Species guide · Oregon
Chum salmon fishing in Oregon
Oncorhynchus keta, a sea-run species also called dog salmon, dogs and keta. Listed for the Pacific Northwest region. Peak season, about 3 more weeks.
Right now it scores best in Columbia River Bar at 47, one of 5 Oregon bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Peak seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
Pacific Northwest
Peak season, about 3 more weeks- Jan: Not present
- Feb: Not present
- Mar: Not present
- Apr: Not present
- May: Not present
- Jun: Not present
- Jul: Not present
- Aug: Not present
- Sep: Off season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Peak season
- Dec: Shoulder season
Peak: Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): Oct to Dec.
Research notes, Pacific Northwest region
Fall chum fisheries in Hood Canal (Hoodsport Hatchery terminal area, open November) and South Puget Sound (Kennedy Creek and Carr Inlet, Nov 1 to early December). Hood Canal summer chum are ESA listed and not a target. Oregon chum are mostly catch and release.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 5
Oregon bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's chum salmon score this hour.
Best window today 4 PM-12 AM (53) · Best day Mon, Nov 16 at 7 AM (78) · 71 named spots
Best window today 3 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Mon, Nov 16 at 6 AM (67) · 18 named spots
Best window today 3 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Fri, Nov 13 at 4 PM (76) · 32 named spots
Best window today 3 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Mon, Nov 16 at 5 PM (79) · 17 named spots
Best window today 3 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Sun, Nov 15 at 3 PM (78) · 9 named spots
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 42°F to 60°F, best between 46°F and 55°F.
- Water depth
- 3 to 40 ft of water.
- Structure
- Estuary, beach, bay, inlet, channel and point, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers incoming tide and high tide, with light current.Chum stage off stream mouths and hatchery beaches before moving into fresh water. Anglers at terminal areas generally do best as the flood pushes new fish toward the beach and at high water. This is guide consensus; agency pages describe the locations and dates, not tide stage.
- Light
- Some lift around dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 18 kt of wind and 3 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Chum stage off stream mouths and hatchery beaches in late fall in Puget Sound and Hood Canal and in midsummer in Southeast Alaska. Fish from the beach or a skiff in 5 to 30 feet with a green or cerise jig under a float, a large fly or a spoon. They fight hard, so step up to 12 to 20 pound line.
- Methods
- casting from the beach, float fishing, fly fishing, trolling in terminal areas
- Lures
- green or cerise marabou jigs under a float, chartreuse and cerise flies, spoons, spinners, green hoochie behind a flasher
- Bait
- herring strip, cured shrimp
Regulations
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Synced with ODFW Nov 3, 2026.
No reviewed chum salmon rule for Oregon is on file yet. Check with ODFW before you keep one.