If you love fishing and are looking for a riverfront or oceanfront property in Oregon that will allow you to pursue your passion, some of your best choices are in Port Orford. This picturesque city features properties close to lakes, rivers, or the ocean where the fishing is always good.
Port Orford is where you’ll find many of the finest Oregon luxury homes, as well as some of the best fishing spots in the country. Here’s a look at a few of these anglers’ favorites.
Elk and Sixes Rivers
The Elk and Sixes Rivers flow just north of Port Orford and threads through 3 national park camping grounds. The Elk is the habitat of chinook salmon, coastal cutthroat trout, winter steelhead, and coho salmon; while the Sixes teems with salmon, steelhead, coastal cutthroat trout, and marbled murrelets.
These rivers boast some of the best salmon fishing in the US. During October or November, when there is rainfall, one can find fall chinook salmon and coho salmon (silvers). Beyond November, cutthroat trout (bluebacks) and winter steelhead can be found heading to the sea.
No motors are allowed on the Elk but since the rivers are only a few miles north of Port Orford, all you have to do is tow your boat from your home in Port Orford to reach it. You can also take a guided boat from the Elk River fish hatchery to fish. The Sixes, meanwhile, has several launches and takeouts.
Elk River Fish Hatchery
Completed in 1968 to supplement natural production of fall chinook, the Elk River Fish Hatchery is only about eight miles up Elk Rivers Road. They operate a boat launch for guided tours, fishing, and swimming. Chinook salmon, winter steelhead, and rainbow trout can be caught there depending on the season. Rods, reels, bait, and tackle are provided at the facility, and there is also a boat ramp for those who want to fish by drift boat on the Elk river.
Rogue River
About half an hour south from Fort Orford, the Rogue River has over 215 miles of fishable waters, and is fishable all year round. From the New Year till March, winter steelhead can be found, and from the spring through June, the famous “springer” chinook salmon – the main attraction of the river – can be caught in its first run of the year. From July through winter, chinook and coho salmon can be caught during their fall runs, and then steelhead again. You can ask for guided trips around the Gold Beach area.
Garrison Lake
Situated on the northwest side of Port Orford, the 130-acre Garrison Lake is a great spot to catch rainbow trout grown from hatcheries and planted during spring. The lake also supports largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, cutthroat trout, and chinoook salmon. The lake can be fished from the banks via the Tseriadun State Recreation Area from the south, or by boat, where Tseriadun also have good boat launches.
Laird Lake
This is a small isolated lake about 15.3 miles east of Port Orford, and can be reached on the way to Powers Ranger District at the headwaters of the Elk River. With only four campsites, it is an area that requires four-wheel-drive vehicles to reach. The lake is stocked annually with rainbow trout that are wily and hard to catch.
The Pacific Ocean
The oceanfront lifestyle in Oregon includes fishing practically all year round. A myriad of fish can be caught off the coast. You can fish for bottom fish like cabezon, kelp greenling, lingcod, red snapper, and black snapper which all are just waiting to snap up your bait while you fish in a kayak, canoe, or rowboat around Nelly’s Cove. Or you can charter a boat at the dock or even launch your own boat for any of more than fifty species of bigger fish in the deep waters. Additionally, you can fish off the Port Orford dock, jetty, or even your own oceanfront property.
Looking for a home in Port Orford? We can help you find the perfect property. Call us at 541.412.9635 x12 or get in touch with us here.