Buoy 10 Fishing Report for 2024 (Frequent Updates)

I will again be providing buoy 10 fishing reports for the 2024 salmon fishing season right here, based on my own success as well as how my many guide friends are doing.

I’ll be fishing the Buoy 10 fishery through the salmon season from August into September. In fact, I’ll also be booking salmon trips out on the ocean, which opens in July, so keep checking back here to see how the fishing is. I moor my boat in the Hammond Marina, right in the thick of the action.

Another way to quickly see how the salmon are biting at Buoy 10 is to follow my Marvin’s Guide Service page on Facebook.

If you are interested in fishing at Buoy 10 this year, book your trip before the best dates slip away. Just give me a call or text at 503-314-5087 or email fast2fish@msn.com.

Check out last year’s reports to get a feel for the types of up-to-date information I’ll be providing in 2024…

My Latest Buoy 10 Fishing Report

Wednesday, September 25

Anglers will be able to keep one chinook and up to three total salmon from October 1 through the 13th after fisheries officials in the two states extended the salmon season from Buoy 10 up to a regulatory line at west Puget Island in the lower Columbia River.

All coho must be hatchery-reared fish with a healed clipped fin.

Fishing for silvers has held up pretty well in the Buoy 10 area so far.

Previous Buoy 10 Fishing Reports

Monday, September 16

Yesterday, my last in Hammond for a while, was a coho rodeo. However, lots of the silvers caught on my boat were wild and therefore released.

Crabbing is already excellent in the estuary and promises to be fantastic this fall. I plan to book crabbing trips from mid-October into early December this year.

For the coming few weeks, as long as the season stays open, I will be salmon fishing with clients in the Portland or Hood River areas as salmon move up the Columbia River.

Tuesday, September 10

We will once again be able to keep a Chinook salmon in the Buoy 10 fishery, starting Thursday (Sept. 12) and running through Sunday, September 22. We can keep a king and a hatchery coho or two hatchery coho during that period from Buoy 10 up into the lower Columbia River at the west end of Puget Island.

Fisheries managers from Oregon and Washington also will allow Columbia River anglers to harvest a chinook as part of a two-salmon limit for a week starting Monday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Sept. 22. This fishery includes the Portland area and Columbia River Gorge, areas where I often fish in September and October once the hot fishing cools at Buoy 10 as fish move upriver.

There also will be some more days to keep a chinook salmon above Bonneville in the Sept. 16-22 time period.

If you’d like to get a shot at one of those big chinook, give me a call or text at 503-314-5087, and let’s find a day to fish.

Saturday, September 7

There are incredible numbers of coho at Buoy 10 right now. We got an incredible 18 fish to the net today, But just as incredibly, we had to let 17 of them go because they had adipose fins.

It can be feast or famine. Yesterday, we had six hatchery keepers in a row.

Crabbing is definitely picking up.

Thursday, September 5

Once the tide started coming in good today, it was definitely a coho rodeo. There were fish everywhere in the Buoy 10 area, along with double and triple hookups.

I believe there are still plenty of coho out on the ocean and we should have a great next few weeks.

Crabbing is also starting to heat up in the estuary.

Monday, September 2

It sounds funny to say that we had kind of a tough day when we put seven keepers in the boat, but for much of the day, it was just that. The fish were scattered and the weather was wet and cold.

We got very lucky when I decided to go down to Marker 1 and we got three keepers in about five minutes.

After some more slow fishing, later in the day we found more fish around the sawdust pile off the Oregon side and managed to get four more in the boat.

In a full day’s worth of fishing, we beat the odds and only had to let one go.

Friday, August 30

Yesterday, when I had Andy Carson and the “Good Day Oregon” crew on my boat, the fishing was amazing. We were catching fish everywhere.

Unfortunately, today the bite was much slower. We managed to land a few, but they were definitely far apart. I heard of a few kings being caught (now that we also can keep wild chinook), but coho were by far the bulk of the catch for most people fishing today.

Thursday, August 29

Catch me live on “Good Day Oregon” with my friend Andy Carson this morning from 6 to 10 a.m.!

And then, starting tomorrow morning, we’ll be able to keep wild chinook in the lower river.

Fun times at Buoy 10!

Sunday, August 25

Today was a pretty good day, but we’re still catching a lot of wild fish while looking for hatchery keepers.

The sawdust pile area off the Oregon side of the river was the place to be today. The best bite was at low tide this morning, when it was also on fire. The guys who stayed out through the late-afternoon tide exchange also did extremely well.

Anchovies have been the hot ticket for bait.

Thursday, August 22

Been super busy catching salmon lately!

There have been quite a few coho and also lots of chinook up into the river lately. The area above the bridge on the Washington side has been best first thing in the morning, while the area around the sawdust pile to the checkerboard has been good in the afternoon on an incoming tide.

This morning started rough, going 0 for 4 on our early chances. The bar settled down so we decided to pop out onto the ocean, and let me tell you, the ocean was on fire. It was a coho rodeo. We also kept one nice big chinook.

There are so many coho in the ocean that it definitely should be an exciting season as they build up in the Buoy 10 area of the estuary. The big tides should help bring them in.

Friday, August 16

I guess I jinxed it with yesterday’s report because fishing the river today was definitely a grind. Sure, a few guys fell on the fish but for most people, it was a struggle.

We saw action with three salmon to the boat … and all three of them were wild and therefore released.

With bigger tides in the forecast, I’m hoping we’ll see more fish pushing up into the river, giving us more chances to put hatchery fish in the box.

Thursday, August 15

Fishing has been on fire these last few days starting first thing in the mornings above the Astoria-Megler Bridge for about an hour or so.

The bite has then slowed way down as the tide has come in, but the action has picked up again around the high slack farther downriver, close to Buoy 10.

In recent days we’ve seen lots of chinook and very few coho in the river. We’re also turning loose a lot of wild salmon to find our keeper hatchery fish.

We should get a better shot at hatchery coho salmon (and maybe some chinook) for part of next week. The states have decided to reopen the ocean for four days of fishing starting Monday, August 19.

Tuesday, August 13

The high slack tide this morning was red hot above the Astoria-Megler Bridge this morning, with chinook salmon providing most of the action.

The outgoing tide was very slow, but once the tide started changing again in the afternoon, the coho bite went off with great catches. We had the most success for silvers in the lower river around Baker Bay.

All in all, it was good to see some excellent fishing. Many anglers suffered through a very lackluster bite on Monday during poor weather conditions.

Saturday, August 10

The Columbia River in the Buoy 10 area was producing very well Friday for both chinook and coho salmon, with low slack tide producing the best bite on the Washington side.

On Saturday, fishing in the river was again productive, but there were lots of wild fish in the mix that anglers had to let go. Today we weren’t seeing a lot of coho up into the river, although there were lots of chinook.

Thursday, August 8

As suspected, fishery managers in Oregon and Washington have decided to close salmon fishing off the mouth of the Columbia River. Anglers are approaching the coho quota set for this season.

The closure starts on Monday, so we’ll have through the coming weekend to take advantage of what has been a hot bite for silvers, with the occasional chinook mixed in.

Starting Monday, we’ll focus our salmon fishing trips in the Buoy 10 area a quick boat ride out of the Hammond Marina, where I have my boat moored. Catches of both coho and chinook should keep picking up in the Buoy 10 area as August goes on and more of those offshore salmon move into the big river’s lower estuary.

Call or text me to see if any of my remaining seats fit your schedule.

Wednesday, August 7

Salmon fishing on the ocean west of Astoria has been excellent for coho. In fact, maybe a bit TOO good. At this writing, anglers have caught more than 70% of the coho quota. In raw numbers, anglers have kept a bit more than 29,000 of the 39,900 silvers that the fishery people in Oregon and Washington are allowing this year for offshore catches.

Those high catch rates could result in an early closure for ocean fishing, which will move everyone inside the jetties to Buoy 10. That river area has been most productive on high tides, with both coho and chinook in the mix.

Friday, August 2

I didn’t have a salmon trip today, but those friends who did chase them reported very good success.

In some encouraging news, quite a few coho were caught in the Buoy 10 area considering that relatively few boats tried it. That indicates that the number of fish moving in is on the rise. Only a few chinook were in the catches in the river.

Boats that went out on the ocean also did very well.

And where was I? My clients today signed up for some incredible sturgeon fishing, and they got it. They reeled in 7- to 8-foot sturgeon until late morning when their arms were too tired to go on.

I have one more sturgeon trip on Saturday before my full attention goes to catching salmon. If you want to get one of the remaining seats in my boat for what’s shaping up to be another good season, just let me know.

Thursday, August 1

The Buoy 10 opened a little quieter than we’d all like on Thursday, although there were some chinook salmon landed (especially near the church) as well as a few coho.

That fishery will pick up steam very soon.

Meanwhile, the ocean continues to be where the best action is, with excellent catches of silvers and the occasional king finding its way into fish boxes.

Sunday, July 28

The Pacific Ocean was incredible for salmon fishing today.

Not only was it flat across the bar and out on the big water, but the coho were biting like crazy. I turned a little north from the mouth and within 45 minutes we had six keeper silvers in the boat to fill our tags for the day.

The forecast is calling for the wind to pick up a bit in the next couple of days, so we’ll see how that plays out while the ocean is still our only option. Until Thursday, that is, when Buoy 10 opens.

Saturday, July 27

Talk about epic.

Today my clients wanted to go catch-and-release sturgeon fishing in the shallow waters of the Columbia River estuary.

We caught 10 sturgeon, and all of them were in the range of 7 to 8 feet. And in just three remarkable hours.

Tomorrow’s trip is out on the Big Pond, where some of my friends ventured today to find easy limits with a mix of both chinook and coho salmon. And some of the best fishing was just offshore.

The abundance of salmon so close has me feeling very good about the start of the Buoy 10 fishery inside the estuary. That season opens this coming Thursday (on August 1st).

Friday, July 26

The Columbia River bar was rough today, but the captains I know who got out on the ocean had easy and fast limits of salmon.

My clients were interested in catch-and-release sturgeon fishing in the estuary, and the action was simply awesome for us.

Tuesday, July 23

Salmon fishing has been a no-go for most of us these past few days, with rough conditions across the Columbia River Bar. However, things seem to be looking up, so I hope to have some more salmon reports soon.

Meanwhile, catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is absolutely awesome in the estuary.

Friday, July 19

Salmon fishing on the ocean was excellent for the boats that got out there, with both coho and chinook caught. Unfortunately, the forecast looks windy for the next few days.

Besides salmon fishing, I’ve also been booking catch-and-release sturgeon trips in the estuary, where wind isn’t usually a deal-breaker. And the sturgeon bite has been excellent, with lots of action fishing in some of my favorite spots in about 12 feet of water.

Wednesday, July 17

There are salmon to be caught on the ocean, but Mother Nature needs to do her part. Today the bar was safe but out onto the ocean itself, really windy weather made the fishing rough.

As a result, only a couple of large boats braved the tough conditions and managed to work at it and scratch up some decent salmon fishing, with silvers dominating the catch.

Monday, July 15

I’ve been fishing in the Astoria area for several days now and thought I should let you know how it’s going.

In a handful of words: The fish are really biting.

Salmon fishing is great in the ocean, with lots of coho and a few chinook eager to bite just about anything we put in front of them.

The only issue with salmon fishing has been a somewhat rough ocean in recent days, so I’m being really cautious and making those trips only when it’s safe to do so.

Remember that salmon fishing is closed in the Buoy 10 area inside the river mouth until August 1.

Fortunately, the sturgeon fishing inside the river also has been excellent. I ran a catch-and-release sturgeon trip yesterday, and we fought a lot of big ones.

I still have a handful of fish-catching dates available in late July and up toward Labor Day. If you can get to the Hammond Marina, I’ll make everything else easy for you! You can always call or text me at the number you’ll find above or shoot me an email so we can check the calendar. There’s a pretty good chance I’ll be helping a client land a fish when you contact me, but I’m quick to get back to anyone who wants to talk about setting up a great trip.

Previous Buoy 10 Fishing Reports

Sunday, June 23

While we’re still having a blast wrestling massive sturgeon and racking up tasty walleye in the Columbia River Gorge, I’m starting to get excited about salmon fishing.

While Buoy 10 will remain closed until August 1, the ocean season just opened up this weekend, And it seems to have started quickly.

Today, a friend of mine was out there and scored fast limits for the boat.

Yesterday also proved excellent. The captain I talked with put 12 in the boat on Saturday.

Both Chinook and coho salmon are available and biting. I’ll be mooring my boat down there later next month, so let me know if we can find a good day to get you into some kings and silvers.

Wednesday, June 5

The 2024 Buoy 10 season details have now been released by the Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife.

Here are the main things you need to know:

The season opens as usual on August 1. This year, we can keep up to two adult salmon per day, although only one may be a Chinook (king). A limit could be one of each or two silvers. Both species must be hatchery-marked this year.

From August 30 through September 3 (around the Labor Day period), the same rules apply but Chinook don’t have to be hatchery marked.

From September 4 through October 31, all Chinook must be released but we can keep two fin-clipped coho at a time when the coho fishing is usually far better than for kings in the estuary.

Saturday, September 30

I got another day to fish the Buoy 10 area and soak some crab pots.

We found enough salmon but just not the right ones today. We landed four jacks as well as a wild coho. All of those have to be released in the Buoy 10 area.

I know other boats got some keepers in their mix of fish. I also believe there are still fresh coho coming in off the ocean. I think the next week or two will still fish down here before it’s time to hang up the salmon fishing at the mouth. I’ve been mixing in some upriver trips myself.

And the crabbing? See my separate Oregon Crabbing Reports page for details.

Tuesday, September 19

We had a half dozen shots at salmon while fishing the river today but couldn’t quite seal the deal. Fishing is a little hit or miss in the Buoy 10 area, with fish being caught but anglers having to work for it.

Monday, September 11

Today we had to go over deep water (300 feet) to find the coho out in the ocean.

The reports I got for the river were that it was slow today.

Sunday, September 10

We did get out on the ocean today, but admittedly, it was a bumpy and windy ride. Then it took about an hour to find the salmon.

However, once we did, the fishing was excellent, and we landed all coho.

The boats I know that stayed in the river are having to scratch out a few here and there. There are a lot of jacks in the river right now, and we can’t keep those in the Buoy 10 area.

Today we tried dropping some crab pots in the river and came up with 12 keepers.

Saturday, September 9

Ocean fishing was crazy good this morning. We managed to land a triple and had our limits of coho by 8 a.m.

Not much else to say other than you should’ve been down here!

Although the forecast is calling for the wind to pick up and make for a rougher ocean for the next few days, so there’s a good chance I’ll be fishing in the river.

Friday, September 8

Today, fishing on the ocean was awesome. We came home with three Chinook and three coho in less than three hours.

We also were able to drop a couple of crab pots on this trip and ended up pulling in 25 keepers. Check out our new Oregon Crabbing Report page.

Thursday, September 7

Ocean fishing was crazy good again today.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a current report for the river because I don’t know anybody who fished it today. However, fisheries managers decided today that the Buoy 10 area will reopen for Chinook tomorrow. The limit will be three salmon, but only one maximum may be a Chinook.

I’m starting to think they underestimated this run. That’s just my opinion and we’ll see how it shakes out, but I think it’s going to be bigger than predicted.

Wednesday, September 6

The ocean was on fire today. My clients brought in early limits (seven coho and one Chinook).

Not many boats went out on the big pond today, so there wasn’t much pressure and tons of salmon to go around.

I’ve talked to a few guys fishing in the river today, and they are struggling to get keepers.

According to the forecast, the ocean is looking good in the next few days.

Tuesday, September 5

The ocean was the better bet today for anyone wanting salmon for dinner. Catches were fast for both coho and Chinook and it doesn’t matter whether they are fin-clipped or not. The harvest rules are still wide-open on the Pacific.

There was a different story in the river’s Buoy 10 area today, where friends reported lots of action but most of the coho they caught had too many fins. Chinook are now off-limits at Buoy 10 and must be released even if they are hatchery marked.

Monday, September 4

This morning started out wild. In the first hour, there were fish everywhere, especially coho. We had doubles and triples on.

I think the river is going to be excellent the next few days for coho, but Chinook must be released in the Buoy 10 area going forward.

A reminder that the ocean also is looking good this week and is still open for Chinook and even wild coho may be kept in that offshore fishery.

Sunday, September 3

Today’s weather was wet and windy, but the coho fishing got pretty wild. There were lots of coho caught, and even quite a few Chinook landed as well.

Looking forward to those three-coho limits starting Tuesday!

Saturday, September 2

We definitely had a coho rodeo in the river today. The silvers have shown up in force, and there are still some Chinook hanging around. We released a few wild kings today.

Monday is the final day we can keep hatchery Chinook in the Buoy 10 area, but then on Tuesday, we shift to a three-coho limit in that same area. Prospects currently look promising for hitting those bigger limits.

A second option, when conditions allow, is that the ocean remain open for harvest of any salmon.

Friday, September 1

Lots of coho moved into the river today. That rain definitely helped get the fish moving. I’m getting excited about the three-coho limits that start Sept. 5.

Anglers also are still seeing Chinook in the Buoy 10 area.

The action is good. Today’s clients reeled in a dozen salmon and had some more bites that didn’t stick. Seven of the 12 we got into the net had unclipped fins and went back in.

Thursday, August 31

I didn’t get a report up yesterday, but we were able to get on the ocean again, and once we found the fish, we made short work of limits that included some hefty coho.

Today was a bit of a different story with the rains coming in, the ocean rough, and the bar closed for boats under 30 feet in length at the start of our morning.

We stayed in the river and started fishing on the Washington side below the bridge. We saw some quick action with four fish in the net, but only one was a keeper (fin-clipped Chinook). We released two wild Chinook and one wild coho.

When the fishing slowed for us and everyone around us, we picked up and moved to the Oregon side of the Columbia River near Hammond for the incoming tide. Fishing was far from red hot for anyone there as well, but we managed a few more bites and put a fin-clipped coho in the box.

Today Brad’s Super Bait got a bit more action than the Yakima Bait SpinFish, although on other days, the SpinFish has been the hot ticket. I fill the bait chambers of both lures with my top-secret tuna mix.

Tuesday, August 29

It was another great day in the ocean today, with limits before breakfast.

There are still a lot of coho and Chinook around to catch, and the Buoy 10 area will reopen Wednesday. I think with this rain we’re having down here in Hammond (near Astoria), the river will fish very well tomorrow.

I’m looking forward to the limit of coho jumping to three on September 5. Chinook retention is open in the estuary tomorrow through Labor Day (this coming Monday, Sept. 4), after which it’ll be an all-coho show at Buoy 10.

Monday, August 28

While Buoy 10 was closed, as planned before the season started, there was a red hot bite out on the ocean first thing this morning for groups ready to leave the docks at daybreak.

My small group was ready a bit later, at 7 a.m., and we managed to get four and lost a few more in the process.

The boats that went out later struggled to tag fish. It’s not for lack of fish, but they were definitely more cooperative in the earliest part of the day.

Sunday, August 27

Today’s report is simple: The ocean was on FIRE! I can say first-hand that there are quite a few coho being taken out there, and there also are coho in the river.

Today, four clients ended the day with limits consisting of two Chinook and six coho.

And the ocean’s looking good for Monday, the first of a two-day planned closure in the Buoy 10 area.

Saturday, August 26

Salmon fishing on the ocean today was totally awesome, with lots of Chinook caught. And there’s definitely some coho in the catches as well.

Anglers fishing in the river also did very, very well.

Simply put, there are fish everywhere. I expect the next few days to be on fire.

I do have Tuesday open if anyone wants to get in on the fantastic fishing on the ocean. Just give me a call at 503-314-5087.

Friday, August 25

Fishing down here is simply excellent, and the coho are finally in the river in a big way.

Lots of fish are being caught right out in front of Hammond, where I keep my boat. Another hot spot is on the Washington side, above the Astoria-Megler Bridge.

We got ours in short order this morning.

Starting Saturday (August 26), we will be able to keep either fin-clipped or unclipped coho on the ocean off of the Columbia River instead of just the hatchery-marked coho we’ve been allowed prior to that. That area is north of Cape Falcon, Oregon, to Leadbetter Point, Washington. That additional opportunity is scheduled to last through September 30.

Only one of your two-salmon limit can be a Chinook.

Here’s ODFW’s news release explaining the new ocean rules in our fishing area.

Thursday, August 24

Today we started fishing at 6 a.m., and by 6:05 a.m., we had released a wild Chinook salmon. Five minutes later, we kept a hatchery coho that was close to 10 pounds.

The action stayed hot, and we released a few more wild Chinook before finishing off with three fin-clipped Chinook.

We had the clients’ fish, so we headed back to the Hammond Marina early. Later I checked in at the docks and heard that some more coho did come in with incoming tide in the afternoon.

If you don’t have your trip planned, now’s the time. It’s awesome down here in the Astoria area.

Sunday, August 20

We started with an excellent bite first for Chinook in the morning, even with an outgoing tide. When the tide started coming in, we started seeing coho as well.

The best bite was definitely on the Washington side of the river.

While we caught quite a few salmon today, we didn’t fare well in the hatchery fish lottery and had to let a LOT of wild fish go.

The Buoy 10 area is closed Monday through Wednesday as part of this year’s season set earlier. There’s one more short closure, but Chinook fishing will be open through Labor Day under the regs.

The ocean is open to fishing, but the forecast was too rough for Monday’s planned trip.

I expect the fishing to be red hot at Buoy 10 later this week when the river reopens. Do let me know if you want to get out there, as I have some spots and likely could work you in.

Saturday, August 19

Today started slow on an outgoing tide, but the bite turned around with the incoming tide heading toward high tide in the afternoon.

We are still catching mostly Chinook, but coho are showing up in the Buoy 10 catches as well.

At this writing, I still have availability for this coming Thursday, right in the heart of the Buoy 10 season. Give me a call sooner rather than later if you are interested.

Friday, August 18

Fishing was definitely tough today, with the wind blowing and very few Chinook caught in the Buoy 10 area of the Columbia River.

We managed a really nice keeper (in the photo) and released a wild Chinook as well. My clients had to quit fishing before high tide. We might have had more shots at high slack, which can offer some of the best fishing down here.

While there were a few coho around yesterday, I didn’t hear of any caught today.

Tuesday, August 15

Fishing was a grind today compared to yesterday, but many of us who stuck it out in the river got results.

We were able to keep two Chinook salmon and also released a few wild ones.

I heard about very few coho caught in the Buoy 10 area today compared to yesterday.

The best bite was definitely on the incoming tide right before high tide.

Monday, August 14

Fishing in the river has definitely picked up.

We caught quite a few Chinook today, but we had to let all but one ‘nook go because the rest were wild fish. We also caught and released a couple of wild coho.

We’re definitely seeing more salmon in the river now, both Chinook and coho. Things are looking good!

Friday, August 11

The river was slow for Chinook today, with catches few and far between. The ocean was fishing better for Chinook, but we’re still waiting for more coho to stack up off the mouth of the Columbia and start coming into Buoy 10.

Given that more wind is in the forecast, which will impact the ocean the most, it’s likely more of us will be fishing the river tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 9

We stayed in the river (Buoy 10 area) today because it was windy and rainy.

It was definitely slower fishing overall, but we found one keeper and released two wild fish, all Chinook. We are seeing very few coho so far.

Guides are mixed on what baits they’re using. Brad’s Super Baits have been catching for me, but I know lots of guys are trolling anchovies as well. I don’t think that has mattered as much as just getting it in front of the fish.

Monday, August 7

I only had two people on the boat today, and we had a keeper, Chinook, on board in the first five minutes of fishing.

Ten minutes later, we lost one, then instantly had another takedown that didn’t hook up. And then, about 30 minutes later, we caught another keeper, and the clients had salmon limits by breakfast.

So it was a quick day.

Interestingly, I was all by myself, not another boat in sight. Most boats went out to the ocean, but I decided to stay in the river for a couple of hours, and it worked!

Saturday, August 5

We fished the river in the Buoy 10 area today because the ocean was too windy.

Within five minutes, we had a fish on, but we lost this one near the boat. We let the lines back out, and we quickly got another one on. This one we landed, but it was wild and released.

We also saw a few other salmon caught first thing in the morning, but it went dead for a few hours. However, the bite turned back on when the tide changed, and we found some more very good fishing.

All of the fish we caught today were Chinook.

Friday, August 4

Fishing today wasn’t as fast and furious as some of the days we’ve had this year, but we worked at it and scrapped out some coho.

I did hear that some anglers who went way up north of the Columbia River mouth did get into some Chinook.

Thursday, August 3

Coho were hard to find on the ocean today. I believe they likely moved out to deep water with the big tides we’ve been having.

However, the Chinook fishing was very, very good. We got three nice bright ones and we also let a number of tules go. (Tules are a lower Columbia River strain of Chinook salmon that are protected, and we harvest upriver bright Chinook, a healthy run and better-eating salmon.)

Yakima Bait SpinFish lures were the best producers today.

 

Tuesday, August 1

The Buoy 10 fishery into the Columbia River estuary opened today.

And while some boats stayed inside and reported catching some hatchery Chinook, most boats still went out on the ocean and overall found better fishing for Chinook as well as coho.

Remember that anglers can keep a wild Chinook caught in the ocean, while all coho and Chinook must be fin-clipped to retain in the Buoy 10 area.

As August continues, better fishing is likely to shift toward the river, although it can vary from day to day and tide to tide. Fortunately, my 27-foot Alumaweld fishes well in both locations.

Sunday, July 30

Boats that fished today did quite well, with the coho bite picking up and some very nice-sized Chinook in the mix.

Opening day for Buoy 10 itself is just days away. Fingers crossed, recent catches in the ocean plus strong tides bode well for it to get off to a quick start for kings.

Saturday, July 29

Most of the boats out on the ocean today were struggling, but with some work and sticking it out, we found some fish.

Despite the grind, we kept at it and came back to the docks with some nice, bright coho.

We didn’t connect with any Chinook today, and in fact, I only know of a few caught among all of the boats. Silvers are definitely making up most of the catch for now. The Buoy 10 area opens up next week.

Thursday, July 27

I’ve been taking care of some things back in Portland, but I checked in with friends in Hammond today to find out how the salmon fishing has been.

In a word: Great. Most of the boats were back in port by 8 o’clock this morning, with limits. Not only that, some of those salmon were Chinook mixed in with the coho.

The only down side to report is that the ocean was a little “sporty” this morning, but boats that got out on the Pacific did great in short order.

Sunday, July 23

short report today because there’s not much to say.

No, that doesn’t mean we didn’t do well. The opposite, in fact: We limited out on coho by 8:30 a.m.

Today the salmon didn’t want to play with spin-fish lures. No matter, a spinner with chunk bait was on fire and quickly filled the fish box. I always carry a variety of bait and lure options on board, so we can always switch things up until we find that day’s winning ticket.

Saturday, July 22

Today started slow, but boy, did we turn it around when the bite picked up in the afternoon.

We ended the day tagging seven coho and one Chinook fishing out on the Pacific Ocean.

Yakima Bait SpinFish and Brad’s Super Bait lures were the hot tickets today.

The icing on the cake: The Big Pond was FLAT.

What a great day to be a salmon angler. Maybe it is not such a good day to be a salmon swimming behind my boat.

Friday, July 21

Coho fishing wasn’t as hot out on the ocean on Friday as I’d hoped. We put a couple in the box and said goodbye to a number of wild salmon. But limits of hatchery coho were rare for everyone I talked with today compared to those who fished Thursday.

We caught our fish on SpinFish lures, one of my go-to’s for this fishery.

We’ll be back at it tomorrow. Watch this space for my next report.

Oh, we did catch quite a smile on Friday with this first-ever salmon:

Thursday, July 20

I have fully transitioned from a great season of chasing gigantic sturgeon near The Dalles and am itching to get out on my first guided salmon trip tomorrow. Many of my guide friends who got out yesterday came back to the docks with limits of hatchery coho salmon. That’s a good sign for the start of the season. I haven’t heard of many chinook salmon (kings) caught yet.

In July, the Buoy 10 area inside the estuary is still closed, but there’s excellent salmon fishing just offshore as salmon stack up and feed aggressively before heading upriver in the next few months. As long as ocean conditions allow, it’s a quick trip in my 27-foot Alumaweld Intruder to the best fishing grounds.

More Buoy 10 Fishing

Read all about Marvin’s Guide Service Buoy 10 salmon fishing trips.

Last Updated on September 25, 2024 by Marv

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