Oregon Coast River Fishery Ideas for Newcomer in June

[speedbird]

Planning a surprise anniversary trip to Seaside OR with the GF this June, she isn't crazy about fishing but loves to participate occasionally when I take her. She doesn't have the heart to kill fish so catch and release fisheries are perfect. She can cast a spin rod just fine (Still waiting to get her on a fly rod) and I have no issue teaching her how to read water or the correct way to retrieve a lure or strip a fly, and I am sure she will be able to handle a bigger fish. My main question is what fisheries in the area are decent enough in numbers to keep her engaged. Summer Steelhead is out of the question I think, but I am considering Spring/Summer Kings, are they around in enough numbers to be a decent target? What about Sea Run Cutthroat fisheries? Any river suggestions in PM are greatly appreciated but not at all expected, I am making my own lists of rivers but the main thing I want to narrow down is what fishery to target.

Surf Perch are on my mind but that's more of an alternative if I can't find any Salmonid fisheries

 

[adamcu280]

Seaside OR + "...Likes long walks on the beach" (that part's an assumption) + spinning rod + relative neophyte/occasional participant + want to actually catch something = surf perch. Bring your trout spinning rod, a Carolina rig and some Gulp! sand worms and you're set.

Kind of all depends on if this is an "anniversary trip to the beach with maybe some fishing attached" vs. "Speedbird's going to target some fish while the gal watches and hopefully doesn't get bored" type of trip.

 

[speedbird]

Seaside OR + "...Likes long walks on the beach" (that part's an assumption) + spinning rod + relative neophyte/occasional participant + want to actually catch something = surf perch. Bring your trout spinning rod, a Carolina rig and some Gulp! sand worms and you're set.

Kind of all depends on if this is an "anniversary trip to the beach with maybe some fishing attached" vs. "Speedbird's going to target some fish while the gal watches and hopefully doesn't get bored" type of trip.

The gal doesn't mind relaxing and watching for a little bit haha, and if the scenery is nice enough I am sure she would give me a couple hours to try my luck. We are also planning to go a little further south down to the Heceta Head area to check out Thors Well and the lighthouse, and probably will spend a night somewhere around there too

 

[Evan B]

The Wilson River can have some sea run cutthroat. Drive up to where the river meets the road past the farm lands and find fishy water.

Might be a bit late for chinook, but the Trask is the place for that. But it's a "fish the hatchery holes" situation. The hatchery stretch is pretty fun to fish though.

 

[justme2024]

It might be a little early for productive SRC in the rivers. If you can find moving water in the estuary though you could probably get a few, I've had some luck fishing around bridges that restrict the tide as it flows into tidal marshes. I think the most productive salmonid fishing you'll be able to find on the coast in June is for resident trout.

Going for rockfish off the Columbia jetty could also be worth looking into, although I have no experience with that type of fishing. might be able to get shad off the jetty too, not sure though.