I provide firsthand Buoy 10 fishing reports from my guided trips around Astoria, Hammond, and the lower Columbia River. During the season, my boat is moored at Hammond Marina.
Final 2026 season update: September 30, 2026. Monday, September 28, was my last Buoy 10 salmon trip of the year. We finished with three coho and about 20 Dungeness crab after the incoming tide brought a better bite. My 2026 Buoy 10 guiding season is wrapped up, and this page now holds my final report and earlier season updates.
Thank you to everyone who fished with Marvin’s Guide Service this year. It is never too early to book prime dates for the 2027 Buoy 10 salmon season. Ask about your preferred 2027 dates, or call or text me at 503-314-5087.
Final Buoy 10 Fishing Report — Monday, September 28, 2026
My last day of Buoy 10 fishing for the season started slowly. We began trolling downriver from the Astoria-Megler Bridge, and within the first hour we caught one very small coho that was too small to keep. There was not much happening on that first stretch.
When the tide changed and started coming in, I decided it was a good time to drop the crab pots. We set our pots near Buoy 20, then made a fishing pass out toward Buoy 10. That was still quiet, so I headed for one of my old favorite trolls: the sawdust pile down toward Hammond.
That move paid off. We caught another coho, and just a few minutes later we had a double. Things were finally looking good. We also released a couple of fish and kept working that stretch for another couple of hours. The coho fishing turned out to be pretty good on the incoming tide.
We ended the trip a little early because my guys had a long drive home. We finished the day keeping three coho and about 20 Dungeness crab. Crabbing is definitely improving. I would estimate the crab we brought in were about 60% full, with more meat than we were seeing earlier in the season.
A slow morning turned into a good finish, with salmon and crab to take home. That was my final Buoy 10 salmon trip of 2026.
Thank You for Fishing With Me in 2026
To everyone who stepped aboard this season: thank you for fishing with me. Many of you have joined me time and time again over the years, and I appreciate that more than you know. Your continued support means a lot to me and to Marvin’s Guide Service.
I also welcomed many new clients this year. Thank you for choosing me to take you fishing and for spending your day on the water with me. I hope this was the first of many trips together.
From the busy coho bites to the mornings when we had to move around and work for our fish, I appreciate everyone who shared the season with me. It is the people aboard the boat who make these trips memorable, and I look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new anglers next year.
Book Your 2027 Buoy 10 Salmon Fishing Trip
It is never too early to book prime dates for 2027. If you have a favorite time to fish Buoy 10, or need to coordinate a trip with family and friends, contact me now so we can talk about your preferred dates.
My Buoy 10 trips fish the lower Columbia River around Astoria and Hammond for fall Chinook and coho, depending on the season and regulations. For trip details, visit my Buoy 10 salmon fishing guide page or learn more about fishing with me in Astoria.
2027 season dates, salmon retention rules, and daily limits will be added when fisheries managers announce them. Contact me to discuss booking; trips will follow the openings and regulations in effect.
Call or text Marvin at 503-314-5087, email fast2fish@msn.com, or send a 2027 Buoy 10 trip inquiry.
Fall Crabbing Around Astoria and Hammond
My Buoy 10 salmon guiding season has ended, but you can still ask about October and November Dungeness crabbing trips around Astoria and Hammond aboard my covered and heated boat. The crab were improving on our final salmon trip, and fall crabbing is a great reason to get back on the water.
Visit my Oregon Coast crabbing page for trip information, or contact me about a crabbing date.
Fishing Regulations and Report Archive
These are dated trip reports from my 2026 and 2025 seasons. Catch reports and regulation references describe those dates and should not be used as current fishing rules. The end of my guiding season does not mean the Buoy 10 fishery is closed. Check ODFW’s current Columbia River regulation updates before fishing.
Earlier 2026 Buoy 10 Fishing Reports
Sunday, September 27, 2026
There are still plenty of coho around Astoria, Hammond, and Buoy 10. Friday’s windstorm made fishing impractical, but conditions were fishable on Saturday. After the rain, it looked like a fresh push of coho had moved into the lower Columbia River. There were plenty of coho caught Saturday, along with a few Chinook during the two-day retention opening.
Sunday was a little slower, but quite a few coho were still caught down low on the high-water push. I also know of coho being caught farther upriver near the Astoria-Megler Bridge. The fish were spread through the lower river, giving us several places to look depending on the tide and conditions.
Crabbing is definitely improving. The Dungeness crab are getting harder as we move farther into fall. We can set crab pots, fish for coho while they soak, and pull them on the way back to Hammond when conditions allow.
Monday, September 28, begins the return to hatchery coho retention only at Buoy 10; all Chinook must be released. I’m looking forward to seeing what this next push of coho does. I believe there are still plenty of coho in the ocean that have yet to enter the Columbia River.
Monday, September 14, 2026
The coho rodeo is still in full swing around Astoria, Hammond, and Buoy 10.
For the last couple of days, I have been launching from Hammond Marina and starting above the checkerboard. We have been trolling the shallow water over the sands using Brad’s Super Baits and SpinFish.
The fishing has been very productive for coho. Yesterday, we released quite a few wild coho along with numerous undersized coho that were too small to retain. I believe we caught and released approximately 14 coho during the day. There was plenty of action while we worked toward our hatchery keepers.
When the tide switched and started coming in, we headed downriver toward Buoy 10. We pointed the boat toward the buoy and allowed the strong incoming current to push us backward while continuing to troll.
We kept fishing with Brad’s Super Baits and SpinFish, along with one outside rod rigged with an anchovy. Every presentation was catching fish. We had doubles and triples, with lots of coho coming to the boat.
We have also been dropping Dungeness crab pots during our salmon trips. We set the pots in the morning, fish for coho while they soak, and pull the pots on our way back to Hammond Marina. The crab are beginning to firm up, although I would not call them completely full yet. They should continue getting better as we move farther into fall.
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Yesterday’s incoming tide turned Buoy 10 into a complete coho rodeo.
We left Hammond Marina and headed downriver. With low tide approaching, I started trolling near Buoy 20. Fishing began slowly, but within the first hour we hooked and released a nice Chinook and had a couple of other good takedowns.
At low-water slack, I reeled everything up and said, “Let’s go to Buoy 10.” Just as the incoming tide started pushing, coho were everywhere. Boats were catching fish, and it did not take us long to catch our limit of hatchery coho.
The coho we were catching averaged approximately 8 to 12 pounds, with some bigger fish mixed in. As more fish move through the estuary, I plan to target them farther upriver, including above the Astoria-Megler Bridge.
Beginning September 12, the daily adult limit from Buoy 10 to the west Puget Island line increased to three hatchery coho. This describes the rules at that time; check ODFW for current regulations.
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
The last two days of ocean salmon fishing out of Astoria and Hammond were a coho rodeo. We caught easy limits of hatchery coho both days, releasing many wild coho along the way. We did not catch a Chinook on either ocean trip.
The ocean recreational salmon fishery between Leadbetter Point, Washington, and Cape Falcon, Oregon, closed at 11:59 p.m. September 8. After that ocean opening ended, I turned my attention to coho fishing inside the lower Columbia River.
We have also been offering coho and Dungeness crab combination trips: set the pots, fish for hatchery coho while they soak, and pull the pots before returning to Hammond Marina. Check ODFW’s ocean salmon updates for any later ocean season changes.
Monday, September 7, 2026
Ocean coho fishing out of Astoria and Hammond has been excellent during the short September reopening. We hooked a tremendous number of salmon and released plenty of wild coho while working toward our limits of hatchery keepers.
The reopening was scheduled to end at 11:59 p.m. September 8. I was looking forward to the next push of coho into the Columbia River and planned to keep targeting hatchery fish inside the river around Buoy 10, Hammond, Astoria, and above the Astoria-Megler Bridge.
Sunday, September 6, 2026
Coho fishing in the lower Columbia River has been very good, especially on the incoming tide. I stayed inside and fished around Buoy 10 today. Yesterday, the outgoing-tide troll from the sawdust pile toward Hammond also produced a lot of coho.
SpinFish and Super Baits have been my best-producing lures, running approximately 20 to 25 feet deep. At the time of this report, all Chinook in the Buoy 10 area had to be released.
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
There are tons of coho salmon in the lower Columbia River right now. We have been hooking plenty of fish, but also releasing many wild coho while looking for hatchery keepers.
Monday was especially good: we landed eight salmon, and all eight were hatchery coho we could keep. The coho we have been catching are beautiful fish averaging approximately 10 to 15 pounds.
September 2 was the final day of the season’s earlier hatchery Chinook retention period at Buoy 10. Beginning September 3, all Chinook had to be released under the rules then in effect.
Crabbing in the Columbia River has also been good. The crab have been slowly filling out with more meat and should continue improving as fall progresses.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
There are a lot of salmon in the lower Columbia River, and today the coho fishing was phenomenal.
Yesterday, fishing above the Astoria-Megler Bridge was lights out. We could not troll more than 15 to 20 feet without hooking another salmon. We released a few wild fish and put four hatchery keepers in the boat.
Today I started above the bridge again, but fishing was slow. I moved downriver and trolled from the sawdust pile toward Hammond. Fishing in front of Hammond was lights out. We caught six wild salmon in a row that had to be released, then turned around and caught four hatchery keepers in a row.
I also heard reports of a strong incoming-tide bite near Ilwaco. There were lots of coho around, although anglers sometimes had to work through wild fish to find hatchery keepers.
Friday, August 21, 2026
Fishing started slowly today, then improved around the tide change. We began seeing more nets flying, and lots of coho were moving into the river. There were also many Chinook in the Columbia, including wild fish we released while looking for legal keepers.
ODFW announced that August 25 through September 2 would remain hatchery Chinook only at Buoy 10. It also announced that all Chinook would have to be released beginning September 3 under the rules then in effect.
Ocean hatchery coho fishing near the Columbia River mouth was still good when bar and ocean conditions allowed us to get outside. That ocean salmon fishery was scheduled to close at 11:59 p.m. August 24. Read the August 21 ODFW announcement.
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Salmon fishing around Astoria has taken off in both the ocean and the Columbia River. Today we limited out with eight hatchery coho. Yesterday we finished with seven coho and one Chinook.
As of August 18, ocean Chinook retention and possession were closed between Leadbetter Point and Cape Falcon, while hatchery coho fishing remained open at that time. Fishing above the Astoria-Megler Bridge was also reported to be good, and more coho were showing up in the lower river, particularly on the incoming tide.
The 2026 preseason Columbia River forecast called for 636,500 adult fall Chinook and 358,700 adult coho.
Monday, August 3, 2026
The Buoy 10 salmon season opened August 1, and opening weekend did not disappoint. The ocean was a little sporty Saturday morning, so I stayed inside the Columbia River estuary.
Large minus tides made the current strong. This morning I fished above the Astoria-Megler Bridge, where the action was lights out for the first hour to hour and a half. Brad’s Super Baits and SpinFish were my best-producing lures.
Monday, July 27, 2026
Ocean salmon fishing out of Astoria and Hammond was unbelievably good Friday. At approximately 170 feet of water, we found lights-out coho fishing with doubles and triples.
Heavy south winds made the Columbia River bar too rough to safely cross Saturday, so I canceled my trip. Sunday was also windy; I stayed inside the estuary and took my clients sturgeon fishing, which was phenomenal.
Thursday, July 9, 2026
The Buoy 10 river salmon season had not opened yet, but ocean salmon fishing out of Astoria and Hammond was underway. When the ocean and Columbia River bar allowed safe access, boats were catching plenty of coho along with some Chinook. I planned to moor at Hammond Marina for the ocean fishery, estuary fishing, and Buoy 10 opener.
Selected 2025 Buoy 10 Reports
These archived reports show how fishing changed through last year’s season. They are historical trip reports, not current fishing regulations.
November 22, 2025
Crabbing was on fire at the mouth of the Columbia River. On recent trips, we set five pots on the incoming tide and needed less than an hour before pulling five to six limits of Dungeness crab.
Friday, September 12, 2025
The Columbia River had slowed in recent days. Today we released two Chinook and kept one hatchery coho.
Friday, September 5, 2025
Fishing above Tongue Point had been excellent all week, with plenty of fish still in the lower Columbia River.
Thursday, August 28, 2025
It was a coho rodeo in the Columbia River. Our first seven silvers hit the net in 45 minutes, and all seven were hatchery keepers.
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Fishing around Buoy 10 was excellent, with kings and coho coming to the net. SpinFish, Super Baits, and anchovies were producing. The Oregon side between Hammond and the sawdust pile was one of my good areas.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Andy Carson joined us to film an “Andy’s Adventures” segment for Good Day Oregon. We found a strong bite around the tide change at Buoy 10 before heading upriver and hooking another keeper.
Sunday, August 17, 2025
Fishing was very good in the lower Columbia River, with more coho starting to show alongside the kings.
Sunday, August 10, 2025
At the tide change I tried fishing off Hammond. We caught a Chinook and a coho back to back.
Saturday, August 9, 2025
The Columbia River near Astoria was filling with kings. The ocean was producing fast coho fishing with some Chinook mixed in.
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Ocean coho fishing west of Astoria was fast, and my boat was getting early limits.
Friday, August 1, 2025
The Buoy 10 river season opened and anglers fishing inside did well on Chinook. My boat returned to the ocean, where our limits included seven coho and one Chinook.
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Fishing was on fire. My clients had their limits in 45 minutes.
Friday, July 25, 2025
We had an amazing day salmon fishing in the ocean, catching lots of coho and two Chinook.
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Ocean coho fishing was outstanding. Three anglers caught limits of six coho within 20 minutes.
Join Me at Buoy 10 in 2027
Thank you again to my returning clients and everyone who fished with me for the first time in 2026. I appreciate your support and look forward to another season together.
Get in touch early about your preferred 2027 Buoy 10 dates. Call or text 503-314-5087, email fast2fish@msn.com, or send a trip inquiry online.
For updates from the water, follow the Marvin’s Guide Service Facebook page.
