Waterlands

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Chinook salmonRetention open

Bay · Oregon

Lewis Slough

46.48°N · 123.97°W · Bay · Columbia River Bar

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Best score today · 6 PM · Chinook salmon

72/100Great
Now
726 PM PDT
Best window
6-9 PMEbb tide
Tide now
High9.0 ft

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

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24-hour conditions

Friday, Sep 18 · 7 PM

Time7P
Score75Great
Tide8.5 ftHigh
Current0.4 knmodeled · toward N
Wind3 kn SWgusts 7 · steady
Sea stateModerate3.5 ft · 8 s
Air temp59°Mild
WeatherMostly cloudy62% cloud
Water60°FBias corrected

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Marine Area 2-1 (Willapa Bay)

IN EFFECT NOW

Chinook salmon(hatchery-marked)

Retention open
Daily limit
6 salmon combined per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 12 in. Minimum length for Chinook. See the WDFW pamphlet for how to measure.
Season
Aug 1, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027
Annual quota
Not published
Changes
Check regulations from Feb 1
Other
Two-pole endorsement allowed. Some waters in the bay have separate closures. Check the pamphlet. Up to 2 may be adult salmon. Season and limits as listed in WDFW's 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries. WDFW's adopted rule (WAC 220-313-070, WSR 26-13-052) sets the same rules for these dates.

From WDFW 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries (final), read Sep 13

Other species here

  • Chum salmon Retention open (6 salmon combined per day)
  • Coho salmon Retention open (6 salmon combined per day)
  • Pink salmon Retention open (6 salmon combined per day)
  • Sockeye salmon Retention open (6 salmon combined per day)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Chinook salmon is best here

Peak season for Chinook salmon · 1 more week at peak

Chinook salmon season by week of the year. Peak season for Chinook salmon · 1 more week at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Chinook salmon in Oregon

Spot profile

Lewis Slough

Depth
Up to 1 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · flat bottom
Season
Peak seasonChinook salmon

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 Lewis Slough

Lewis Slough is a bay in Columbia River Bar, Oregon. Depth is up to 1 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are Chinook salmon, surfperch and kelp greenling. It is peak season now for Chinook salmon and coho salmon, and shoulder season for surfperch, kelp greenling, Pacific halibut and cabezon. Chinook salmon peak from July through September. Surfperch peak from April through June. Kelp greenling peak from October through November.

Tackle & technique

Chinook salmon
Chinook hold near bait off points, kelp edges and tide rips, usually suspended 20 to 120 feet down and deeper as the sun gets higher. Troll slowly, under 2 mph, with a flasher and herring, hoochie or spoon on a downrigger, or mooch a plug-cut herring at the depth where the sounder shows bait. Winter blackmouth and feeder kings sit within 10 feet of the bottom in 60 to 200 feet.
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

  • Paradise Point

    Cape · 1.8 mi

    77
    Top: Chinook salmonPeak season
    • Chinook salmon 77
    • Cabezon 66
    • Kelp greenling 65

    4 kt NWH 6:10 PM · 9.0 ftL 1:13 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Diamond Point

    Cape · 1.4 mi

    76
    Top: Chinook salmonPeak season
    • Chinook salmon 76
    • Cabezon 63
    • Coho salmon 61

    4 kt NWL 1:00 AM · 1.0 ftH 7:47 AM · 6.5 ft

  • Stanley Channel

    Bay · 1.2 mi

    73
    Top: Chinook salmonPeak season
    • Chinook salmon 73
    • Pacific halibut 64
    • Surfperch 63

    4 kt NWH 6:10 PM · 9.0 ftL 1:13 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Kaffee Slough

    Bay · 0.7 mi

    72
    Top: Chinook salmonPeak season
    • Chinook salmon 72
    • Surfperch 63
    • Cabezon 62

    4 kt NWH 6:10 PM · 9.0 ftL 1:13 AM · 1.0 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.