Pacific Northwest fishing report for the week of September 10, 2026. The Buoy 10 fishery on the lower Columbia is in its coho phase this week, with the chinook mostly through and heading upriver toward the tributaries. The fall chinook are showing in the Willamette and around the Bonneville area, the albacore are still within a long day trip for the offshore boats, and the Puget Sound coho fishing has been solid on the calm mornings.
What’s Hitting
This week the coho are the main catch at Buoy 10, with fish from 8 to 15 pounds feeding on the anchovies and herring in the lower estuary. Fall chinook are moving upriver — the Willamette mouth, the Bonneville area, and the Hanford Reach have all had kings showing up in better numbers. Albacore are offshore in 30 to 50 miles from Westport and Ilwaco, with the boats finding fish on the warm-water breaks. In Puget Sound, coho are on the bait in the central and south sound, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca has had a mix of coho and some late chinook. Sturgeon are in the lower Columbia and the Willamette.
On the coast, the rockfish and lingcod fishing on the reefs out of Newport and Depoe Bay has been steady.
Where to Find Them
For coho at Buoy 10, the Washington side of the estuary near the Church Hole and the Desdemona Sands area on the incoming tide, and the Oregon side near Hammond on the outgoing. Fall chinook are at the mouth of the Willamette and in the Columbia below Bonneville, and in the Hanford Reach near the Vernita Bridge. Albacore are on the temperature breaks 30 to 50 miles offshore — the boats have been running southwest out of Westport and west out of Ilwaco. Puget Sound coho are around the bait schools off Jefferson Head and in the south sound near Point Defiance.
Tides & Conditions
The new moon this weekend brings big tides in the Columbia estuary, which moves the coho through Buoy 10 in waves. Winds have been northwest at 10 to 20 on the coast with afternoon chop, and the bar at the Columbia has been crossable on the calm mornings. River temps are in the upper 60s and dropping. Offshore seas have been 3 to 5 feet, and the albacore trips have been on the best-weather days.
Tackle & Tactics
For coho at Buoy 10, troll a cut-plug herring or a spinner behind a diver or a flasher in the top 20 feet of the water column. Fall chinook upriver want a wobbler or a spinner back-trolled in the current, or a herring on a diver. Albacore are taking trolled clones and cedar plugs, and live anchovies when the fish come up in the chum. Puget Sound coho want a flasher and hoochie or a cut-plug herring on a downrigger in the top 60 feet. Sturgeon want sand shrimp or a smelt on the bottom.
Local Intel This Week
Public ramps: the Ilwaco boat basin ramp and the Chinook ramp serve Buoy 10 on the Washington side, the Hammond marina ramp in Warrenton covers the Oregon side, and the Westport marina ramp is the main launch for the offshore albacore. Upriver, the Kelley Point Park ramp in Portland serves the Willamette mouth and the Vernita Bridge ramp covers the Hanford Reach. In Puget Sound, the Shilshole ramp and the Point Defiance ramp are the busiest launches. Fish are concentrating in the lower estuary on the tide changes and around the bait schools in the sound. Check current WDFW and ODFW regulations before keeping fish — the Buoy 10 chinook retention rules change during the season, wild coho must be released in many areas, and the albacore and rockfish limits should be confirmed.
This Week’s Tip
At Buoy 10 in the coho phase, the fish are in the top 20 feet and moving fast with the tide. Run your gear shallow and troll with the tide, not against it, so your bait moves at the same speed as the fish. Most anglers troll too deep for coho and against the current, which pulls the bait past the fish too fast.
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