Columbia River Fishing Update: Spring Chinook, Walleye, and Smallmouth Bass Action Heating Up

Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Columbia River fishing report for March 12, 2025. We're looking at a partly cloudy day with highs around 55°F and light winds. Sunrise is at 7:28 AM and sunset at 7:17 PM, giving us plenty of daylight to wet our lines. Tide-wise, we've got a high tide of 7.63 feet at 1:35 AM and a low of 2.16 feet at 7:08 AM, with another high of 8.06 feet at 1:13 PM. The spring Chinook run is starting to heat up, folks! Anglers have been having decent luck below Bonneville Dam, with some nice catches reported near Davis Bar and the Longview area. We're seeing a mix of Chinook and some early coho, with quite a few jacks in the mix too. For you springer chasers, cured salmon eggs and sand shrimp are your go-to baits. If you're more of a lure slinger like myself, try trolling with Brad's Super Bait Cut Plugs or spinners in bright colors like chartreuse or hot pink. Don't forget to add some scent! Walleye fishing has been picking up too, especially in the John Day Pool. Jigs tipped with nightcrawlers or soft plastics in motor oil or chartreuse have been producing well. For you bass heads, the smallmouth bite is starting to wake up. Try working rocky points and drop-offs with jigs or drop-shot rigs. The Keitech FAT Swing Impact in smallmouth magic color is always a solid choice. Hot spots to check out: The stretch from Warrior Rock to Rainier has been consistently productive for salmon. For walleye, try the area around the mouth of the Umatilla River. Bass anglers should give the Multnomah Channel a shot. Remember, the season's just getting started, so stay patient and keep at it. Tight lines, everyone! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.