Gold Beach North Jetty

Gold Beach North Jetty runs from the north side of the Rogue River mouth at Wedderburn, about 1.7 miles north of downtown Gold Beach in Curry County. The rock rubble structure stretches roughly 3 miles north to Otter Point along Bailey Beach. Divers enter from the jetty and work rubble ledges to about 30 feet at the tip on high tide. Water temperature runs 45 to 57 degrees Fahrenheit through the year, and visibility spans 5 to 20 feet depending on ocean and river conditions.

Gold in the black sands around the Rogue River mouth was the region's original draw, and the name Gold Beach followed. The north jetty is a United States Army Corps of Engineers navigation structure at the working bar, and the historic Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, carries US Highway 101 across the mouth just upstream of the jetty. Recreational divers use the inside face for rockfish and Dungeness crab.

The jetty rubble is a rocky reef biome, its cracks and crevices providing structure throughout. Surf and surge along the outer face of the jetty define a surf zone biome, and both intensify toward the tip. Scuba and spearfishing are the documented uses. Rockfish are the reported spear targets, and Dungeness crab is the reliable jetty take.

Parking is plentiful and free at the jetty entrance on Wedderburn Loop, with no day-use fee and no amenities on site. The Rogue tidal push and pull dominates the bar, and pleasure boats run the bar to and from the sea; a dive flag is essential and surfacing awareness is a documented safety concern. No marine reserve covers the site, and standard Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife marine fish rules are enforced, with a daily bag of 4 marine fish and 3 lingcod as of 2026.