Oregon fishing reports
373 reports for Oregon — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Oregon Coast water temps split as fall tide pattern sets in
Water conditions are splitting along the Oregon Coast this week. NOAA CO-OPS station 9439040 near the mouth of the Columbia logged 64.6°F overnight, while station 9435380 to the south read a noticeably cooler 58.5°F, a six-degree spread that reflects how fall's cool-down is settling in unevenly along this stretch of coastline. Both stations are tracking a similar tide cycle, an early-morning high building overnight and dropping toward a mid-morning low, the kind of push-pull that stacks bait against structure right as the sky lightens. With the moon in a waning gibbous phase, tidal swings are still running on the stronger side of the cycle.
Oregon Coast Enters Fall Transition as Waters Split Sharply
Water temperatures along the Oregon Coast are splitting sharply this week: NOAA CO-OPS station 9435380 read 56.1°F this afternoon, while station 9439040 read 62.2°F, a spread of roughly six degrees. A gap that size is a clear marker of the fall transition taking hold along this stretch of coast, with open-water readings cooling ahead of the warmer pockets that estuaries and river-mouth areas tend to hold onto longer into the season. The moon is waning gibbous this week, running down from last week's full phase toward the last quarter.
Oregon Coast waters split as fall tide swings take hold
NOAA's South Beach gauge on the central Oregon Coast is reading 56.5°F this morning, while the Astoria station near the Columbia River mouth sits at a notably warmer 63°F. That six-and-a-half-degree spread is typical of the difference between open-coast water and a river-mouth estuary as the region moves deeper into fall.
Columbia steelhead run at historic lows as fall flows stay lean
Flow on USGS gauge 14211720 is running about 13,300 cfs at 64°F, while the two smaller upstream gauges (14211542 and 14211550) sit at a lean 13 and 17 cfs with cooler water in the upper 50s, a typical late-September split for this system before fall rain arrives. The bigger story this year is the fish count: Hatch Magazine reports the 2026 Columbia and Snake steelhead run is shaping up as the smallest ever recorded, with just over 52,000 fish tallied above Bonneville Dam since counting began July 1.
Outgoing tide sets the pace as Oregon Coast eases into fall
NOAA's South Beach gauge read 58.8°F overnight while the Astoria station near the Columbia's mouth ran seven degrees warmer at 64.8°F, a gap that reflects estuary mixing against the cooler open coast. A waning gibbous moon is pushing solid tidal exchange through the region, with both stations tracking toward a predawn high and a mid-morning low. That kind of swing typically sharpens current-driven bite windows around river mouths and jetties as water moves fastest on the push and pull rather than at slack.
Oregon Coast conditions diverge as autumn cooling begins offshore
Water temperatures along the Oregon Coast show an early-fall split this week: NOAA's South Beach station (9435380) reads 56.3°F while the Astoria station (9439040) near the Columbia River mouth holds noticeably warmer at 62.1°F. That gap reflects river-mouth mixing still holding heat longer than the open coast, worth factoring in when deciding where to fish over the next few days. The waning gibbous moon is narrowing toward new moon, which should firm up tidal exchange through the week.
Deschutes Steelhead Run Tracking at a Historic Low This Fall
This year's Columbia and Snake river steelhead run is shaping up to be one of the worst on record, per Hatch Magazine, with just over 52,000 fish tallied above Bonneville Dam since counting began July 1. That run underpins the steelhead fishery on the Deschutes, a major Columbia tributary, and feeds into the broader Upper Klamath system's fall migration timing, so anglers on both stretches should expect a noticeably leaner push than a typical year.
Record-Low Steelhead Run Defines Columbia River Fall
This year's Columbia and Snake river steelhead run is shaping up to be the smallest ever recorded, per Hatch Magazine, with fisheries managers tallying just over 52,000 fish above Bonneville Dam since counts began July 1. For Oregon anglers working the Columbia, that puts steelhead action on the slow side heading into the heart of the fall run, a stretch that normally carries the season's best numbers.
Columbia River steelhead run tracks toward a historic low
The 2026 Columbia River steelhead run is on pace to be the smallest ever recorded, according to Hatch Magazine, which reports just over 52,000 fish counted above Bonneville Dam since counting began July 1. For anglers working the Columbia system this week, that means fewer fish moving through per day than in any prior season on record, and light angling pressure alone won't change that math.
Full moon tides push fall traffic to Buoy 10, Garibaldi
NOAA's Oregon Coast tide stations show a full-moon push building today: station 9435380 read 56.8°F with the next high tide at 1:22 p.m. local, while station 9439040 came in warmer at 64.2°F ahead of a 2:20 p.m. high. That spread is typical of late-September stratification between open coast and estuary water. On the water, IFish.net Fishing Reports carries word of steady trolling traffic through the Buoy 10 area near the mouth of the Columbia, with boats also working Nehalem, Garibaldi, and the mouth of the Lewis — a sign there's plenty of gear in the water even on a week light on formal shop reports.
Oregon Coast rides a full-moon spring tide into fall
Our two coastal tide stations are reading 56.8°F and 62.4°F this morning, a meaningful spread between the outer coast and a more sheltered bay setting that's typical as summer upwelling gives way to fall stratification. Tonight's full moon is pulling a spring tide, and both stations show a pronounced swing between this morning's low and this afternoon's high, worth building a trip around rather than fishing through slack water, whichever stretch of coast you're working this week.
Oregon Coast Enters Fall Transition Under This Week's Full Moon
Water off the central Oregon coast held at 58.8°F at South Beach this afternoon, while the Columbia River entrance at Astoria ran noticeably warmer at 61.7°F, a gap worth watching as the estuary continues shedding summer heat into the ocean. Both readings came in within the past hour, giving anglers a current snapshot heading into the weekend. Tonight's full moon is pulling stronger spring tides through the bays and river mouths along the coast, meaning bigger swings between high and low water and faster current through the pinch points where structure concentrates bait.