BROOKINGS, Ore,. (Jan. 3, 2026) – Winter steelhead season is off and running on the coastal rivers of Southern Oregon and Northern California, with above-average-size fish showing up in early catches. The Brookings Fishing Charters team of guides and deckhands are also drift boat river guides during the fall and winter, and have been getting customers into nice-size steelhead so far this season on the Chetco and Smith rivers. The guides also fish for steelhead on the Elk, Sixes and Rogue rivers.
A large steelhead caught with Capt. Andy on the Chetco River to begin the 2026 steelhead season.Customers fishing with Capt. Sam hold a nice Smith River steelhead.
Steelhead season began in December, but peak season is January and February. The season runs through March. December catches were better than expected, and by the beginning of January, large steelhead were being caught daily. A big storm arrived on Jan. 3, blowing the rivers out, but peak season is expected to begin the end of next week, as the Chetco and Smith drop back into shape. Flows below 4,000 cfs are ideal on the Chetco, while flows below 8,000 cfs at Jed Smith are ideal on the Smith River.
Capt. Andy holds a large hatchery steelhead caught by a customer on the Chetco River on New Year’s Eve.
Steelhead are caught while drifting the rivers in a drift boat. The two anglers in the front of the boat cast while the guide rows and maneuvers the boat downstream with oars. It’s a unique fishing experience, drifting through the Wild and Scenic Chetco River, or through Redwood National Park on the Smith River.
Fishing aboard a drift boat is a unique fishing experience.
Small pieces of roe are used to catch steelhead, as well as small plugs. Steelhead are remarkably hard fighters, and one of the most prized fish caught anywhere. The Chetco and Smith are two of the most productive steelhead rivers in the world.
A tiny cluster of roe, size 2 hook and a small Corky are used to catch steelhead. Anglers cast with light spinning rods.Customers fishing with Capt. Sam hold a Chetco River steelhead from New Year’s Day.
To book a winter steelhead trip, call (541) 813-1082, or visit www.wildriversfishing.com for more information.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Jan. 1, 2026) – Giant lingcod, surprise halibut, lots of colorful vermillion rockfish and the best sport crabbing in recent memory highlighted the 2025 ocean fishing seasons off of Brookings. The impressive lingcod action, with numerous fish over 40 pounds caught on our charter boats this season, coincides with a growing lingcod population that has prompted the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to increase the daily limit to three lings in 2026.
Nauti-Lady deckhand Eric holds a trophy lingcod caught at Point St. George Reef during the 2025 season.A 40-plus pound lingcod caught at Mack Arch aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Chris and deckhand Eric. It was one of more than a dozen 40-plus-pounders caught in 2025 from our charter boats.
Lingcod action started off great last year, and was steady the entire season. The Nauti-Lady, Kraken, Miss Brooke and Dash returned from charters with numerous lingcod over 30 pounds and the most over 40 pounds we’ve seen in one season. The best lingcod fishing was at Point St. George Reef, but big lings were also common at Mack Arch, and plenty of big fish were caught closer to the harbor between Bird Island and House Rock.
The lighthouse area also yielded several surprise Pacific halibut for our charter boats in 2025 while customers were jigging for lingcod and rockfish.
Frequent Brookings Fishing Charters customer Barb with her personal best lingcod caught in 2025 aboard the Miss Brooke.Capt. Andy holds a trophy vermillion rockfish caught near House Rock aboard the Nauti-Lady, one of numerous trophy vermillion caught in 2025 on our charter boats.
Lingcod fishing ended the year on a high note, and expectations are high for continued above-average lingcod fishing in 2026. Winter is a good time to catch lingcod, as they move into shallow water to spawn. Big numerous of aggressive males, and the larger females stage in 20 to 60 feet of water from December through April to spawn, making winter and early spring the best time to catch lings in shallow water. Unlike rockfish, lingcod grow quickly, reaching maturity in just a couple of years. The prolific species is thriving off the Oregon Coast, with high populations to fuel a sustainable sport fishery.
Brookings Fishing Charters captains and deckhands are among the best lingcod guides on the entire West Coast, using techniques perfected in Alaska for targeting lingcod and incorporating them to our local fisheries. Capt. Andy and Capt. Rye both spent a decade apiece running charters for halibut and lingcod in Alaska before focusing their full-time, year-round efforts to the Oregon Coast.
A large lingcod and a surprise halibut caught aboard the Nauti-Lady at Point St. George Reef.
Sport crabbing was good throughout the year, with the best fishing in mid-summer and fall, as the commercial season ended, and again in December. We will be running more crabbing charters in 2026, with the arrival of the Umatilla II, which is equipped with a hydraulic crab block and has dozens of commercial-size pots for charter use.
The Umatilla II’s hydraulic crab block will give Brookings Fishing Charters customers even more crabbing opportunities in 2026.Another giant lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in 2025.
Lingcod charters run daily, year-round, as the weather allows. To book a trip, call (541) 813-1082 or book online at www.brookingsfishing.com.
Here are a few more of the trophy lingcod and rockfish caught aboard our charter boats in 2025.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Dec. 19, 2025) – A legendary Pacific Northwest charter boat, with decades of history taking people fishing off of the Oregon and Washington coasts, has joined the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet. The 50-foot Umatilla II, which ran charters for the past 20 years in Newport, Ore., was sold this fall to the family that owns and operates Brookings Fishing Charters, and will soon begin fishing charters out of Brookings.
The 50-foot Umatilla II is the newest addition to the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet. She arrived in Brookings in November 2025.
Capt. Andy Martin and his wife Sarah announced the purchase of the Umatilla II from longtime Newport charter operator and commercial fisherman Brad Gnuschke. They said they are honored and excited to continue to legacy established by Brad and other previous owners of the Umatilla II as a premier West Coast charter boat. In Newport, the Umatilla II was one of the most requested charter boats in the fleet, and was well known for producing limits of lingcod and rockfish while also being a top-producer during salmon and halibut seasons. The Umatilla II has a strong following from sport anglers from throughout Oregon and the Western United States because of its spacious fishing platform, quality equipment and reputation for providing a first-class charter fishing experience.
The Umatilla II has plenty of room for anglers to spread out, with full-perimeter fishing, extra-high rails, and an extra-wide deck. The cabin also is extremely comfortable and roomy.
Brad decided to sell the Umatilla II to focus on his commercial fishing business, and his commercial boat, which fishes for Dungeness crab, albacore tuna, salmon, and sablefish. He was a frequent customer of the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet during trips to Southern Oregon, and became friends of Andy, Sarah and the Brookings Fishing crew. The previous captain of the Umatilla II also worked with Capt. Andy when they both ran charter boats in Alaska, and was the first hired captain on the Miss Brooke when Andy bought his second charter boat in Brookings.
The Umatilla II returning from a charter while operating in Newport, Oregon.The Umatilla II crossing the Yaquina River Bar while operating out of Newport, Oregon.
The Umatilla II has comfortably fish up to 26 anglers, although it will primarily fish 10 to 14 customers at a time. With plenty of room to spread out, an extra-large cabin, and extra-wide deck, it is one of the largest charter boats in Oregon. It will be used for lingcod and rockfish charters, along with halibut, salmon and albacore tuna. The boat has a rich history trolling for salmon in Newport, and previously in Ilwaco, Wash., and Westport, Wash. It also was consistently one of the top-producing halibut charter boats in Newport.
The Umatilla II has a hard-earned reputation of producing halibut, salmon, lingcod and rockfish.The Umatilla II has been a top-producing salmon charter boat on the Oregon Coast for decades. The Umatilla II is equipped with a hydraulic crab block and has extra-large crab pots. Aside from fishing charters, the Umatilla II has a long history of running sport crabbing charters.
The original Umatilla was a ferry boat on the Columbia River in Hermiston. The owners had the Umatilla II built specifically as a charter boat. Made from fiberglass, the hull is very similar to the rugged, stable and seaworthy Rawson and Westport charter boats made for crossing rough bars and fishing in unpredictable seas the Pacific Northwest coastal waters are known for. The Umatilla II was first homeported in Westport, and then operated out of Ilwaco. It was moved to Newport in the 1990s, and fished there through 2025, before Brad delivered her to Brookings this fall.
Anglers fish aboard the Umatilla II in Newport, Oregon, during a previous season.With a new coat of gelcoat, new rails and new gunnels, the Umatilla II arrives in Brookings in November 2025. Here, she is crossing Chetco Point.Brad, the previous owner of the Umatilla II, holds a lingcod for a happy customer.
Capt. Andy and Capt. Sam will operate the Umatilla II in Brookings. The legendary charter boat joins the Nauti-Lady, a very similar boat, but 10 feet shorter at 40 feet, as well as the six-pack charters Miss Brooke, Kraken and Dash. The expanded fleet will allow the six packs to focus on long-range bottom fishing charters, salmon trips and halibut trips, while the Umatilla II and Nauti-Lady will spend much of their time taking customers fishing for lingcod, rockfish and crab. The expanded fleet also will allow the six-pack boats to fish out of Crescent City and Gold Beach during various parts of the charter season.
The Umatilla II is one of the largest charter boats on the Oregon Coast, and has a large cabin and large deck for sportfishing.
To learn more about fishing charters in Brookings, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (June 13, 2025) – Long-range trips to Point St. George Reef and Mack Arch have resulted in impressive catches of lingcod and lunker rockfish, while limits of rockfish are also being caught on local half-day charters, and a few hatchery coho salmon are providing variety for anglers off the coast of Brookings.
Happy anglers hold a pair of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke at Point St. George Reef in early June.
Nearly every charter to the Point St. George Reef, often called the lighthouse, have returned with limits so far this season, with plenty of the lingcod worth bragging about. The lingcod fishing often has been wide open, with numerous fish over 20 pounds, including a few in the upper 20s and one fish over 30 pounds. Lots of colorful rockfish also are showing up in the catch, with big vermillion, canary and copper rockfish included with typical catches of big black rockfish.
An angler holds a large vermilion rockfish from a June trip to Point St. George Reef.
Coho salmon season opened June 7, with a few hatchery silvers caught. Windy weather kept the fleet in close, but boats venturing 5 to 10 miles offshore are reporting big numbers of salmon. Good weather this coming week should give salmon catches a major boost.
A nice opening day hatchery coho salmon aboard the Dash.
During windy weather days, boats fishing closer to the harbor are still getting limits of rockfish, with a few lingcod mixed in. Calmer weather and smaller swells are forecasted for the upcoming week, which will allows boats to get back to Point St. George Reef and Mack Arch. The calmer weather also will give boaters a better shot at Pacific halibut, which typically arrive in greater numbers off the coast of Brookings in late June.
Capt. Sam holds a limit of lingcod caught by an angler aboard the Nauti-Lady.Hatchery coho salmon and big rockfish from a salmon and bottom fish combo in early June.
Brookings Fishing Charters offers trips daily for lingcod and rockfish, and also runs halibut and salmon charters during calmer weather conditions. To book a trip, call (541) 813-1082, or book online at www.brookingsfishing.com.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (June 4, 2025) – Lingcod fishing at Point St. George Reef Lighthouse has lived up to its billing, with limits of big fish during the first month of the season for the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet embarking on the long-range trip to the trophy grounds. Nearly every trip this season aboard the Nauti-Lady and Miss Brooke has resulted in full limits of lingcod and large rockfish at the lighthouse. The Alaska-style fishing already has many customers who fished in May scheduled for another charter later this summer to once again experience the world-class fishing at the prolific offshore reef.
A 32-pound lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in mid-May at Point St. George Reef.
Closer to the Port of Brookings, rockfish action has been very good, while lingcod fishing is fair. Ocean salmon season is open, and beginning June 7, anglers can keep hatchery coho salmon, which are already staging off the coast of Brookings. Pacific halibut season also is open. So far, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet are the only charters to return to port with halibut and salmon. Catch rates improve considerably in June and July for both ocean salmon and Pacific halibut.
Frequent lighthouse customer Rod Allec of Happy Camp with a pair of nice lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.
The highlight of May was the wide-open action at Point St. George Reef, located between Brookings and Crescent City. The rugged reef, with an extremely jagged bottom, strong currents, and frequent depth changes is home to some of the best lingcod and rockfish habitat on the planet. It’s remote location makes it a top lingcod destination, with perhaps the best fishing outside of Alaska and British Columbia for trophy lingcod, and a wide variety of rockfish. Giant vermilion, canary, tiger, copper, black, China, blue, yellowtail and widow rockfish are often caught during the same trip, along with quillback and yelloweye rockfish, which are protected and must be released. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet fishes shallow reefs for the rockfish so rockfish can be safely released without damage to the fish. The biggest lingcod also tend to be located in the rugged, jagged pinnacles of the shallow reefs, where they hide in crevices and ambush their main prey, rockfish, octopus and small flatfish.
Nice limits of lingcod from a long-range trip aboard the Nauti-Lady.
So far this season, the biggest lingcod landed on the Nauti-Lady was a 32-pounder. Lots of fish in the upper 20s have been caught on both the Nauti-Lady and Miss Brooke. During the wide-open bite near the lighthouse, up to a dozen legal-size lingcod have been released during a trip as the customers finish up their rockfish limits.
A nice king caught aboard the Miss Brooke in May. Ocean coho season opens June 7!
Ocean salmon season started out slow in May, which is typically the case. Mid-June through mid-July is the peak season for salmon out of Brookings. A number of coho salmon were released in May while the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet fished for king salmon. Coho season opens June 7. The ocean abundance forecast for coho salmon is more than half a million hatchery fish, which return to hatcheries on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Those fish spend the ocean portion of their life off the Southern Oregon Coast, and slowly migrate back to the rivers during the summer. Peak numbers of coho, also known as silver salmon, are feeding near Brookings early in the season, in June and the first half of July.
Capt. Chris holds a 65-pound halibut caught aboard the Miss Brooke in May 2025.
Halibut season opened May 1, with a few fish caught out of Brookings. The best fishing is later in June, July and August, as more halibut migrate in from deeper water. Halibut spawn in the Gulf of Alaska during the winter months, and then migrate closer to shore during the summer to feed on baitfish. Catch rates increase throughout the summer, as this fish move in from 1,000 feet of water during the spring to depths as shallow as 150 feet in mid summer.
A nice variety of rockfish are being caught this season near the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
With decades of Alaska fishing experience, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew is best chance for success for halibut out of Brookings, as the captains have developed custom rigs while fishing at anchor to maximize the odds of catch halibut off the Southern Oregon Coast.
Sport crabbing has been slow out of Brookings, which is normally the case in late spring and the start of summer. By mid-summer, crabbing improves, and remains an option during fishing charters.
To book an trip to the lighthouse, or a local rockfish, halibut or salmon charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.
Here are some more catches from May with the Brookings Fishing Charters crew.
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).
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 7, 2025) – A wide-open lingcod bite, with full limits over the weekend on our charter boats, has anglers anxiously awaiting the next nice-weather days on the Oregon Coast. The lingcod fishing is as good as it has been all year, with every customer on the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke and Papa B returning to port with their limit of lingcod on Saturday. The quality of the fish has been excellent, and the light-tackle, shallow-water action has been nothing short of epic.
Capt. Sam gaffs a lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady in early April.
Lingcod remain in shallow water this time of year after the winter spawn. They are aggressive and hungry, attacking lures dropped onto the rocky crevices where they hide, waiting to ambush prey. Most of the fish are being caught in 20 to 40 feet of water, close to shore over rocky reefs. The lingcod are averaging 8 to 10 pounds, with fish up to 20 pounds being caught.
Deckhand Eric holds a nice lingcod caught in April 2025 aboard the Miss Brooke.Another nice lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in April 2025.
Lingcod fishing remains good in April and May, before some of the fish migrate back to deeper water. Until then, fast and furious action is common over the shallow reefs near Brookings. Our charter boats have been doing well from Twin Rocks and House Rock to Mack Arch, Arch Rock and Mack Reef.
In May, fishing for trophy lingcod will get even better, as the Point St. George Reef next to the historic Point St. George Lighthouse opens to fishing. It provides some of the best lingcod and rockfish action outside of Alaska. Halibut season also opens May 1 out of Brookings.
Capt. Sam with a lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Spring salmon also are being caught on the Rogue River near Gold Beach, Oregon. Capt. Rye has been focusing on Rogue springers, and finding some beautiful ocean-bright fish. Springer season runs April through June, and April and early May are prime time.
Capt. Rye holds a chrome-bright Rogue River spring king salmon caught in early April 2025.
Springers are caught from boats anchored in the slower water, using the current to spin anchovies. The bite is the hardest pull down a salmon angler will ever see. The springers hit, and then turn into the current, charging full speed downstream. It’s similar to the massive strikes made famous on Wicked Tuna. To book a Rogue River spring salmon trip, call our office at (541) 813-1082.
Another nice springer caught in early April with Capt. Rye on the Rogue River, fishing from the comfort of a covered jet boat.
Ocean lingcod and rockfish trips will run daily through the spring and summer as the weather allows. Trips are available on the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash. To book an ocean charter boat out of Brookings, call (541) 813-1082 or visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
Capt. Andy helps a customer hold a 19-pound lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Here are some of the great catches from the past week with the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (March 31, 2025) – The Oregon Coast has experienced a stormy, very wet and rainy winter and early spring, limiting the number of days boats can get offshore for lingcod and rockfish. But on calmer weather days between storms, fishing has been good, with limits of rockfish and lots of nice lingcod. Now that Spring has officially arrived, better weather is in the forecast. The second half of this coming week has the best weather forecast so far this year, with light winds, small swells, sunny weather – the making of what should be great fishing off the coast of Brookings.
A pair of nice lingcod from the Nauti-Lady in mid-March.
Our charter boats have seized the weather openings between storms to run trips, returning to port with nice limits of rockfish and plenty of lingcod. On calmer weather days, the lingcod fishing has been excellent. During big swells, rockfish are still eagerly biting, but lingcod have been tougher to come by.
Another limit of lingcod from the Nauti-Lady in March 2025.
Fishing on rocky reefs in shallow water, using light tackle, the rockfish action is often wide open this time of year. We are finding a mix of large black rockfish, blue and deacon rockfish, canaries, vermillion, China and an occasional copper rockfish. Lots of smaller rockfish are mixed in, but with the lighter tackle and shallower water, they are easy to release unharmed. April and May usually signals the start of the surface bite, where rockfish are caught just under the surface as they feed on freshly spawned baitfish and crab spawn.
Deckhand Eric holds a lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Lingcod also are still in shallow water after the winter spawn. Most of the lingcod caught on recent trips have been in 20 to 40 feet of water. Our boats have done best at House Rock and Mack Arch for lingcod, the typical destination of our six-hour long-range charters.
Pacific halibut season opens May 1, along with our trophy lingcod and rockfish season at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse. This season, the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke and Kraken will be running trips to the lighthouse. While halibut is open May 1, the best fishing is from late June through September.
We will learn our 2025 ocean salmon dates for the Oregon Coast next week, after the Pacific Fishery Management Council sets ocean seasons for Oregon, California and Washington. Early indications show a mid-May through early June king salmon season, and early June through August hatchery coho season. The best coho action off of Brookings is mid to late June, when action is often wide open.
Spring king salmon caught on the lower Rogue River with Capt. Rye. April and May are prime time for Rogue springers.
Winter steelhead season closed March 31 on the Chetco and remains open through April on the Smith River. Our river guides are switching gears to the Rogue River for spring king salmon. Capt. Rye, Mick and Sam will be running trips from their jet boats for these hard-fighting, great-eating springer salmon. Call (541) 813-1082 to book a spring king salmon trip.
Ocean charters will run daily now through the early fall, weather permitting. Book online at www.brookingsfishing.com, or call our booking office at (541) 813-1082.
Here are some more recent catches from our ocean charters in March.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Feb. 22, 2025) – Limits of rockfish, lots of lingcod and a few Dungeness crab to end the day have made for exciting winter charter boat trips out of Brookings so far this winter, with good fishing on the nice weather days between storms. Chrome-bright steelhead, meanwhile, are entering local rivers, giving anglers plenty of options for February and March fishing trips.
Ocean lingcod and rockfish action has been above average so far this winter, with more lingcod than recent years in January and February. Steelhead fishing, on the other hand, has been slower than expected coastwide, with just a couple steelhead per boat on most days.
Customers with limits of lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke in February 2025.
The Miss Brooke, Nauti-Lady and Papa B have been running ocean charters as the weather allows between storms. The rockfish action has been hot, with lots of smaller fish released and a good grade for limits. Lingcod also are biting aggressively, with limits typical on the longer 6-plus-hour trips, and a fish or rod or better on the shorter 4-hour trips. On long-range trips to Mack Arch, the lingcod bite has been wide open, with limits and plenty of smaller lingcod released, as well as some larger breeders let go as well.
A large steelhead caught with Capt. Andy on the Chetco River in February 2025.
Steelhead fishing will remain a solid option well into March. Our ocean charter boat captains are also river guides, and fish out of drift boats during the fall and winter when the ocean is too rough to fish. They use light spinning tackle to drift tiny clusters of roe for steelhead. The scenic floats down the Chetco and Smith rivers are memorable, and the hard-fighting steelhead are among the most prized an angler can catch.
A limit of lingcod from the Miss Brooke in January 2025.
During the winter months, lingcod move into shallow water to spawn. Big numbers of fish congregate over rockpiles in 20 to 50 feet of water. Many of the lingcod are caught on typical rockfish gear, but once limits of rockfish are caught, our captains switch over to larger jigs and bigger baits to specifically target lingcod. The catch rate of the Brookings Fishing Charters crew speaks for itself – our captains have a well-earned reputation for catching quality rockfish and lots of lingcod using light tackle in shallow water.
Capt. Andy with a pair of nice lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in February 2025.Deckhand Eric with a pair of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke in January 2025.
Ocean fishing is open year round out of the Port of Brookings, which also has the safest bar crossing on the Oregon Coast. Our crew is ready to fish each time there is a break in the weather and it is safe to get out and fish for lingcod and rockfish. Trips are available aboard the Nauti-Lady, our 42-foot boat, as well as the 30-foot six-pack charter boats Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash.
The Nauti-Lady hovers of a big school of rockfish near House Rock in January 2025.
Ocean salmon dates will be announced in April 2025. Pacific halibut season opens May 1. The highly anticipated season at Point St. George Reef Lighthouse also opens May 1. Albacore tuna trips are offered in July, August and September, once the fish get within 30 miles of the coastline.
Here are some of the recent lingcod and rockfish catches aboard our charter boats out of Brookings.
Steelhead season closes March 31 on the Chetco, and April 30 on the Smith. Spring king salmon action runs mid-March through June. To book an ocean charter or spring king salmon trip, call (541) 813-1082. Learn more about ocean charters at www.brookingsfishing.com. Learn about river trips at www.wildriversfishing.com.
Here are some recent steelhead catches with our river guides.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Jan. 16, 2025) – While the ocean has been choppy and windy, with plenty of big swells, there have been a few windows of nice weather in January, allowing our charter boats to get offshore to target lingcod and rockfish, and check crab pots on the way in. Limits of quality rockfish are being caught, with nice lingcod mixed in, and an exclamation point to the day with fresh crab.
The Nauti-Lady and Miss Brooke have been running ocean charters this month, between storm events, while the rest of the Brookings Fishing Charters crew is focusing on winter steelhead drift boat trips on the Chetco and Smith rivers. As the rivers begin to drop to low, clear conditions as the storm door temporarily closes, the ridge of high pressure in the weather patterns often makes for fishable ocean conditions. We are planning more ocean charters the second half of January.
A pair of nice lingcod from a trip this month on the Nauti-Lady.Jumbo crab on the Nauti-Lady. We have been setting pots on the way out, and checking them before returning to the docks.
When the weather allows during the winter months, lingcod fishing is often good, as fish move into shallower water to stage to spawn. Large numbers of lingcod, which spend most of their life in deeper water offshore, come to the shallow reefs December through April. We use light tackle to fish for lingcod when they are in shallow water, often catching them at depths less than 40 feet.
Lingcod from a recent trip aboard the Nauti-Lady.A lingcod that fell for a light jig aboard the Miss Brooke in 30 feet of water.
Big schools of rockfish are in shallow water, producing quick limits. We use light spinning rods to catch the rockfish. Caught in shallow water, smaller fish can safely be released without harm, and anglers can sort through quality limits.’
Nice grade of rockfish during a hot bite aboard the Miss Brooke.
Steelhead fishing has been fair on the local rivers. After weeks of high water, the rivers are dropping to low, clear conditions. Expect big numbers of hatchery fish after the next rain. Here are a few steelhead catches with our guides this past week.
To book an ocean charter, call (541) 813-1082. More information about our trips is available at www.brookingsfishing.com.
Here are some more catches from the past week on our charter boats.
Also check out our web site for dozens of delicious seafood recipes. Click here for our latest recipes.
