Astoria is the hotspot for fishing each summer. Its unique location overlooking where the river meets the sea allow us to partake in a variety of fishing opportunities from June through September. Whether you’re interested in salmon, sturgeon, bottom fish, or crab, there’s a fishery to fit your needs.
The lower Columbia River will open for summer salmon retention on June 16th. This year we have a longer season than we’ve had the past few years and they have added in the stretch of river between the Astoria-Megler bridge and Tongue Point, which will let us fish right out of Astoria! Another bonus this year is that the season is slated to run through July 31st, which means it flows right into the Buoy 10 fishery.
The 2023 ocean salmon season begins in just a few days. June 24th is opening day in Astoria. The window of ocean fishing we have before the Buoy 10 Columbia River Salmon season opens gives us a chance to chase fresh salmon before they head toward freshwater. As the salmon engage in their final feast of baitfish we can have some action-packed summer days of fishing. We will be fishing the ocean all the way until Buoy 10 opens on August 1st, which gives us over a month of prime ocean fishing.
Salmon isn’t the only species we can target out of Astoria. We’ll also be fishing for lingcod and rockfish. Whether you want to spend a day on our 34′ boat, Legion’s Mercy, or prefer a classic 24′-28′ sled, we can add bottom fishing to our ocean salmon fishing trips anytime conditions allows.
Trophy sturgeon season is already underway on the Columbia River. We fish the mouth of the river, using light tackle. We’ve already had some incredible days and more fish will continue to move into the estuary as the season continues. July is prime time to book a guided fishing trip to wrestle these prehistoric fish. You don’t know what you’re missing until you’ve battled these beasts in shallow water, but we made a short video to show you some of the fun we have. Take a look.
Buoy 10 Salmon Season opens on the Columbia River on August 1st this year. We’ll be targeting Chinook through Labor Day, minus a few preplanned closure dates, and then switching over to Coho after that. September and October are coho and crabbing months, with the option to do some bottom fishing when ocean conditions allow. Buoy 10 creates an atmosphere like no other as anglers from around the world gather in Astoria for fall salmon fishing. Restaurants are bustling, hotels provide a place to rest, and there’s a ton of other things to do and see while you’re in town.
Astoria is a great place to be no matter the season, but it’s one of my favorite places to spend a summer day. Come join me. Columbia River or Pacific Ocean. Sturgeon, bottom fish, or salmon. The choice is yours.