When Pacific halibut are around Bandon
Pacific halibut fishing out of Bandon is an offshore fishery that opens at the beginning of May. If you run your own boat out of Bandon, this page covers when to go, how you get out, where boats run, and who fishes it. For the whole coast, see the Pacific Northwest fishing guide.
Offshore season start
Visit Bandon puts the start of offshore season at the beginning of May. That is the timing anchor for Bandon halibut season.
Charter season window
Prowler runs halibut trips within its March to October season. The charter window and the offshore opening are separate frames. For the actual open days, see the Regulations section below.
Getting out: the Coquille River bar
Every trip to the offshore grounds starts with the Coquille River bar, the crossing Prowler uses to reach its grounds. If the bar doesn’t line up, the trip doesn’t happen, so read it before committing to anything beyond it.
Reading conditions before you cross
Three numbers decide the day:
- Wind: speed and direction, for the crossing and for the run home
- Wave height: what the forecast calls for offshore
- Wave period: the interval between swells
The NWS Portland coastal marine forecast has all three. The Port of Bandon bar cam shows the entrance itself. Forecasts miss, so look at the bar before you go out and again before you come home.
Where boats run and the grounds that hold fish
Boats run from Bandon to the offshore grounds, crossing the Coquille River bar on the way. Once out there, bottom contours decide where you spend your time. The Chart Contours layer in Breakpoint shows them, though chart layers are not for navigation.
Deep-drop bottom fishing is the companion technique for offshore bottom work, and the same habit of reading the bottom applies.
| What you cross or reach | Role in the trip |
|---|---|
| Coquille River bar | The crossing out and back |
| Offshore grounds | Where the halibut fishing happens |
How it’s fished and who fishes it
Halibut out of Bandon is fished two ways: from your own boat or on a charter.
On your own boat
Recreational boaters fish it on their own. Rigging, drifting and gear are covered in the Pacific halibut guide. On a private boat, the crossing and the trip are your call.
Prowler Charters
Prowler Charters runs the C/V Prowler and the 40 ft Mis-Chief. It books halibut trips as 12-hour charters within its March to October season.
| Own boat | Prowler charter | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides the crossing | You | The charter |
| Trip format | Yours to set | 12-hour charter |
FAQ about Pacific halibut fishing out of Bandon
When does halibut season start out of Bandon?
Visit Bandon puts the start of offshore season at the beginning of May. Prowler runs halibut trips within its March to October season.
Do Bandon boats cross a bar to reach the halibut grounds?
Yes. The Coquille River bar is the crossing to the offshore grounds. Read wind, wave height and period in the marine forecast before you go.
Who runs halibut charters out of Bandon?
Prowler Charters, with the C/V Prowler and the 40 ft Mis-Chief.
How long is a Prowler halibut trip?
Prowler books its halibut trips as 12-hour charters.
Where are the halibut rules for Bandon?
Halibut landed at Bandon fall under the rules ODFW publishes for that landing port’s subarea. Check ODFW’s page before fishing.
