Waterlands

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RockfishRetention open

Bar · Oregon

Kilchis Flat

45.50°N · 123.88°W · Bar · Coastal waters from Cape Falcon to Cape Foulweather OR out 10 nm

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Best score today · 8 AM · Rockfish

63/100Good
Now
558 AM PDT
Best window
8-10 AMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding1.4 ft ▲

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 8 AM · now

Time8ANOW
Score55Good
Tide1.4 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentFlood1.3 kn · toward SE
Wind5 kn ESEgusts 8 · steady
Sea stateRough5.5 ft · 10 s
Air temp55°Cool
WeatherOvercast100% cloud
Water56°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)

IN EFFECT NOW

Rockfish

Retention open
Daily limit
7 per day (9 bottomfish combined)
Possession
Not published
Size
No minimum size.
Season
Mar 14 to Oct 17, 2026
Annual quota
Not published
Changes
Closed from Oct 18
Other
Copper, quillback and vermilion rockfish may not be possessed in May, June and July. On all-depth halibut days with halibut on board, only certain bottomfish may be kept. Canary rockfish sublimit 5. Yelloweye may not be kept. Vessels fishing for bottomfish or halibut must carry a descending device rigged for immediate use.

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)
  • Sablefish Retention open (9 bottomfish combined per day)
  • Sockeye salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Surfperch Retention open (12 per day)

Source: WDFW · synced yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Rockfish is best here

Shoulder season for Rockfish · 31 more weeks at shoulder

Rockfish season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Rockfish · 31 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Rockfish in Oregon

Spot profile

Kilchis Flat

Depth
Under 1 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Bar · Inner · ProtectedBar · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonRockfish

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 Kilchis Flat

Kilchis Flat is a bar in Coastal waters from Cape Falcon to Cape Foulweather OR out 10 nm, Oregon. Depth is under 1 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bar, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 12 species here; the best right now are surfperch, kelp greenling and lingcod. It is peak season now for albacore tuna, Chinook salmon and coho salmon, and shoulder season for surfperch, kelp greenling, lingcod and rockfish. Surfperch peak from April through June. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. Lingcod peak from April through June.

Tackle & technique

Rockfish
Rockfish live on rocky reefs, pinnacles and kelp from the shoreline out past 300 feet, with black and blue rockfish schooling mid-water over shallow reefs and copper, quillback, yelloweye and vermilion sitting tight to deeper bottom. Drift over the structure with a shrimp fly above a lead-head grub or metal jig, or a squid strip, and reel up a few cranks after touching bottom to cut snags. Use a descending device to release any fish brought up from deep water.
Surfperch
Surfperch feed in the troughs and holes within about 30 feet of the waterline, just outside the first set of breakers. Cast a two-hook high-low or Carolina rig with size 4 to 2 hooks and a 1 to 6 ounce pyramid sinker and let the surge work it through the trough. Fish the incoming tide on beaches with a steep drop, and switch to jetties, pilings and bays when the surf is too big.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Kilchis Point

    Cape · 0.2 mi

    63
    Top: SurfperchShoulder season
    • Surfperch 63
    • Kelp greenling 62
    • Cabezon 60

    5 kt ESEH 12:21 PM · 5.8 ftL 6:22 PM · 2.0 ft

  • Sibley Sands

    Bar · 1.5 mi

    63
    Top: SurfperchShoulder season
    • Surfperch 63
    • Kelp greenling 57
    • Lingcod 55

    5 kt ESEH 12:21 PM · 5.8 ftL 6:22 PM · 2.0 ft

  • Rock Point

    Cape · 1.8 mi

    63
    Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season
    • Kelp greenling 63
    • Surfperch 63
    • Cabezon 60

    5 kt ESEH 12:16 PM · 5.3 ftL 5:49 PM · 1.3 ft

  • Dick Point

    Cape · 1.8 mi

    63
    Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season
    • Kelp greenling 63
    • Surfperch 63
    • Cabezon 60

    5 kt ESEH 12:16 PM · 5.3 ftL 5:49 PM · 1.3 ft

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.