Salmon Stacking at Buoy 10 as Oregon Coast's Spring Chinook Push Arrives

What's Biting

What's Next

With water temperatures steady in the 56–57°F range and a waning crescent moon bringing reduced tidal swing through mid-week, expect relatively calm tidal windows that can extend the productive bite period at the river mouth. Neap-tide conditions tend to concentrate fish in predictable slots along the Columbia's shipping channel and can make bar crossings marginally more forgiving—though outer-coast buoy 46050 is already reading 10 m/s, so check the National Weather Service bar forecast before committing to any open-ocean run.

Spring Chinook are the headliner right now. As Saltwater Sportsman reports, Captain Hugh Harris and the Astoria/Warrenton fleet have been running pre-dawn starts and finding fish at Buoy 10 in the Columbia River mouth. This window—mid-May through early June—is historically when spring Chinook are at peak density in the nearshore zone before they push hard upriver. If you're planning a weekend trip, get on the water at first light; the bite at the river mouth tends to cool as afternoon wind and pleasure-boat traffic build.

Coho are running alongside the Chinook in current reports. As May deepens, watch for coastal upwelling to intensify along the central and south Oregon Coast; upwelling typically cools surface temps and pushes baitfish upward, creating temperature-break structure that holds salmon. Current buoy readings—56°F at station 46002 and 57°F at station 46029—don't yet show a dramatic nearshore-to-offshore spread, but that gap can widen quickly in late May as the seasonal cycle gains momentum.

For anglers not targeting salmon, rockfish and lingcod seasons are typically active along Oregon's nearshore reefs by mid-May, and Pacific halibut is generally open as well. With water temps in the high 50s, both species should be feeding—rockfish over structure, halibut on sandy bottom in 100–200 feet—though no specific charter or shop reports are available this week to confirm bite quality. Connect with a local shop before heading out for either.

Context

Mid-May is a historically productive window for Oregon's spring Chinook run, and 2026 appears to be tracking on schedule based on current buoy readings and active angler reports. Water temperatures in the 56–57°F range are consistent with typical late-spring conditions along the Oregon Coast, where sea surface temps generally run between 53°F and 60°F before summer upwelling nudges them lower.

The Buoy 10 fishery at the Columbia River mouth is one of the most celebrated salmon fisheries on the West Coast. While it earns its biggest reputation during the late-summer and fall coho push (typically August through September), spring Chinook arrive in significant numbers through May and June as the first major pulse of the season. Saltwater Sportsman's current coverage from Astoria and Warrenton—river sleds lined up in the pre-dawn dark converging on the mouth—is exactly the scene experienced Oregon anglers expect in the second week of May.

No year-over-year comparison data emerged from this week's angler-intel feeds to characterize whether the 2026 spring run is tracking strong, weak, or average relative to recent seasons. Based on available evidence—buoy temps sitting in the productive thermal zone for Chinook (generally 52–58°F) and active reports of boat traffic at Buoy 10—conditions appear seasonally normal. No cold- or warm-water anomaly appears in the buoy data that would suggest the run is significantly off schedule.

For species beyond salmon, rockfish, lingcod, and Pacific halibut fisheries along the Oregon Coast are all typically open or opening by mid-May, aligning with the current window. No specific intel was available this week to assess bite quality for those fisheries; general seasonal patterns and water temps in the high 50s suggest conditions are within normal range.