Anglers can catch rockfish around the jetties in the lower Coos Bay estuary. Best fishing is typically near slack tides. A jig fished with a twister tail trailer is always a good option to catch bottomfish. The 2023 daily general marine fish bag limit is 5 fish plus 2 lingcod with no retention of quillback rockfish. There is also no retention of cabezon until July 1. 

The Coos Basin steelhead rivers have been running low and clear.  Steelhead anglers have been catching a few hatchery winter steelhead but overall fishing has been slow. Anglers will want to fish the deeper water or in the fast water when the river is in these conditions.  This year’s steelhead run does not appear to be a big run of fish so anglers will have to work a little harder to catch a fish to take home.

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

Trout fishing in streams and rivers will reopen May 22.