CONTACT US
Mail Address
Oregon South Coast Fishermen
PO Box 2709
Brookings, OR 94715
Send a contact form if you have any questions or would like further information
About Oregon South Coast fishermen (OSCF)
Membership : Why should you join OSCF?
JOIN US and work with like-minded volunteers to support,protect and improve our local fisheries primarily on the Chetco and Wichuck rivers.
More than just a club — The many activities of the Oregon South Coast Fishermen are vital to our local salmon populations. We assist in creating fishing seasons and harvest allocations, provide and improve public access for fishing, and work on habitat improvement projects with a diverse number of both private and public organizations. We provide monthly general meetings that are free to the public, many of which result in standing room only, with featured presentations from a host of professional and entertaining speakers.
Our fisheries management strategies are being challenged as never before. OSCF volunteers and ODFW are diligent in going about the important work of enhancing and protecting our precious natural resources. The Salmon Trout Enhancement Program (STEP) is key when it comes to ensuring that the core values of education, habitat, hatcheries, and harvest remain a part of our management strategies for future generations to enjoy.
Our Mission Statement
Oregon South Coast Fishermen (OSCF) is a 501(c)3 entity founded in 1978
- Oregon South Coast Fishermen is a STEP group and will participate, as requested, directed, and authorized, with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to accomplish STEP projects and activities.
- Oregon South Coast Fishermen is dedicated to the maintenance and enhancement of the fishery resources and to their management for the benefit of sustainable fish populations and sport fishing opportunities.
- Oregon South Coast Fishermen is dedicated to the protection, management and enhancement of fish habitat, with special emphasis on the Chetco and Winchuck rivers and their tributaries and the ocean territorial waters with Curry County.
- Oregon South Coast Fishermen is dedicated to providing youth angling and outdoor education opportunities.
- Oregon South Coast Fishermen will provide appropriate comment on activities that affect fisheries, habitat and fishing opportunity.
- Oregon South Coast Fishermen will be involved with the local community to promote the importance of fisheries and fishing as both an economic benefit and a quality of life indicator.
Oregon South Coast Fishermen will promote fishing by sharing information and techniques with our members and other fishermen, by reaching out to new fishermen and new residents to introduce them to the local fishing opportunities and by promoting club fellowship and social activities.
Thank you for your support.
NEWS AND NOTICES
ODFW fishing Recreation Report-SW Oregon
Expect water levels in the Chetco and Elk to be on the rise with this week's rain, but steelhead fishing conditions should be good to great once the river levels start to drop.
Anglers on the lower Rogue have started turning their attention to spring Chinook...
2025 Fishing Regulations
ODFW free fishing days
What we do, When we do it, How we do it and Why we do it.
Timeline: Our Activities Month by Month
ON-GOING
• OSCF Management (President’s Job)
• Membership
• Merchandise
• Social Media, Publicity, Guest Speakers
• High School Fishing Club
• Icebox River Bar
...
JANUARY
• Coastal Holiday Festival of Lights at Azalea Park-Take down 1 day Jan TBD.
...
FEBRUARY
...
MARCH
• Continue Steelhead Broodstock Collection (Chrome Challenge) (Dec-Mar)
...
APRIL
• Start: Eggs to Fry Fry Release (Apr-June)
• Continue: Real Fish Days at Arizona Pond (Mar-Apr)
...
MAY
• Continue: Eggs to Fry Release (Apr-June)
• Start: Azalea Festival Kids Fishponds (Memorial Weekend)
...
JUNE
• Start: Chetco Estuary Seining (salmon smolt) Biweekly, June-Sept
• Continue: Eggs to Fry Program (Apr-June)
• Continue: Eggs to Fry Fry Release (Apr-June)
...
JULY
• Continue: Winchuck River Fish Trap (June-Sept)
• Continue: Chetco Estuary Seining (salmon smolt) Biweekly, June-Sept
...
AUGUST
• Continue: Chetco Estuary Seining (salmon smolt) Biweekly, June-Sept
...
SEPTEMBER
• Start: Coded Wire Tag ( WT) snout collection (Sept-Nov)
• Continue: Winchuck River Fish Trap (June-Sept)
• Continue: Chetco Estuary Seining salmon Smolt) Biweekly, June-Sept
...
OCTOBER
Continue: Ferry Creek salmon smolt acclimation project (Sept-Oct)
• Continue: Coded Wire Tag ( WT) snout collection (Sept-Nov)
• Coastal Holiday Festival of Lights at Azalea Park-set up 1 day Oct TBD.
...
NOVEMBER
• Continue: Coded Wire Tag ( WT) snout collection (Sept-Nov)
...
DECEMBER
• Start: Steelhead Broodstock Collection (Chrome Challenge) (Dec-Mar)
• Contiinue: Salmon Carcass Scale Collection (Nov-Dec)
• Coastal Holiday Festival of Lights at Azalea Park-Host Dec 1 night TBD.
...
Calendar
STEP: Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program
About STEP
Recognizing that volunteers could play an important role in the restoration of native stocks of salmon and trout, the Oregon Legislature created the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program in 1981.
Since that time thousands of volunteers have assisted Oregon’s fisheries through their involvement in STEP. They have donated money, materials, equipment, and countless hours of time and labor. STEP volunteers have completed stream habitat restoration work, conducted surveys, helped with education projects, and hatched and reared several million salmon and trout eggs—all because they care about fish and fish habitat.
STEP’s goals include:
• Rehabilitate and improve natural habitat and native fish stocks.
• Insure that harvest does not exceed fish population’s reproductive capability.
• Provide for citizen volunteer participation in achieving the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s fish management objectives.
• Support public education programs
The Salmon and Trout Advisory Committee (STAC) made up of 9 Oregon citizens are appointed by the governor to provide recommendations concerning the implementation of salmon and trout enhancement projects. STAC members are appointed to represent the various districts throughout Oregon.
In addition to the advisory committee, 11 Oregon Department of Fish and wildlife STEP Biologists work closely with the numerous STEP affiliated Oregon fishing organizations, providing technical expertise as well as organizing and overseeing the efforts of these dedicated volunteers. OSCF is proud to be one of those organizations.
You can help out in a variety of ways, from data collection and management to habitat restoration or education.
STEP Projects
STEP: Steelhead Broodstock Collection (December through March)
What We Do
Chetco River Steelhead broodstock are caught by anglers and donated to the Elk River Fish Hatchery. They are live spawned and returned to the Chetco river. The offspring smolt are released back into the Chetco River the following March.
When We Do It
December through March each year.
How We Do It
• Get signups and hand out raffle tickets
• Issue collecting tubes, Fish Boxes, Pens, Big Tank
• Organize volunteers to help collect broodstock
• Buy/secure raffle prizes for King of Chrome and general raffle
• Organize closing ceremonies: location, prizes, food etc.
Why We Do It
The goal of the Chetco River winter Steelhead program is to provide fish for sport fishing harvest, while minimizing any potential adverse impacts to the wild populations, particularly the SONCC Coho which is a threatened population under the federal ESA. This program provides adult winter Steelhead for the recreational fishery on the Chetco River. Maintaining these and other fisheries directed at unlisted species supports economic and cultural values associated with historic steelhead fisheries while reducing social pressures to increase fisheries directed at listed species. The program is also designed to educate students and increase public awareness about Steelhead biology, its critical life stages and special habitat requirements, through the STEP program. The program minimizes indirect impacts to listed species through brood collection techniques, rearing and release strategies.
Brood Collection: Migrating fish enter the Chetco River from December to April. ODFW staff and volunteers collect wild and hatchery Chetco River winter Steelhead by hook and line. Broodstock collection by tangle net was discontinued prior to the 2015 season. Adults are collected from December to March, and only Chetco River winter Steelhead are used for broodstock. Seasonally installed holding pens are utilized to hold broodstock for up to several days in the Chetco River prior to transport to Elk River Hatchery. Daily hook and line broodstock collection will cease if more than two Coho are captured in a day.
Rearing and Release Strategies. Strategies limit ecological interactions between hatchery and naturally produced fish. Fish are reared to a size sufficient to cause 98-100% of the entire population to smolt, reducing retention time during seaward migration. Smolts are released between mid March and mid April at river mile 4.0 (Social Security Bar) with the intent that hatchery produced smolts will migrate to sea prior to peak migration of naturally produced smolts, thus minimizing interactions (Past smolt trapping in south coast streams indicates that peak migration of naturally produced coho and winter steelhead smolts typically occurs between mid-April and mid-May). Any naturally produced juvenile Coho rearing in the lower mainstem and estuary of the Chetco mainstem at the time of smolt release may be subject to predation/competition by hatchery produced steelhead smolts. Releasing smolts in the lower river reduces the straying of hatchery Steelhead to natural spawning grounds. Fingerling Steelhead excess to the needs of the smolt program are released in various south coast lakes and ponds between May and the following April in order to supplement local trout fisheries. Most release sites are not accessible to anadromous fish and interactions with naturally produced fish are limited to Garrison Lake.
STEP: Reel Fish Days at Arizona Pond (March through April)
What We Do
Volunteers teach all third-grade students in Curry County casting, line tying and hook baiting. Youths fish at Arizona Pond with assistance from OSCF and CAF volunteers.
When We Do It
March through April
How We Do It
• Pond preparation in March.
• ODFW will schedule 4 or 5 days in the last two weeks in April, usually Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• Coordinate with CAF for volunteers and provide lunch each day.
• Secure volunteers and arrange carpools,
• About 30 volunteers are needed each day.
Why We Do It
get some text from the ODFW page
STEP: Eggs to Fry Program (April-through June)
What We Do
The Eggs to Fry Program provides aquariums and fish eggs to all 3rd grade classrooms in Brookings. OSCF volunteers assist the ODFW biologist with setup and presentations.
When We Do It
April through June
How We Do It
• Help our STEP biiologist set up aquariums in the classrooms
• Assist our STEP biologist with the classroom presentations
Why We Do It
Fish egg incubation projects are a popular and valuable classroom education tool. Hatching fish eggs in a
classroom setting helps students learn important concepts while developing caring attitudes about Oregon’s
native fish species and their habitats.
STEP: Eggs to Fry Fry Release (April through June)
What We Do
Volunteers assist ODFW with the release of fish fry at LOEB state park.
When We Do It
Mid April through June
How We Do It
• Schedule volunteers to help ODFW with the release of fry at LOEB State Park.
Why We Do It
Fish egg incubation projects are a popular and valuable classroom education tool. Hatching fish eggs in a
classroom setting helps students learn important concepts while developing caring attitudes about Oregon’s
native fish species and their habitats.
STEP: Winchuck River Fish Trap (June through September)
What We Do
For the last 25 years, this ongoing monitoring has provided valuable data that is manned almost exclusively by OSCF volunteers. By calculating species abundance year to year, this project gives us insight to not only the Winchuck population dynamics but also acts as a barometer for other area streams as well. Click HERE to see all annual date from ODFW.
When We Do It
Monday through Friday fur 14 weeks in June, July, August and September
How We Do It
• Set up in June. Training is done by ODFW staff
• Arrange sign-up calendar for monitoring the trap daily Mon-Friday for 14 weeks
• Take down and store the fish trap
Why We Do It
The STEP Biologist and OSCF volunteers seine the salmon smolts in the Chetco estuary. The data is used to indicate when hatchery Chinook Salmon smolt should be released to have the least impact on native fish utilizing the estuary. These index surveys characterize abundance and development of native fall Chinook Salmon smolts.
STEP: Chetco Estuary Seining - Salmon Smolt (June through September)
What We Do
The STEP Biologist and OSCF volunteers seine the salmon smolts in the Chetco estuary. The data is used to indicate when hatchery Chinook Salmon smolt should be released to have the least impact on native fish utilizing the estuary. These index surveys characterize abundance and development of native fall Chinook Salmon smolts.
When We Do It
Biweekly from June through September.
lHow We Do It
• Arrange the dates with John Weber and schedule volunteers 8-10 for each seining day
• Waders are required for this activity.
Why We Do It
The STEP Biologist and OSCF volunteers have completed over 30 years seining Chinook Salmon smolts in the Chetco River estuary. The project consists of volunteers setting a juvenile beach seine at select stations bi-weekly from June through September. These index surveys characterize abundance and development of native fall Chinook Salmon smolts. In addition, the data is used to indicate when hatchery Chinook Salmon smolt should be released to have the least impact on native fish utilizing the estuary.
STEP: Coded Wire Tag (CWT) Snout Collection (September through November)
What We Do
Collect tagged hatchery salmon snouts for ODFW. Hairlike stainless-steel wires that have a unique code chemically etched on them. They are inserted into the nasal cartilage of juvenile fish to note their origin and release site. CWT stay in the fish for life and are recovered using a metal detector wand. The snout of the hatchery fish is removed and sent to the lab for processing. CWT are commonly used to determine movement patterns of salmon.
When We Do It
September, October and into November
How We Do It
• Collect hatchery salmon snouts Sept, Oct, and November.
• Get the snouts to ODFW with the tags filled out
• Buy the raffle prizes
• Conduct the raffle at our January club meeting.
Why We Do It
The tagged snout assist with tracking the movements of hatchery fish.
STEP: Ferry Creek Salmon Smolt Acclimation Project (September through October)
What We Do
Set up net pen for load of salmon smolt and feed them until their release in the Chetco River. This is done twice.
When We Do It
Two separate loads of smolt are kept for two weeks each during September and October.
How We Do It
• Set up net pen in September and receive the first load of smolt
• Two loads of smolt of around 17,000 each
• Arrange volunteers to feed the smolt twice per day for two weeks
• Release the smolt into the Chetco River
• Receive the second load of salmon smolt
• Arrange volunteers to feed the smolt twice per day for two weeks
• Release the smolt into the Chetco River
• Remove the net pen. Many volunteers are needed
Why We Do It
To better understand the return of salmon on the Chetco river. Mainstem vs the acclimation project fish. The goals of the project: 1) Increase harvest opportunity by increasing the length of time the returning adults hold in the Chetco estuary, 2) reduce the proportion of naturally spawning fish in the wild population.
STEP: Salmon Broodstock Collection - Salmon Rodeo (October)
What We Do
Collect Chetco River Chinook salmon for the Chetco River hatchery programs broodstock and get them to Elk River Fish Hatchery for spawning.
When We Do It
October
- Coordinate dates with ODFW (October)
- Arrange for OSCF volunteers to help with the seine net and carry the fish to the ODFW transport truck which will take them to the Elk River Hatchery
The Salmon Rodeo is sponsored to increase participation in the annual angler Chinook Salmon broodstock effort.
STEP: Salmon Carcass Scale Collection (November through December)
What We Do
The OSCF volunteers and ODFW staff collect scale samples from Chinook salmon carcasses in the Chetco River and its tributaries.
When We Do It
November and December
How We Do It
• Secure drift boats (6 boats is ideal) Two boats for each reach
• Assign the three areas. SF to Nook, Nook to Loeb, Loeb to Social
• Secure a crew for each boat and a shuttle
• Check out the scale sampling kit and tridents
• Collect and store the scale sampling kits. Get the scale samples to ODFW.
Why We Do It
One way for fish biologists to acquire age information about salmon and trout is by collecting scale samples. Scales have growth rings, just like trees, which show the growth history of fish. Scales can be collected from juvenile salmonids by using a knife to scrape between the dorsal fin and lateral line, where the oldest scales form. Scales on adult salmonids can often be acquired by removing individual scales with forceps. For anadromous fish such as salmon and steelhead, certain characteristics of their scales can show at what age they migrated to sea (as a juvenile), the length of time they spent at sea, whether they have spawned previously and their approximate age when they returned to the river.
Community Involvement and Social Activities
Salmon and trout fishing contribute substantially to the economy of our local communities. The social activities we sponsor provide important education about fish and fishing and safe and positive recreational opportunities for everyone, especially kids. In addition, our events bring people together, fostering relationships, collaboration and a sense of belonging.
Azalea Festival Kids Fishponds (Memorial Day Weekend)
What We Do
Memorial Day weekend is the annual Azalea parade where kids are excited to get in line at the Oregon South Coast Fishermen’s big top and wait their turn to enter the trout ponds and catch rainbow trout. This event is free to the public and has been a favorite for years.
When We Do It
Friday, Saturday and Sunday prior to Memorial Day (the last Monday in May).
How We Do It
• Set up Friday: tent (Jim Antrim), ponds, water (Cliff), fish, hardware, ice.
• Volunteers to help kids fish Saturday 8:00 to 10:00 am
• Take down and store all equipment 10:00 to 12:00 noon on Saturday
• Many volunteers are needed for this event.
• Schedule the Friday overnight security crew and Friday day security shifts.
• Attend the organization meetings with City Hall.
• Notify Grocery Outlet, Auto Zone, Curry Transit
Why We Do It
.say something about why OSCF does this event
Assist With Monitoring Fireworks Fall-out Areas (July 4)
What We Do
OSCF volunteers assist the port with patrolling the fireworks fall-out areas.
When We Do It
The weekend prior to July 4th as well as the day of July 4th.
How We Do It
• Attend the preliminary organizing meetings
• Arrange the 2 to 3-hour shifts for the three fallout areas as designated by Henry and Travis
• Two people for each fallout area is ideal. So, six people per shift are needed.
• Set up our OSCF ‘Fun Zone’ area during the day of the 4th.
• IMPORTANT: We need to secure OSCF volunteers for the prime hours from 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm.
• OSCF volunteers will NOT be required to work the two gates. Port staff will do that.
Why We Do It
Service to the community.
• OSCF Christmas Party (December)
What We Do
Every December we get together at the holidays to celebrate all we do as a club and to recognize our wonderful volunteers!
When We Do It
Before the holidays begin.
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How We Do It
• Secure raffle prizes
• Secure the venue and set the date
• Decide on the menu and price
• Mail the invitations along with the OSCF renewal, collect the money, place the order.
• arrange the details of the party, speakers, prizes, music, slide show, seating, etc.
• set up and take down
Why We Do It
It’s Fun!!
Coastal Holiday Festival of Lights at Azalea Park (Oct, Dec and Jan)
What We Do
We assist with setting up lights and general setup in October and then we host the show for one night in December. We assist with take-down one day in January.
When We Do It
Set-up in October, Host in December, take-down in January. Dates TBD
How We Do It
- Arrange for volunteers to help put up the lights (October)
- Choose the date for OSCF to work the show. 16 volunteers needed.
- Arrange for volunteers to help take down the lights
Why We Do It
To support our community.