Smallmouth bass fishing has slowed down. There far fewer bass in the shallower water but you can see some larger concentrations of bass in some of the deeper pools. Anglers are having the best success using a worm on a plain hook. There are no daily bag limits or length limits on bass in the Coquille River.

The temporary regulation allowing the use of spears and spear guns to harvest smallmouth bass in the Coquille River system will end after Oct. 31. This unique fishing opportunity is one of many efforts to reduce the impact of illegally introduced bass on Chinook populations.  

Temporary wild fall Chinook regulations are in effect starting Aug. 1 for salmon anglers fishing in the Coquille Basin. The entire Coquille Basin is closed to retention of adult wild Chinook Aug 1 – Dec 31. Anglers may harvest hatchery Chinook but must fish downstream of Hwy 101 bridge or can angle from the bank in Randolph Slough between sign markers located at the West and East ends of the slough. 

A few hatchery Chinook salmon were caught last week downstream of Hwy 101 on the Coquille River. Most anglers trolling downstream of Hwy 101 have been hooking into wild coho salmon but there is no wild coho harvest this year in the Coquille.    

Trout fishing in streams and rivers is open through October 31. Some anglers are reporting catching large sea-run cutthroat in the upper Coquille estuary.