Fresh Columbia River Fishing Reports

Wow, what a great start to the 2022 Columbia River fall salmon run! We are currently fishing out of Astoria Oregon near the mouth of the columbia river where these fish are fresh from the ocean. Fishing is off to a great start and is only going to get better. I still have plenty of dates available if you are looking to get out and fish the famous bouy 10 fishery.

Ocean Salmon This year we will only be able to keep Hatchery Chinooks until August 24th in the river, then we will be able to keep any Chinook. Early in August when the Chinook are not in the river in full force the Ocean gives us a great option to fill the box. The limit is two Salmon, only one Chinook. Typically the fish are right outside of the mouth so the run is not too far and they are quite easy to catch. Right now the Coho gain about a pound per week before they enter the river to make their journey to the spawning grounds. If you want an action packed day the Ocean is the place to be!

Buoy 10 Salmon Fishing It’s that time of year again! With less than 10 days before the Columbia River opens for Salmon fishing I have been getting leaders tied, gear organized and bought all in preparation for the next couple of months. This is by far the busiest and best time of year for catching Salmon in the Columbia River. Its like a big Salmon catching party and this year I am expecting a lot of catching to happen. I will start at the mouth of the river at the famous Buoy 10 fishery. While in the lower part of the river I target these fish by trolling triangle flashers and cut plug Herring or whole Anchovies. This is an awesome fishery for anyone; friends, family co workers or customers. I have some limited availability so be sure to book your trip soon!

Awesome day in the ocean! Limits of coho before 9am. We spent the rest of the day tugging on sturgeon. Or maybe the sturgeon were tugging on us, sometimes it’s hard to tell.

The Fall Chinook Season is starting in the Columbia River in less than a month. August 1st the river opens and I will be starting my season at the famous Buoy 10 fishery. With well over 1 million salmon predicted to enter the rivers mouth this year I expect fishing to be nothing short of excellent. I still have availability in the month of August and September.

Summer Steelhead This Summer we seem to have a strong run of Steelhead showing up. While targeting Salmon in the Columbia River and its tributaries for Salmon we lucked into quite a few bonus Steelhead. Late June and July is the best time to catch these silver bullets. In the Columbia River I anchor the boat on points in the river that these fish have to swim around. This puts our gear in front of as many fish as possible which results in more fish in the box! If you are looking for a more active fishery I will also be spending some time in the Lewis river chasing these fish. Here I like to side drift small bait of cured salmon eggs or small pieces of shrimp. When you get a bite the rod is in your hands and I like to describe it as feeling like a rubber band is on the end of the line, then a fish jumps out of the water and you know you have em on! It is rare that these fish don’t jump. This style of fishing requires a lot of casting throughout the day. On a typical day I fish almost the entire river so its a constant change of scenery. Ocean Salmon and Trophy Sturgeon We are forecasted to get around 1 Million Coho Salmon back the the Columbia River this year. That is a HUGE number of fish. Our first crack at them is in the Ocean during the summer months. The last few years the Ocean Salmon fishing has been great. With a run this size coming back it could be down right insanity! My preferred bait of choice in the Ocean is an Anchovy. Spin one of them behind a Diver or a 360 rotating flasher and you have a deadly combination for catching these fish. If the Ocean isn’t your thing, or you just want to have the most fun of your life in a boat Sturgeon fishing is for you. This is arguably the best fishing the Columbia River has to offer, yet it gets the least amount of pressure out side of the very few keeper days we get. These fish are big, prehistoric and pull like a freight train. Often these fish come flying out of the water showing you their entire body multiple times throughout the fight. You may also be thinking about the huge rod, big reel and deep water to catch these fish. Well in the estuary of the Columbia River its rare that I fish deeper than 20 feet, most of the time 2 – 8 feet of water. This makes catching an 8 foot fish a whole different ball game. If you are looking for something to get the family together, take customers or co workers out of just have fun with friends this is something you need to try.