Columbia River Fishing Guide

Chinook Salmon
These Hawgs range from 20 to 50 lbs. They enter the river at Buoy 10 in August along with the Silver Salmon which provides a mixed bag much of the time.

We then follow this run of fresh fish from the estuary upriver to the Cowlitz, Lewis, and Sandy rivers and then Bonneville. The chinook start to taper off around the end of September but there are plenty of Silvers to catch.

Shad
Dads get the kids, its time for red hot, constant action with these fish that run up the Columbia River by the Millions. Pound for pound, these are some of the best fighting fish around. They are a real blast for summer fishing in June and July.

American shad is a member of the herring family They were first transported to the Pacific Coast when the U.S. Fish Commission relocated the species from the Hudson River in New York to the Tehama, CA in 1871 by Seth Green a fish culturist. He released 10,000 fry That were brought to the West Coast in milk cans on a train. An additional 800,000 fish were released over the next ten years. By 1876, shad were captured near the Columbia River and off of Vancouver Island. In 1880, icthyologist David Starr Jordan, confirmed the shad's invasion of the Columbia and sent a mature specimen to Spencer Baird of the Smithsonian Institution, where it is preserved to this day (Specimen Number USNM 27322). By 1885, August C. Kinney, M.D., a tuberculosis researcher in Astoria, Oregon informed Baird that "[shad] are becoming more plentiful year by year. I do not think it necessary to stock this river with shad." Shad from Maryland were planted in the Willamette River, Oregon, in 1886. The Columbia River also was stocked several times in the late 1800s. By 1891, the species had expanded its range along the coast as far north as Alaska. Today, with a population of about 5 million, the Columbia River has largest American shad population worldwide.

Male shad mature in three years and the females in four. Shad are an anadromous species but unlike salmon do not necessarily return to the stream of their birth. The spawning runs begin in March or April with the bulk of the run following in June or July. Mature shad weigh 3 to 6 pounds.

Kokanee
For a more laid back setting in the pristine hills of lake Merwin enjoy the quiet fishing foe the beautiful hard fighting kokanee; a landlocked sockeye salmon that can be compared to the spring salmon for taste. These little tyrants range from 12" to 18" and can weigh 1 to 2 lbs. Kokanee fishing can be great fun, we fish for these starting in the early spring through summer.

Steelhead
The hunt for these Silver Bullets starts around thanksgiving and runs through January. These hot headed beauties can keep you warm all day on these cold winter days with all their tailwalking and fast action. We target the Cowlitz and Lewis Rivers.

Then from June through August, Break out the shorts and T-Shirts for Hot, Sunny fishing in the Columbia for these fish who just go nuts when the water temperature starts to rise. These are the Acrobats of the Pacific Northwest.

Sturgeon
The Columbia River has an awesome population of fresh sturgeon just waiting to fill your day with intense action throughout your trip. Legal size "keepers" are 42 to 60 inches. An average catch of 18 to 40 fish per day is common.

We start fishing for these fresh fish on their migration through the Columbia River from December through July. At times we will be dipping fresh smelt that we will use for bait that day.

From Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife " Oregon's sturgeon population is very healthy and provides truly world class sport fishing on the Columbia River and some coastal bays. The bag limit is limited - only one fish 42 to 60 inches, but it is not unusual for anglers to catch and release sturgeon up to 90 inches or more ( a truly impressive fish!). Anglers can pursue sturgeon throughout the Columbia River year round, though high catch rates may cause certain areas to close early to keep stocks from being over-fished (these areas generally remain open to catch and release). Sturgeon can also be found in other coastal bays and rivers, from Tillamook Bay in the north, to Rogue River Bay on the south coast."

"Fishing statistics are simply staggering, catching several Sturgeon per day, over 100lbs in weight is almost guaranteed between May and September. The White Sturgeon is a hard fighting fish, averaging 300lbs, and often jumps repeatedly when hooked. On a good day, you are only limited to how many you can catch by how many you can reel in!" Planet Fishing and Safaris

"Huge and prehistoric are adjectives to describe this American Expedition for the Oregon sturgeon. These exciting game fish can get up to 10 feet in length and age as much as 100 years." ESPN Outdoors

Trophy Sturgeon
These Magnificent Monsters average 7 to 10 Foot and weigh 150 to 450 lbs. There is nothing in the world like having a 400 lb fish that is over 10 foot long come completely out of the water and shake his head then go back down for another 100 yard run. These fights can take over an hour before you get them into the boat.

We target the beast when the shad are running which we catch and use for bait during May through July So be ready for a workout. We fish for these at Bonneville and Camas.