Idaho Fish Report
The steelhead rivers in the Coos Basin are either at a fishable level or should be fishable by the weekend
by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
1-24-2024
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Anglers can catch rockfish around the jetties in the lower Coos Bay estuary. Best fishing is typically near slack tides with good fishing one day and fair fishing the next. A jig fished with a twister tail trailer is always a good option to catch bottomfish.
The 2024 daily general marine fish bag limit is 5 fish plus 2 lingcod with no retention of yelloweye or quillback rockfish. There is no harvest of cabezon until July 1.
The steelhead rivers in the Coos Basin are either at a fishable level or should be fishable by the weekend, all depending on how much more rain we receive. With plenty of rain in the forecast, steelhead anglers should take advantage of any window to fish since the river may be blown out in the near future.
Anglers wanting to fish the West Fork Millicoma River should be aware of a landslide blocking all traffic on the West Fork Millicoma county road. The County Road Department will be working on clearing the slide but there is not timeframe when the road will be open.
As the water levels drop, the West Fork Millicoma River will become fishable first followed by the East Fork Millicoma and South Fork Coos rivers. Steelhead anglers had been having success drifting egg patterns or fishing a jig under a bobber.
Anglers wanting to fish the South Fork Coos River above Dellwood will need a permit from Weyerhaeuser. Steelhead anglers can find bank access on the East Fork Millicoma at Nesika Park and on the West Fork Millicoma at Millicoma Interpretive Center/Scout Camp.
Trout fishing is closed in the rivers until May 22, 2024.