The lower Coos Bay estuary has been a little rough from the recent ocean swells but anglers can still catch rockfish along the jetty and submerged rock structures when the bay is calmer. Smaller jigs with a twister tail or 1-ounce jigging spoons have been working to catch rockfish and greenling. The daily bag limit for marine fish was recently increased to 7, which for boat anglers cannot include any copper, quillback, China rockfish, or cabezon.

Bank anglers can still retain one copper, quillback or China rockfish and 1 cabezon as part of their daily bag limit. Boat and bank anglers are also allowed 2 lingcod per day.     

Temporary wild fall Chinook regulations are in effect starting Aug. 1 for salmon anglers fishing in Coos Bay. Anglers cannot harvest no more than one (1) adult wild Chinook salmon daily / five (5) for the period of Aug 1 – Dec 31 from all waters of Coos River basin, Floras Creek/New River, and Sixes River. See specific rules for Floras/New River and Sixes. 

A couple steelhead anglers tried to catch the first hatchery steelhead of the season over the Thanksgiving weekend. We have not received any reports of any fish caught. Steelhead should start to return to the Coos Basin rivers with the next significant rain, which looks to be over a week away. Steelhead anglers wanting to fish the South Fork Coos River above Dellwood will need a fishing permit from Weyerhaeuser.

Trout fishing in streams and rivers is now closed until next spring.