Oregon Groundfish
sustainable, abundant, delicious.
Enjoy experiencing Oregon’s many varieties of this mild, flaky white fish - ask your chef or fishmonger what local Oregon species is available today!
Groundfish encompasses 90+ different species of fish, including lingcod, rockfish (aka “snapper”), sablefish (aka “blackcod” or “butterfish”), pacific whiting, as well as halibut, sole, and flounder and many more.
Both small, hook-and-line day boats and larger mid-water trawl vessels participate in bringing sustainable Oregon groundfish to diners and chefs across the country and world. Groundfish is caught year round, and can often be found fresh or fresh-frozen in retail stores and on menus at local restaurants.
Where and when can I find Oregon groundfish?
Groundfish are native to the Pacific and abundant off the coast of California, Oregon and Washington state. Most species are fished all year long off in Oregon, and because there are so many species, which type of fish you find may vary.
Look for different varieties to turn up on menus all along the coast, in tacos, fish and chips, on salads and as entrees! Try Restaurant Beck at Whale’s Cove in Depoe Bay, Astoria’s South Bay Wild Fish House, or Garibaldi’s popular food truck Sea Baron, which fries up beer-battered local lingcod and albacore right next to Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad. In Brookings, Catalyst also operates their own fishing boat, which delivers fresh groundfish (and other seafare) directly to the restaurant and on to diner’s plates.
For more dining ideas, explore a local food trail, or visit the Oregon Taste directory to find local seafood purveyors near you!
Visit our Buy Local page or Positively Groundfish to learn more!
A comeback story
The Marine Stewardship Council certifies 18 species of West Coast groundfish as sustainable, and the Seafood Watch Program lists them as “Best Choice.” Yet this was not always the case - just twenty years ago, this well-loved fishery collapsed due to overfishing, and was declared a disaster by the federal government.
Fishers and mandating agencies banded together and imposed stricter regulations that ranged from decreased catch limits and seasonal closures to depth-based closures and gear restrictions.
As a result, the fishery rebounded much faster than anyone predicted. Nine overfished stocks of rockfish have been rebuilt, many ahead of schedule by decades! By-catch levels have been reduced dramatically and thousands of miles of fish habitat are now protected.
