Waterlands

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LingcodShoulder season

Bar · Oregon

Peacock Spit

46.27°N · 124.09°W · Bar · Columbia River Bar

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 8 AM · Lingcod

79/100Great
Now
5010 AM PDT
Best window
10 AM-12 PMHigh slack
Tide now
High5.2 ft

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 10 AM · now

Time10ANOW
Score50Good
Tide5.2 ftHigh
CurrentFlood0.3 kn · toward N
Wind2 kn Ngusts 5 · steady
Sea stateRough4.5 ft · 13 s
Air temp57°Mild
WeatherOvercast100% cloud
Water58°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)

IN EFFECT NOW

Lingcod

Retention open
Daily limit
2 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
Part of the 9 bottomfish daily limit. Lingcod fishing is prohibited seaward of a line from 46°38.17' N, 124°20.00' W to 46°33.00' N, 124°21.00' W, except June 1 to 15 and Sept. 1 to 30.

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)
  • 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)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Lingcod is best here

Shoulder season for Lingcod · 27 more weeks at shoulder

Lingcod season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Lingcod · 27 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Lingcod in Oregon

Spot profile

Peacock Spit

Depth
25-30 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Bar · Outer · ExposedBar · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonLingcod

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 Peacock Spit

Peacock Spit is a bar in Columbia River Bar, Oregon. Depth is 25-30 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bar, outer water and exposed.

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

Tackle & technique

Lingcod
Lingcod ambush prey from rock outcrops, reef edges and kelp where current runs, most often in 30 to 300 feet, and males move shallow to guard nests in winter. Drift over the reef bouncing a lead-head swimbait or metal jig on the bottom, or fish herring or squid on a heavy leader, since their teeth cut light line. From jetties and rocky shore, work bait or jigs along the rocks on the incoming tide.
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.
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

  • Ilwaco Channel

    Channel · 3.7 mi

    70
    Top: Chinook salmonPeak season
    • Chinook salmon 70
    • Coho salmon 62
    • Cabezon 59

    2 kt NH 10:57 AM · 5.5 ftL 4:28 PM · 3.2 ft

  • Deadmans Hollow

    Bay · 1.9 mi

    68
    Top: Chinook salmonPeak season
    • Chinook salmon 68
    • Cabezon 62
    • Kelp greenling 62

    2 kt NH 10:26 AM · 5.3 ftL 3:27 PM · 3.4 ft

  • Dead Mans Cove

    Bay · 2.1 mi

    68
    Top: Chinook salmonPeak season
    • Chinook salmon 68
    • Coho salmon 65
    • Cabezon 62

    2 kt NH 11:03 AM · 5.6 ftL 3:59 PM · 3.7 ft

  • Middle Grounds

    Bar · 2.0 mi

    63
    Top: Chinook salmonPeak season
    • Chinook salmon 63
    • Coho salmon 59
    • Pacific halibut 59

    2 kt NH 10:44 AM · 6.0 ftL 3:47 PM · 4.3 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.