Depoe Bay salmon reports, 2020

Just a heads up (I bet that you include retrievals when you say launches) -- it's my experience that surf retrievals are what will get you. Heading out is easy enough - face straight into the waves and don't get super unlucky with your timing. Coming back is a whole different story... Especially with the bow design on the Hobie, which looks like it'll bury under water and quickly put you stern over bow. The boat in my profile picture is an Ocean Kayak Zest 2, which has a similarly designed bow.

Yeah, I figured coming back in would be the tough part. But I'm sure I'm going to eat some sand regardless. Hopefully nothing like the boat in your pick! Is that you!? That looks... exciting. Thanks for the reminder.

Yep - that was me about 2 miles north of Bogue Inlet. Was just horsing around - didn't have any gear on me (that time, at least).

0.09 at Depoe is pretty dismal.

That number is not encouraging, but keep in mind how many charter fishermen were included in that statistic and know that none of them were running salmon gear.

Yep - that was me about 2 miles north of Bogue Inlet. Was just horsing around - didn't have any gear on me (that time, at least).

Woof! Well glad you survived 

That number is not encouraging, but keep in mind how many charter fishermen were included in that statistic and know that none of them were running salmon gear.

Well I hope that is the case. But from the wording it sounded like it was salmon specific (coho + chinook) catch per unit effort. So that wouldn't include people who told the fish checker they were bottom fishing/bottom fishing charters. But it also wasn't clearly laid out, so I'm going to go with your interpretation for the sake of retaining my hope I'll get a ocean salmon this year.

Ok so I was curious enough to dig into the question of catch per unit effort (CPUE) for Depoe and how ODFW was calculating it. The 0.09 CPUE was total salmon effort (# of anglers per week/# of retained coho per week) for the week starting July 20th. Attached is a plot of catch per unit effort per week for Depoe 2020 starting the week of June 29th through August 2nd. Things are looking up as of August 2nd with a total CPUE of 1.25 (including released fish) and a retained CPUE of salmon (chinook and coho) of 0.48  . A few things about this plot:

1. Effort does not differentiate between anglers fishing for chinook or coho, just salmon effort
2. Week start date is on the x axis, so the end of the x is actually Aug 2nd

data from here: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/docs/2020_SOF_Sport_Update.pdf

The bite picked up significantly this week. There was an excellent bite last weekend at the Rockpile (15 miles west of Newport), then the nearshore bite picked up in the 150-180 foot depth range. When they're biting at that contour out of Newport, they're usually biting out of Depoe as well. I fished off friends' boats both Monday and Wednesday evenings out of Newport, and we found good numbers of fish at the 150-160 contour. Some really impressive Chinook are showing up, I saw a few fish caught by friends over 30 pounds.

Bummer that this weekend's swell and north winds are picking back up. If the north wind is sustained and the water cools off, it's like hitting the "reset" button on the bite, scattering the fish.

I have been keeping an eye on it as well.

Man! Wish I would have gotten out more this week! Thanks for the info though. Maybe we'll get lucky and get out one more time before the selective season ends.

Bummer that this weekend's swell and north winds are picking back up. If the north wind is sustained and the water cools off, it's like hitting the "reset" button on the bite, scattering the fish. 

Interesting, do you think the quick water temp drop drives fish/bait deeper into more stable temps?  Or maybe further offshore?

Interesting, do you think the quick water temp drop drives fish/bait deeper into more stable temps?  Or maybe further offshore?

Sustained north winds will spur upwelling of nutrient-rich water from the depths to the surface. That water's cold, often 46-48 degrees. When it lingers near the surface for a while, the food chain will kick into gear and you'll get the phytoplankton blooms, followed by zooplankton and then the bait that eats the zooplankton. But before that happens, the bait has no incentive to stick around in that cold, food-less water, and they'll bail offshore. That's why after a sustained north wind period, the bite often picks up out at the Rockpile (15 miles out) first, then gradually moves inshore the longer the north wind holds off and temperatures start to warm up.

As we get later into the season, this will play less of a role in finding nearshore salmon as fish start to follow their spawning urges. I've come across some amazing salmon bites close to shore in September in clear 47 degree water before.

Sustained north winds will spur upwelling of nutrient-rich water from the depths to the surface. That water's cold, often 46-48 degrees. When it lingers near the surface for a while, the food chain will kick into gear and you'll get the phytoplankton blooms, followed by zooplankton and then the bait that eats the zooplankton. But before that happens, the bait has no incentive to stick around in that cold, food-less water, and they'll bail offshore. That's why after a sustained north wind period, the bite often picks up out at the Rockpile (15 miles out) first, then gradually moves inshore the longer the north wind holds off and temperatures start to warm up.

As we get later into the season, this will play less of a role in finding nearshore salmon as fish start to follow their spawning urges. I've come across some amazing salmon bites close to shore in September in clear 47 degree water before.

Great info thanks!

For what it's worth: last day of the mark-select coho season went out with a dud, at least with regards to salmon. Water was a frigid 48-49 degrees from shore out to 180 feet, with 15+ feet of visibility. I trolled a few nice trash lines and rips, marked bait...but no love. Pretty sure I was the only salmon fisherman out there today.

Silver lining was the lingcod bite. I usually have great success on lings when the water is cold and clear, and today was no exception. I picked up 36 and 38 inchers within 30 minutes of fishing in 130 feet of water.

I love lingcod, but I sure hope the salmon show up for the non-select opener September 4!

Pretty AMayesing!!   That's a lap-fulla-ling.  Excellent. 
Salmon will be forthcoming.