 | Winchester Creek flows into the inner harbor at Winchester Bay. There is no
fishing on the South side of the bridge and the bridge is just three blocks from
Highway 101 on Salmon Harbor Drive.
|
| before the bridge (on Salmon Harbor Drive) crosses over the creek there are
some parking spaces and a S.T.E.P. sign. A trench runs parallel to the road and
many fish are pulled from these pools.
|
| just before the bridge there is a right hand turn called Beach Boulevard.
Travel down to the first left called Coho Point and go to the end. This is the
shortest distance across this part of the harbor and a solid fishing spot.
|
| on the North side of Pizza Ray’s restaurant is another trench and from
Beach Boulevard to the end of Coho Point there is quality fishing.
|
| go back to Beach Boulevard and travel north about 1/16th of a mile to Bay
Front Loop. On the South side of Kitty’s Kitchen is another series of pools
and people will sit eating their pie and watching you bring in the catch.
|
| go back to Salmon Harbor Drive, turn right, and cross over the bridge. Look
to the right as you are crossing over and you will see fisherman strung out
along the bank. The best fishing is closest to the bridge but the trench on this
side runs all the way from the bridge up to just opposite Coho Point.
|
| on Salmon Harbor Drive take the second right after the bridge (Marina Way)
and go to the end of the street (about 1/4 of a mile) where it ends in a parking
lot. The best fishing is on the West side of the point at the very tip (locals
call this Osprey Point).
|
| on Salmon Harbor Drive about a half mile down the road from the bridge is a
left hand turn onto Lighthouse Road. Do not take the turn but find a parking
space on Salmon Harbor Drive and cross over to the embankment area. There can be
rough water here and at low tide and some exposed rocks to get you off the
embankment and into the bay.
|
| Quite a few other spots exist all within this mile-long stretch of the road
from Salmon Harbor to Lighthouse Road: West of the Old Coast Guard dock; the
west side of the Winchester Bay RV Resort jetty. Vehicles with four wheel drive
can get you out further toward an area called the triangle and the north side of
the South jetty closer to the bar. |
Boat Launching
Douglas County and the city of Reedsport have free boat ramps along with
parking for the trailers along the Umpqua. Driving down Route 38 from Scottsburg
to Reedsport there are several parks which are easy to find when the fish are up
river. In Reedsport, in the area of the Discovery Center, there are two access
points within 200 yards. One east of the Discovery Center and one west. Parking
of trailers is available adjacent to the East ramp but you have to travel around
the dike wall. You will see other trailers parked there. Traveling up Highway
101 about half a mile north of the junction of Highways 38 and 101 is Bolan
Island which has an access point on the Smith River which flows into the Umpqua
within 300 yards.
Winchester Bay’s ramps are controlled by Salmon Harbor Management and there
is a fee associated with their use. One area is adjacent to the Coast Guard
Station at the north end of Beach Boulevard and the other is near the end of the
West spit or Ork Rock Road near Umpqua Aquaculture Oyster Farm.
River Fishing
| the Umpqua is a long river and as fresh water enters the river the fish move
upstream from the mouth. Where to fish depends upon whether the fish have
entered the river and if they are moving upstream. The local bait and tackle
shops should be able to tell you the best areas.
|
| just East of the Scottsburg bridge hugging the North bank there is a turn in
the river. It is usually well populated with boats.
|
| the wide area east of the railroad bridge near Highway 101 and the Umpqua
Discovery Center and continuing west for about three miles is a favored section.
Here the Smith and the Umpqua join for the first time and it is a good resource.
|
| just West of the Highway 101 bridge is another favorite section early in the
Fall.
|
| beyond the bar at times can be a holding tank for fish: how far out, how
deep and exactly where depends on the temperature of the water, the currents and
the like. This involves crossing the bar and should be done with care and with
lifejackets on. Watch the weather as it can change quickly and only use a vessel
that is in good repair and large enough for ocean waves.
|
| other favorite spots are Half Moon Bay, the area off of the South spit, as
well as areas around the islands near Gardiner. While just a short drive from
Winchester Bay to Reedsport, the river is three times as long and has many spots
favored by the local fishermen. |
Have some great fishing.
Joe Coyne
Fishing at
Winchester Bay/Salmon Harbor, Oregon
Tim Hendricks from Portland, Oregon with a pair of 25#
Chinook. Both were caught on the Umpqua River bar during the 2004 run. Dandy
Catch!
(Photo courtesy of River's
End Guide Service)
Captain Scott Howard and crewman Robert
Strassmeir with the 62-inch/ 115-pound halibut caught in May of 2004 out of
Winchester Bay/Salmon Harbor. Photo courtesy of Strike
Zone Charters.
Did you know that Winchester Bay fishing charters offer the
ultimate in deep sea fishing including participating in the Pacific Halibut
spring season. There is also a strong Summer Pacific Halibut season combined
with Albacore Tuna fishing. They call it this Oregon Grand Slam.
These are long range trips of twenty five miles to the Heceta Banks. It takes
about three hours to journey to these rich fishing grounds that rival anywhere
in the world. There you can find not only halibut but also rockfish, lingcod and
occasionally salmon. Along the way passengers can often see migrating orcas and
whales.
This year vessels caught quality fish for their passengers. The last week of the
spring halibut season saw catches rivaling those caught in Alaska. Passengers
took home halibut to 100 lbs.
If you are thinking of Pacific Halibut fishing in Oregon, please consider
charter offices in Winchester Bay. Strike Zone Charters provides the finest in
service and equipment to chase Pacific Halibut or wild Oregon Salmon.
A great day of salmon fishing - Strike Zone Captain Scott
Howard.
(Photo courtesy of Strike
Zone Charters)
Fishing Regulations in Oregon: ODFW
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