About Port Renfrew / San Juan River Mouth

Port Renfrew's San Juan River mouth sits at the edge of an outer-exposed bay over mixed bottom, where depths run from 10 to 60 feet. Pacific Halibut hold across this ground from March through August, while Chinook Salmon peak from June to August and Coho Salmon push through from June into October. Drift fishing with salmon bellies, herring, or octopus works the mixed bottom for halibut, and jigging with leadhead or metal jigs covers the same structure when currents allow. Chinook respond to trolling with anchovy, herring, or spoons, and mooching cut-plug herring fits the shallower flats near the river outflow. Coho follow trolled spoons, hootchies, and flashers through the exposed water, with bucktailing an option for fish holding near the surface.