Is Buoy 10 Open for Salmon Fishing in 2026? Yes, Here’s Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

If you’ve been searching “Is Buoy 10 open for salmon fishing” and hoping for a straight answer, here it is: yes, Buoy 10 is open for the 2026 salmon season. The fishery kicked off on August 1, and right now we’re already putting clients on Chinook and coho out on the lower Columbia River near Astoria, Oregon.

That’s the short version. But if you’re planning a trip with us, you deserve more than a yes or no. You need dates, limits, and a sense of whether this year’s run is actually worth the drive. So let’s get into it.

Ready to fish while the run is going? Book your 2026 Buoy 10 salmon trip with Columbia River Fishing Adventures and let us handle the tides, the regulations, and the fish finding. Seats fill up fast once King salmon start showing up in numbers, so if you want to experience Buoy 10 King salmon for yourself, book your seat now. Keep reading for the full breakdown, or head straight to our site to check available dates.

Is Buoy 10 Open for Salmon Fishing Right Now?

Yes. Buoy 10 opened on schedule this year, and the season is running through early fall. This stretch of water, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean near Astoria, is one of the largest and most productive salmon fisheries in the lower 48 states, and it’s a fishery we know intimately. Every summer, hundreds of thousands of Chinook and coho stage here before pushing upriver, and anglers from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and beyond show up for a shot at them. We’re out there right alongside them.

So if the question on your mind is simply “Is Buoy 10 open for salmon fishing this year?” the answer is a confident yes. What matters now is knowing exactly when to go, what you’re allowed to keep, and how to make the most of your day on the water. That’s where we come in.

2026 Buoy 10 Salmon Season Dates and Regulations

Buoy 10 regulations are set jointly by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the 2026 dates below come straight from their joint Columbia River Summer/Fall Fishery Plan. These are the official rules for the water from Buoy 10 upstream to West Puget Island, and we track them closely all season long so our clients never have to guess.

Chinook Salmon Retention Windows

The Chinook portion of the season runs in three distinct stages:

• August 1 through August 9: Open for any Chinook, native or hatchery, plus hatchery coho.
• August 10 through August 24: Only adipose fin-clipped hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho may be kept. Wild Chinook must be released during this stretch.
• August 25 through September 2: Retention reopens for any Chinook, native or hatchery, along with hatchery coho.
• September 3 and beyond: Chinook retention closes for the rest of the year at Buoy 10.

Coho Salmon Rules

Coho retention runs alongside the Chinook season and continues well past it. From September 3 through December 31, hatchery coho retention stays open even though Chinook fishing is closed. Wild, unclipped coho generally must be released, though WDFW and ODFW have added limited unmarked coho retention in some areas for 2026. So, we always confirm the current rules for whichever stretch we’re fishing before letting a client keep a wild fish.

Daily Bag Limits at a Glance

Here’s the quickest way to keep the rules straight while you’re on the boat with us:

1. Daily limit: Two adult salmon per angler, per day.
2. Chinook cap: Only one of those two fish can be a Chinook.
3. Coho rule: Must be hatchery marked (clipped adipose fin) in most areas, with limited unmarked coho retention newly allowed in select zones for 2026.
4. Steelhead: No steelhead retention at Buoy 10 from August 1 through October 31.
5. License requirement: A valid Oregon or Washington fishing license with a salmon tag is required, and either state’s license is honored in the shared water at Buoy 10. We’ll walk you through exactly what you need before your trip.

One important note: these dates and limits can change mid-season if run counts come in stronger or weaker than expected. We check WDFW and ODFW updates before every trip so you’re always fishing in legal, current water. If you’d rather not track it yourself, that’s undoubtedly what we’re here for.

What the 2026 Run Forecast Actually Looks Like

Here’s the honest picture, straight from ODFW’s official season announcement. The 2026 adult fall Chinook forecast sits at roughly 636,500 fish, and the coho forecast is around 358,700 adults. Both numbers are a bit lower than the actual 2025 return, which came in stronger than expected at over 685,000 Chinook and 471,000 coho.

That doesn’t mean 2026 is a bad year, and we’re not going to oversell it either. It means expectations are more moderate than the record-setting run we saw last season. Fall Chinook and coho numbers in the 600,000 and 350,000 range are still well within a solid, fishable season, and our own early reports from opening weekend have been encouraging, with steady catches right out of the gate.

Translation: This is shaping up to be a normal, good Buoy 10 season rather than a blowout year, and that’s still plenty of reason to book a trip with us.

What Makes Buoy 10 One of the Best Salmon Fisheries in the Country

If you’ve never fished here before, it’s worth understanding why we keep coming back to Buoy 10 every year.

• Sheer numbers of fish. With close to 40 square miles of water and hundreds of thousands of salmon funneling through on their way upriver, the odds of hooking up are about as good as it gets on the West Coast.
• Tide-driven action. The bite here is closely tied to moving water. When the tide turns, so does the fishing, and we’ve spent years learning how to be in the right spot at the right minute. Curious how deep that timing goes? Our full breakdown of fishing Buoy 10 in August walks through exactly how tides shape a day on the water.
• Variety and scenery. Between Chinook, coho, the occasional steelhead, and the backdrop of rugged coastline near Astoria, a day at Buoy 10 with us is as much an experience as it is a fishing trip.

Best Times to Fish Buoy 10 in 2026

Timing matters as much as location. A few things we tell our clients when they’re planning a trip:

• Early August tends to bring the first big push of fresh Chinook, along with the widest retention rules of the season. If you want a deeper dive into what to expect during the opening weeks, take a look at our guide on fishing Buoy 10 in August.
• Late August into early September often produces some best combined Chinook and coho action before the Chinook fishery closes.
• Weekday mornings are typically less crowded than weekend tides, which can mean more room to work and less boat traffic.

Because the bite follows the tide, not the clock, we build our trips around the water, not the calendar. It’s part of why our clients keep coming back.

What You’ll Need Before You Go

Before you book a trip with us, here’s a quick checklist:

1. A valid Oregon or Washington fishing license with the correct salmon tag
2. Awareness of the current retention rules for the week you’re fishing
3. Proper gear for tidal, sometimes choppy estuary conditions
4. A cooler and bags for your catch
5. A backup plan in case ocean or bar conditions turn rough

Don’t worry if any of that feels like a lot to track. We handle the gear, the regulations, and the game plan. You just show up ready to fish.

Meet Your Guide: Buddy Dupell

When you book with us, you’re fishing with Buddy Dupell, our lead guide and the reason so many of our clients keep coming back season after season.

Buddy has spent 30 years chasing the legendary runs of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. That’s three decades of learning the tides, the seasonal patterns, and the small details that separate a slow day from a limit before lunch. Today, he’s proud to be one of the most successful, trusted, licensed, and insured fishing guides in the Pacific Northwest, and that experience is undoubtedly what we bring to every Buoy 10 trip.

Whether you’re chasing your first Chinook or you’ve fished this water for years, Buddy’s knowledge of the river means you’re never guessing where the fish are or what the current regulations allow. You just fish.

Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what one recent guest had to say after a trip with Buddy and his dog Dug:

That same care and attention to detail is what you’ll get whether you’re chasing sturgeon, Chinook, or coho with us at Buoy 10.

Book Your Buoy 10 Trip with Columbia River Fishing Adventures

Buoy 10 is open, the season is underway, and it won’t last forever. If you want to fish this legendary stretch of the Columbia River without worrying about tides, regulations, or where the fish are holding that day, that’s undoubtedly what we do at Columbia River Fishing Adventures.

Led by Buddy Dupell and his 30 years on these rivers, we split our season between the Columbia and Willamette Rivers and follow the fish wherever the bite is strongest, including Buoy 10 near Astoria. We’ll confirm your exact meeting spot ahead of time, walk you through licensing if you’re not sure what you need, and put you on some of the best-tasting salmon in the world.

Follow along on our Facebook page, Columbia River Fishing Adventures, for real-time updates now that we’re fishing Buoy 10, including catch photos and current conditions on the water.

Ready to get out there while the run is going? If you want to experience Buoy 10 King salmon for yourself, don’t wait; seats book up fast once the Chinook are in. Contact Columbia River Fishing Adventures to check availability and book your seat for a 2026 Buoy 10 salmon trip with us today.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Buoy 10 open for salmon fishing right now?

Yes. The 2026 Buoy 10 season opened August 1 and is currently underway, and we’re out there catching Chinook and coho right now.

When does Buoy 10 close for Chinook in 2026?

Chinook retention runs through September 2, 2026. Subsequently, the fishery shifts to hatchery coho only through the end of the year. We always confirm current dates with WDFW or ODFW since in-season adjustments are possible.

Can I keep wild coho at Buoy 10?

No, in most areas. Only hatchery-marked coho, meaning fish with a clipped adipose fin, may be kept. We’ll let you know if the water we’re fishing that day falls under the limited unmarked coho retention rules for 2026.

Do I need a special license to fish Buoy 10?

You’ll need a valid Oregon or Washington fishing license with a salmon tag. Either state’s license works in this shared water, and we’re happy to help you figure out exactly what to buy before your trip.

Is it better to fish Buoy 10 with a guide?

For most anglers, yes. The bite is tide-dependent, and the regulations shift throughout the season, so local knowledge makes a big difference in both your catch rate and staying within the rules. That local knowledge is what we bring to every trip.