Fishing

The Coquille River runs 30 miles from its Siskiyou headwaters before meandering leisurely through Bandon [1]. The north and south jetties are popular spots for perch and rockfish, while the city docks right in Old Town [2] yield catches of perch and crab April–October and smelt July–September.

The spring chinook run pales in comparison to those in the Rogue and Chetco Rivers to the south, but the fall runs of chinook (beginning Sept.–Oct.) and coho (Oct.–Nov.) are strong and productive. Steelhead usually arrive in November, and the run gathers steam January–February.

A boat is necessary for the best steelhead and salmon water, but bank anglers can fish the mouth of Ferry Creek, just off Riverside Drive in Bandon. Fishing guides and gear can be arranged through the Bandon Bait Shop (1st St. and Alabama St., 541/347-3905), across from the boat basin. The shop also rents crab rings and other gear and can point you to productive spots for catching Dungeness crab.

Just off the south end of Beach Loop Drive [3], 30-acre Bradley Lake, protected from ocean winds by high dunes, offers good trout fishing and a boat ramp. Each spring the lake is stocked with trophy rainbows, averaging five pounds, reared at the Bandon Fish Hatchery east of town.