The <span><g-bubble><span><span>Columbia River</span></span><div><span><div>Columbia River</div><div>The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: Wimahl or Wimal; Sahaptin: Nch’i-Wàna or Nchi wana; Sinixt dialect swah’netk’qhu) is <b>the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America</b>. The river forms in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada.</div><div><div><img src=”https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/favicon-tbn?q=tbn:ANd9GcTCJ566l0c77iwS08IyHpadT6wOk4inNXeacuZee85ZaAI9B67GcMy6qATqt36uvPnp_7Ux0OQppMJTUmzu4F7K4DnKbLlbSTzPpSXM”/><div><div><cite>https://en.wikipedia.org</cite></div></div></div><div><div><span><a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River”>Columbia River – Wikipedia<span></span></a></span></div></div></div></span><button></button></div></g-bubble></span> is one of the most popular salmon fishing destinations in the Pacific Northwest, and the Buoy 10 area near the mouth of the mighty river is a prime spot to hook chinook and coho salmon. Anglers eagerly await the annual summer/fall salmon seasons on the Columbia when massive schools of salmon return from the ocean to spawn.
So when does Buoy 10 open for salmon fishing this year? Here are the key dates and details for the 2025 season
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Buoy 10 will open for fall salmon on August 1 2025. This opener date is consistent every year.
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The daily bag limit is 2 salmon per day, but only 1 of those 2 fish can be a chinook salmon. The other salmon can be a hatchery coho.
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From August 1-6, all salmon must be fin-clipped (marked hatchery fish) to retain.
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From August 7-25, all chinook must be released, even hatchery fish. Anglers can keep adipose fin-clipped coho during this period.
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From August 26-September 6, regulations allow retention of either fin-clipped or unclipped chinook and coho.
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After September 6, it’s hatchery coho only. All chinook must be released.
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The Buoy 10 salmon fishery is open through December 31, 2025 (or until coho quotas are met).
Anglers flock to the Buoy 10 area where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean because it consistently produces some of the best salmon fishing in the region. The massive tide exchanges churn up food and attract salmon migrating upriver. It’s some of the most easily accessible salmon fishing, with productive water right inside the mouth of the Columbia.
It’s a good idea to check the latest salmon fishing regulations each year for Buoy 10 before heading out. You can find the full details at the WDFW website here. Or stop by a local tackle shop for the inside scoop on what’s biting.
With the opener just a couple months away, now is the time to start preparing your gear and lining up a salmon fishing guide if you want to maximize your success. Buoy 10 draws big crowds, but the action is worth dealing with the other anglers. When those big schools of salmon start surging into the Columbia River in late summer, it’s going to be a fish fight!
FAQ
When to fish buoy 10?
This hatchery silver fishery begins on August 1 but extends through the end of the calendar year, although the best fishing for them is typically in late summer and early fall. I will again start fishing the ocean ahead of the Buoy 10 opener and keep chasing salmon into the early fall.
Where can I fish for salmon right now?
Lake Shasta, CA.
With a surface area of 30,000 acres, Lake Shasta hosts some of the best Salmon fishing in California.
Is the Deschutes River open for salmon fishing?
Deschutes River. Open all year for trout and hatchery steelhead. 2 rainbow trout per day, 10 inch minimum and 13 inch maximum length. Open for Chinook salmon Aug 1 – Oct 31.
Is Oregon salmon fishing open?
The commercial troll salmon fishery for all salmon except coho from the US/Canada Border to Cape Falcon including the subarea from Leadbetter Point, Washington to Cape Falcon, Oregon will open beginning May 1. This season will follow the rules and specifications adopted by the PFMC on April 10 for the 2024 seasons.