Boating, Fishing, and Travel Information for Depoe Bay, OR

Depoe Bay, Oregon - Photo courtesy of Out West Photography

Depoe Bay’s 6-acre (2.4 ha) harbor has staked claim to the “world’s smallest navigable harbor”. Located 8 miles north of Yaquina Head, Depoe Bay has one of the best small-boat shelters along this part of the coast.

Some Fun Facts:

The town of Depoe Bay was named for Siletz Indian Charles “Charley” Depot who was originally allotted the land in 1894 as part of the Dawes Act of 1887. His original tribal affiliation was Tututni.
In 1975, the fishing trip sequence in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was filmed in Depoe Bay.
In 2008, restaurant scenes from The Burning Plain were filmed in Depoe Bay, at the Tidal Raves restaurant.
On March 11, 2011, Depoe Bay’s port was damaged by a tsunami caused by the Tōhoku earthquake off the coast of Japan.
On August 21, 2017, Depoe Bay became one of the first places in the United States to witness totality of the solar eclipse.

Places to Visit:

The Depoe Bay Whale Watching Center, also known as the Depoe Bay Ocean Wayside, is an Oregon State Parks-staffed visitor center in Depoe Bay, Oregon, U.S. to help visitors observe whale migration and provide information about whales and other marine mammals, including history, economics, and their environmental and ecological influences. The wayside provides a sheltered platform from which to view the ocean. First established as a wayside parking area on the Oregon Coast Highway in 1930, the wayside building was built in 1956 as a restroom facility for the popular spot. It is located just to the north of the Depoe Bay Bridge, also on the National Register.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depoe_Bay,_Oregon which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0

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Boating in Depoe Bay, OR Map View

The bay proper has foul ground on both the north and south sides, but the channel leading to the narrow dredged channel to the inner basin is deep and well marked. The foul areas break in moderate seas and are marked by kelp. Prominent from seaward is the concrete arch bridge over the entrance to the basin. A lighted whistle buoy is 1.1 miles west of the entrance to the bay. A lighted bell buoy and 086.2° lighted range mark the entrance to the bay and the approach to the dredged channel to the basin. A mariner radio activated sound signal, located on the south side of the entrance is about 50 yards southwest of the bridge, and is initiated by keying the microphone five times on VHF-FM channel 83A.

The basin has a concrete bulkhead, mooring floats, and a tidal grid for minor hull repair work. Also available are berths with electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, launching ramp, and marine supplies. Hull and engine repairs can be made. The town of Depoe Bay is on the N side of the basin.

In 1986, the reported controlling depth in the dredged channel to the fixed arched bridge was 8 feet; thence in 2009, depths of 6 to 8 feet were available in the basin with lesser depths to 3 feet in the SE corner. In 1994, shoaling to 4 feet was reported near the W edge of the channel under the bridge.

The fixed concrete arched bridge over the entrance is unusual in that its width of 30 feet is less than the clearance of 42 feet. The navigator is cautioned against the dangerous surge in the narrow entrance to the basin. Boats over 50 feet long cannot enter the basin without a special waiver from the harbormaster, and then only at highwater. The entrance should not be attempted at night or in rough weather without local knowledge.

Depoe Bay Coast Guard Station, at the inner basin, monitors VHF-FM channel 16 or may be contacted at 541-765-2123.

NMMA Backs Bipartisan Bill to Reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration & Boating Trust Fund

By US Harbors On June 12, 2025, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D–MI) and Rob Wittman (R–VA) introduced legislation to renew the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund (“Trust Fund”), a cornerstone federal program since 1950. Supported by NMMA President and CEO Frank Hugelmeyer, the fund is sustained by excise taxes… Learn More

Fishing in Depoe Bay, OR Map View

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Photo Credits

Depoe Bay, Oregon - Courtesy of Bob Heims, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Depoe Bay, OR