Columbia River Fishing Report: Spring Bites Heating Up in Portland

Artificial Lure here with your Columbia River fishing report for Portland, Friday, April 18, 2025. Let’s kick things off with today’s sunrise at 6:23 AM and sunset at 7:56 PM, giving us plenty of daylight to work the water. We’re sitting in a spring transition with mild, overcast weather and high humidity, typical for mid-April. Expect light winds and temps in the upper 40s to low 60s through the day. Tidal flow this morning will be moderate, with ebbing tide through midday—fishing tends to be best around these transitions, especially for sturgeon and walleye. Fish activity is ramping up. The recent rains bumped water levels a bit, but clarity remains good below the Willamette junction. Anglers are reporting a mixed bag: spring Chinook salmon, sturgeon, steelhead, walleye, and smallmouth bass are all in play. Spring Chinook are the main event. Catch rates are picking up, with several fish a day coming from boats trolling herring or anchovies behind 360 flashers downstream of the I-5 Bridge and up near St. Helens. Cured roe drifted near the bottom is working up above the mouth of the Sandy as well. The 3.5 spinner/360 flasher combo has been hot for both bank and boat anglers, especially when spinners are chartreuse or metallic[5][6]. For steelhead, try drifting a cluster of cured eggs or sand shrimp, especially in the early morning. A Spin-N-Glo with coon stripe shrimp is an old favorite this time of year, and spinners in silver-blue or pink are turning heads when the water’s got some color[1][6]. Sturgeon are active and widely distributed from Portland downstream to the estuary. Sand shrimp, smelt, and herring are top baits; whole shad is your winner for big fish near the Bonneville and Dalles dam areas[3][6]. Anchor up along inside bends or channel edges. Catch-and-release is standard, but action has been steady. Walleye bite is building. Fish are moving up to spawn, and they’re hungry. Jigging with a nightcrawler on a 1/4-ounce head, or running a soft plastic like a Keitech in shad or white, will produce. Some anglers are also catching fish trolling deep-diving crankbaits or spinner rigs, especially near the mouth of the Willamette and islands east of Vancouver. Keep baits tight to the bottom[8][10]. Smallmouth bass are getting active as temps rise. Dragging a Columbia River Crawdad or a tube jig in green or brown along rocky points and flats is prime. Swim baits in shad colors and topwaters in the early morning (Zara Spook, Pop-R) are drawing explosive strikes, especially near Rooster Rock and the east bank above the I-205 Bridge[4]. Top two hot spots today: 1. Sauvie Island down to St. Helens for Chinook, sturgeon, and walleye, especially on the outgoing tide. 2. Rooster Rock stretch for bass, walleye, and the occasional late steelhead. If you’re heading out, dress warm, bring rain gear, and have a handful of herring, sand shrimp, nightcrawlers, and your favorite spinners and plastics. With rising water temps and active fish, prospec This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.