The 2026 Ocean Salmon Seasons and Columbia River Salmon Seasons are now tentatively approved. Booking is open for both the Astoria Buoy 10 and Columbia River Salmon Charters as well as my Astoria Ocean Salmon Fishing Charters so grab your seat and let’s get ready to catch some salmon. As always, double-check the fishing regulation updates before you go since seasons can change on short notice.
Astoria Ocean Salmon Seasons
For the Astoria area it looks like we will be starting ocean salmon on June 20th and going until the quota is hit or we move into the river. The limit will be the same as last year: 2 salmon, 1 of which can be Chinook (King), and Coho (Silver) must be marked by a hatchery. The run is looking good, especially for the Coho so I’m expecting a similar pace as last year’s absolutely bonker’s year.
Buoy 10 and Columbia River 2026 Summer/Fall Salmon Seasons
When is Buoy 10 Salmon Fishing Open in 2026?
Buoy 10 will start on August 1st with King salmon staying open until September 2nd. Coho will run through the remainder of the year. Coho will need to be hatchery marked the whole time. Kings will have some non-mark select days where we can keep any that are big enough on August 1-9 and August 25th through September 2nd. The run looks good again this year with lots of opportunity. Additionally with the current status of the snowpack in the Pacific Northwest I expect warmer than usual river temperatures. This will hold fish longer below Tongue Point and give us more opportunity to catch them before they move upriver..
When are the Columbia River 2026 Salmon Seasons Open?
We also have a brief sockeye season set in the river from June 23rd through July 5th. I will likely be fishing in the ocean on those days but if someone is completely set on sockeye I think I can accommodate them. For the second year in a row there will be no in-river chinook season in late June through July.
A little bit upstream from the West end of Puget Island (near where I tend to fish for Springers) up to Warrior Rock by St. Helens, Kings will open August 1st and go through September 2nd, with no mark requirement. Depending on water temperature and what the ocean is doing, this may be an option. Water temperature is likely to be a big factor this year and during the early season I would opt for the ocean. Coho will also be open during that time but closed starting on September 3rd. Coho will re-open on October 1st with a non-mark select fishery during the first part of October. I expect to fish near Puget Island for this part since there will be fewer seals and we won’t need to release good fish. I’ll still fish the estuary for folks wanting combination coho and crab trips though!
Full Details of The Columbia River 2026 Salmon Seasons
2 Salmonid Limit no more than one steelhead. “Non-Mark Select” means that the fish does not need to have a clipped adipose fin. These are often called “Wild” fish because they are less likely to have originated in a hatchery.
Full Columbia River
Non-Mark Select Sockeye: Open June 23-July 5
Buoy 10 to West Puget Island
Non-Mark Select Chinook: August 1-9, August 25-September 2
Hatchery Only Chinook: August 10-August 24
Hatchery Only Coho-August 1-December 31
West Puget Island to Warrior Rock
Non-Mark Select Chinook: August 1-September 2nd
Hatchery Only Coho: August 1-September 2nd, October 16-December 31
Non-Mark Select Coho: October1-October 15
Warrior Rock to Bonneville Dam
Non- Mark Select Chinook: August 1-September 15
Hatchery Coho: August 1-September 15, October 16-December 31
Non-Mark Select Coho: October 1-15
Bonneville Dam to Highway 395
Any Chinook: August 1-September 15
Hatchery Coho: August 1-September 15, October 16-December 31
Non-Mark Select Coho: October 1-15