How to Read NOAA Buoy Data for Ocean Fishing Conditions

What Is NOAA Buoy Data and Where Do You Find It?

The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) operates a network of moored buoys and coastal stations that continuously measure ocean and atmospheric conditions. These aren't abstract scientific instruments. They're the same data points that commercial fishermen, the Coast Guard, and charter captains check before every trip. If you're running offshore in anything smaller than a freighter, this data is your lifeline.

Each buoy station reports a standard set of measurements:

• Significant wave height — the average height of the highest one-third of waves, measured in feet or meters
• Dominant wave/swell period — the time in seconds between successive wave crests
• Swell direction — where the swell energy is coming from (compass degrees)
• Wind speed and direction — sustained winds and gusts at the buoy location
• Water temperature (SST) — sea surface temperature in degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius
• Barometric pressure — atmospheric pressure in millibars, including trend (rising, falling, steady)

You can access this data directly at the NDBC website by clicking on buoy icons on their interactive map, or by searching specific station IDs. Data updates every 30 to 60 minutes depending on the station.

Key PNW Buoy Stations Every Angler Should Know

If you fish the Pacific Northwest coast, bookmark these stations:

• Station 46029 — Columbia River Bar. This is the one you check before crossing the most dangerous river bar in North America. Located roughly 20 nautical miles west of the Columbia River mouth.
• Station 46050 — Stonewall Bank. Sits about 20 nautical miles west of Newport, Oregon. Critical for anyone fishing the productive waters off the central Oregon coast.
• Station 46041 — Cape Elizabeth. Located off the Washington coast, roughly 45 nautical miles northwest of Aberdeen. Your reference point for coastal Washington trips.
• Station 46089 — Tillamook. Relevant for anyone planning to run out of Garibaldi or fish the Tillamook Bay area.
• Station 46015 — Port Orford. Covers the southern Oregon coast for trips out of Gold Beach, Brookings, and Port Orford.

Get in the habit of checking the buoy closest to your launch point at least 12 hours before your trip, again the night before, and once more in the morning. Conditions change. The ocean doesn't care about your plans.

Wave Height — What "Significant Wave Height" Actually Means

This is where most people get it wrong. The wave height number on the buoy report is not the tallest wave out there. It's the significant wave height, which is defined as the average height of the highest one-third of all waves measured during the sampling period.

Read that again. It's an average of the biggest waves, not a maximum.

The practical implication is critical: individual waves can be 1.5 to 2 times the significant wave height. When the buoy reads 6 feet, you should expect to encounter waves of 9 to 12 feet. They won't be constant, but they'll be out there, and they tend to arrive in sets when you're least prepared.

This is why a buoy reading of "only 8 feet" has put boats on the bottom. The rogue sets are running 12 to 16 feet, and all it takes is one breaking over your transom in a following sea.

How to Use Wave Height for Go/No-Go

As a general framework for small recreational boats (18 to 24 feet):

• Under 4 feet — Generally comfortable for most skill levels. Good day to be on the water.
• 4 to 6 feet — Manageable for experienced operators, but the ride gets physical. Pay close attention to period and wind.
• 6 to 8 feet — Experienced anglers only, and only with long swell periods. You need to know your boat and your limits.
• Over 8 feet — Stay home. Watch football. Tie rigs. There will be another day.

But wave height alone tells you almost nothing. A 5-foot reading can mean a pleasant day or a terrifying one. The difference is swell period.

Why Swell Period Matters More Than You Think

Swell period is the number of seconds between successive wave crests passing the buoy. It's the single most underrated data point on the entire buoy report, and it fundamentally changes what a given wave height feels like on the water.

Here's the concept that will reshape how you read buoy data: the height-to-period ratio.

Think of it as the 2:1 rule. When the wave height in feet is less than half the swell period in seconds, conditions are generally manageable. When the ratio approaches 1:1 or exceeds it, things get dangerous fast.

The Same Height, Two Different Oceans

5 feet at 12 seconds — This is a long-period ground swell, likely generated by a storm system hundreds or thousands of miles away. The energy has had time to organize into smooth, rolling swells spaced far apart. Your boat rises and falls gently. You can fish comfortably. The ride out might even be pleasant.

5 feet at 5 seconds — This is a short-period wind swell, generated locally by nearby wind. The waves are steep, close together, and chaotic. They stack up on each other, break unpredictably, and slam into your hull from multiple directions. Five feet at five seconds will beat you senseless and can easily swamp a small boat. The height-to-period ratio is 1:1. Stay at the dock.

5 feet at 8 seconds — This is the borderline zone. The ratio is roughly 1:1.6. It's fishable for experienced operators in capable boats, but it won't be comfortable. You'll work for every fish, and the ride back in will test your patience.

What the Period Numbers Mean

• Under 8 seconds — Locally generated wind waves. Steep, choppy, disorganized. Uncomfortable at best, dangerous at worst. These conditions deteriorate rapidly over shallow water and bars.
• 8 to 11 seconds — Moderate period. Could be leftover wind swell or a building ground swell. Assess carefully in combination with height and wind.
• 12 seconds and above — Long-period ground swell from a distant storm. Smooth, organized, predictable energy. Even relatively tall swells at long periods can be manageable offshore in deep water. However, long-period swells pile up dramatically over shallow bars and nearshore structure.

The critical nuance: long-period swells are more comfortable offshore but can create worse bar conditions than short-period swells of the same height. That deep, organized energy compresses and steepens violently over shallow water. A 6-foot swell at 14 seconds can produce 10-foot breaking waves over a bar, even though it felt smooth 5 miles offshore.

How to Make a Go/No-Go Decision for Offshore Fishing

Stop looking at a single number. A smart go/no-go decision combines wave height, swell period, and wind into one assessment. Here's a decision framework that has kept a lot of PNW anglers alive.

Beginner Thresholds (New to Offshore, Smaller Boats)

All three conditions must be met:

• Significant wave height under 5 feet
• Dominant swell period over 8 seconds
• Sustained wind under 15 knots

If any one of these is outside the threshold, don't go. There's no shame in it. The ocean will be there next weekend.

Experienced Thresholds (Capable Boats, Seasoned Operators)

• Significant wave height under 8 feet
• Dominant swell period over 10 seconds
• Sustained wind under 20 knots
• Height-to-period ratio well below 1:1

Even experienced anglers should treat these as hard limits, not suggestions. Confidence kills more fishermen than incompetence.

The Combined Assessment

Run through this checklist:

1. Check the buoy closest to your fishing grounds. Not a buoy 50 miles away. Ocean conditions vary dramatically over short distances, especially near headlands and river plumes.
2. Look at wave height first. Is it within your threshold?
3. Check swell period. Calculate the height-to-period ratio. Is it below 0.5 (ideal) or approaching 1.0 (dangerous)?
4. Assess wind speed and direction. Onshore winds (west, southwest) stack on top of swell and create confused, breaking seas. Offshore winds (east, northeast) can temporarily flatten the surface but often signal incoming weather.
5. Check the trend. Is the swell building or subsiding? Is wind forecast to increase? A 4-foot swell building to 7 by afternoon means you need to be back inside the bar before conditions deteriorate.
6. Factor in the bar. Conditions offshore can be acceptable while the bar is impassable. Always check bar conditions separately.

When in doubt, don't go out. There is no fish worth dying for.

Bar Crossing Safety — Reading Conditions at PNW River Bars

Every piece of buoy data takes on a different meaning when you're crossing a river bar. Offshore, a 6-foot swell at 12 seconds is manageable. Over the shallow, constricted water of a river bar, that same swell can produce standing waves tall enough to flip a 30-foot boat.

The fundamental dynamic: when outgoing tidal current meets incoming ocean swell, waves steepen, stack, and break. The stronger the ebb and the taller the swell, the worse the bar gets. This is basic physics, and it has killed hundreds of mariners on the Pacific Northwest coast.

Columbia River Bar — The Graveyard of the Pacific

Station 46029 is your lifeline. The Columbia River bar has claimed over 2,000 vessels and 700 lives since records began. It's one of the most dangerous navigable waterways in the world, and it earns that reputation regularly.

The bar spans roughly 3 miles of shallow, shifting sand where the massive outflow of the Columbia River collides with Pacific Ocean swells. During strong ebb tides combined with incoming swell, the bar produces steep, breaking waves that can exceed 20 feet even when the offshore buoy reads 8 to 10.

The Coast Guard issues bar crossing reports and can restrict the bar to vessels over a certain length. Listen to them. When the Coast Guard says the bar is restricted or closed, that's not a suggestion. They've pulled enough bodies out of the water to know.

Newport (Yaquina Bay Bar)

The Yaquina Bay bar at Newport is considered one of the safest and best-maintained bars on the Oregon coast, thanks to well-positioned jetties and consistent dredging. But "safest" is relative — it's still a Pacific Ocean bar crossing.

The general benchmark for Yaquina Bay:

• Significant swell height under 5 feet
• Swell period 10 seconds or longer
• Wind under 10 knots
• Incoming or slack tide preferred

Check Station 46050 (Stonewall Bank) for offshore conditions and the Newport PORTS station for local conditions near the entrance.

Tillamook Bar (Garibaldi)

The Tillamook bar is significantly more exposed and dangerous than Newport. Local knowledge holds that the bar is effectively impassable for small boats until April most years, when winter swell patterns finally subside. Even in summer, it requires more careful assessment than Yaquina.

The bar is shallow, the channel shifts, and the ebb current is strong. When in doubt, drive to Newport.

Depoe Bay

Depoe Bay is a unique case. It has the smallest navigable harbor on the Oregon coast, and its narrow, rock-lined channel is more affected by swell than by tidal current. Even moderate swells can produce surge and breaking waves across the channel entrance. Charter operators at Depoe Bay are the best source of real-time bar condition information — they cross it multiple times daily and know exactly what it can handle.

Bar Crossing Rules to Live By

• Never cross on a strong ebb tide with incoming swell. Time your crossing for slack or incoming tide.
• Check the Coast Guard bar report. Call the local station or check online. They issue specific guidance for recreational vessel size restrictions.
• Watch the bar for at least 10 minutes before crossing. Waves come in sets. The bar may look calm between sets and then produce 8-foot breakers.
• Cross at speed, on the back of a wave. Never let a following wave overtake you. If a breaking wave catches you from behind, you're at its mercy.
• Wear your PFD. Every time. No exceptions. Cold water kills in minutes.

Water Temperature, Pressure, and What They Tell You About the Bite

Wave height and swell period keep you alive. Water temperature and barometric pressure help you catch fish. Both are reported by NDBC buoy stations, and both are underused by recreational anglers.

Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Salmon

Chinook and coho salmon are cold-water fish with specific thermal preferences that buoy data can help you exploit.

• 48°F to 52°F — The optimal zone for Chinook salmon in the Pacific. Fish actively feed and hold at depths where temperatures fall in this range.
• 53°F to 56°F — Acceptable. Fish may be deeper, seeking cooler water below the thermocline.
• Above 58°F — Salmon push deeper or move to find cooler water. Surface fishing becomes less productive.
• 68°F — Stress threshold. Salmon in water this warm are physiologically compromised. You won't find them here by choice.

Temperature breaks — boundaries where water temperatures change sharply over a short distance — concentrate baitfish and predators. Buoy data from adjacent stations can reveal these breaks. If Station 46050 reads 51°F and a nearshore station reads 56°F, there's a temperature gradient somewhere between them, and that's where you want to fish.

Cooler ocean water pulled in by incoming tides can trigger feeding activity in nearshore areas and estuaries. Check the buoy SST trend alongside tide charts. When cold, nutrient-rich water floods into a bay system, baitfish respond, and salmon follow.

Barometric Pressure and Fish Behavior

Most buoy stations report barometric pressure in millibars along with the trend (rising, falling, steady). This data is more useful than many anglers realize.

Falling pressure — indicating an approaching weather system — correlates with increased feeding activity in salmon and trout. The prevailing theory centers on swim bladder sensitivity: as atmospheric pressure drops, the gas in a fish's swim bladder expands slightly, creating discomfort that triggers movement and aggressive feeding before the storm arrives.

The practical takeaway: some of the best fishing happens in the 12 to 24 hours before a front arrives. Watch for a pressure reading that's been steady and begins to drop. That's your window. The fish know the storm is coming before you do.

Stable high pressure — typically associated with clear skies and calm conditions — produces consistent but not necessarily spectacular fishing. Fish feed on regular patterns. The conditions are comfortable, the bite is predictable, and you can plan around structure and tide rather than chasing a pressure-driven feed.

Rising pressure after a storm — Often produces a slow bite as fish recover and re-establish feeding patterns. Give it 12 to 24 hours after the pressure stabilizes before expecting strong activity.

Wind Direction and What It Means

Wind data from buoy stations tells you more than just how rough the ride will be:

• Onshore winds (W, SW, NW) — Push surface water toward shore, create chop and confused seas, worsen bar conditions. Sustained onshore wind over 15 knots builds steep, short-period wind waves on top of existing swell. This is the combination that turns a marginal day into a dangerous one.
• Offshore winds (E, NE) — Can flatten the ocean surface and create deceptively calm nearshore conditions. But offshore winds often precede incoming weather systems and can strengthen rapidly. Don't let a calm morning created by east wind lull you into complacency if the forecast calls for a wind shift.

How DriftLine Translates Raw Buoy Data Into Fishing Intelligence

Reading raw NDBC buoy data is a skill worth developing, but it's also time-consuming. You're cross-referencing multiple station IDs, parsing tabular data, and mentally combining variables to reach a conclusion.

DriftLine's buoy detail screens pull real-time NDBC data and present it in a format built for fishing decisions, not oceanographic research. Each buoy station gets a dedicated view showing wave height, swell period, water temperature, wind, and pressure — all the variables discussed in this article — displayed as readable charts with current conditions and recent trends at a glance.

The buoy state cards on DriftLine's dashboard give you a quick-read snapshot of conditions at your saved stations. Instead of opening the NDBC website, searching for a station ID, and scrolling through rows of numbers, you can see whether your local buoy is showing fishable conditions before you've finished your coffee.

For anglers who monitor multiple stations — say, checking both the Columbia River bar buoy and the Stonewall Bank buoy before an offshore trip out of Astoria — DriftLine lets you compare conditions side by side without switching between browser tabs or memorizing station numbers.

The goal isn't to replace the skill of reading buoy data. It's to remove the friction so you can make faster, better-informed decisions about when and where to fish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What wave height is safe for fishing in a small boat?

For boats in the 18 to 24-foot range, significant wave height under 5 feet with a swell period over 8 seconds and winds under 15 knots is the standard benchmark for less experienced operators. Experienced anglers in capable boats may push to 6 to 8 feet with long periods (12+ seconds), but remember that individual waves can reach 1.5 to 2 times the reported significant height. A 6-foot buoy reading means you should expect 9 to 12-foot waves in the mix.

What does swell period mean for fishing?

Swell period is the time in seconds between wave crests. Longer periods (12+ seconds) mean smoother, more widely spaced swells generated by distant storms — comfortable to ride and generally fishable. Short periods (under 8 seconds) mean steep, locally generated wind waves that are close together, chaotic, and dangerous. The same wave height can be pleasant or terrifying depending on the period. Always check both numbers together.

How do I check bar conditions before going fishing?

Check the nearest NDBC buoy station for offshore swell height and period. Then contact the local Coast Guard station for a bar report — they issue specific crossing guidance including vessel size restrictions. Watch the bar visually for at least 10 minutes before crossing to observe wave sets. Time your crossing for slack or incoming tide. Never cross during a strong ebb with incoming swell. Charter operators at your local port are also an excellent source of real-time bar assessments.

What buoy should I check for fishing off the Oregon coast?

Station 46050 (Stonewall Bank) covers the central Oregon coast off Newport and is the most referenced buoy for Oregon offshore fishing. Station 46029 covers the Columbia River bar area. Station 46015 covers the southern coast near Port Orford and Gold Beach. Always check the buoy closest to your actual fishing grounds, as conditions can vary significantly over relatively short distances along the coast.

What water temperature is best for salmon fishing in the ocean?

Chinook salmon prefer water temperatures between 48°F and 52°F. They'll feed actively in this range and tend to hold at depths where temperatures fall within it. Above 58°F, salmon push deeper seeking cooler water, and surface fishing productivity drops. The 68°F mark is the physiological stress threshold. Use buoy SST readings to identify temperature breaks between stations — these boundaries concentrate baitfish and predators.

Does barometric pressure affect salmon fishing?

Yes. Falling barometric pressure — indicating an approaching storm — correlates with increased feeding activity in salmon. The theory is that dropping pressure causes slight expansion of the swim bladder, triggering discomfort and aggressive feeding behavior before the front arrives. The 12 to 24 hours before a storm system hits can produce some of the best fishing of the season. Stable high pressure produces consistent but less aggressive feeding patterns.

What does "significant wave height" mean?

Significant wave height is the average height of the highest one-third of waves measured during the buoy's sampling period. It is not the maximum wave height. Individual waves can reach 1.5 to 2 times the significant height. When a buoy reports 6-foot significant wave height, expect occasional waves of 9 to 12 feet. This distinction is critical for safety planning — the number on the buoy report is always less than the biggest wave you'll actually encounter.

When is it too rough to cross the bar?

As a conservative rule for recreational boats, don't cross when significant swell height exceeds 5 feet, swell period is under 10 seconds, or winds are over 10 knots at bar-adjacent stations. Strong ebb tides combined with any meaningful swell dramatically worsen bar conditions. If the Coast Guard has issued a bar restriction or closure, do not cross regardless of what the numbers look like. When conditions are borderline, watch the bar from the jetty. If it looks rough from shore, it's worse from the water.

Conclusion

Buoy data isn't complicated once you understand what the numbers mean and how they interact. Wave height tells you the size of the ocean you're dealing with. Swell period tells you whether that size is manageable or dangerous. Wind tells you whether conditions are improving or deteriorating. Temperature and pressure tell you where the fish are and whether they're feeding.

Build the habit of checking your local buoy station the same way you check the weather. Learn the station IDs for your home water. Know your personal thresholds for height, period, and wind — and stick to them even when the fishing report says they're catching limits. The best anglers aren't the ones who push into marginal conditions. They're the ones who fish more days because they make smart decisions about which days to fish.

Check the buoy. Do the math. Make the call. The ocean will always be there tomorrow.