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SablefishRetention openBay · Oregon
Nehalem Bay
45.70°N · 123.91°W · Bay · Coastal waters from Cape Falcon to Cape Foulweather OR out 10 nm
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 AM · Sablefish
- Now
- 3810 AM PDT
- Best window
- 10 AM-3 PMHigh slack
- Tide now
- Flooding4.3 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Nehalem Bay scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 10 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
100Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
84Wind: 1 kt SSEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
24Water temp: 55°F, hotLight: OvercastSolunar: Near a majorSeas: 5.7 ftSeason & habitat · Sablefish
Species seasonality
21Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)
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)
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
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Nehalem Bay
- Depth
- Under 1 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · flat bottom
- 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 Nehalem Bay
Nehalem Bay is a bay 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 bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 12 species here; the best right now are kelp greenling, surfperch and lingcod. It is peak season now for albacore tuna, Chinook salmon and coho salmon, and shoulder season for kelp greenling, surfperch, lingcod and rockfish. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. Surfperch peak from April through June. Lingcod peak from April through June.
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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Cape Falcon61
Cape · 5.8 mi
Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season- Kelp greenling 61
- Lingcod 60
- Rockfish 59
1 kt SSEH 11:59 AM · 6.5 ftL 5:56 PM · 2.7 ft
- Treasure Cove60
Bay · 4.5 mi
Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season- Kelp greenling 60
- Surfperch 55
- Lingcod 53
1 kt SSEH 11:59 AM · 6.5 ftL 5:56 PM · 2.7 ft
- Devils Cauldron60
Bay · 4.6 mi
Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season- Kelp greenling 60
- Surfperch 55
- Lingcod 53
1 kt SSEH 11:59 AM · 6.5 ftL 5:56 PM · 2.7 ft
- Smuggler Cove60
Bay · 5.2 mi
Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season- Kelp greenling 60
- Surfperch 55
- Lingcod 53
1 kt SSEH 11:59 AM · 6.5 ftL 5:56 PM · 2.7 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.