Columbia River Fishing Report: Chasing Fall Runs on the Lower Columbia

Artificial Lure here with your Columbia River fishing report for Portland and the surrounding reach, reporting bright and early on this Sunday, September 7, 2025. Sunrise just slipped over the horizon at 7:10 AM, and you’ll have daylight until sunset at 7:44 PM. That’s plenty of time for folks to get lines wet and chase those fall runs. Checking the tides, the high swings roll in around 3:33 PM for Portland, so expect that afternoon push to kick up some movement in the water, and fish will likely respond to that uptick according to Tide-Forecast. The early morning low, plus the incoming tide, should make for a strong bite window till midday for many species. Weather’s playing nice today—National Weather Service reports light south winds around 5 to 10 knots and seas sitting at an easy 3 feet with a soft mix of long-period swells. Conditions will be comfortable for boaters and bank anglers alike, so just keep an eye on those river currents, especially on ebb. Onto the fish: September can be dynamite on the lower Columbia. Local chatter and this week’s reports are hinting at a decent mix of early fall Chinook coming upriver, with a handful of coho showing in the counts too. Plunkers down by Sauvie Island and Kelly Point have seen success anchoring wrapped Kwikfish, with Bloody Mary and chartreuse/silver patterns out-fishing others. Trollers are working the mouth of the Willamette and up toward St. Helens and the Portland Harbor, running Pro-Troll flashers with spinners or cut-plug herring, and connecting with both keeper kings and the odd coho. Lure selection is everything right now—metallic blue, green or classic 50/50 patterns are putting numbers in the net. Anchovy and herring, fresh or naturally brined, are top natural baits for those targeting Chinook—just be sure to keep them rolling slow and true behind your flasher. If you’re targeting smallmouth or walleye, the midday hours during slack tide are great for bouncing crankbaits or jigs in rocky flats along Vancouver’s waterfront and near Government Island. Bankies at Cathedral Park and Cascade Locks are picking up a mixed bag—steelhead (mostly wild, so handle gently and release) are being caught on pink worms and drifted shrimp, while late summer shad and even a few catfish are hitting nightcrawlers and shrimp as bycatch. Plenty of perch and bass action can still be found with finesse plastics around docks and shallow structure. Hot spots worth checking: - The mouth of the Sandy River: This classic convergence zone draws in salmon chasing cold flows on the incoming tide. - St. Helens to Warrior Rock: Steady early fall Chinook bite reported, and ideal for both anchoring and trolling. - Sauvie Island beaches: Reliable for plunkers, especially with heavier gear as fall flows begin to rise. A quick tip: focus your efforts during tide changes and when that river “milks up” a bit, especially near tributary mouths—those are ambush points for aggressive salmon on the move. Thanks for tuning in This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.