Columbia River Fishing Report: Spring Chinook, Smallmouth, and Walleye Bites Heating Up

Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Columbia River fishing report for March 26, 2025. It's shaping up to be a decent day on the water, so let's dive right in. First off, we've got a high tide coming in at 4:44 AM, hitting about 2 feet, followed by a low tide at 11:13 AM dropping to around half a foot. The next high tide rolls in at 4:27 PM, pushing up to 2.37 feet. Keep an eye on those water levels, folks - they can make or break your day. Weather-wise, we're looking at a partly cloudy day with temps in the mid-50s. Sunrise is at 7:01 AM, and we'll see the sun dip below the horizon at 7:31 PM. That gives us a solid 12 and a half hours of daylight to work with. Now, let's talk fish. The spring Chinook run is starting to pick up steam, and we're seeing some decent catches around the Portland area. A few lucky anglers have been pulling in some nice 15 to 20-pounders. The Columbia River Crawdad has been a hot lure lately, especially in the "Bill's Money" color. If you're more of a bait fisher, you can't go wrong with some cured salmon roe. Smallmouth bass action has been heating up too. Folks have been having luck with swim baits like the 3.8 Keitech Swing Impact Fat on a 1/4-ounce ball head. The shad-colored ones seem to be working best. For you walleye hunters out there, try trolling with a bottom bouncer and a nightcrawler harness. The bite's been pretty consistent, especially near the John Day Dam. As for hot spots, I'd recommend checking out the area around Multnomah Channel. It's been producing some nice spring Chinook. For smallmouth, try the rocky areas near the I-5 Bridge. Remember, folks, the key to success is staying mobile. If you're not getting bites in one spot, don't be afraid to move around. And as always, make sure you've got your licenses and tags in order. That's all for now, anglers. This is Artificial Lure signing off. Tight lines and good luck out there! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.