Fall Chinook salmon run from late August through mid-December
Tillamook Bay is home to some of the region’s top fishing guides. Salmon fishing in the Bay isn’t easy, that’s why the region’s fishing guides have had to hone their skills to become effective fishing guides in pursuit of Tillamook’s premier runs of salmon and steelhead.
Tillamook Bay is the home of some of the largest fall Chinook salmon that return on the Oregon Coast. With five rivers coming into Tillamook Bay (Wilson River, Trask River, Kilchis River, Miami River and the Tillamook River), you can understand why the salmon returns are so robust. The fall Chinook salmon return on Tillamook Bay also runs for an extended time period. Fall salmon return to Tillamook Bay from late August through mid-December, with Chinook salmon occasionally eclipsing 35 pounds in weight.
There are a lot of fishing guides that operate in Tillamook Bay, it’s difficult for a newcomer to the sport of fishing to choose the one that best fits your family or friend’s needs. Of course you want someone that is knowledgeable on how to catch salmon in the Bay, but who is also fun to spend the day with. Collectively, our fishing guides have well over 30 years of professional fishing guide experience fishing Tillamook Bay and its rivers, fully understanding how important it is for you and your family or friends to experience a great time fishing the beautiful Oregon Coast. Our fishing guides have families too, so they know the meaning of what it’s like to have a companion reel in their first salmon, it’s why we love our jobs so much.
Tillamook Bay Fishing is more than just reeling in fish however. The history, beauty and intrigue is also what draws fishermen and women to the area. It is Oregon’s 2nd largest estuary and also harbors abundant wildlife and sea birds too. Whales, porpoise, seals and sea lions also frequent these waters, making for more than just a fishing trip. The Bay also has abundant numbers of Dungeness crab and if conditions are right, anglers can find themselves going home with a bounty of fish and fresh Dungeness crab, a sure hit with all your family and friends.
Our Tillamook Bay fishing guides have spent countless hours on the water in pursuit of salmon, steelhead, halibut, crab, bottomfish and even tuna. We know when it’s safe and fun to operate, where and what to do to maximize your experience, and how best to prepare your catch for consumption. Your fun and exciting experience is our priority, just read through some of our customer reviews!
Tillamook Bay Fishing
Our Tillamook Bay fishing guides have fished for it all, and will offer you an array of opportunities based on your desires, and what fishery is performing the best. With over 30 years of experience, our Tillamook Bay fishing guides know when to be where to offer you the best chance at a fish of a lifetime.
Our Tillamook Bay fishing guides are local. We know the people, we know the places, and we know the fish. We’re anchored in our communities. There’s a reason we’ve settled on the shores of Tillamook Bay, it’s where we want to raise our families, where we want to work and where we want to play. We’ve spent our career taking anglers fishing from all over the world, introducing them to the magic that Tillamook Bay has to offer. Tillamook Bay is our home and guided fishing trips is our business.
Our Tillamook Bay fishing guide boats are top shelf. You’ll fish from our comfortable 25′ jet sled on Tillamook Bay, the lower Wilson River, Trask River, Tillamook River or Kilchis River or even in the Pacific Ocean in pursuit of salmon, sturgeon, halibut, bottomfish or crab. If your desire is to driftboat fish for salmon or steelhead on the Wilson River, Kilchis River or Trask River, we have you covered there too. Our fishing guide boats are spacious, comfortable and efficient at catching salmon or steelhead no matter where we go on a guided fishing trip.
What to Bring On Your Tillamook Bay Fishing Guide Trip
Absolutely no drugs of any kind allowed on board. Drugs and even drug paraphernalia can cost us our guide license and our career. There are no exceptions until further notice.
We are decades long professional fishing guides, not magicians. What makes us effective is not only decades of experience, but the fact we fish almost every day of the peak season. We know the patterns, habits and behaviors of these fish, and have a large network of other professional fishing guides that keep us in the know about when to be where, the key element in our consistent success.
We employ our experience and our network to offer you the best chance at catching fish. Of course it doesn’t always work out, we’re as disappointed as you are, but we guarantee you’ll leave Tillamook Bay knowing more about the fish and fishing, while making a friend that has invested our lifetimes into creating awesome experiences. You’ll rarely go away empty-handed, but you’ll always go away satisfied knowing we tried our best to make your Tillamook Bay guided fishing trip the best it could be.
If your Tillamook Bay guided fishing trip is all that we strive for, your fishing guide will make sure your catch is preserved as best as possible for your consumption. Hands down, there is no finer flavor than fresh caught salmon or steelhead, we make sure your catch is kept fresh and properly processed for you and your family and friends to enjoy to the fullest. Taking home fresh salmon, steelhead, halibut, rockfish and/or crab can make one a hero with family and friends, as a matter of fact, you may not want to tell anyone of your success, you’ll have “friends” come out of the woodwork that you never knew you had!
If you’re from out of town, or want your catch preserved for long-term storage, vacuum packing, freezing and shipping are all local options we can assist with.
Tillamook Bay Guided Fishing Trips on Tillamook Bay
Although Tillamook Bay guided fishing trips is our specialty, our guides have a lifetime of experience on all north Oregon coast river and bay systems. Whether you want to fish Tillamook Bay, Nehalem Bay or Nehalem River, Nestucca Bay or the Nestucca River, the Wilson River or Kilchis River, The Trask River or Necanicum River or of course the lower Columbia River for salmon, steelhead or sturgeon, we know it, and we know it well.
A variety of conditions calls for a multitude of options. In the “Land of Many Waters,” (That’s what the Native American name “Tillamook” means), if one river is too high or too low, we have other options. If one estuary isn’t producing, we have other options. If the Pacific Ocean is too rough, we have other options. We’re blessed on the north Oregon coast to have so many options to catch our target species, which ensures your Tillamook area guided fishing trip offers you the best chance possible for success.
Our Area Rivers and Bays Are Some of the Most Beautiful in the Pacific Northwest
Draining the vast acreage of the Tillamook State Forest, the Tillamook Bay landscape is laden with productive rivers and streams that the area’s wild and hatchery salmon and steelhead call home. Furthermore, the nearshore waters of Tillamook Bay offer incredible opportunity for a multitude of fish and shellfish for anyone to enjoy. Our fisheries are managed by science and our opportunity based on abundance. Although salmon and steelhead returns vary by year, we always seem to have the good fortune and opportunity to harvest or catch and release some of the world’s most iconic species. Your Tillamook Bay fishing guides stand ready to be your ambassadors.
The cold, clean, rugged waters of Tillamook Bay mold the area’s strong and robust runs of salmon and steelhead, making them some of the finest sportfish in North America. Tillamook Bay’s salmon and steelhead grow large and produce unparalleled fight and vigor on our light gear and equipment. We frequently catch salmon to 30 pounds in 6 to 10 feet of water, driving them wild once hooked.
Tillamook Fishing Guides for Tillamook Salmon and Steelhead
Another attractive feature that makes Tillamook Bay and the Wilson River so popular with anglers is not only its abundant runs of salmon and steelhead, but also its proximity to Portland, Oregon. Tillamook Bay, the Wilson River, Trask River and Kilchis River are only about a 1.5 hour scenic drive through the Tillamook State Forest from Portland. Whether you’re arriving by air, land or sea, you’re just a short drive from a major metropolitan area, yet in the wilds of the preserved and beautiful rugged Oregon coast.
Although Tillamook has abundant returns of hatchery salmon and steelhead, wild salmon and steelhead still return in abundance as well to Tillamook Bay and its tributaries such as the Wilson River. We often practice catch and release for sensitive wild stocks of salmon and steelhead but some runs remain robust enough to harvest these incredible crown jewels of the Oregon coast.
We’re Not Just Tillamook Bay Fishing Guides, We’re Tillamook Bay Stewards of the Resource
As our livelihoods depend on clean water and abundant stocks of salmon and steelhead, so does our commitment to the environment in which they rear, spawn and migrate. Your Tillamook Bay Fishing Guides have a long history of conservation, preserving this incredible resource for yours and our children and grandchildren to enjoy for the future.
We practice what we preach, take what you’ll enjoy and no more. Share the bounty with your friends and family and take away a better understanding of why we call Tillamook Bay our home waters. We’ve been blessed to showcase our Oregon, we’re confident you’ll be hooked on all that Tillamook Bay and its area rivers have to offer.