Tag: 2025 ocean salmon Oregon

Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, Pacific halibut open May 1

BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 27, 2025) – The giant lingcod and rockfish inhabiting Point St. George Reef along the California-Oregon border have been off limits to sport anglers since last fall. When fishing re-opens near the lighthouse May 1, wide-open fishing is expected, as is typical for the fertile fishing grounds on what may be the best saltwater fishing outside of Alaska. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet begins long-range trips to the reef on the May 1 opener, and will continue through September.

Three big lingcod caught as part of a triple hookup at Point St. George Reef a few seasons ago. The prolific reef re-opens to fishing May 1.

Pacific halibut season also opens May 1. While fish are caught from the beginning of the season until the Oct. 31 closure, the best fishing out of Brookings usually takes place in late June, July and August, as Pacific halibut mover closer to the shoreline to feed. During the peak season, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet enjoys the well-earned reputation for the highest halibut catch rates out of Brookings.

Deckhand Eric holds a pair of halibut caught aboard the Miss Brooke last summer. Halibut season opens May 1 out of Brookings and runs through Oct. 31.

Another highly anticipated opener arrives May 16, when ocean salmon season begins. Anglers will be allowed to keep wild or hatchery king salmon until June 6, followed by a summer-long coho salmon season open through Aug. 24. The limit is two hatchery coho a day, and expectations are high, as the ocean abundance forecast for Columbia River hatchery coho is more than half a million fish. Those salmon, known as silver salmon, swim by the Brookings area as they migrate up the coast each summer on their way back to the Columbia, Willamette, Clackamas, Sandy and other rivers.

While we wait for the May 16 ocean salmon opener, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew has been targeting spring chinook salmon on the Rogue River. This nice springer was caught last week with Capt. Rye.

While anglers wait for the lighthouse, halibut and salmon openers, fishing has been good for lingcod on local half-day charters out of Brookings. During calm weather days, limits of rockfish and lingcod have been common. With plenty of lingcod near 20 pounds being caught, the lings are averaging 10 pounds. So far, this season has been better than recent years, with high catch rates for lingcod, and an excellent grade of rockfish.

Deckhand Eric Howard holds a 44-pound lingcod caught at Point St. George Reef by Rod Allec of Happy Camp, Calif.

Lighthouse area best bet for trophy lingcod

Quality lingcod are caught everyday close to Brookings, but the action at Point St. George Reef is unparalleled. Big lingcod inhabit the reef year round, with fish over 40 pounds caught each season.

The reef near the lighthouse also has a huge variety rockfish, with trophy-size canary, vermilion, black, copper, widow, tiger, blue and yellowtail rockfish, which can be kept, and big numbers of yelloweye and quillback rockfish, which are protected and cannot be retained. Limits of lunker rockfish are common.

A triple hookup in the shadow of Point St. George Reef Lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke.

The big lingcod are the main target at the lighthouse. Fish to 50 pounds have been caught, and 20-pounders are brought over the rails almost every day. The extremely jagged reefs, with drastic depth changes and strong currents, are prime habitat for big lingcod. The Brookings Fishing Charters captains know where to find and how to catch these big lingcod, with large jigs and big baits used to entice them.

The Miss Brooke, Kraken and Nauti-Lady run trips to the lighthouse and Point St. George Reef. Lighthouse fishing trips are generally 8 hours. More about the lighthouse charters can be found here.

Halibut gets better as summer arrives

Although Pacific halibut season opens May 1, and plenty of fish will be caught on the opener, the best fishing is mid-June through September. Halibut spawn in deep water, upwards of 2,000 feet, during the winter in the Gulf of Alaska. The fish then move into shallower water to feed during the spring and summer, before migrating back offshore in the late fall. In May, most fish are in 300 to 500 feet of water. Some are already shallower, in the 180 to 220 feet of water most anglers target them out of Brookings. By early summer, more fish have moved into shallower water as bait arrives, and catch rates improve. The limit is two halibut per day. By July, anglers have a good chance at limits.

Rogue salmon action decent

Spring salmon are currently entering the Rogue River near Gold Beach. These fish, known as springers, arrive during the spring runoff, which historically allowed them to reach the headwaters, where they held all summer and spawned in early fall. Because they are in the river all summer, they are full of fat and oil, and when caught in the lower river are by far the best-tasting salmon of the year.

Capt. Rye has been focusing on the lower Rogue and has been catching nice springers. To book a trip, call (541) 813-1082.

Here are a few recent catches with Capt. Rye.

To book an ocean charter, or guided river trip, call (541) 813-1082 or visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

Here are a few recent catches from ocean charters out of Brookings.

2025 ocean salmon season provides lengthy king, coho fishery out of Brookings

BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 15, 2025) – This year’s ocean salmon season on the Southern Oregon Coast will provide a summer-long opportunity to troll for coho salmon, as well as a king salmon fishery spread over three months, including the Fourth of July 4 weekend.

Federal fishery managers approved West Coast ocean salmon seasons on April 15, giving sport fishermen fishing out of the Port of Brookings Harbor a 79-day hatchery coho season, which will run June 7-Aug. 24, and a 37-day king salmon season, open May 16-June 6 and June 30-July 15. Crescent City will have a short season, open June 7-8, July 5-6, July 31-Aug. 3 and Aug. 25-31.

Salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters

This year’s ocean seasons out of Brookings fall when anglers typically encounter good number of coho and king salmon. An abundance of hatchery coho salmon from the Columbia River allowed biologists to recommend the lengthy coho season on the Oregon Coast. Upwards of half a million hatchery coho salmon are expected to be present off of Oregon this summer. Populations of wild coho also are strong. Coho spend the ocean portion of their life off of Northern California and Southern Oregon before migrating up the coast to the Columbia River during the summer, entering freshwater in late summer and fall. This year’s season begins just as big schools of coho are moving north off the coast of Brookings.

A nice king salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke.

King salmon season was constrained by low forecasts for the Sacramento and Klamath rivers, but Oregon fisheries were allowed to move forward since the season dates minimized impacts to those stocks while also allowing anglers to fish on healthy runs from the Rogue, Chetco, Smith, Columbia and Snake rivers, as well as the hatcheries in California that have had strong returns the last few years. Generally, the best king salmon fishing out of Brookings is late June and early July, so this year’s season occurs when fishing should be at its best off of Brookings.

Most seasons, hatchery coho season opens in late June off of Brookings. This year’s earlier opener was proposed by local charter boat operators who showed fishery managers catches are often best right as the season opens, and anglers often encounter hatchery coho prior to the opener. The coho season opens two weeks earlier than normal. With a 44,000-fish quota, the coho season is expected to continue through late August.

Anglers will be allowed to keep hatchery or wild king salmon, and hatchery coho salmon this summer.

A king salmon caught aboard the Kraken.

Salmon fishing also will be open on the Chetco, Rogue, Elk and Sixes rivers in Oregon and Smith River in California this year.

The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet has a well-earned reputation of producing the best ocean salmon catch rates out of Brookings. Their captains troll herring or anchovies with divers and downriggers, and also mooch for coho when they are schooled up. All of the captains are also licensed river guides, and spent the fall fishing for salmon out of drift boats on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers.

Salmon trips will be offered daily, as the weather allows. In May, anglers will encounter a mix of fish from the Rogue, Columbia and Snake rivers, as well as kings from the Sacramento and Klamath rivers. Prized Rogue River spring Chinook salmon are still making their way up the coast in May and are the most sought-after of the ocean kings caught on the Oregon Coast.

Limits of hatchery coho caught last summer on the Miss Brooke.
Big numbers of hatchery coho are common out of Brookings in June.

By June, coho numbers quickly increase, with fish-after-fish action common during the peak in mid-June. At times, all six rods will be hooked up at once as charters troll for coho out of Brookings. When coho action is fast, anglers often book combo trips, fishing for coho in the morning and then lingcod and rockfish in the afternoon, or lingcod at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, and then coho on the return trip to Brookings.

A mix of coho and king salmon caught aboard the Kraken.
A nice king salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke.

Anglers will be allowed one king salmon a day, and when coho season opens a total of two salmon, with a mix of hatchery coho and one king salmon as the daily limit (two hatchery coho or one hatchery coho and one king, which can be wild or hatchery).

To book an ocean salmon charter, call (541) 813-1082, or visit www.brookingsfishing.com.