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 · 8 AM · Chinook salmon

66/100Great
Now
5812 AM PDT
Best window
8 AM-2 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Ebbing8.8 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 12 AM · now

Time12ANOW
Score58Good
Tide8.8 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.3 knmodeled · toward NNW
Wind6 kn Sgusts 9 · steady
Sea stateRough5.0 ft · 11 s
Air temp56°Mild
WeatherOvercast89% cloud
Water60°FObserved

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)

Source: WDFW · synced yesterday

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, kelp greenling and surfperch. It is peak season now for Chinook salmon and coho salmon, and shoulder season for kelp greenling, surfperch, cabezon and Pacific halibut. Chinook salmon peak from July through September. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. Surfperch peak from April through June.

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.
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

  • Paradise Point

    Cape · 1.8 mi

    65
    Top: Chinook salmonPeak season
    • Chinook salmon 65
    • Cabezon 59
    • Kelp greenling 59

    6 kt SL 6:14 AM · 0.6 ftH 12:50 PM · 8.5 ft

  • Diamond Point

    Cape · 1.4 mi

    62
    Top: Chinook salmonPeak season
    • Chinook salmon 62
    • Cabezon 54
    • Coho salmon 53

    6 kt SL 6:01 AM · 0.6 ftH 12:36 PM · 8.3 ft

  • Stanley Channel

    Bay · 1.2 mi

    60
    Top: Chinook salmonPeak season
    • Chinook salmon 60
    • Kelp greenling 53
    • Pacific halibut 52

    6 kt SL 6:14 AM · 0.6 ftH 12:50 PM · 8.5 ft

  • Kaffee Slough

    Bay · 0.7 mi

    59
    Top: Chinook salmonPeak season
    • Chinook salmon 59
    • Kelp greenling 53
    • Cabezon 52

    6 kt SL 6:14 AM · 0.6 ftH 12:50 PM · 8.5 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.