Steelhead fishing has been good in the Coos Basin rivers

Coos River - Coos Bay, OR (Coos County)


by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
1-3-2024
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Anglers can catch rockfish around the jetties in the lower Coos Bay estuary. Best fishing is typically near slack tides with good fishing one day and fair fishing the next. A jig fished with a twister tail trailer is always a good option to catch bottomfish.‌

The 2024 daily general marine fish bag limit is 5 fish plus 2 lingcod with no retention of yelloweye or quillback rockfish. There is no harvest of cabezon until July 1. ‌

Steelhead fishing has been good in the Coos Basin rivers. Water levels have been slowly dropping this week but should come back up with the forecasted rain. Steelhead anglers are having success drifting egg patterns or fishing a jig under a bobber.‌

Anglers wanting to fish the South Fork Coos River above Dellwood will need a permit from Weyerhaeuser. Steelhead anglers can find bank access on the East Fork Millicoma at Nesika Park and on the West Fork Millicoma at Millicoma Interpretive Center/Scout Camp. ‌

Trout fishing is closed in the rivers until May 22, 2024.




More Reports

OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Reports
for Wednesday, January 3rd
: Sturgeon retention closed in Bonneville, The Dalles pools after Jan. 3
Grande Ronde River: Grande Ronde River Report
Wallowa Lake : Wallowa Lake Report
Wallowa River: Steelhead fishing should pick up throughout the winter on the Wallowa River
Crooked River: The Crooked continues to fish well this winter
Hood River: Winter steelhead are starting to show up in the Hood River
Detroit Reservoir: Water is again being released out of Detroit to maximize storage for the winter
Foster Reservoir: Currently the reservoir water looks unusually turbid
Santiam River ( North Fork) : North Fork Santiam River Fishing Report
Santiam River (South Fork): Currently flows are around 1,300 cfs at the Waterloo gauge as of Jan. 3
Walter Wirth Lake: Walter Wirth Lake Report
Kilchis River: There should be a few winter steelhead showing up in the Kilchis
Miami River: Access is limited on the Miami
Necanicum River: The Necanicum River should have hatchery steelhead throughout the fishery and wild fish showing up this month as well
Nehalem River: The only opportunity on the mainstem Nehalem will be wild winter steelhead
Nehalem River- North Fork: The North Fork Nehalem has hatchery steelhead throughout the fishery
Nestucca River: The best fishing will likely still be in the lower mainstem
Three Rivers: Three Rivers should have hatchery steelhead showing up
Trask River: There are fish in the Trask and more should be showing up as the winter progresses
Wilson River: Fishing on the Wilson should just keep improving as the season goes on
Ben Irving Reservoir: No recent reports from Ben Irving
Chetco River: River conditions have been excellent

Recreational bottomfish change for 2024; anglers reminded cabezon harvest begins July 1

12-29-2023
NEWPORT, Ore – Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, ODFW reminds recreational bottomfish anglers that: The recreational offshore longleader harvest limit increases to...... Read More