Months come from each species' own season curve around Astoria. A strong month is strong for that fish, not a ranking against the others. Time of day, when it is shown, is today's forecast and moves with the tide.
Each row is shaded against that species' own best month here, so a dark cell means a good month for that fish rather than a comparison between them.
| Species | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook Salmon | ||||||||||||
| Coho Salmon | ||||||||||||
| Halibut | ||||||||||||
| Lingcod | ||||||||||||
| Dungeness Crab | ||||||||||||
| Black Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Rockfish (Aggregate) |
Chinook Salmon: January none, February none, March fair, April excellent, May good, June peak, July peak, August peak, September excellent, October none, November none, December none. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March none, April none, May none, June poor, July excellent, August peak, September peak, October peak, November none, December none. Halibut: January none, February poor, March excellent, April peak, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September fair, October poor, November none, December none. Lingcod: January good, February excellent, March good, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Dungeness Crab: January good, February fair, March poor, April poor, May poor, June fair, July good, August excellent, September peak, October excellent, November excellent, December good. Black Rockfish: January poor, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December poor. Rockfish (Aggregate): January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair.
These are today's forecast windows, taken at the spot leading each species. They are not a standing schedule.
Peaks in June, July and August.
Astoria's Chinook show a spring run building through April-June (spring Chinook staging at the Columbia mouth) and a dominant fall run peaking late July through August as returning adults stack up in the estuary before the September upriver push. Abundance drops sharply through fall and bottoms out in winter when few adults remain in these lower-river waters.
Peaks in August, September and October.
Coho are absent inshore through winter, with a modest late-spring pulse of feeder/ocean fish building along the Columbia mouth from June-July. Peak biological abundance hits late August through mid-September (weeks 34-37) as adult coho stage off Astoria before the fall river run, tailing off sharply by late October once fish push upriver and out of nearshore waters.
Peaks in April, May, June, July and August.
Pacific halibut move onto the nearshore banks and Columbia River mouth grounds off Astoria in spring as they migrate from deeper offshore winter spawning habitat, peaking roughly March–May when the largest concentrations stage on the shelf. Abundance stays elevated through summer while feeding, then declines through fall as fish retreat to deeper offshore waters for winter, leaving low but non-zero presence in the accessible fishery zone during December–February.
Excellent in February.
Lingcod are resident, structure-oriented fish near Astoria's nearshore reefs and jetties year-round, so abundance never hits zero. The strongest concentration is late winter through early summer (Feb–June) when males guard nests in shallow rocky habitat and fish move up onto reefs, with a secondary bump in early fall as post-spawn fish feed heavily before winter dispersal to deeper water.
Peaks in September.
Dungeness crab are resident year-round in the Astoria/Columbia estuary and nearshore, so abundance never hits zero, but the curve dips in late spring/early summer (weeks 12-18) when adult males molt to soft-shell and are lighter and less abundant on the grounds. Peak abundance and quality occur late summer through fall (weeks 33-40) once crabs have hardened and filled out, sustaining strong numbers into the winter commercial season.
Excellent in June, July and August.
Black rockfish are non-migratory reef residents present year-round off Astoria, so the curve stays broad and flat with no true zeros. Abundance peaks in summer (Jul–Aug) when adults move shallower to feed and warmer, calmer nearshore water concentrates fish, with a slight winter dip as some fish hold deeper during storms.
Excellent in June and July.
Rockfish are resident, long-lived structure-oriented fish present in Astoria's nearshore reefs and ocean waters year-round, so the curve stays broad with no true biological absence. Abundance peaks in summer (June–August) when calmer seas, warmer water, and aggregation over reefs concentrate fish nearshore, while winter storms and offshore dispersal thin nearshore presence to a lower baseline.
It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in June, July and August. Coho Salmon peaks in August, September and October. Halibut peaks in April, May, June, July and August. Lingcod is excellent in February. Dungeness Crab peaks in September. Black Rockfish is excellent in June, July and August.
On October 31, 2026, the forecast windows are Lingcod 8 AM to 7 PM, Black Rockfish 8 AM to 7 PM and Rockfish (Aggregate) 8 AM to 7 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.