Months come from each species' own season curve around Winchester Bay. 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 | ||||||||||||
| Lingcod | ||||||||||||
| Halibut | ||||||||||||
| Black Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Cod | ||||||||||||
| Cabezon | ||||||||||||
| Dungeness Crab |
Chinook Salmon: January none, February none, March good, April good, May good, June peak, July peak, August peak, September peak, October poor, November none, December none. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March none, April none, May none, June fair, July peak, August peak, September peak, October peak, November none, December none. Lingcod: January good, February excellent, March excellent, April good, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September fair, October fair, November fair, December good. Halibut: January none, February poor, March excellent, April peak, May peak, June peak, July peak, August excellent, September fair, October poor, November none, December none. Black Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May fair, June good, July good, August good, September good, October good, November fair, December fair. Cod: January good, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June fair, July fair, August fair, September good, October excellent, November good, December good. Cabezon: January good, February fair, March good, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August good, September good, October good, November good, December good. Dungeness Crab: January fair, February fair, March poor, April fair, May fair, June fair, July good, August good, September excellent, October excellent, November good, 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, August and September.
Winchester Bay (Umpqua River mouth) has an early spring Chinook push building through May–June as fish stage before ascending the Umpqua, then a dominant fall run that peaks August through mid-September when large numbers stack in the lower bay and estuary before entering freshwater. Winter and early spring show minimal ocean-bay presence since adults are upriver or offshore, hence the near-zero baseline in January–March.
Peaks in July, August, September and October.
Winchester Bay (Umpqua system) coho are strongly fall-run; ocean-stage fish build off the coast through late summer with the primary bay/river staging peak in September into early October (weeks 35-40) driven by cooling water and fall rains triggering the run. A minor spring/early-summer signal (weeks 15-21) reflects offshore feeder/immature 'ocean coho' presence before the stock largely vacates the immediate area for winter and mid-summer lulls.
Excellent in February and March.
Lingcod are resident groundfish present year-round on Winchester Bay's reefs and nearshore rocky structure, so there are no true absences. The strongest concentration comes in late winter through spring (Feb–Apr) when males guard nests and mature fish move shallow to spawn, with a secondary uptick in late summer/early fall as juveniles recruit and feeding activity peaks.
Peaks in April, May, June and July.
Pacific halibut migrate onto the nearshore Oregon banks off Winchester Bay in spring as water warms, peaking from late April through early summer during the primary feeding period, with a secondary late-summer bump before they move to deeper offshore wintering/spawning grounds. Winter abundance is low as most fish are far offshore in deep water beyond typical fishable range.
Good in March, April, June, July, August, September and October.
Black rockfish are resident, structure-oriented reef fish present year-round off Winchester Bay, so abundance stays broadly near baseline with no true biological gaps. A modest late-winter/early-spring bump reflects spawning aggregations moving to nearshore reefs, and the strongest peak in late summer through early fall (Aug–Sep) tracks warm, calm water pushing juveniles and adults tight to accessible nearshore structure before fall storms disperse them deeper.
Excellent in October.
Pacific Cod off Winchester Bay are a cold-water demersal species most abundant in late fall/early winter (weeks 37-42) when they move onto nearshore shelf grounds to spawn, with a secondary spring presence; summer warming pushes them deeper and offshore, thinning nearshore biological abundance mid-year. This is at the southern edge of their Oregon range, so overall presence is modest with no complete absence.
Good in January, March, August, September, October, November and December.
Cabezon are non-migratory resident reef/nearshore fish present year-round near Winchester Bay, so abundance stays close to baseline with no true gaps. The fall peak (Aug–Sep) reflects concentrated adults on the reefs post-spawn recovery and warmer, calmer nearshore conditions, while late winter–spring (Feb–Apr) dips as males guard nests deeper and rougher seas disperse fish.
Excellent in September and October.
Dungeness crab are resident year-round in Winchester Bay and the lower Umpqua estuary, so abundance never hits zero. Biomass and meat fill dip in late spring/early summer (May–July) after winter molt when crabs are soft and light, then peak from fall through early winter (Sept–Dec) as newly hardened crabs pack on weight, aligning with the traditional high-quality harvest window.
It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in June, July, August and September. Coho Salmon peaks in July, August, September and October. Lingcod is excellent in February and March. Halibut peaks in April, May, June and July. Black Rockfish is good in March, April, June, July, August, September and October. Cod is excellent in October.
On October 31, 2026, the forecast windows are Chinook Salmon 4 PM to 7 PM, Lingcod 11 AM to 7 PM, Halibut 8 AM to 7 PM, Black Rockfish 11 AM to 7 PM, Cabezon 11 AM to 7 PM and Dungeness Crab 11 AM to 7 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.