 8:06 pm, giving anglers a long spring day to work the water. Weather has improved all week, with winds dropping and the ocean settling down after recent rough spells. Seas are currently calm to moderate, making conditions prime for nearshore and offshore trips.

Tides for today at Pacific City follow this pattern: a 6.9-foot high tide at 3:31 am, dropping to a zero tide at 11:19 am, swinging back up to a 4.9-foot high at 6:09 pm, before settling to a 3.4-foot low at 10:36 pm. That mid-morning zero tide is perfect for hitting the surf for perch or rolling out early for bottomfish, then riding the afternoon flood for salmon or evening rockfish action[6].

Rockfish and lingcod are the talk of the docks from Garibaldi down to Brookings. Most anglers are coming back with averages of 3 rockfish and at least one lingcod per head, with Depoe Bay slightly better—up to 3.5 rockfish and 1.5 lingcod per angler. The mix includes black, canary, copper, deacon, and yellowtail rockfish, with solid lingcod numbers just about everywhere. Bag limits have increased to seven rockfish and two lingcod per day in Brookings, so folks are filling their coolers[1][8].

Chinook salmon season remains open from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain through May 15, with a two salmon limit, excluding coho. Newport saw the hottest bite this week, with salmoners averaging 1.2 Chinook per rod, especially on the outgoing tide. Salmon action is a little slower elsewhere but picking up with the tide swings and weather windows[1].

For surf anglers, the beaches around Lincoln City and Newport are giving out good numbers of surf perch, especially during incoming tides. Steelhead in the rivers are finally slowing down, but there are still some chrome fish around, especially in the Wilson, Nestucca, and Siletz systems for those who want to try their luck inside[2].

The top baits and lures: For bottomfish and lingcod, you cannot beat a hunk of octopus or mackerel, and metal jigs in blue or silver are killer, especially when tipped with squid or herring for added scent[7]. Swimbaits in white or glow colors are consistently producing as well. For salmon, go classic—plug-cut herring or anchovies behind a flasher, or a 3.5 spinner with a 360 flasher setup. Roe and sand shrimp are working for the lingering steelhead inland[10]. Surf perch are hammering on sand shrimp, clam necks, and curly-tail grubs.

Hot spots to try include the reefs outside Depoe Bay for lingcod, the rockpiles off Newport for both salmon and bottomfish, and the sandflats of Pacific City and Lincoln City for surf perch. For classic action and full limits, Brookings remains red hot when the weather allows boats offshore[1][8].

Get out there, watch those tides, and keep your lines tight. This is Artificial Lure—see you on the water.