The 2026 fall Coho fishery in Astoria has just recently gotten up to full speed and it’s looking to exceed last year’s banner year. Not only has the river fishing been good, but the brief ocean season has given us a sneak peek at what’s to come as more fish pile into the river.
How many fish are out there?
The river has been producing solid returns. The ocean has literally been bonkers. The only complaint would be that there are lots of wild fish that need to be returned to the water. In two days we brought over 60 fish to the boat with full boat limits, including two each day on my own personal tag that I was able to share with my clients. Double, triple, and continuous hookups were so common we lost count of how many we had. We were hooking so many fish that I had to give up on filling bait into the spinfish and just put them out empty. The spinners produced more bites, but that’s only because I couldn’t put bait on hooks fast enough while netting fish.
Fish quality
Coho often start out small in the June and July ocean season, with many in the 4-6 lb range. The vast majority of the silvers now are running between 8 and 10 lbs with at least one 12 pounder showing up in the boat each day. I’ve already seen a 15+ lb coho in the river. Of the ocean fish kept, about half looked like later “B-run” fish. Given the massive number of fish in the ocean waiting to come in the river, I expect not only a solid “A” run through September, but a strong “B” run into mid-October.
When it comes to table fare, coho are my favorite amongst the fall salmon. While an upriver bright Chinook can be excellent eating, the variability of fall Chinook means that you might end up with some paler or less firm meat unless you’re prepared to release legal fish. With fall coho, especially this close to the ocean, you know that you’re going to have something excellent on the table.
Fishing Conditions
Fall weather can sometimes pose a challenge for coho fishing. Storms can push in and disrupt us. The good news is that we can generally find somewhere protected where there are still good numbers of fish to catch. If the weather gets too sporty down low we can always trailer the boat a little bit upriver and put in where we can fish in a more sheltered location. Right now though, Plan “A” is to stay in the estuary and depart from the West Basin Marina. The “Good Ju Ju” is a well built boat that can handle a lot of weather. Bringing a raincoat is still a good idea. I also have wool blankets available for those that are a bit more cold sensitive as we move later in the season.
Crab is becoming an option
I’ll be doing a test run on crab and checking on the quality of the catch soon as well. Doing a combination Coho and Crab day is one of my favorite parts of Fall. This makes for a chance to bring home two of our premier natural foods in one trip.
Booking and hotel availability
After Labor day the calendar tends to open up with lots of availability. Hotel prices in the area also drop significantly while room availability gets a lot easier. If you can get the time free to take advantage of excellent fishing on a last minute trip, now is the time to do it.