Umpqua River fishing: Cabezon, Coho Salmon

Target species: Cabezon, Coho Salmon
Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct for Cabezon
Second window: Apr, May, Oct, Nov for Coho Salmon
Boat: 9 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Salmon Harbor - East Basin, 3 lanes.

The estuary

Umpqua River covers 7,033 acres in Oregon, across Douglas County. It is an estuary: the deepest point measured is at least 84 feet (25.6 m). Our records hold 3 species for this water.

Umpqua River Pacific Ocean.jpg
Bob Heims, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Public domain

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 84 ft (25.6 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. We hold 96 depth contours for this water, drawn from 18,922 soundings.

2 target fish, led by Cabezon

  • Cabezon — Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
  • Coho Salmon — Best months: Apr, May, Oct, Nov.

Also recorded here: Prickly Sculpin.

Hunt Cove from the Shoreline - panoramio.jpg
A'eron Blackman · CC BY 3.0

Water and conditions

Water temperature averages 66°F across the year. The coldest single reading we hold is 42°F and the warmest is 87°F; the warmest monthly average is 69°F. pH averages 7.4. These readings span 2018–2025.

Monthly average water temperature: Jan 47°F · Feb 46°F · Mar 49°F · Apr 53°F · May 58°F · Jun 63°F · Jul 69°F · Aug 69°F · Sep 65°F · Oct 56°F · Nov 51°F · Dec 49°F

9 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 9 trailer ramps.

  • Salmon Harbor - East Basin — 3 lanes, restrooms. Salmon Harbor Marina. phone 541-271-3407 · website salmonharbormarina.com
  • Rainbow Plaza — 2 lanes, restrooms. phone 541-271-3603 · website cityofreedsport.org
  • Salmon Harbor - West Basin — 2 lanes, restrooms. Salmon Harbor Marina. phone 541-271-3407 · website salmonharbormarina.com
  • Bolin Island — 1 lane, restrooms. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. phone 541-957-7001 · website oregon.gov/oprd/pages/index.aspx
  • Bumble Bee — 1 lane. phone 541-271-3603 · website cityofreedsport.org
  • Gardiner Ramp — 1 lane. Douglas County. phone 541-957-7001 · website co.douglas.or.us/parks
  • Noel Ranch Boat Launch — 1 lane, restrooms. On Smith River (Douglas), U.S. Forest Service. phone 541-750-7000 · website fs.usda.gov/r6 · hours: Open Year-Round, 6am-10pm daily
  • Scottsburg Park — 1 lane, restrooms. Douglas County. phone 541-957-7001 · website co.douglas.or.us/parks
  • Umpqua Wayside State Park — 1 lane, restrooms. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. phone 800-551-6949 · website oregon.gov/oprd/pages/index.aspx

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 9 places in this list: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Season by season

  • Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, 46–49°F) — Steady but no peak: Coho Salmon.
  • Spring (Apr, May, Jun, 53–63°F) — Biting: Cabezon, Coho Salmon.
  • Summer (Jul, Aug, Sep, 65–69°F) — Biting: Cabezon. Steady but no peak: Coho Salmon.
  • Fall (Oct, Nov, 51–56°F) — Biting: Cabezon, Coho Salmon.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 7,033 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Winter water drops to 46°F, and the warm-water species stop feeding well before you do.

Where this data comes from

  • USACE eHydro — USACE eHydro channel surveys: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: soundings: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA National Bathymetric Source (S-102 ed3.0.0) — NOAA S-102 bathymetric surfaces: contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.