Coffenbury Lake in Clatsop County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Coffenbury Lake is one of the Clatsop County waters in Oregon. Rolling hill runs right down to the water. With some 51 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 2.1 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It ranks high for size among our Clatsop County listings. Warrenton is the closest town at 1.9 miles. Then Astoria, 6.3 miles, and Gearhart, 10 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Coffenbury Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. This is tidal water: the state of the tide decides where fish sit, so plan the session around it. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name Chinook salmon, cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Coffenbury Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 60°F and January reads 43°F. Fishing continues through most of the calendar, with quiet spells rather than closures. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Plan around that when you fish Coffenbury Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Somewhere to sit and eat is half a mile out. A toilet block sits half a mile away. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Abbot Lake, 0.5 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Coffenbury Lake for certain.