Nestucca River

Boasting a spring and fall Chinook salmon fishery along with both summer and winter steelhead runs, the Nestucca River is as productive a stream, from an angler’s perspective, as you will find along the Oregon coast. Spring Chinook enter the Nestucca beginning from late April into summer, although the season closes for them in mid-June. Peak season is usually mid-May until the season’s end. Fall Chinook arrive by September, holding in tidewater until the first fall freshets send them upriver, generally from October through December. This run usually peaks in mid- to late October. The Chinook runs are a mix of hatchery and wild fish. Both the winter and summer steelhead runs are made up primarily of hatchery fish, although wild fish are present as well. The summer run goes from June into January, peaking in early to mid-July, then again with the fall rains. The winter run lasts from mid-November through May. The hatchery fish peak in late December, while the wild fish tend to come on strong in late March or April. Spring Chinook run in the 18- to 20-pound range while fall fish run a bit larger at 25 to 28 pounds. Steelhead weigh anywhere from 10 to 12 pounds. There are also chum salmon in the Nestucca, but because of the run’s weakness, angling for these fish is no longer allowed. Key Species: Chinook salmon, steelhead.