Fall Coho at Buoy 10 - Beat the Crowds
Shared Trip
River Fishing
Target aggressive B run coho during peak fall seasonLight pressure allows 34 fish limits with minimal competitionStrong tides create ideal current seams for stacked coho
While everyone else heads upriver chasing late-season Chinook, smart anglers stick around Buoy 10 for some of the best coho action of the year. This top-rated fall fishery hits its stride right after Labor Day, when the Columbia River estuary becomes a silver highway packed with aggressive B-run coho salmon. The timing couldn't be better – light boat pressure, hungry fish, and those strong August tides that made Chinook fishing tough now work in your favor. River Wanderer Outdoors runs these single-angler trips when the coho bite is absolutely on fire.
This isn't your typical combat fishing scenario. Once the Chinook season wraps up, most boats disappear upriver to spots like Drano Lake and Warrior Rock, leaving Buoy 10's productive waters surprisingly quiet. You'll have room to work the current seams where these chrome-bright coho stack up like cordwood. The estuary's complex tidal structure creates perfect ambush points, and these B-run fish are big, mean, and ready to eat. We're talking 8 to 12-pound silver bullets that'll rip line off your reel and put on aerial displays that'll have you grinning for days. The light pressure means we can take our time, work the best spots thoroughly, and regularly boat 3 to 4 fish limits without dealing with the weekend warrior circus.
Fall coho fishing at Buoy 10 is all about reading the water and following the bait. We'll be trolling spinners, spoons, and plugs through the current breaks where these fish ambush everything that moves. Those strong tides that frustrated August Chinook anglers become our roadmap – coho use these current seams like underwater highways. We'll adjust our trolling speed and depth based on what the fish finder shows us, typically working 15 to 40 feet down depending on where the baitfish are holding. The boat stays mobile, covering water until we find active fish, then we'll work that zone hard. Downriggers and divers help get our gear into the strike zone, while dodgers and flashers add the attraction these aggressive fish can't resist. When we hook up, it's game on – these coho fight dirty with jumps, runs, and enough attitude to make every hookup memorable.
Coho salmon are the stars of this fall show, and for good reason. These B-run fish average 8 to 12 pounds of pure muscle and attitude, with some pushing into the teens. Unlike their spring counterparts, fall coho are fresh from the ocean, chrome-bright, and absolutely loaded with fight. They hit hard, jump high, and never give up easy. The best action runs from early September through October, with peak fishing often happening during the stronger tide changes when baitfish get pushed around the estuary. What makes coho special is their aggressive feeding behavior – they'll chase down a well-presented lure and attack it like their life depends on it. The meat is world-class too, with firm, pink flesh that's perfect for the smoker or grill. These fish represent everything great about Pacific Northwest salmon fishing: beautiful water, stunning fish, and the kind of action that keeps anglers coming back year after year.
Fall coho season at Buoy 10 is short but sweet, and the window for this customer favorite experience fills up fast once word gets out about the bite. While everyone else fights crowds upriver, you could be enjoying some of the most productive coho fishing on the entire Columbia River system. Single-angler trips mean personalized attention, better fish-to-angler ratios, and the flexibility to adapt tactics on the fly. River Wanderer Outdoors knows these waters inside and out, and when the fall coho are stacked up in the estuary, there's no better place to be. Don't miss out on this renowned late-season opportunity – book your Fall Coho trip today and discover why smart anglers skip the crowds and stick around Buoy 10.
The Good Ju Ju cuts through Columbia River estuary waters like she was born for it. Built tough for Astoria's conditions, her heavy hull handles the chop while you focus on hooking those aggressive B run coho stacking up at Buoy 10. After Labor Day when the crowds chase Chinook upriver, we'll have the current seams mostly to ourselves - perfect for landing your 3-4 fish limits without fighting boat traffic. GPS keeps us on the productive water, VHF radio maintains safety contact, and the fish finder shows exactly where those coho are holding. Six anglers fish comfortably from her stable platform, but with light September pressure, even solo trips produce fast action. Those strong August tides that frustrated Chinook fishing become your advantage now, creating the roadmap to silver coho gold.
Astoria, OR