Waterlands

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SablefishRetention open

Cape · Oregon

Cape Falcon

45.77°N · 123.98°W · Cape · Coastal waters from Cape Falcon to Cape Foulweather OR out 10 nm

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Best score today · 12 PM · Sablefish

65/100Great
Now
3512 PM PDT
Best window
12-2 PMEbb tide
Tide now
High6.5 ft

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Thu · 74

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 12 PM · now

Time12PNOW
Score35Fair
Tide6.5 ftHigh
Current0.3 knmodeled · toward SSE
Wind3 kn NNWgusts 6 · building
Sea stateRough6.0 ft · 10 s
Air temp59°Mild
WeatherOvercast45% chance of rain
Water56°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)

IN EFFECT NOW

Sablefish

Retention open
Daily limit
9 bottomfish combined per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Not published
Season
Mar 14 to Oct 17, 2026
Annual quota
Not published
Changes
Closed from Oct 18
Other
On all-depth halibut days with halibut on board, only certain bottomfish may be kept. Counts toward the 9 bottomfish daily limit. WDFW's page lists no separate limit for this species; check the pamphlet.

From WDFW Columbia River halibut and bottomfish seasons page, read Sep 13

Other species here

  • Cabezon Retention open (1 per day (9 bottomfish combined))
  • Chinook salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Chum salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Coho salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Kelp greenling Retention open (9 bottomfish combined per day)
  • Lingcod Retention open (2 per day (9 bottomfish combined))
  • Pacific cod Retention open (9 bottomfish combined per day)
  • Pacific halibut Retention open (1 per day)
  • Pink salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Rockfish Retention open (7 per day (9 bottomfish combined))
  • Sockeye salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Surfperch Retention open (12 per day)
Always check with WDFW ↗Fishing license ↗

Source: WDFW · synced today

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Sablefish is best here

Shoulder season for Sablefish · 1 more week at shoulder

Sablefish season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Sablefish · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Sablefish in Oregon →

Spot profile

Cape Falcon

Depth
Up to 50 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Outer · ExposedPoint · drop-off
Season
Shoulder seasonSablefish

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 14 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below the DEM vertical datum, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Cape Falcon

Cape Falcon is a cape in Coastal waters from Cape Falcon to Cape Foulweather OR out 10 nm, Oregon. Depth in the nearest water is up to 50 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 12 species here; the best right now are kelp greenling, cabezon and Pacific halibut. It is peak season now for albacore tuna, Chinook salmon and coho salmon, and shoulder season for kelp greenling, cabezon, Pacific halibut and surfperch. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. Cabezon peak from May through August. Pacific halibut peak from May through July.

Tackle & technique

Sablefish
Sablefish live on soft bottoms along the continental slope, and sport anglers find adults in 700 to 2,000 feet. Fish a multi-hook deep-drop rig with glow squid skirts and squid or herring on circle hooks, using several pounds of weight and an electric reel. It takes a long run offshore and a calm day to keep the line near vertical, so most trips happen in summer.
Kelp greenling
Kelp greenling are solitary bottom fish of rocky shores, jetties and kelp beds, usually in water shallower than 60 feet. Use a small number 4 to 6 hook with sand shrimp or marine worms, or a small lead-head grub, dropped to the bottom and reeled up slightly. Larger fish show in October and November when they spawn close to shore, and mornings tend to fish best.
Cabezon
Cabezon sit in rock crevices, kelp beds and jetty boulders from the intertidal zone to about 100 feet and feed mostly on crabs and small fish. Fish a fish-finder rig with sand shrimp, squid or crab right on the bottom in the rocks, or drag a lead-head grub slowly through the kelp. Expect snags, and do not eat the roe, which is toxic.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

View all on map →
  • Smuggler Cove

    Bay · 0.7 mi

    64
    Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season
    • Kelp greenling 64
    • Surfperch 58
    • Cabezon 56

    3 kt NNWL 5:56 PM · 2.7 ftH 11:38 PM · 7.5 ft

  • Devils Cauldron

    Bay · 1.2 mi

    64
    Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season
    • Kelp greenling 64
    • Surfperch 58
    • Cabezon 56

    3 kt NNWL 5:56 PM · 2.7 ftH 11:38 PM · 7.5 ft

  • Treasure Cove

    Bay · 1.3 mi

    64
    Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season
    • Kelp greenling 64
    • Surfperch 58
    • Cabezon 56

    3 kt NNWL 5:56 PM · 2.7 ftH 11:38 PM · 7.5 ft

  • Nehalem Bay

    Bay · 5.8 mi

    63
    Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season
    • Kelp greenling 63
    • Surfperch 59
    • Cabezon 55

    3 kt NNWL 6:18 PM · 1.8 ftH 11:29 PM · 6.4 ft

Open in the tide map

Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with WDFW before you keep a fish.