GPS Coordinates: 44.6206664, -123.6488988

REGIONS > CENTRAL COAST > COAST RANGE MOUNTAINS​
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This river originates in the Coast Range Mountains and flows west for 48.5 miles (78.1 km) to empty into the Pacific Ocean near the town of Waldport. The river, which forks into two parts, flows through a large part of the Siuslaw National Forest and near several small communities including Tidewater, Little Switzerland and Drift Creek. 

The river provides a major migration route for coho salmon, chinook salmon and steelhead trout. The river, along with Alsea Bay outside Waldport, are popular fishing areas. Depending on the time of year, hundreds of boats will cruise the river as anglers try their luck.

The river's course is roughly followed by Oregon Route 34 which connects the town of Philomath (near Corvallis) to Waldport on the Central Oregon Coast. The route also passes through numerous wildlife areas, including the top edge of the expansive Siuslaw National Forest. OR-34 offers direct access to Marys Peak, the tallest summit in the coast range.

The Alsea Fish Hatchery

Fish hatcheries are used all over the world as a means to support aquaculture and protect native fish and shellfish populations from over-harvesting by supplementing native commercial fishing. As human demand for fish has increased, hatcheries have become a commonplace solution to providing this commercial commodity without exhausting the naturally occurring populations of animals. Hatcheries have become especially important in southeast Asia, where the extensive demand for seafood has decimated many marine species. The Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Fish Hatchery System administers most of the hatcheries in the United States, including the one on the Alsea River.

​The facility, which is open to the public, raises steelhead and rainbow trout. The nearby creeks are excellent areas to different fish as they make their annual migrations upstream to spawn. Sometimes, spawning fish can be seen wriggling over the rocks and debris just inches from shore! For more information, visit the hatchery website

Representative Species of the Alsea River:

Suggested Activities for the Alsea River: