Columbia River Fishing Report: Shad, Walleye, Smallmouth on Fire

Artificial Lure here with your Saturday, June 21st Columbia River fishing report, coming to you from in and around Portland. We kicked off today with a sunrise at 5:22 am, and we’ll see sunset at 9:03 pm. Expect partly cloudy skies, highs near 75, and a light westerly breeze—fantastic conditions for a day on the water. Tides are moderate today, with the morning high peaking around 7:45 am and an afternoon low bottoming out close to 2:30 pm, so plan your sessions accordingly for those moving water opportunities. Shad fishing remains strong throughout the lower Columbia around Portland. Local anglers are reporting excellent numbers, especially targeting the current seams near Willamette confluence and just downstream of the I-205 bridge. Shad darts in bright chartreuse, pink, or gold are your best bet—get them swinging through the flats and you’ll have steady action all morning. Word from the bank is several folks are hitting limits before lunch. Walleye action is heating up as well, especially in deeper holes and channel edges of the John Day Pool. Blade baits and worm harnesses in fire tiger and perch patterns are really putting fish in the boat this week, and a few chunky ‘eyes over 25 inches have been confirmed by local guides. Summer steelhead continue to be a slow grind—they’re trickling in, but persistence pays off. Early mornings drifting cured salmon eggs or sand shrimp just above the bottom has produced a handful of solid fish for bank anglers near the mouth of the Sandy River and around the Troutdale area. For lure fans, swinging spoons and spinners in copper or orange during the first light window can also draw strikes. Smallmouth bass fishing is about as good as it gets right now. Reports up and down the river: 20- to 40-fish days are common, with a few lunkers in the 3- to 5-pound range. Key in on rocky points and flats from Government Island to St. Helens. Shad-imitation swim baits like a Keitech FAT Swing Impact (colors like Smallmouth Magic and Ghost Rainbow) are crushing it, and topwater lures are getting explosive hits along riprap and weed beds—especially early and late. Hot spots to hit today: - The mouth of the Sandy River for steelhead and shad - The flats along Government Island for bass - The deeper slots near the I-205 bridge for walleye As a quick regulatory update—summer chinook retention is currently limited, and sockeye numbers are down compared to last season. Always double-check the latest ODFW reg updates before you head out. That’s the local scoop for your Columbia River fishing this Saturday. Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe to stay up to date on the bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.