Coos Bay, OR Fishing Report & Live Conditions

Coos Bay, OR fishing report

Coos Bay's resident chinook and coho salmon, along with trophy striped bass, draw the most attention, but the bay also holds healthy populations of black rockfish, lingcod along the jetties, and excellent crabbing year-round. Striped bass are the glamour target from late spring through fall, with larger fish pushing into the upper bay and tidal sloughs as water warms. Perch, greenling, and cabezon round out the cooler months when salmon seasons close. Note that species like fluke, bluefish, tautog, weakfish, and kingfish are not naturally present in Coos Bay — this is Pacific Northwest water, and honest advice means saying so rather than sending you after fish that don't swim here.

For striped bass, focus on outgoing tides near channel edges, eelgrass flats, and the deeper holes where the bay narrows toward the upper reaches. Anchovies, herring, and sand shrimp fished on the bottom or drifted under a float are consistent producers. Swimbaits and topwater plugs draw aggressive strikes during the low-light windows at dawn and dusk. At the north and south jetties, work rocky structure on the incoming tide for black rockfish and greenling using leadhead jigs or crab-tipped rigs. Avoid fishing in strong westerly winds that push dirty ocean water into the bay and cloud visibility — clear, greener water moving on a moderate incoming tide is your best window.