Best Fish to Catch in Lincoln City, Oregon

Oregon is home to many fishing opportunities, which is one of the many reasons why anglers head to the area. From the smorgasbord of species to reel into friendly fishing guides that take you to the best spots, it will always be a memorable day in the waters. So, this might have you prepping for your trip already, searching for the best fish to catch in Lincoln City.

Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place! This article will talk about the fish you can catch in the area, so read on.

Best Fish to Catch in Lincoln City, Oregon

The Pacific Northwest is completely alive with tons of fish. It’s a haven for anglers and fish enthusiasts alike, whether you want to fish along gentle streams or head out to the deeper waters for offshore adventures. No matter how old you are or your skill level, there’s always a fishing activity you’ll surely enjoy.

Take a look at the best fish to catch in Lincoln City:

Salmon

Young wild coho salmon are also abundant in Lincoln City, where you can find them rear in Devils Lake before they take a quick journey to the ocean. You can even find salmon weighing up to 50 pounds on the Siletz River!

Many anglers might confuse silvery young coho with either trout or landlocked sockeye salmon. While the latter are great gamefish across Oregon, you can’t find them in Devil’s Lake.

There are five salmon species you can find in the Pacific Northwest, which are:

• Chinook
• Coho
• Chum
• Sockeye
• Pink salmon

The Coho, chinook, and chum salmon are most common in Oregon. Expect these fish to run year-round from one river to another, with the first being spring Chinook starting in March. We recommend targeting Chinook salmon from April to June for better success.

Rainbow Trout

Did you know that the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife would stock Devils Lake with rainbow trout multiple times a year? They do so usually during the early season from March to spring.

Moreover, the ODFW frequently sponsors a yearly springtime family fishing event in Devils Lake, usually from the Regatta Park. But even without the event, the Regatta Park is a great place you can begin fishing for trout as they have a large fishing dock, boat launch, and quality park amenities.

It’s best to go trout fishing a few days or weeks following trout stocking, but fortunately, the lake is cool enough for most fish to hold over longer, growing larger. You can catch a few fish year-round and use trolling for trout, which is the go-to tactic. Bait fishing is also one of the more popular ways to lure and catch freshly-stocked trout, but artificial lures and flies still work well.

Do note that the ODFW has set rules and restrictions when catching trout. Native cutthroat trout and salmonids without healed fin clips should be released unharmed. ODFW would only stock trout with clipped adipose fins, which are fleshy fins on the fish’s top rear portion on the front part of the tail. The clipped areas are usually already healed on stocked fish.

Fun fact: Rainbow trout are also known as the Oregon steelhead or red band trout, being the largest race of rainbow in the state. These are one of the best fish you can catch when in Lincoln City if you want to put up a fight!

Largemouth Bass and Panfish

With so many private docks and lily pads in Devils Lake, along with other aquatic plants and structures like tree branches and pilings, anglers can expect a ton of bass.

If you want to go bass fishing in Lincoln City, then you’ve come to the right place. Anglers report fair catches of largemouth bass. These are widespread across western Oregon in low and mid-elevation lakes or ponds. You can also find them in the backwaters of large rivers.

The bass in the state can go over 25 inches long and weigh about 12 pounds. These fish are greenish on the back and sides, have a white belly, and a dark horizontal stripe on the side.

While they aren’t the hugest species, they still put up a challenge at times. It’s a great species to target if you’re a beginner angler trying to brush up your skills. If you plan to catch largemouth bass, go for times when the water temperatures are at least 50 degrees F.

Other than that, you can also find yellow perch and bullhead catfish, and though they run small, they have delicious meat!

Grass Carp

Besides salmon, bass, and panfish, you might also be able to snag yourself grass carp, an unusual fish species for Oregon. It’s a sterilized species native to Asia, which was planted in Devil’s Lake years ago as the waters had an intense weed problem during the warm season. Grass carp took care of the issue and helped achieve a cleaner lake.

While you can reel a grass carp in, they are protected and are considered catch-and-release species. You wouldn’t want to bring one home to eat anyway.

You can find all these fish thriving in Lincoln City’s popular spots like Devils Lake. Schooner and Drift Creeks, and the Salmon and Siletz Rivers. Besides the fish mentioned above, you can also find crappie, catfish, bluegill, and yellow perch. There are also lots of lingcod and rockfish you can catch and bring home for dinner!

Wrapping It Up

Who knew that there were so many kinds of fish you can target when in Lincoln City? Hopefully, our list of the best fish to catch in Lincoln City helped you out!

If you’re still looking for a fishing charter or guide to take you around the waters, contact us now! We can connect you with our wide network of charters and guides in the area.