BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 10, 2024) – Sport anglers fishing out of the Port of Brookings will enjoy one of the longest ocean salmon seasons in recent memory, with a 108-day fishery for kings, along with a lengthy opportunity for hatchery coho. The May 16-Aug. 31 season includes a two-fish-per day limit, with wild or hatchery king salmon allowed. Hatchery coho salmon, also known as silvers, can be included in the daily salmon limit from June 15-Aug. 4.
An angler holds a hefty king salmon caught in the ocean off of Brookings during a previous season aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.
Federal fishery managers gave final approval to the season today during the Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Seattle. Representatives from Oregon, California, and Washington met to set West Coast ocean salmon seasons for sport and commercial fishermen. Brookings and the rest of the Oregon Coast fared well in the season-setting process, following last year’s ocean king salmon closure in Oregon and California. Ocean fishing for salmon will once again be closed in California this year. Capt. Andy of Brookings Fishing Charters was among the sport fishing representatives who attended the PFMC meetings in Seattle to advocate for the ocean seasons. Port of Brookings commissioner Richard Heap also attended, along with Capt. Mike of the charter boat Miss Raven in Newport.
Anglers fishing out of Brookings can keep hatchery coho beginning June 15. Mid June is prime time, as illustrated in this photo from a few seasons ago on the Miss Brooke.
While the ocean salmon seasons open in May, the best fishing out of Brookings is generally mid-June through July. Anglers fishing out of Brookings generally catch king salmon headed back to the Sacramento, Klamath, Rogue, Trinity, American, Feather, Chetco and Smith rivers. This year’s ocean abundance estimates include 215,000 adult salmon from the Sacramento River, 180,00 from the Klamath River and 200,000 from the Rogue River swimming off the Southern Oregon and Northern California coasts. That is in addition to 1 million coho salmon, including an estimated 400,000 hatchery coho bound for the Columbia River. That abundant mix of salmon usually leads to good fishing out of Brookings in June and July.
June and July are the best times to catch king salmon out of Brookings. These salmon were caught during a previous June aboard the Miss Brooke.
The Brookings Fishing Charters captains have a well-earned reputation for producing the best ocean salmon catch rates out of Brookings. Each captain is a year-round fishing guide, running ocean charters in the spring and summer, and drift boat salmon and steelhead trips during the fall and winter on the Chetco, Rogue and Smith rivers. Anglers catch kings trolling herring or anchovies with the use of downriggers or divers on our fast, comfortable six-pack charter boats, which were designed with ocean salmon fishing in mind. Salmon charters are offered aboard the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (July 4, 2023) – Lingcod and lunker rockfish have been biting at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse – when the weather is calm enough to get there – while Pacific halibut action is heating up closer to the Port of Brookings. Albacore tuna, meanwhile, are almost within range of the sport fleet, with a pocket of warm water inching closer to the Oregon Coast.
The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet has been fishing daily, with good success on rockfish and lingcod when the ocean cooperates. Windy weather made fishing challenging the first week of July, but better ocean conditions are expected this coming weekend. Just before the windy weather, halibut catch rates improved. Coho salmon season also is open, but catches on the Southern Oregon Coast have been few and far between.
Limits of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke in June near the lighthouse.
The best bet in recent weeks has been the Point St. George Reef near the historic lighthouse. The productive reef is halfway between Brookings and Crescent City. The best lingcod areas are closer to the lighthouse, where the Brookings charter fleet often returns with limits of both lingcod and lunker rockfish. The Crescent City charter fleet often focuses on South Reef, where rockfish are abundant, but lingcod have been less common this season.
Halibut caught aboard the Dash in late June in 180 feet of water off Brookings.
Halibut action started off slow out of Brookings when the season opened May 1, but catches have improved steadily. Charters in Brookings were averaging a fish per rod at the end of June. Halibut season continues through October. July, August and early September produce the best catch rates out of Brookings. Halibut are caught in 200 to 250 feet of water, 3 to 5 miles offshore. Unlike other areas of the coast, fairly light weights are used while fishing aboard charter boats in Brookings, with 12 ounces to 16 ounces usually enough lead to stay on the bottom.
Deckhand Chris holds a lingcod caught in late June aboard the Nauti-Lady.Capt. Mick with a young angler’s first halibut.
During local half-day bottom fishing trips, the action has been fair, as windy weather and choppy seas have kept boats from more productive areas. With nice weather expected after the Fourth of July holiday, catch rates will improve for lingcod and rockfish as boaters can once again reach the Bird Island, House Rock and Mack Arch areas.
Albacore tuna water is a little more than 50 miles offshore, but as offshore winds subside, surface temperatures will increase and the bubble of warm water will move closer to shore. Tuna could be within 30 miles by mid-July. Brookings Fishing Charters operates off of a call list for tuna. When the forecast shows good weather conditions, the booking office will put trips together. Call (541) 813-1082 to be added to the call list.
Capt. Kirby holds a tiger rockfish caught aboard the Miss Brooke at the lighthouse.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 6, 2023) – Ocean anglers will get two and a half months to catch hatchery coho salmon this summer off the Oregon Coast, with the season running June 17 through Aug. 31 out of Brookings. Coho often produce wide-open action, and when schools move through, multiple hookups at the same time are common. Coho, also known as silver salmon, are known for their hard fighting abilities and excellent taste.
Federal fishery managers set ocean salmon seasons on April 6 during a meeting of the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Brookings will be the closest port to California with any ocean salmon fishing, as salmon will be closed this year off of California, and in the Sacramento River and its tributaries. Chinook fishing is closed the entire year in the ocean off of California, and until Sept. 1 in the ocean off of most of the Oregon Coast. The river seasons on the Rogue and Chetco rivers will go on as normal. Coho fishing will be open from Brookings to Tillamook most of the summer. Anglers will be allowed to keep two hatchery coho per day. Fishing will be open seven days a week, with a 110,000-quota for hatchery coho.
Anglers hold limits of coho salmon caught last summer on the Miss Brooke.
During most seasons, catch rates for hatchery coho are highest out of Brookings early in the season, with the last two weeks of June and first two weeks of July the prime time to catch coho. The fishery is fueled by massive releases of hatchery coho by Native American tribes on the Columbia River. Those fish migrate south in the ocean, and arrive off the coast of Brookings in May, June and early July as they make their way back to the Columbia. This year, federal fishery manager predict an ocean abundance of more than 1 million coho, with most of the fish from the Columbia River, but plenty also from the Umpqua, Coos, Siuslaw, Coquille, Siltcoos and Rogue rivers.
Double hookups are common during coho season off of Brookings.
The Brookings Fishing Charters crew has a well-earned reputation for producing the best ocean salmon catch rates for the local charter boat fleet. All of the captains are also licensed river guides and have decades of experience fishing for salmon. Many have extensive Oregon and Alaska fishing guide and charter boat experience.
Coho are caught trolling plug-cut herring or anchovies behind flashers, or on lures that resemble baitfish. The fish are aggressive feeders and when the bite is on, they attack lures and baits with little caution, making them easy targets for experienced charter captains.
Salmon from the 2022 season aboard the Dash of Brookings Fishing Charters.
Low numbers of Chinook salmon expected to return to the Sacramento River led to this summer’s salmon shutdown in California. Since the majority of the king salmon caught off the Oregon Coast are from the Sacramento and Klamath rivers, Oregon also has salmon restriction. Coho salmon, however, are having healthy returns, especially on the Columbia River, where tribes have focused on building the silver salmon runs in recent years.
Coho salmon caught on the Miss Brooke during the summer 2022 season.
King salmon fishing will be allowed this year on the Chetco and Rogue rivers, where salmon runs are healthy. The Brookings Fishing Charters crew is historically known for getting some of the biggest salmon each year on the Chetco. The drought that devastated salmon runs in California was not as severe on the Oregon Coast rivers.
A pair of nice salmon caught at the mouth of the Chetco with Capt. Andy.
River fishing on the Rogue starts in late June and early July, while the Chetco kicks into gear at the end of September. Drift boat season is late October and early November.
Since coho salmon are migrating from Northern California up through Oregon during their ocean migration back to the Columbia, the early part of the season is best. The peak season is in late June and early July.
Brookings Fishing Charters will be offering ocean coho trips daily, with salmon only trips, or salmon and rockfish combos. There also are Point St. George Reef lingcod and hatchery coho combos, with salmon fishing taking place on the way back from the lighthouse in Oregon waters.
The results of a coho salmon and bottom fish combo trip last summer on the Kraken.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (June 30, 2022) – After a fairly slow start to the ocean salmon season offshore from Brookings, the action heated up the second week of the season, with good catches of coho and kings. The Brookings Fishing Charters boats have been the top-producers among the sport fleet, bringing in limits or near-limits of salmon, while also releasing big numbers of shaker kings and wild coho.
Salmon season began June 18, but only hatchery coho could be kept. Starting June 25, wild or hatchery kings, along with hatchery coho, can be harvested. Fishing started out slow, in part because of windy weather, dirty water conditions, and the bulk of the fish holding well offshore. But early this week, the salmon moved a little closer to shore, and massive schools of bait arrived. The salmon fishing has been wide open at times.
A nice king salmon caught aboard the Dash in June 2022.Salmon caught in late June aboard the Miss Brooke.Limits of hatchery coho and king salmon caught in late June aboard the Kraken.Salmon from the Dash.Capt. Michael with a nice limit.Fish on aboard the Kraken.Capt. Rich with a limit.Capt. Sam with a nice king.Another nice salmon for the Kraken.More salmon caught aboard the Kraken in June 2022.
Fishing also has been very good at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, where the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet heads during its long-range trips. The lighthouse area has been producing an excellent grade of big black, canary, vermilion, copper and other rockfish, and lingcod close to 30 pounds. A few large lingcod also have been caught recently at Mack Arch north of Brookings.
A nice limit of lingcod from the Nauti-Lady in June 2022.
For the salmon, Capt. Travis, Sam, Michael, Mick, and Rich also have reported their best fishing trolling anchovies close to the surface, but in deep water, sometimes 4 or 5 miles offshore. Some trips are yielding more than three dozen hookups, with lots of fish lost because of barbless hooks. The hatchery-to-wild ratio for coho salmon is nearly 50-50, meaning half the silvers landed can be kept. There are big numbers of shaker kings less than 24 inches, and then keepers from 5 to 15 pounds. Each day, fish in the upper teens also are being caught.
Salmon season runs through mid-August out of Brookings. The best fishing is generally the last week of June and first few weeks of July, meaning peak season is right now!
Big ling on the Dash.Whopper lighthouse ling for the Kraken.Nice lingcod limin on the Kraken.Nauti-Lady lingcod.More Nauti-Lady lings.Capt. Andy with a lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady.Another Nauti-Lady ling.Nice limit aboard the Nauti-Lady.Miss Brooke lingcod.Kirby holds a nice ling from the Nauti-Lady.Nice lingcod!Canary from Mack Arch.Kirby holds a nice canary caught aboard the Miss Brooke.
Lingcod and rockfish can be kept year round out of Brookings, but the summer months often lead to high catch rates, as the calmer weather this time of year results in better fishing. The Brookings Fishing Charters boats, including the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Dash, Papa B and Bout Time, use light spinning tackle to target rockfish and lingcod. The light tackle adds to the thrill of catching these tasty fish.
Albacore tuna season begins in the summer, with late July or early August generally the most productive time to target tuna, as they move closer to shore.
To learn more about fishing charters out of Brookings, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.
Two of the most anticipated seasons of the year for the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet open May 1, when charter boats can begin fishing for Pacific halibut out of Brookings, and also start running trips to the highly productive Point St. George Reef and lighthouse.
Brookings Fishing Charters operates both trips aboard its fast, comfortable six-pack charter boats, as well as the spacious Nauti-Lady party boat. The lighthouse is known for its fish-after-fish action, with the potential for trophy lingcod and rockfish, while halibut are one of the most prized fish on the West Coast.
Halibut season opens May 1 out of Brookings. These halibut were caught last summer aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Halibut season out of the Port of Brookings-Harbor runs May 1-Oct. 31, or until 8,000 pounds of halibut are landed out of Brookings and Gold Beach. The quota generally lasts the entire season. Anglers may keep one Pacific halibut a day, with no size limit. Sanddabs and petrale sole also may be kept on halibut trips.
In recent years, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet has been the most successful group of charters on the far Southern Oregon Coast getting customers into halibut. Captains Andy, Travis and Rye have considerable Alaska halibut charter boat experience, and have decades of experience catching halibut out of Brookings. Capt. Michael and Mick also are local halibut experts with a reputation of catching lots of fish each season.
A Pacific halibut caught and released earlier this year aboard the Papa B. The season opens May 1.
Halibut generally run 15 to 25 pounds on the Oregon Coast, with fish over 75 pounds caught each season. Two years ago, Capt. Rye got a client into a halibut just under 100 pounds, one of the largest halibut ever landed by a charter in Brookings.
Anglers wanting to catch halibut out of Brookings will immediately notice the skill level of the Brookings Fishing Charters captains in finding and catching halibut. Using advanced techniques to anchor in deep water, the captains create a potent scent trail to bring halibut to the area they are fishing, using a variety of big baits, scents, and combinations of smaller baits. Through trial and error, and years of halibut fishing experience in local waters, the Brookings Fishing Charters captains have an extensive list of waypoints that produce halibut season after season, and the knowledge of when to fish each spot, depending on tides, ocean conditions and time of the season.
Limits of halibut last summer aboard the Dash.Typical halibut caught out of Brookings.
Most of the halibut fishing out of Brookings takes place in 180 to 250 feet of water, much shallower than the halibut hot spots further north on the Oregon Coast. Because of the shallower water, and the advantage of fishing on anchor, lighter weights may be used. Instead of 3 or 4 pounds of weight, we often catch halibut with just 12 ounces, which makes catching them more enjoyable.
Capt. Rye holds a 58-inch halibut caught during a previous season aboard the Dash.
The Point St. George Reef Lighthouse is located 11 miles straight out of Brookings just across the border in California. The reef is highly productive, with a large variety of rockfish, and some of the largest lingcod caught outside of Alaska. The area opens to fishing May 1.
Limits of lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady at the lighthouse.
Several of the boats in the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet have California Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel permits, allowing them to fish in Oregon and California waters. Customers need a fishing license for both states to fish the lighthouse area. One-day licenses are available.
A hefty lingcod caught last season aboard the Bout Time at the lighthouse.
Few private boats venture to the remote Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, located between Brookings, Oregon and Crescent City, California, making it one of the most productive fishing destinations on the West Coast. The seldom-fished waters on the edge of the Point St. George Reef marine reserve offer unmatched lingcod and rockfish opportunities, often with much larger fish than the closer-in waters out of Brookings and Crescent City. The area of the reef with the best fishing is known locally as the “Dragon Channel” a lingcod and trophy rockfish infested section of rockpiles, pinnacles and ledges. Swift currents, sudden depth changes, and an extremely rugged undersea terrain provide ideal habitat for big rockfish and lingcod, with an occasional halibut mixed in. Oldtimers tell stories of lingcod between 50 and 70 pounds, and each season plenty of trophy lings are caught.
Another big lighthouse lingcod.
The action is fast-paced at the lighthouse, with black, canary, vermilion, yellowtail, tiger, blue, copper and China rockfish, among others. Lingcod to 50 pounds are caught each year at the lighthouse, with fish over 20 pounds common. Most of the keepers are 10 to 15 pounds, an ideal size to eat.
The Miss Brooke, Kraken, Dash and Bout Time get to the lighthouse quickly, and use light tackle to catch the trophy-size lingcod and rockfish. Customers who have done the trip comment on what a blast it is to catch the variety of quality rockfish with light spinning tackle.
Full limits of lingcod at the lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke.
For larger groups, the Nauti-Lady allows up to 15 people a chance to experience the lighthouse fishing on a single boat. The comfortable ride to and from the lighthouse on the Nauti-Lady makes the experience even more enjoyable, with plenty of room to spread out on the 42-foot charter boat.
Capt. Andy holds a pair of tiger rockfish caught aboard the Nauti-Lady last summer.A triple hookup in front of the Point St. George Reef lighthouse.
