"Salmon, Rockfish, and Crab Bonanza on the Oregon Coast"

Out here along the Oregon Pacific, today felt downright electric. I’m Artificial Lure, checking in with your on-the-water report for August 6, 2025. Sunrise cut through low mist at 6:04 AM and sunset is coming up at 8:35 PM; plenty of daylight for chasing linesides, salmon, and rockfish. Weather on the water saw a morning warm front with southerly winds bumping up to 10-15 knots and a shifting sea—a solid 5 to 6 feet this morning, topping out closer to 7 by evening. A little rain early gave way to long, gray breaks, classic for this stretch of coast.

Tidal rhythms today set up well for action. Nestucca Bay saw a low at just after 6 AM and the high at 12:39 PM, pushing bait into the estuaries and lighting up the nearshore bite as the first light hit. If you worked that incoming, it paid off, especially near river mouths and in the bays.

Fishing-wise, the salmon bite is still hot and heavy all along the central coast. Reports from Depoe Bay noted plenty of action: lots of coho on and off the line, more than a few good Chinook, but expect to throw plenty back due to the adipose mark rules—hang in and you'll get your keepers. Boats out today often ran into ten or more salmon hits with limits common for determined crews, even though you'll have to weed through shakers and wilds. Don’t forget: salmon season shuts down August 24th but reopens September 1st—with fewer restrictions then.

Bottom fishing remains rock solid. Most boats limiting their clients with a mix of black rockfish, widow and blue rockfish. The lingcod are a bit scattered but showing in respectable numbers, especially for folks fishing deeper reefs past 100 feet. The canary rockfish and other restricted species require careful sorting, so double-check your catch. Halibut still open with good odds outside, though quotas are tightening as the season progresses. Crabbing is nothing short of spectacular—one party today managed six totes full, most loaded to the handles with quality crab.

Best lures and baits? If you’re chasing salmon, chartreuse hoochies, UV flashers and needlefish spoons were all putting fish on decks early. On calmer tides, small anchovies or herring behind a diver brought the big ones. For rockfish, soft plastics in motor oil or root beer worked wonders, while shrimp flies tipped with squid strips had even reluctant biters coming around. Lingcod went for large white or glow swimbaits bounced just above bottom structure.

Top hotspots today: Garibaldi’s south jetty produced nice seabass and keeper-size lingcod close to the rocks, especially with slack before the afternoon ebb. Depoe Bay reefs and the mouth of Siletz Bay saw consistent salmon action through midmorning, and Tillamook Head west of Cannon Beach proved solid for boats willing to work the upwelling edges for bigger rockfish and the odd halibut. For halibut, stick to deeper sand flats off Pacific City. And don’t forget, crabbing along the inside channels at Netarts Bay is loaded right now, well worth an extra pot or two.

Looking forward, the weather looks classic coastal—variable winds through tomorrow, with seas building slightly for the weekend. If you’re heading out, don’t skimp on the heavier gear for lings, and always check the latest ODFW regs, especially for rockfish sub-bags and salmon closures coming up.

Thanks for tuning in to your Oregon coast fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe to stay ahead of the bite—this has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai.

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