Columbia River Fishing Report: Rain, Tides, and Hot Spots for Salmon, Sturgeon, and More (October 24, 2025)

Artificial Lure here with your Columbia River fishing report for October 24, 2025, coming to you from Portland’s rainy west bank. As dawn wakes the city at 7:40 AM and folks fish till the 6:09 PM sunset, be ready to bundle up—local weather forecaster Gordon from Tillamook County Pioneer says expect steady rain, gusty winds, and slick, muddy banks throughout the weekend. **Tides are swingin’** on the river today. According to Tide-Forecast and Vancouver’s chart, low tide hits around 4:13 AM at roughly half a foot, then it climbs to a modest 1.5 feet by 8:36 AM for the morning high. The next low is right after lunch at 2:33 PM, resting at about half a foot before peaking nicely at 2.95 feet at 8:08 PM. Slack water around these times will be your best shot for salmon or sturgeon working tide lines and channel edges. **Recent Catch Rundown:** Upriver, the most buzz has been about late fall Chinook still trickling through, though numbers are winding down. Most anglers are landing coho wherever cooler, shaded current is found, with best reports out of the mouths of the Lewis and Sandy rivers, plus Meldrum Bar and Frenchman’s Bar. Sturgeon catch-and-release action remains consistent near the Interstate and I-205 bridges—big boys grabbing smelt and herring off the bottom. Walleye have been active near the Government Island wing dams, especially where the water’s slower. Boat and shore anglers both are landing smallmouth bass—look for them holding near riprap when the barometric pressure steadies up. On the east side, steelhead stragglers have been caught on brighter plugs and spoons, mostly during first and last light when the water cleans up between rain squalls. **Best Lures and Baits:** For Chinook and coho, trolling Brad’s Cut Plugs or Mag Lips in greens and pinks tipped with a strip of herring has produced. Retrieve slow through seams and along drop-offs. Chartreuse and orange spinners or #4 Blue Foxes still move coho in shallower slots. Sturgeon remain opportunistic on smelt, squid, or fresh shad chunks. Walleye are hitting perch-colored crankbaits, jigging minnows, or worm harnesses drifted behind bottom walkers just off the main current. For bass, go with Ned rigs, tubes, or dark-colored soft plastics—especially after the rain rolls through and the water clouds up. **Crabbing & Clamming Report:** As Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife notes, crabbing in estuaries and along the lower river piers is open and improving—shells are hardening and the keeper ratio is getting better. Bays and beaches stay open year-round, but keep in mind that the ocean’s crabbing season is closed until the end of November. After heavy rain, expect crabs to shift downstream seeking saltier water, so set your traps closer to the river mouth if possible. Always check the ODA Shellfish Safety page for the latest on any toxin closures. **Red Hot Spots for Today:** - **Meldrum Bar:** Bankies and boaters alike finding late coho and a shot at pikeminnow or sturgeon. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.