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Kelp greenlingRetention openBay · Oregon
Smuggler Cove
45.76°N · 123.97°W · Bay · Coastal waters from Cape Falcon to Cape Foulweather OR out 10 nm
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 12 PM · Kelp greenling
- Now
- 6412 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
Notify me when Smuggler Cove 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 · 12 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
100Tide: High slackCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 3 kt NNWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
56Water temp: 56°F, primeLight: OvercastSolunar: Near a majorSeas: 6.0 ftSeason & habitat · Kelp greenling
Species seasonality
70Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)
Kelp greenling
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)
- 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))
- Sablefish Retention open (9 bottomfish combined per day)
- Sockeye salmon Closed (No retention)
- Surfperch Retention open (12 per day)
Source: WDFW · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Kelp greenling is best here
Shoulder season for Kelp greenling · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Smuggler Cove
- Depth
- 6-35 ftSlope
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · ExposedBay · slope
- Season
- Shoulder seasonKelp greenling
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 Smuggler Cove
Smuggler Cove is a bay in Coastal waters from Cape Falcon to Cape Foulweather OR out 10 nm, Oregon. Depth is 6-35 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads bay, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 12 species here; the best right now are kelp greenling, surfperch and cabezon. It is peak season now for albacore tuna, Chinook salmon and coho salmon, and shoulder season for kelp greenling, surfperch, cabezon and Pacific halibut. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. Surfperch peak from April through June. Cabezon peak from May through August.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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
- Cape Falcon65
Cape · 0.7 mi
Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season- Kelp greenling 65
- Cabezon 62
- Pacific halibut 58
3 kt NNWL 5:56 PM · 2.7 ftH 11:38 PM · 7.5 ft
- Devils Cauldron64
Bay · 0.5 mi
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 Cove64
Bay · 0.7 mi
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 Bay63
Bay · 5.2 mi
Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season- Kelp greenling 63
- Surfperch 59
- Cabezon 55
3 kt NNWH 12:05 PM · 5.8 ftL 6:18 PM · 1.8 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.