Anglers from Portland, Salem and beyond know that Tillamook Bay means salmon. The bay seldom disappoints. Located 75 miles west of Portland, Tillamook Bay takes its name from the Chinook word for “land of many waters.” Indeed, this bay draws from five significant rivers—the Miami, Kilchis, Wilson, Trask and Tillamook. These five productive river systems explain the Bay’s prolific salmon returns (fall chinook, some eclipsing 50 pounds, are the chief draw). Crabbing is another popular pastime in Tillamook Bay. There’s also room for adventure—the sandy peninsula that separates the bay from the Pacific was once the site of Bayocean, a turn of the century resort town that housed the largest indoor saltwater swimming pool on the west coast. By the 1950s, Bayocean had been reclaimed by the sea. Remnants of this ghost town are still visible today.

Courtesy of "Boating in Oregon" by Oregon State Marine Board

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