Pacific Coast Fishing Forecast: Clear Skies, Hungry Predators, and Bountiful Bottomfish

Good morning, Oregon anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Pacific coast fishing report for Friday, September 5th, 2025.

Sunrise rolled in at 6:42 a.m. today, with sunset expected at 7:41 p.m. The weather’s starting off cool and misty but should clear up nicely by late morning, making for pleasant, mid-60s conditions with a gentle NW breeze—perfect for a day on the briny. Tidal movement is prime for early action: Pacific City saw its low tide hit at 6:05 a.m. at -0.2 feet, with the high tide peaking at 12:24 p.m. at 6.4 feet. Expect that rising water to get the predators moving through the kelp beds and reefs right up to mid-day according to Surfline’s tide calendar.

Fish activity ramped up again after last week’s bumpy seas. Offshore near Newport, charter boats like Rippin Lips II report steady bottom fishing; lingcod and black rockfish remain the bread and butter, with most anglers landing a mix bag—often hitting early limits before noon. Newport averaged about one fish per angler. Garibaldi’s numbers are slightly lower, around half a fish per rod, thanks to less halibut effort and rough surf, while farther south, Charleston and Brookings saw minimal dockside catches this week, mostly due to residual swells after last weekend’s stormy blow according to both ODFW and OregonFishReports.

Rockfish are biting well around submerged structure. Black, blue, and deacon rockfish make up most of the catches, with occasional cabezon and lingcod. Remember, the marine species bag limit is back to four, with strict sub-limits for cabezon and canary rockfish, and no retaining quillback or yelloweye.

Halibut season is in full swing on the central and southern coast subareas, open daily at all depths. The Columbia River subarea’s halibut is open Sundays through Fridays. Bring stout gear and patience—successful drops are happening anywhere from 250–600 feet. If you’re hunting crab, traps are coming up heavy again; crews are reporting unusually high numbers, especially north of Newport.

There’s a major salmon closure from Humbug Mountain to the California border for the rest of the season—keep an eye on ODFW for any changes, but for now, focus on other species.

Bait and lure choice is critical. For bottomfish, soft plastics and curly-tail grubs—think white or chartreuse—paired with heavy leadhead jigs are outperforming bait rigs, and anchovy-tipped hooks are ideal if you’re deep-dropping for lingcod and halibut. Brands like Z-Man, Strike King, and Northland are getting the nod from local shops, especially when worked slowly near the bottom or bounced through rocky reefs. If crabbing, raw chicken or fish scraps in your pots will fill ‘em fast right now.

Hot spots to hit today:
• The rocky reefs out from Depoe Bay (early limits, less boat pressure).
• The North Jetty at Newport for shore-bound action—rockfish and greenling are biting well on fresh bait or Gulp! artificial sandworms.

Take care out there and always watch for derelict gear—ODFW relies on anglers to spot and report any lost commercial crab pots.

That’s the Friday report. Tight lines and keep your drag set—this coast’s always got surprises in store. Thanks for tuning in. Don’t forget to subscribe for the latest tips and daily updates. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn