Winchester Bay is located where the Umpqua River meets the Pacific Ocean, just north of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. While the timber, agriculture, and fishing industries have been a dominant contributor to the town’s economy throughout the 1900s, today, tourism is increasingly becoming more prominent. One thing in particular that is bringing in people is the great fishing opportunities. With its unique location, Winchester Bay is an ideal region for lake, river, and ocean fishing.

In the past, Winchester Bay has faced strict fishing regulations due to decreases in the salmon population. Regulations peaked in 2008 when all ocean salmon fishing was prohibited, leading to a $22 million in statewide losses to businesses that support recreational fishing with most of those losses occurring in coastal towns. In addition to this, commercial fishing businesses were projected to lose $23 million due to the closure. Fortunately for Winchester and the rest of the Oregon coast, sport salmon fishing was given the go-ahead by the Pacific Fishery management Council in early April 2017 under certain restrictions. To view a detailed account on season starting dates, areas open, and catch limits, click here.

From rock fish, to ling cod, to both the chinook and coho salmon, and even sturgeon, Winchester Bay is not lacking in fish species. There are a number of fishing charters that make full use of these unique fishing opportunities. Charters can be found on the Oregon Coast Visitor Association’s website. Crabbing is allowed year round in bays, estuaries, tide pools, piers, and jetties, with a license. So bring your crab pots and fishing lines over to Winchester Bay for a good time!

Reedsport, OR, a city of approximately 4,154 people, is situated on the estuary of the Umpqua River and is named after a local settler who founded the city in 1912, Alfred W. Reed.

At that time, the Southern Pacific Railroad lines extending south to Coos Bay led to the development of Reedsport, which was originally a camp for railroad construction workers before the post office was established that same year.

Like many communities on the coast of Oregon, Reedsport historically was economically dependent on Oregon’s timber industry and has been subsequently impacted by the industry’s decline. In the past two decades, however, Reedsport has experienced an increase in tourism due to various nearby points of interest and the large amount of outdoor recreational opportunities available. The Umpqua River supports one of the largest recreational fishing ports on the coast of Oregon and is the largest river between Sacramento and the Columbia.

Reedsport also sits in the heart of the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area; therefore there are many opportunities to explore, hike, ATV, and more on the Dunes.

Reedsport is arguably most notably known for the famous Dean Creek Elk Viewing area, which is just three miles east of town on Highway 38. The Dean Creek Elk Viewing area is owned and managed by the Bureau of Land Management and is a popular stop for tourists along the highway. Throughout the year, visitors are treated to up-close views of Roosevelt elk grazing and resting in their resident meadow. Roosevelt elk are the largest of the four North American elk subspecies.

The herd at the Dean Creek Elk Viewing area sometimes reaches as many as 120 elk, and other wildlife that visitors often see include beavers, muskrat, mallards, Canada geese, and great blue heron. To learn more about the Dean Creek Viewing area, visit the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s visitor guide.

Members of the South Coast Tourism Steering Committee met in Powers on July 18.

The Outdoor Recreation Team shared information on the Coos Flow Trail, a 30 miles mountain biking trail that is currently under construction between Bandon and Coos Bay. The Team will be pursuing a Travel Oregon Rural Tourism Studio grant to support this and other efforts including a ribbon-cutting opening event for the completion of the first 11 mile segment which is expected to take place in the fall. The Marketing Action Team, discussed the Team’s two priority goals: 1) To create up-to-date information on the Travel Oregon website for businesses and restaurants and 2) To develop high quality photography to represent the South Coast. The logistics of both projects are still in the process of being finalized. The agritourism team also provide an update on efforts related to creating Farm Trails to help market local producers and farm experiences. The Team is looking to receive funding for a Farm Dinner, an agritourism development program that seeks to connect producers, buyers, hotels, and other businesses. The Committee will meet again on August 23rd in Coos Bay to finalize the details of the proposal and are planning to have the grant finalized and submitted mid-September.