Netarts Bay Fishing
A coastal bay in Tillamook County, about 2,634 acres of tidal habitat.
Pick for rockfishPiscifun AlinoX 400 baitcaster with bait clicker25% OFFSale $149.99 Photo: Rick Obst, CC BY 2.0
Getting your bearings on Netarts Bay
The PMEP estuary layer draws Netarts Bay at roughly 1,066 hectares (about 2,634 acres) in Tillamook County. Its habitat class is embayment/bay. The ODFW ocean area off it is the Central Oregon Coast Subarea. Expect about 7 miles to reach Tillamook.
Launch at any of 1 launch site. DLCD and ODFW map 2 dock, pier or jetty sites. There is an ODFW where-to-crab-and-clam page for it.
Pacific Marine and Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership estuary extent (PMEP), read November 2, 2026. Census 2023 places.
Launching for Netarts Bay
- Netarts LandingNetarts Bay; 1 lane, trailered launch; parking, restrooms, use fee, life jacket loaner station; Tillamook County
Shore spots along Netarts Bay
- Happy Camp on Netarts Bayshore site
- Netarts Landing Rampjetty
Oregon State Marine Board Boating Access Sites layer (OSMB ArcGIS), read November 2, 2026; status as OSMB publishes it. Oregon Coastal Management Program (DLCD) Shoreline Access Inventory (layer) and the ODFW shore access map, read November 2, 2026.
Channels and coves of Netarts Bay
- Netarts Baybay
GNIS features found within Netarts Bay.
USGS GNIS domestic names inside the PMEP estuary extent, read November 2, 2026.
Clam beds and crab spots in Netarts Bay
From the ODFW crab and clam page for Netarts Bay:
Clamming is the main attraction in Netarts Bay. The bay is also one of five major crabbing bays in Oregon with good populations of both Dungeness and redrock crab.
: These charts depict popular, productive shellfishing areas. Many other areas have these species but may be less popular to access. Additionally, many other species of shellfish, some popular for harvest (e.g., bait shrimp, razor clams, etc.) may be present, but not represented here. Printable Map
Areas 1 and 4: Can be reached by either boat or bank/walk-in access. These areas are rocky and a garden fork (heavy tined) works best, or a combination of fork and shovel. Beach access to area 1 is found at the end of Crab Ave. in Netarts. This area is dominated by gaper clams though butter clams can also be found.
Area 2: Requires a boat for access; this is one of the closest areas from the boat basin. This area is sandy and a shovel is best for digging; a clam gun may also be used. This area is dominated by butter clams.
Areas 3 and 5: Large sandy bars and will require a boat for access. Gaper and cockles are the most common species in area 3 with mostly gapers in area 5. Shovels and clam guns will work best for digging gapers, while cockles can be raked or handpicked off the surface.
Where to crab & clam in Netarts Bay, myodfw.com, read November 2, 2026.
NOAA stations near Netarts Bay
NOAA CO-OPS water level, preliminary reading at retrieval; station page for live data.
- Netarts, Netarts BayNOAA tide predictions
- Dick PointNOAA tide predictions
- Tillamook, Hoquarten SloughNOAA tide predictions
Minus tides open the clam flats at Netarts Bay; the stations above give the times.
NOAA CO-OPS stations and tide predictions, read November 2, 2026.
Bag limits on Netarts Bay
| 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. |
When the ocean is open in Netarts Bay
| Fishery and area | Season | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| crab, Bays, beaches, estuaries, tide pools, piers and jetties | Open for crabbing all year, 24 hours per day. | Dungeness crab 12 (males only); 5-3/4" minimum size |
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.
For Netarts Bay, start with the Marine Zone rows shown here.
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.
For the rockfish herePiscifun Saltflow offshore rod25% OFFSale $299.99 Offshore seasons that apply past Netarts Bay
Halibut off Netarts Bay falls under the Central Oregon Coast Subarea, where ODFW prints: Spring All-Depth Season: May 1 through July 31, seven days per week, or until the quota is caught.
How Netarts Bay compares along the coast
| Bay or estuary | Distance | Acres (PMEP) | OSMB launches | Shore sites | Marinas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netarts Bay | 2,634 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| Sand Lake | 8 miles south | 1,177 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tillamook Bay | 9 miles north | 14,028 | 10 | 9 | 3 |
| Nestucca Bay | 15 miles south | 2,766 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Nehalem Bay | 21 miles north | 5,253 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| Salmon River estuary | 26 miles south | 882 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
PMEP extents, OSMB launches, DLCD and ODFW shore sites, Clean Marina list; read November 2, 2026.
Stops worth making near Netarts Bay
Further streams beside the Netarts Bay
- Trask River6 miles
- Wilson River6 miles
- Tillamook River6 miles
- Kilchis River8 miles
More Oregon lakes close to Netarts Bay
- Cape Meares Lake7 miles north
- Town Lake12 miles south
- Hebo Lake14 miles southeast
- Lake Lytle15 miles north
Gear shops in range of Netarts Bay
- Tillamook Sporting Goodsbait and tackle shop, Tillamook, 7 miles
- Tillamook Bait Cobait and tackle shop, Tillamook, 7 miles
- Port of Garibaldi Harbormarina, Garibaldi, 11 miles
- Wyld Edge Outfittersbait and tackle shop, Tillamook, 12 miles
- Wheeler Marinabait and tackle shop, Wheeler, 20 miles
- Garibaldi Marinamarina, Garibaldi
Who guides or charters near Netarts Bay
- Garibaldi Charterscharter, Garibaldi, (503) 322-0007
- Haystack Fishingcharter, Pacific City, (503) 679-9028
- Jb and Water Sport Fishing Charterscharter, Garibaldi, (503) 322-3474
- Kerri Lin Charterscharter, Rockaway Beach, (503) 355-2439
- Meanwhile Charters LLCcharter, Garibaldi, (503) 410-0289
- Nor'wester Charterscharter, Cloverdale, (503) 965-2238
- Siggi-G Ocean Charterscharter, Garibaldi, (503) 322-3285
Lodging towns close to Netarts Bay
- Tillamook7 miles
- Bay City9 miles
- Rockaway Beach15 miles
County guides covering Netarts Bay
- Tillamook Countyseat: Tillamook
Piscifun gear an angler could carry out to Netarts Bay
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
The look of the water close to Netarts Bay
Photo: patti, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Oregon Department of Forestry, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Pacific Fishery Management Council, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain
Read these before you fish Netarts Bay
Which county holds Netarts Bay?
The estuary sits in Tillamook County, about 7 miles from Tillamook.
How big is Netarts Bay on the PMEP map?
About 1,066 hectares of tidal habitat.
Which OSMB ramp is closest to Netarts Bay?
Try Netarts Landing, one of 1 launch site.
What shellfish can I gather at Netarts Bay?
ODFW has a crab and clam page for it; its text is quoted on this page. A shellfish license is needed for anglers 12 and older.
How many crab can I keep at Netarts Bay?
Razor Clams: First 15 dug (no sorting or releasing).
Can a visitor fish Netarts Bay?
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.
Are there docks at Netarts Bay?
Yes: 2 shore sites, Happy Camp on Netarts Bay among them.
Where is a tackle shop near Netarts Bay?
First on our list: Tillamook Sporting Goods, roughly 7 miles away.
How do I time the tide at Netarts Bay?
Use Netarts, Netarts Bay; its predictions are linked above.
Make Netarts Bay the coast weekend
Buy the Oregon license and tag online before the drive.