I will again be providing Buoy 10 fishing reports for the 2026 salmon fishing season right here, based on my own success as well as how my many guide and charter friends are doing.
I’ll be fishing the Buoy 10 fishery through the salmon season from August into September. I moor my boat in Hammond Marina, right in the thick of the action, and I’ll continue fishing the lower Columbia River for hatchery coho salmon and Dungeness crab.
Book a Buoy 10 salmon fishing or crabbing trip
Another way to quickly see how the salmon are biting at Buoy 10, Astoria, Hammond, and the lower Columbia River is to follow my Marvin’s Guide Service page on Facebook.
If you are interested in fishing at Buoy 10 this year, give me a call or text at 503-314-5087 or email fast2fish@msn.com.
My Latest Buoy 10 Fishing Report
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
There are tons and tons of coho salmon in the lower Columbia River right now.
Over the last few days, we have been playing what I call the “wild fish game.” We have been hooking plenty of salmon, but we have also had to release a lot of wild coho while looking for hatchery keepers.
Chinook fishing is starting to slow down, which is normal and expected at this point in the Buoy 10 season. The good news is that the river is loaded with coho, and the coho fishing should remain excellent around Hammond and above the Astoria-Megler Bridge.
Monday was an especially good day for us. We got very lucky and landed eight salmon, and all eight were hatchery coho that we could keep. That is not always how the wild fish game goes, but Monday everything fell into place.
The coho we are catching are beautiful fish averaging approximately 10 to 15 pounds. Anglers may have to work through some wild fish, but there are a tremendous number of coho in the river and plenty of hatchery keepers mixed in.
Buoy 10 Chinook Retention Closes September 3
Wednesday, September 2, is the final day to retain a Chinook in the Buoy 10 fishery. Through September 2, anglers may retain hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho. The daily adult limit is two salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
Beginning Thursday, September 3, all Chinook must be released in the Buoy 10 area. Hatchery coho fishing remains open. From September 3 through October 31, the daily adult limit is two hatchery coho.
You can read the official ODFW Buoy 10 regulation announcement here. Always check for emergency or in-season regulation changes before fishing.
Coho Salmon and Columbia River Crabbing
I will continue fishing the Buoy 10 area for hatchery coho salmon and Dungeness crab. Coho fishing should continue to be very good above the Astoria-Megler Bridge and around Hammond as more fish push into the Columbia River.
Crabbing has also been excellent in the Columbia River. The crab are slowly starting to fill out with more meat, and they should continue improving as we move farther into fall. Combining coho salmon fishing with crabbing gives us a great way to enjoy the lower Columbia River even after Chinook retention closes.
Click here to book a Buoy 10 coho salmon or Columbia River crabbing trip.
For more information, visit my Buoy 10 salmon fishing guide page, my Astoria Oregon fishing guide page, or my Oregon Coast crabbing trips page.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
There are a lot of salmon in the lower Columbia River right now, and the coho fishing today was phenomenal.
Over the last few days, I have started my mornings fishing above the Astoria-Megler Bridge. Yesterday, the fishing above the bridge was absolutely lights out. We could not troll more than 15 to 20 feet without hooking another salmon.
We had to release a few wild fish, but we still managed to put four hatchery keepers in the boat.
I am also hearing about a very strong incoming-tide bite near Ilwaco. Anglers holding their boats against the tide have been doing extremely well on both coho and Chinook.
Today, I started above the Astoria-Megler Bridge again, but the fishing was very slow. I decided to make a move downriver and troll from the sawdust pile toward Hammond. That turned out to be the right decision because the fishing in front of Hammond was lights out.
We caught six wild salmon in a row that had to be released. Then we turned around and caught four hatchery keepers in a row.
All in all, there are lots of hatchery coho around right now. Anglers may have to work through some wild fish, but there are plenty of hatchery keepers mixed in. The lower Columbia River is loaded with salmon, and the fishing around Hammond, Ilwaco, and Astoria can turn on quickly when you find the right tide and location.
Click here to book a Buoy 10, Astoria, or Hammond salmon fishing trip.
For more information, visit my Buoy 10 salmon fishing guide page or my Astoria Oregon fishing guide page.
Friday, August 21, 2026
There are a lot of salmon in the lower Columbia River right now, and today the fishing really turned on around the tide change.
Fishing was a little slower earlier in the day, but once we got around the tide change things started happening. We began seeing more nets flying and there are lots of coho moving into the river right now.
There are also still a tremendous number of Chinook in the Columbia River. A lot of the kings we are seeing are wild Chinook, so we are releasing those fish and continuing to look for hatchery keepers.
Right now in the Buoy 10 fishery, anglers may retain hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho. The daily adult limit is two hatchery salmon, but only one may be a Chinook. Wild Chinook and wild coho must be released.
New Buoy 10 Chinook Regulation Update
ODFW and WDFW announced an important change to the Buoy 10 salmon regulations today.
The original preseason plan would have allowed retention of both hatchery and wild Chinook again beginning August 25. That has now changed after extremely strong Chinook catches during the first part of the season.
From August 25 through September 2, Buoy 10 will remain hatchery Chinook only. Hatchery coho may also be retained. Wild Chinook and wild coho must be released.
Beginning September 3, all Chinook must be released in the Buoy 10 fishery, while hatchery coho retention remains open.
ODFW described the early 2026 Buoy 10 Chinook season as “lights out,” with Chinook catches running much higher than managers originally expected.
You can read the latest ODFW announcement here: Hatchery Chinook Only for Buoy 10 Anglers Aug. 25-Sept. 2.
Ocean Coho Fishing Still Good, Closure Coming August 24
The ocean off the mouth of the Columbia River is still producing excellent hatchery coho fishing when the bar and ocean conditions safely allow us to get outside.
The ocean salmon fishery between Leadbetter Point, Washington, and Cape Falcon, Oregon, remains open for hatchery coho today, but it will close at 11:59 p.m. Monday, August 24.
Beginning August 25, possession of salmon aboard a vessel in that ocean area will be prohibited.
Chinook retention is already closed in this ocean area, so right now the ocean fishery is a hatchery coho show.
Fortunately, we have a lot of salmon moving into the Columbia River. With the number of coho showing up and the tremendous number of Chinook already in the river, I expect plenty more action around Buoy 10, Hammond, Astoria, and the lower Columbia as we finish August.
I’ll continue posting reports based on what I’m seeing on my own boat along with what I’m hearing from my guide and charter friends fishing the area every day.
Click here to book a Buoy 10 or Astoria salmon fishing trip.
For more information about my guided salmon trips, visit my Buoy 10 salmon fishing guide page or my Astoria Oregon fishing guide page.
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
The salmon fishing around Astoria has really taken off, both in the ocean and inside the Columbia River.
I have spent the last few days fishing the ocean, and the fishing has been awesome.
Today we limited out with eight hatchery coho salmon. Yesterday was also an outstanding day. We finished with seven coho and one Chinook, which was a great way to wrap up the final day of the ocean Chinook season in this area.
The day before that was also very good in the ocean. There are obviously a tremendous number of coho around right now, and the action has been excellent whenever the Columbia River bar and ocean conditions have allowed us to get outside.
Ocean Chinook Season Closes, Coho Remains Open
As of August 18, Chinook retention and possession is closed in the ocean recreational salmon fishery from Leadbetter Point, Washington, south to Cape Falcon, Oregon, which includes the ocean waters off Astoria and the mouth of the Columbia River.
The good news is that hatchery coho fishing remains open in the ocean.
According to the latest preliminary Oregon and Washington numbers through August 16, anglers had landed 15,894 Chinook, which was 94.7% of the 16,780-fish Chinook guideline for the Columbia River ocean area.
At the same time, anglers had landed 40,655 hatchery coho, or about 79% of the 51,450-fish coho quota.
Fishery managers closed Chinook retention while allowing the hatchery coho season to continue.
You can read the ODFW announcement about the ocean Chinook closure here.
The overall preseason forecast for the Columbia River called for 636,500 adult fall Chinook and 358,700 adult coho in 2026. Judging by what I have been seeing on the water lately, there are definitely a lot of salmon around.
Buoy 10 and the Columbia River Are Picking Up
The other big news is that the Columbia River salmon fishing has really picked up.
In the Buoy 10 and lower Columbia River area, we are currently in the hatchery-only portion of the Chinook season.
I am hearing that the fishing above the Astoria-Megler Bridge has been very, very good, with plenty of Chinook moving through the river.
There are also quite a few coho starting to show up in the lower river. The incoming tide has been producing coho, which is exactly what we want to see as we move deeper into August.
So even though ocean Chinook retention is now closed, we still have two excellent options: chase hatchery coho in the ocean when conditions safely allow, or stay inside and fish the Buoy 10 and lower Columbia River salmon fishery.
With the number of fish showing up right now, I expect some excellent salmon fishing ahead.
Click here to book a Buoy 10, Astoria, or ocean coho salmon fishing trip.
For more information about my guided salmon trips, visit my Buoy 10 salmon fishing guide page or my Astoria Oregon fishing guide page.
2026 Buoy 10 Fishing Reports
The 2026 Buoy 10 salmon season has produced excellent Chinook and coho fishing in the lower Columbia River. Beginning September 3, all Chinook must be released in the Buoy 10 area, but hatchery coho fishing remains open.
I’ll keep posting current Buoy 10, Astoria, Hammond, lower Columbia River, and crabbing updates here throughout the season. These fishing reports include what I’m seeing on the water, how the bite is shaping up, what the river is doing, and where the salmon appear to be moving through the Columbia River estuary.
For more information about guided trips, visit my main Buoy 10 salmon fishing guide page, my Astoria Oregon fishing guide page, or my Oregon Coast crabbing trips page.
Monday, August 3, 2026
The 2026 Buoy 10 salmon season opened Saturday, August 1, and opening weekend did not disappoint.
I had been fishing for salmon out on the ocean before the river season opened, but the ocean was a little sporty Saturday morning. In other words, it was rough enough that some people would not have been comfortable crossing the Columbia River bar. I decided to stay inside and fish the Columbia River estuary.
We were also dealing with some very large minus tides, which can make Buoy 10 salmon fishing more difficult because of the strong current. We started fishing at around 9:30 Saturday morning.
There were salmon being caught during the hard outgoing tide, but the fishing was not red-hot early in the day. However, anglers who stayed out and continued fishing through the high tide did extremely well. Overall, I would say opening day was a success and showed that there are already plenty of salmon entering the Columbia River.
This morning, Monday, August 3, I decided to fish upriver above the Astoria-Megler Bridge. We started at approximately 6:30 a.m., and the action was lights out for the first hour to hour and a half of the day. It was extremely good salmon fishing, with quite a few fish caught throughout the area.
Brad’s Super Baits and SpinFish were my best-producing lures again today. Both have continued to work very well for me while trolling for Buoy 10 and lower Columbia River salmon.
The ocean was rough again today, and the forecast suggests it may remain a little sloppy or sporty for the next few days. Fortunately, we have plenty of good salmon fishing opportunities inside the Columbia River.
I expect the fishing in the river to continue improving as these large tides slow down. Even with the difficult tides, Monday was a very good day on the Columbia River, and the 2026 Buoy 10 season is off to an exciting start.
Click here to book a Buoy 10 or Astoria salmon fishing trip.
Monday, July 27, 2026
Ocean salmon fishing out of Astoria and Hammond was unbelievably good on Friday. We left the Columbia River at around 6 a.m., and the Columbia River bar was a little rough as we crossed. Because of the conditions, I decided to stop and fish near the CR Buoy first.
Right off the bat, we hooked and landed a Chinook salmon, which was an exciting way to start the morning. We had a couple of other bites, but after about 45 minutes, the action slowed down. I decided to reel up the lines and head about five or six miles north.
Once we reached approximately 170 feet of water, it was lights-out coho fishing. We were hooking doubles and triples, and the action was fast. The average coho right now is running around 6 to 10 pounds, so these are nice-sized ocean salmon. Most of the boats that were able to get out were catching plenty of coho.
On Saturday, heavy south winds made the Columbia River bar too rough to safely cross. The winds were blowing around 20 to 30 mph, so most of us chose not to go. I canceled my trip rather than take unnecessary chances with my clients.
Sunday was also windy and a little rough. The boats that did cross the bar and fish the ocean reportedly did extremely well. I decided to stay inside the Columbia River estuary near the Astoria-Megler Bridge and take my clients sturgeon fishing instead.
The sturgeon fishing was phenomenal. The average sturgeon we caught was around 6 to 7 feet long, and we were using anchovies for bait. These big estuary sturgeon provide an incredible fight, especially when hooked in relatively shallow water.
With the Buoy 10 river season opening on August 1, I am extremely excited. I believe there are going to be plenty of Chinook salmon around, and we already know there are large numbers of coho feeding in the ocean.
I plan to continue taking my clients into the ocean as long as the Columbia River bar and ocean conditions safely allow. When the conditions are too rough, we will have the option of fishing inside the Columbia River estuary for salmon or taking advantage of the excellent catch-and-release sturgeon fishing.
Click here to book a Buoy 10 or ocean salmon fishing trip.
Thursday, July 9, 2026
The Buoy 10 river fishery is not open yet, but the salmon season is already getting started out of Astoria and Hammond. When the ocean allows and the Columbia River bar has been calm enough to cross, boats have been getting out and catching lots of coho salmon. There have also been some Chinook caught in the ocean.
Fishing seems to be getting better daily, and that is a great sign as we get closer to the August 1 Buoy 10 opener. Right now, the best action is outside in the ocean when conditions allow, but these fish are staging and moving toward the Columbia River. If this keeps building, I expect the Buoy 10 fishery to be awesome once the river opens.
I’ll be moored in Hammond Marina for the season, right where I need to be for the ocean fishery, the Columbia River estuary, and the Buoy 10 opener. I’ll continue updating this report throughout the 2026 salmon season based on what I’m seeing on my boat and what I’m hearing from my guide and charter friends.
If you want to fish the ocean salmon season or get in on the Buoy 10 salmon opener, now is the time to get your date locked in. The best August and early September dates always go fast.
Click here to book a Buoy 10 salmon fishing trip.
2025 Buoy 10 Reports
Below are last year’s Buoy 10 fishing reports so you can get a feel for the kind of up-to-date information I provide throughout the salmon season.
November 22, 2025
Crabbing is on fire at the mouth of the Columbia River.
On a few recent trips, we put out five pots on the incoming tide and needed less than an hour to soak before we could pull five to six limits of Dungeness crab.
The crab are about 70 percent full at this time, which bodes very well for my peak crabbing trips in November. I think they’re going to be big and full of meat.
Be sure to book that trip to get your holiday crabs.
Friday, September 12, 2025
The Columbia River has really slowed down here in recent days, so of course I’m disappointed. Today, we released two Chinook and kept one hatchery coho, so it’s definitely slower than it had been.
There are some great tides down here this weekend. We’re hoping more fish come in on those tides, but if not, it’s probably wrapping up down here. Fortunately, strong numbers of salmon have gone upriver, and we hopefully will have some great days on the water up around Portland and the Columbia River Gorge when the river reopens on October 1.
Friday, September 5, 2025
Fishing has been excellent above Tongue Point all this week, and there are still plenty of fish in the lower Columbia River.
Saturday is the last day for Chinook salmon retention in this area of the river. Coho fishing has been a bit spottier in the estuary, but it’s still good and remains open for keeping hatchery-marked fish.
Thursday, August 28, 2025
It was definitely a coho rodeo in the Columbia River today. The first seven fish hit the net in the first 45 minutes, and all seven silvers were hatchery keepers.
I’ve heard the whole river has plenty of both coho and kings lately, which bodes well as the season progresses. But I just can’t let another chance for ocean fishing go by, so I’m heading to the big pond on Saturday for that recently added one-day opener.
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Fishing in the Buoy 10 area is simply excellent.
We’re bringing lots of kings and plenty of coho to the net pretty much every time out.
I’ve been catching salmon on Spin-N-Fish, Super Baits, and anchovies. I think the most important thing is just getting in front of their faces. The Oregon side between Hammond and the sawdust pile has been one of my good spots this week.
I’m also hearing there are plenty of fish caught upriver, including Davis Bar clear up to near Bonneville Dam.
The ocean reopens to salmon fishing for one day this Saturday.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Today was a big day with Andy Carson, who was on board to film an upcoming segment of “Andy’s Adventures” for Good Day Oregon on KPTV.
We started across the river on the Oregon side and hooked a coho before deciding to go down and join the crowds at Buoy 10. There was an excellent bite happening at the tide change that we got in on, landing one and losing another before things slowed down a bit.
We decided to head back upriver to get out of the crowds again, and we hooked another keeper before calling it a day.
A day earlier, we did well first thing in the morning on an incoming tide, putting a couple in the boat before the tide changed and fishing slowed down.
Sunday, August 17, 2025
Fishing has been very good in the lower Columbia River in recent days, with lots of coho starting to show along with the kings.
Yesterday my clients canceled late, so my son and I went out for a few hours in the morning and quickly netted two keepers before we headed in to do some maintenance.
We have noticed that there are lots of natives in the river this year. We let four go today.
Thursday, August 14, 2025
Fisheries managers have determined that anglers will soon reach the coho quota for the fishery off the mouth of the Columbia River west of Astoria.
That water, known as the Columbia River Subarea, will be closed to salmon fishing starting this coming Tuesday, August 19. Boats passing through it may not have salmon on board.
That means that, for the near future at least, I will be fishing with clients inside the river within the Buoy 10 management area. It’s nice to have the option of heading out on the Big Pond, where fishing has been on fire for weeks now. Luckily, more and more fish are moving into the Buoy 10 area, so we have lots of salmon catching ahead.
Sunday, August 10, 2025
Today dawned with fog and big tides, so we started late and trolled from the bridge downriver toward Buoy 10, where much of the fleet was or was heading.
At the tide change, I decided to go try off Hammond, and bang-bang, we got two back to back. One was a Chinook and the other a silver. The father and son who chartered the whole boat said they were good to go, and we finished.
There are some really nice-sized coho entering the river now, along with the kings. Overall, there has been a good bite on the incoming tide right at Buoy 10.
Saturday, August 9, 2025
The Columbia River near Astoria is definitely starting to fill up with kings as August continues. There have been a few coho caught in the river as well, but lots more Chinook in the estuary.
Meanwhile, the ocean is still on fire for coho with kings in the mix. Today we had to battle through releasing lots of natives to get all of our keepers, which included hatchery silvers as well as two Chinook.
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
The coho fishing on the ocean west of Astoria is still fast and furious, with early limits the rule on my boat.
There also are quite a few Chinook on the ocean as well, with better catches for the kings in shallower areas.
The Columbia River below the Astoria-Megler Bridge has been producing regular Chinook. I’m not hearing of coho being caught as high as the bridge quite yet, but they have been making it to around Buoy 10.
The river area above Buoy 10 has had relatively little pressure so far, but I expect more boats to be in that area over the coming several days. The ocean forecast calls for rougher conditions than what we’ve enjoyed recently. I also will stick to fishing the estuary for a bit if the ocean forecast holds.
Friday, August 1, 2025
The Buoy 10 area opened up today, and the handful of guys that I talked to who fished the river did very well on Chinook salmon. I know of a few boats that boated five or six kings today.
For my boat, we went back on the ocean where fishing has continued to be on fire every day. In the Pacific, most of the catch continues to be coho, but there are Chinook in the mix as well. Our limits today included seven coho and one Chinook, for example.
By contrast, most of the catch in the river so far are kings, with very few coho heading into the river so far. Of course, that’ll change as the season continues.
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Fishing was definitely on fire today. My clients had their limits in 45 minutes.
Yesterday we also came in with limits, which for the boat was 10 salmon including two Chinook. The majority of the catch continues to be coho.
The ocean was a bit choppy today.
Because I’m still hearing about fish being caught in the Willamette River, I think the lower Columbia River will fish good on opening day Friday because I believe the whole river has fish in it.
Friday, July 25, 2025
It was an amazing day salmon fishing on the ocean today. Lots of fish everywhere, and we even caught two Chinook along with the coho.
Unfortunately, lots of the fish we hooked were wild and had to be let go, but there’s lots of action and shots at keepers.
I’ve had a couple more spots open up, but overall it’s best to reach out to me soon to snag your seats during the busiest season of the year, especially once the Buoy 10 area opens in August. Check my current open seats at this link. I’m doing my best to keep my schedule of open seats updated between trips.
You also can text me at 503-314-5087, and I’ll do what I can to get you in on the action. It’s shaping up to be a great year.
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
The ocean is outstanding for coho fishing. It is just absolutely on fire. How hot? This morning, three anglers in my boat caught limits of six coho within 20 minutes.
I did hear of a few kings being caught, but it’s mainly a coho show right now.
One thing to keep in mind: If you do fish too shallow, you will find jellyfish fouling your lines. Plan to fish deeper to avoid this.
With a flat ocean, some guys ventured farther out to the canyon today and did extremely well on bottom fish.
For the next few days, the forecast calls for great ocean conditions. I see awesome fishing going right along with that.
Friday, July 18, 2025
The ocean finally cooperated today, and the guys that did go out did decent catching coho. However, anglers are having to fight through a lot of jellyfish fouling lines in the water.
Yesterday above the Astoria-Megler Bridge, fishing was surprisingly productive for so early in the year. There were at least a dozen fish caught in that upper estuary. However, today the fishing above the bridge was mostly disappointing as the Chinook run in and out of the river.
Friday, July 11, 2025
Fishing has been excellent in the ocean off of the mouth of the Columbia River, with limits of fat coho being fairly common. The occasional Chinook is finding its way into the net out there as well.
And now Oregon and Washington officials have reopened the mainstem Columbia River above the Astoria-Megler Bridge to hatchery Chinook fishing from July 12 to July 19.
This means that we’ll still have a shot at catching salmon nearby even if the Columbia River bar is too rough to get across.
I’m getting set up at the Hammond Marina for the best salmon fishing of the year. In July, that means either heading onto the Pacific or, for about a week, taking the quick trip above the bridge for Chinook.
Another option open to us is catch-and-release sturgeon fishing on the vast flats in the estuary, where these fish are feeding. Sturgeon hooked in the shallow water very often go airborne, so this is an incredibly fun and action-packed fishery.
The famous Buoy 10 season opens August 1. I have booked a good number of days through Labor Day already, so if you hope to get in on that salmon rodeo, it’s best to reach out sooner rather than later to pick up one of the remaining openings.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
My buddies tell me that the salmon season out on the Pacific Ocean got off to a decent start yesterday. I didn’t hear that it was red hot, but there were limits caught for some boats heading offshore from the Columbia River. Overall, the fishing pressure was very light.
I’ll start my salmon season in a few more weeks when I move the boat down to Hammond. I’m not currently fishing for salmon because my clients are too busy catching and releasing massive sturgeon or stacking up tasty walleye like cordwood in the Columbia River Gorge.
If you’d like a shot at sturgeon and walleye very soon, or want to get in on the world-famous Pacific Ocean and Buoy 10 salmon fishing just around the corner, send me a text or email or give me a call. I’ll get back once we get those fish to the boat.
Friday, May 23, 2025
Oregon and Washington have settled on the 2025 salmon fishing season.
As usual, the season will open August 1. This year the Chinook fishing will go through September 6.
You can keep either fin-clipped or unclipped Chinook from August 1-6 and again from August 26 to September 6. In between those periods, Chinook must be hatchery-marked.
Coho must always be fin-clipped in this fishery. This hatchery silver fishery begins on August 1 but extends through the end of the calendar year, although the best fishing for them is typically in late summer and early fall.
I will again start fishing the ocean ahead of the Buoy 10 opener and keep chasing salmon into the early fall. The fall also brings great crabbing in the Columbia River estuary.
Give me a call if you’d like to get in on the Pacific Northwest’s most reliable salmon fishery.
More Buoy 10 Fishing
Read all about Marvin’s Guide Service Buoy 10 salmon fishing trips.
