Where To Buy Fresh Seafood in Newport, Oregon

One of the best things about visiting Newport, OR is the incredible fresh seafood.

The Oregon coast is famous for its abundance of seafood, including halibut, albacore tuna, Chinook salmon, black cod, lingcod, rockfish, and, of course, the famous Dungeness crab.

So where can you get your hands on this bounty from the Pacific Ocean?

Newport’s restaurants serve outstanding fresh seafood, and I’ll cover many of my favorites in another article. But if you’d rather cook your own seafood, you have plenty of options.

Buy directly from the fishing boats

One of the most fun ways to buy seafood is directly from the local fishermen. You’re literally buying the catch of the day.

The selection varies by season, but you know you’re getting seafood that was recently caught.

Several commercial fishing vessels on the Newport Bayfront and at the Port of Newport marina sell fresh fish and crab to the public. Just look for the signs directing you down the docks.

Keep in mind that only licensed commercial fishermen are allowed to sell their catch directly to the public. I’ll list a few sellers below, but look around the docks for more.

The Oregon Albacore Commission has an excellent guide to buying fresh albacore tuna from the docks during tuna season (generally June through October).

Chelsea Rose Seafood

The Chelsea Rose is a well-known and respected seafood seller located on Port Dock 3. You can purchase whole fish, and they’ll filet it for you for a small fee if you’d like.

On the rare occasion we don’t catch enough crab during our own crabbing adventures, we’ve purchased live Dungeness crab from the Chelsea Rose.

Check out the Chelsea Rose website for updates on the catch of the day with pricing.

Del’s Fresh Seafood

Del’s Fresh Seafood also operates from Port Dock 3 and features wild, ocean troll-caught fish from the F/V Murrelet. They take great pride in carefully handling their catch to provide exceptionally fresh, great-tasting fish.

Visit the Del’s Fresh Seafood website to sign up for text and email notifications when fresh seafood is available.

Fish and seafood markets

The Fish Peddler

The Fish Peddler is both a seafood processing plant and a retail seafood market.

It’s also one of my favorite places to enjoy a freshly cooked Dungeness crab to eat right there on the spot. Crabs are sold by the pound, so a typical whole crab costs around $15-20, served with melted butter and lemon.

South Beach Fish Market

Located just south of Newport on Highway 101, South Beach Fish Market is hard to miss. You’ll see the giant crab cooking pots, the large signs, and almost always a crowd of hungry customers.

In addition to a wide selection of fresh seafood, they offer a full menu of cooked seafood favorites. There’s also a small grocery section where you can pick up butter, lemons, spices, and other items for your seafood dinner.

Local Ocean Seafoods

Local Ocean Seafoods sells fresh fish from the same daily catch served in its highly regarded waterfront restaurant. It’s an excellent place to pick up premium seafood to prepare at home.

Ocean Bleu Seafoods at Gino’s

Ocean Bleu Seafoods at Gino’s offers a variety of fresh seafood and features a large tank of live Dungeness crab.

What is the process for buying fresh seafood?

Buying seafood is easier than many first-time visitors expect.

At a seafood market, simply tell the counter staff what you’d like and approximately how much you want. Most fish is sold as filets, although some markets also sell whole fish. Dungeness crab is typically available either live or freshly cooked and is sold by the pound.

If you’re buying directly from a fishing boat, ask the crew what they have available that day. Most boats display signs listing the day’s catch and prices.

Some sellers accept credit cards, but cash is often preferred and is sometimes the only form of payment accepted.

If possible, bring a cooler to keep your seafood cold for the trip home. If you don’t have one, most sellers are happy to pack your purchase on ice.

Many fishermen will also filet your fish or clean your crab for a small additional fee.

Catch your own seafood

One of our favorite ways to enjoy fresh seafood is to catch it ourselves. Fishing, crabbing, and clamming are all fun Oregon Coast activities. And you get dinner at the end of the day!

Several charter fishing companies operate out of Newport if you’d like to head offshore. If you’d rather stay closer to shore, you can rent a boat for crabbing in Yaquina Bay or drop your crab pots from one of Newport’s public piers.

Whether you buy seafood straight from the docks, visit one of Newport’s excellent seafood markets, or catch it yourself, enjoying fresh Pacific seafood is one of the highlights of any trip to the Oregon Coast. If you’re visiting during Dungeness crab season, don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy one of Oregon’s most iconic local delicacies.