Columbia River Subarea Fishing
ODFW ocean area from Cape Falcon, OR to Leadbetter Pt., WA.
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Opening notes on Columbia River Subarea
Latitude lines at Cape Falcon, OR (45.767 N) and Leadbetter Pt., WA (46.636 N) mark the south and north edges of the Columbia River Subarea. The halibut pages call it the Columbia River Subarea / Area (Leadbetter Point, WA to Cape Falcon, OR).
ODFW lists the 2026 halibut season here as: All-Depth Season: Closed for the remainder of 2026. The daily bag line reads: Daily bag limit Columbia River subarea: 1 Pacific halibut. No length Limit. Minimum length for Chinook: Chinook (north of Cape Falcon) = 22 inches.
Its shoreline holds Lower Columbia River estuary, Clatsop Spit estuary, Necanicum River and Ecola Creek estuary. Ports on this stretch: Port of Astoria. It contains 3 marine reserves or protected areas.
ODFW ocean salmon landmarks and regulatory boundaries and the Pacific halibut sport regulations page (updated October 30, 2026), read November 2, 2026.
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| Landmark | Latitude as published | ODFW note |
|---|---|---|
| Leadbetter Pt., WA | 46°38'10" N. lat. | Standard fishery area boundary line and regulatory line (currently in use). |
| Tillamook Head, OR | 45°56'30" N. lat. | Has been used as regulation boundary in prior years (not in use at this time). |
| Cape Falcon, OR | 45°46'00" N. lat. | Standard fishery area boundary line and regulatory line (currently in use). |
ODFW gives these as latitudes; seasons can change at any of them.
ODFW ocean salmon landmarks and regulatory boundaries (myodfw.com), read November 2, 2026.
Open dates offshore in Columbia River Subarea
| Fishery and area | Season as printed | Limit as printed |
|---|---|---|
| ocean salmon, Leadbetter Pt. to Cape Falcon (Columbia River subarea) | June 20 – August 24, and September 4-8 | 2 salmon; closed to Chinook retention and possession August 18-24 and September 4-8 (mark-selective coho) |
| pacific halibut, Columbia River Subarea (Cape Falcon, OR to Leadbetter Point, WA) | All-Depth Season: Closed for the remainder of 2026 | Daily bag limit Columbia River subarea: 1 Pacific halibut. No length limit. |
| pacific halibut, Statewide | Pacific halibut possession limit: 1 daily bag limit at sea, 3 daily bag limits on land. Pacific halibut annual limit: 6. | |
| bottomfish, Ocean (rockfish / cabezon / lingcod / etc.) | Open at all-depths year-round, no seasonal depth restriction. | General marine species (rockfish, cabezon, greenling, skates, etc.): 4-fish daily bag limit per angler beginning January 1, 2026. |
| bottomfish, Ocean (cabezon) | No retention January 1 through June 30; 1-fish sub-bag beginning July 1, 2026. | Cabezon: 1-fish daily sub-bag limit per angler as part of the general marine bag limit beginning July 1, 2026. Minimum length of 16 inches. |
| bottomfish, Ocean (lingcod) | Lingcod: 3-fish daily bag limit per angler beginning January 1, 2026 with a minimum length limit of 22 inches. Lingcod are not part of the general marine species bag limit. | |
| bottomfish, Ocean (sablefish) | Sablefish: 10-fish daily bag limit per angler. | |
| bottomfish, Ocean (flatfish) | Open at all depths year round. | Flatfish daily bag limit is 25 fish for species of sanddab, sole, flounder, etc. Does not include Pacific halibut. |
| bottomfish, Seaward of the 40-fathom regulatory line (offshore long-leader gear fishery) | The offshore long-leader gear fishery is open year-round outside (seaward) of the 40-fathom regulatory line. | The daily bag limit is 10 fish per angler. For canary rockfish, there is a daily sub-bag limit of two fish per angler beginning January 1, 2026. |
| crab, Ocean waters | Ocean waters are closed for crabbing Oct 16 – Nov 30 | Dungeness crab 12 (males only); 5-3/4" minimum size |
| razor clam, North of Tillamook Head (Clatsop County) | Razor clams are closed Jul 15 to Sep 30 north of Tillamook Head (Clatsop County) | First 15 dug (no sorting or releasing). |
These dates were current when read; in-season actions override them.
Ocean seasons as published by ODFW (myodfw.com, myodfw.com, dfw.state.or.us, eregulations.com), read November 2, 2026; ODFW changes ocean seasons in season.
Where depth limits apply in Columbia River Subarea
- 30-fathom regulatory lineDescending devices are mandatory; and must be used to release any rockfish outside of the 30-fathom regulatory line.
- 40-fathom regulatory lineThe offshore long-leader gear fishery is open year-round outside (seaward) of the 40-fathom regulatory line.
- Stonewall Bank Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation AreaThe Stonewall Bank Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area (approximately 15 miles from Newport) is CLOSED to the long-leader gear fishery, as well as the regular bottomfish fishery.
ODFW sport bottomfish seasons page (myodfw.com), read November 2, 2026; waypoints in the linked ODFW PDFs.
Crab, clam and fish limits on Columbia River Subarea
| Species | Daily limit as printed | Season |
|---|---|---|
| General Marine Species: Rockfish ("sea bass", "snapper"), Greenling (“. | Bag limits are set after this book is printed. Check current regulations before fishing on the Sport Bottomfish Seasons page. Retention of yelloweye and quillback rockfishes is prohibited. | Waters are open 24 hours per day. The offshore long-leader fishery is limited to fishing seaward of the 40-fathom regulatory line. |
| Lingcod (including green-colored lingcod) | 3 fish. | Waters are open 24 hours per day. The offshore long-leader fishery is limited to fishing seaward of the 40-fathom regulatory line. |
| Sablefish (black cod) | 10 fish. | Waters are open 24 hours per day. The offshore long-leader fishery is limited to fishing seaward of the 40-fathom regulatory line. |
| Flatfish (flounders, soles, sanddabs, turbots, and halibuts except Pac. | 25 fish in aggregate. | Waters are open 24 hours per day. The offshore long-leader fishery is limited to fishing seaward of the 40-fathom regulatory line. |
| Surfperch (includes all marine perch species) | 15 fish in aggregate. | Waters open all year, 24 hours per day, unless noted under Management Designations for Marine Areas. |
| Herring, Anchovy, Sardine, Topsmelt, Jacksmelt, and true smelts | 25 pounds in aggregate. | Waters open all year, 24 hours per day, unless noted under Management Designations for Marine Areas. |
| Offshore Pelagic Species: Includes all tuna and mackerel species, swor. | 25 fish in aggregate. White shark, basking shark, mega-mouth shark, and oceanic whitetip shark are prohibited and must be immediately released unharmed. | Waters open all year, 24 hours per day, unless noted under Management Designations for Marine Areas. |
| Striped Bass and/or Hybrid Bass | No limit | Waters open all year, 24 hours per day, unless noted under Management Designations for Marine Areas. |
| Sturgeon | Catch-and-release only. | Open all year. |
| Salmon and Steelhead | Ocean salmon and steelhead seasons and restrictions are set each April by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Regulations are published each May and are available from license agents. | Ocean salmon and steelhead seasons and restrictions are set each April by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. |
| Pacific Halibut | May be taken by angling with a single line, no more than 2 hooks; and by spear. Pacific halibut seasons are managed and enforced based on port of landing. | May be taken by angling with a single line, no more than 2 hooks; and by spear. Pacific halibut seasons are managed and enforced based on port of landing. |
| Razor Clams | First 15 dug (no sorting or releasing). | Waters open all year, 24 hours per day Exceptions: Razor clams are closed Jul 15 to Sep 30 north of Tillamook Head (Clatsop County) Shellfish harvests may be cl. |
An Oregon angling license ($50 resident, $138 nonresident for 2026) covers anglers 12 and older; ocean fishing from boats, beaches and jetties now also needs the Ocean Endorsement ($9 annual) unless you fish only for salmon or steelhead.
Limits as printed in the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (ODFW, eRegulations edition) (Marine Zone page), read November 2, 2026. Fees as printed on the ODFW license, tag and permit fee page of the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (ODFW, eRegulations edition) (fees page), read November 2, 2026.
Harbor bays inside Columbia River Subarea
- Lower Columbia River estuaryClatsop County, about 135,902 acres (PMEP)
- Ecola Creek estuaryClatsop County, about 54 acres (PMEP)
Charter docks bound for Columbia River Subarea
- Port of AstoriaClatsop County, East Basin Boat Ramp, Port of Astoria – Pier 3 Boatyard and Port of Astoria – West Mooring Basin
Pacific Marine and Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership estuary extent (PMEP), read November 2, 2026. Port names from the OSMB launch layer and the Clean Marina list.
Protected areas off Columbia River Subarea
- Cape Falcon Shoreside Marine Protected AreaAllowed take: recreational take of fish by hook-and-line from shore., 0.24 sq mi
- Cape Falcon West Marine Protected AreaAllowed take: salmon by troll, crab., 7.37 sq mi
- Cape Falcon Marine ReserveNo extractive activities allowed., 12.36 sq mi
Check the allowed take for each area before fishing near it.
ODFW Marine Reserve and Marine Protected Area Boundaries (layer), read November 2, 2026; full rules on oregonmarinereserves.com.
Reading the tide at Columbia River Subarea
NOAA CO-OPS water level, preliminary reading at retrieval; station page for live data.
- Multnomah ChannelNOAA tide predictions
- Cathcart Landing, Youngs RiverNOAA tide predictions
- Hammond, OregonNOAA tide predictions
- Astoria (Port Docks), Oreg.NOAA tide predictions
- Astoria (Youngs Bay), Oreg.NOAA tide predictions
- ASTORIA (Tongue Point), Oreg.NOAA tide predictions
- Settlers Point, Oreg.NOAA tide predictions
- Knappa, Knappa SloughNOAA tide predictions
NOAA CO-OPS stations and tide predictions, read November 2, 2026.
Shops, beds and water close to Columbia River Subarea
The rest of the Oregon ocean
Tackle and bait counters close to Columbia River Subarea
- Skipanon Landingmarina, Warrenton, 4 miles
- Port of Astoriamarina, Astoria, 7 miles
- Bi-Mart (Seaside)sporting goods store, Seaside, 9 miles
- Wheeler Marinabait and tackle shop, Wheeler, 30 miles
- Fins Custom Tacklebait and tackle shop, Clatskanie, 38 miles
- Port of Garibaldi Harbormarina, Garibaldi, 39 miles
Paid trips on Columbia River Subarea
- Astoria Fishing Charters LLCcharter
- Astoria Fishing Charters and Guide Servicecharter, Astoria, (503) 436-2845
- Tiki Charters-Astoriacharter, Astoria, (503) 325-7818
Beds and campgrounds handy to Columbia River Subarea
- Warrenton4 miles
- Gearhart6 miles
- Astoria9 miles
- Seaside9 miles
Columbia River Subarea by county
- Clatsop Countyseat: Astoria
Piscifun tackle that suits a trip to Columbia River Subarea
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Shorelines and riffles near Columbia River Subarea, photographed
Photo: Rachel Samanyi, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Rennett Stowe, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Michael Cornelius, CC BY-SA 2.0
The Columbia River Subarea: what Oregon anglers want to know
How far north does the Columbia River Subarea run?
Latitude lines at Cape Falcon, OR (45.767 N) and Leadbetter Pt., WA (46.636 N) mark the south and north edges of the Columbia River Subarea.
When can I fish halibut in the Columbia River Subarea?
ODFW lists the 2026 halibut season here as: All-Depth Season: Closed for the remainder of 2026. The daily bag line reads: Daily bag limit Columbia River subarea: 1 Pacific halibut. No length Limit.
How long must a Chinook be in the Columbia River Subarea?
Minimum length for Chinook: Chinook (north of Cape Falcon) = 22 inches.
Which ports serve the Columbia River Subarea?
Ports on this stretch: Port of Astoria.
Which reserves sit inside the Columbia River Subarea?
The area holds Cape Falcon Shoreside Marine Protected Area, Cape Falcon West Marine Protected Area and Cape Falcon Marine Reserve.
What should I buy before fishing the Columbia River Subarea?
An Oregon angling license ($50 resident, $138 nonresident for 2026) covers anglers 12 and older; ocean fishing from boats, beaches and jetties now also needs the Ocean Endorsement ($9 annual) unless you fish only for salmon or steelhead.
What are the fathom lines in the Columbia River Subarea?
Descending devices are mandatory; and must be used to release any rockfish outside of the 30-fathom regulatory line. The offshore long-leader gear fishery is open year-round outside (seaward) of the 40-fathom regulatory line.
Can ODFW close the Columbia River Subarea early?
ODFW can shorten a season on quota; check before you go.
Pick a calm sea for the Columbia River Subarea
Check the in-season updates before a fish goes in the cooler.