Meet the fleet and celebrate Oregon’s delicious summer catch.
Every summer sleek schools of albacore tuna migrate close to the Oregon Coast, sparking one of the state’s most beloved seasonal harvests. Known for their winglike fins, these silver-sided speedsters have powered coastal economies from Astoria to Brookings for more than a century — and they are a must-try for visitors to the Oregon Coast. Here’s what you need to know about how and when to taste albacore on your next visit.
What’s Special About Oregon Albacore?
Built for endurance, albacore cross thousands of miles of open ocean in tightly packed schools before reaching Oregon’s cold, nutrient-rich waters. By the time they arrive each summer, the fish have spent months feeding on anchovies and sardines churned up by the region’s famous coastal upwelling.
That’s when the fleet heads out to bring them to your table. Oregon’s albacore fishery includes nearly 350 boats operating out of 13 ports along the coast. During peak season, fishers head out before dawn and often stay offshore for days, chasing the migrating schools across the Pacific.
According to the Oregon Albacore Commission, albacore are harvested the old-school way here — one fish at a time. Using baited poles and barbless jigs trolled behind fast-moving boats, there’s virtually no bycatch. Because of the way they migrate, these albacore are typically younger and smaller fish, weighing between 10 to 30 pounds. This eliminates concerns about mercury, which accumulates over time and impacts older fish.
10 Days of Albacore Celebration
Visitors to Oregon can learn more about this special fish during the annual 10 Days of Tuna celebration (August 1–10, 2026), when restaurants and fish markets roll out fresh albacore specials, dockside sales, chef pop-ups and more. Find all the events — including an inside look at the fishery on a guided Newport field trip on August 2 — at the Winter Waters website.
Expect dock walks, conversations with local fishers and an up-close look at the fishing methods that define Oregon’s sustainable albacore fishery. Guests will have the chance to stock up on peak-season fresh albacore and premium canned fish. Lunch is included at Local Ocean, the celebrated Newport seafood destination known for its innovative sourcing, which introduced its new chef-in-residence and local seafood expert Jacob Harth in June.
The celebration continues throughout the month with recipes, canning tutorials, chef collabs, and fishing stories shared across the commission’s Instagram and Facebook channels. Follow along for up-to-date events. Families can also head to the Oregon Coast Aquarium for Tuna Fishery Day on August 26 for interactive exhibits and tuna-themed activities.
Shop Off the Docks and at Coastal Markets
During peak albacore season, many coastal ports come alive with dockside sales, where fishing families sell fresh tuna straight off the boats. Oregon State University Extension’s Sea Grant program leads its popular Shop at the Dock 90-minute waterfront walks, guided by experts. Here you can meet fishers in Newport — home to Oregon’s largest commercial-fishing fleet — or at ports such as Garibaldi, Charleston, Port Orford and Brookings.
Another essential Oregon Coast experience is visiting fresh-seafood markets — equal parts fish counter and community gathering place. Among many classics, you’ll find venerable markets like Bell Buoy of Seaside, which has been selling wild-caught seafood direct from local boats since 1936; Lincoln City’s Barnacle Bill’s Seafood Market, with the slogan “Unchanged Since 1949”; and Chuck’s Seafood, a homegrown favorite serving the Charleston community since 1953.
For experiences worth a trip, buy albacore at Chelsea Rose Seafood, which is housed on a historic fishing vessel that’s moored at Dock 3 in Newport. Farther south, seafood lovers can tour the state’s only dolly dock in Port Orford before buying directly from local boats with the Port Orford Seafood Market at the port or at Port Orford Sustainable Seafood’s The Galley, just up the hill. In Gold Beach, Fishermen Direct Seafoods overlooks the Rogue River from its historic cannery setting.
Be sure to check out some of the Coast’s newer markets, as well. Visit FishStix in Warrenton, the fisher-owned West Fish Co. in Pacific City and charming Little Fish Seafood in Coos Bay. You can find these and many other small businesses that specialize in Oregon-landed seafood on the new Oregon Coast Seafood Trail.
– By Kerry Newberry
– Top photo by Gabrielle Colton / Oregon Sea Grant
in Food & Drink