Spring Chinook Pushing at Buoy 10 as Offshore Swells Top 9 Feet

What's Biting

What's Next

Over the next two to three days, swell readings from NOAA buoys 46002 and 46050 — both currently above 8.5 feet — signal that offshore conditions will remain challenging for vessels attempting bar crossings. Until seas moderate below 6 feet, the most productive and safest fishing will be concentrated in the Columbia River estuary and sheltered nearshore waters. Use buoy 46029 at the Columbia River Bar as your go/no-go benchmark: when wave heights there drop and winds hold under 15 knots, bar-crossing conditions improve meaningfully.

As swell windows open, the 54–56°F water temperatures are well-positioned to hold spring Chinook throughout the estuary and nearshore zone. Per Saltwater Sportsman, the Buoy 10 fleet near Astoria is already stacking up — arrive well before first light to secure a position among the river sleds before the armada forms. Coho are also being targeted in the same corridor. If the ocean lays down mid-week, look for boats to push south along the coast, where rockfish on nearshore structure and Pacific halibut on sandy bottom flats should come into play; both are typical early-May targets along this stretch.

The waning gibbous moon supports feeding activity in the window around sunrise and again near sunset — plan your launch to be on the water at first light. Weekend conditions will hinge on whether the current swell trains ease or persist; check updated NOAA buoy readings for 46002 and 46050 on Thursday evening before committing to Saturday plans. Tide-change windows during the ebb are historically productive for estuary salmon, so cross-reference local Astoria tide charts against your planned launch time.

If offshore swell holds through the weekend, nearshore rockfish on structure within a mile of inlet jetties remain a reliable fallback. Buoy 46029's lighter winds at 4 m/s suggest protected waters near the Columbia mouth may stay workable even when the offshore buoys are reading high. Check current Oregon state regulations for halibut season dates and bag limits before targeting that fishery, as rules can vary year to year.

Context

Early May on the Oregon Coast typically marks the heart of the spring Chinook run, and current conditions appear on-schedule by all available measures. Water temperatures between 54°F (NOAA buoy 46002) and 56°F (NOAA buoy 46029) are consistent with normal early-May readings for this stretch of coast, which sits between the cold 48–52°F winter baseline and the variable low-50s that summer upwelling can produce as deeper, colder water gets drawn toward the surface.

The Buoy 10 Chinook fishery at the Columbia River mouth — spotlighted by Saltwater Sportsman — is one of Oregon's most reliable spring salmon destinations. In a typical year, Buoy 10 sees its strongest spring Chinook action from late April through early June as fish stage before beginning their upriver migrations to the Willamette, Snake, and upper Columbia systems. Active boats on the water in the first week of May, as documented by Saltwater Sportsman, aligns squarely with normal seasonal progression — neither notably early nor late.

Offshore swell in the 8–10 foot range is not unusual for the Pacific Northwest during the spring transition. May sits in the seasonal shift between winter storm patterns and the more settled summer weather; periodic large-swell events are par for the course, and experienced coastal anglers plan around them rather than against them. The key is watching for the gaps between swell trains, which typically offer one-to-three-day windows of fishable offshore conditions before the next system moves through.

No direct comparative catch-rate data from prior seasons was available in this reporting cycle to benchmark 2026 run timing against historical averages. Based on water temperature alignment and the estuary activity documented by Saltwater Sportsman, the season appears to be tracking on schedule.