"Chinook Slam on the Columbia: Tackle the September Salmon Bite"

This is Artificial Lure with your September 14, 2025 Columbia River and Portland area fishing report. We kicked off the morning right around 6:45 a.m. with a rosy sunrise, and we’ll cap the day at 7:22 p.m. It’s shaping up as a prime day on the water—current weather is in the high 50s at dawn, warming up to the upper 70s by late afternoon with scattered clouds, a gentle east breeze, and no rain in sight. That means perfect visibility and cool enough water for active fish movement. On the tides, folks fishing near Vancouver or the lower channel want to note a mellow series today. According to Tides4Fishing, we’re seeing moderate tidal coefficients starting at 55 and dropping to 42 by this evening, offering steady but not extreme tidal swings—the kind of rhythm that favors steady trolling and good anchor sets in the deeper slots. The big news? The fall Chinook run is roaring now. According to The Guide’s Forecast, the stretch from St. Helens up to Bonneville Dam is loaded with fall Chinook. These fish are on the move as water temps drop, and catches in the 15–25-pound range are being boated daily. Most local anglers are doing well running 360 flashers trailed with small spinners, and either Super Baits or SpinFish, especially filled with fresh tuna or prawn scent. Bright, chartreuse, or pink-flash combos have been the ticket when the sun’s up, while darker greens do best when the clouds roll in. If you’re itching for an early coho, it’s a little slow but picking up both in the Willamette and at mainstem confluences, with best catches for those targeting the upper Willamette above the Falls. Last year’s adult coho count exceeded 40,000, so we’re on watch to see if numbers keep climbing through this coming week. Summing up angler success, most boats trolling downstream of the Portland airport, and those targeting the deeper shipping lanes between Kelly Point and the mouth of the Willamette, have been hooking plenty of Chinook. Try the “Airport Hole” or just off Sauvie Island for a shot at a big one. Those looking for less traffic should give Frenchman’s Bar or Government Island a look—these spots are a little quieter midmorning and consistently produce. On the bait front, nothing is outperforming brined herring—either cut plug or whole—for those running lead droppers with divers. For hardware, metallic spinners and Mag Lip plugs are still pulling some bites, especially as the sun gets higher. Overall, shore-bound anglers are also tagging a few fish at Cathedral Park, especially with large spinners in the predawn light. For bankies, toss chartreuse or orange Spin-N-Glos tipped with scented eggs if the flow allows. If your heart’s set on something other than salmon: Smallmouth bass continue to hit well near rocky stretches from the Willamette mouth upstream to the I-205 bridge, especially on soft plastics, crankbaits, or small jigs. A quick mention—crabbing in the lower Columbia estuary is improving, with better quality keepers reported after This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.