Artificial Lure here, your coastal fishing spotter for the Oregon Pacific, checking in on Wednesday, November 26, 2025. Let’s get to it.

Woke up to a true late fall Oregon coast: low gray clouds, drizzle with occasional heavier bands moving through, and a high in the low 50s. Winds are mild—5 to 10 knots out of the southwest. Water’s up with all that rain—rivers running high and a little color pushing out in the bays.

Sunrise hit at 7:22 AM, and you’ll see it duck out by 4:37 PM. Most folks will want to hit those early tides if they can.

Today’s tides around Pacific City and Nestucca Bay are prime for early action. The morning high lands at 5:24 AM at 6.2 feet, then starts falling for a good mid-morning outgoing tide—low water’s around 9:30 AM at about 3.7 feet according to Salt Strong Tides and Surfline.

Now, for the bite: ODFW’s Northwest Zone report this morning says fall Chinook are still around but winding down fast with the season closing December 1. There’s a mix of spawners and late fresh arrivals in most north coast rivers. The best bet for Chrome is the Trask, Wilson, and Nestucca rivers—the fresh ones pushed in with recent rain. Most chinook are showing upriver, so walk your boots past the tidal zones. Watch the regs—bag limits are reduced, especially for wild fish. You’re looking at 1 wild adult Chinook per day, 2 for the Tillamook basin season, and a strict no-go on wild coho retention anywhere.

Coho are mostly done—hatchery fish are scattered and the run’s faded. The Trask and North Fork Nehalem produced a few last week, but on the slow side. Necanicum River is just starting to see the first pulse of hatchery winter steelhead, especially after the rain. Numbers are low, but die-hards are catching the odd bright fish—classic local tradition for Thanksgiving weekend.

For trout, lakes like Hebo, South Lake, and Cape Meares are still holding over fish from spring’s stockings. Rainbow action can be decent if you’re after something a little more relaxing than chasing boisterous salmon.

Down in the bays and surf, crabbing remains solid. The commercial season hasn’t kicked off—the sport pots are hauling up healthy Dungeness, especially after the flush of fresh water. Bait 'em with chicken or fish scraps and soak through the slacks.

Best Bait and Lures: For late Chinook, nothing beats a big, bright spinner, size 5 or 6 Blue Fox in chartreuse or orange, or a MagLip plug pulled slow through the deeper slots and tail-outs where the fresh fish hold. For steelhead, go classic: small pink worms, beads, or jigs tipped with a little shrimp tail under a float. Trout in the lakes will pounce on a single egg or smaller Rooster Tail spinner in black or brown. Crabbers, stick with fish carcasses or turkey for max scent.

Hot Spots:
- Trask River above Hwy 101: those hatchery holes have been best for late Chinook and the first few steelies.
- Necanicum River: if you need a steelhead fix, the early ones have started trickling in—best chance in the lower sections.
- Hebo Lake and Cape Meares Lake: for a casual day, the trout are still active and you’ll have elbow room.

Reminder: Always check the latest regulations before you go, especially for bag limits and bait restrictions. Most wild coho fisheries closed in late October, and cutthroat is shut down for the season.

That’s your boots-on-the-bank, rod-in-hand rundown for the Oregon Pacific Coast, November 26, 2025. Thanks for tuning in to the report—make sure to subscribe for your regular fix of tides, tricks, and local fishing action. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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