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Nestucca River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A north coast gem: the Nestucca runs winter steelhead and fall salmon through Tillamook County farmland.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
189 cfs
Air / High
61 / 63 F
Wind
SE 9 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 14303600, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nestucca River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 189 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind SE around 9 mph, steady pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 63. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown troutGood

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

SteelheadSlow

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Similar at 61 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Nestucca River near Beaver.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 14303600.

115197279189 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp61 F
High / Low63 / 51 F
WindSE 9-13 mph
Pressure1012.4 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain12% cloud, 36%
Sunrise / Sunset06:41 / 19:47
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Rain, 63/51 F, wind 10 mph, rain 36%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Nestucca River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Nestucca River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Nestucca River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 58 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 59 F, wind to 18 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 61 F, wind to 13 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Oregon requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Oregon license plus Combined Angling Tag. Wild steelhead release and seasonal rules per current ODFW coastal regulations.

Access

Boat slides and bank access at Beaver, Cloverdale and Farmer Creek; tidewater launches near Pacific City.

About this water

A 50-mile Oregon Coast Range river to the Pacific at Pacific City, Tillamook County, Oregon.

Fishing Nestucca River: the full guide

A small coastal river

The Nestucca River flows about 50 miles through the Oregon Coast Range to the Pacific at Pacific City, a modest river with an outsized reputation among Oregon steelheaders. Hatchery and wild winter steelhead, spring chinook, fall chinook and coho all run it, and its manageable size makes it approachable for bank anglers as well as drift boats.

Winter steelhead

The winter run is the draw: hatchery fish from December into February and wild fish following through March and April. The river drops and clears faster than the bigger coastal systems, so it fishes sooner after rain: float-fished jigs and bait, drifted eggs and swung flies through the classic runs from Beaver down to Cloverdale.

Salmon seasons

Fall chinook enter from September, with the lower river and tidewater around Pacific City producing well on plugs and bobber-and-egg presentations. Spring chinook run in smaller numbers. Coho arrive in fall. As with all Oregon coastal rivers, wild fish protections apply and seasons vary: check current rules.

Tillamook County logistics

Access is via Highway 101 and the river road, with boat slides and bank access at Beaver, Cloverdale and Farmer Creek, plus tidewater launches near Pacific City. Rain governs everything: watch the Beaver gauge and fish the drop. Pacific City and Tillamook provide services, and the Nestucca Bay adds estuary fishing.

Common questions

When is the steelhead peak?

December into February for hatchery fish, with wild steelhead following through March and April.

Does it clear quickly?

Faster than the larger coastal rivers: it often fishes a day sooner after rain, which is part of its appeal.

Can I fish from the bank?

Yes: its modest size makes bank access genuinely productive, unusual among Oregon coastal steelhead rivers.

Is fishing good at Nestucca River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Trask River10 miWilson River13 miSiletz River40 miWillamette River47 miLewis River64 miCowlitz River71 mi
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