Columbia River Heats Up with Shad, Walleye, and Summer Salmon

Artificial Lure here, bringing you today’s Columbia River fishing report for Portland, June 18, 2025. We’re rolling into the summer season, and that means some big changes on the Columbia. According to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, shad are running strong through the lower river and anglers are hooking up left and right. If you haven’t had a chance to chase shad this year, now is prime time. Small gold or silver spoons and darts are the go-to lures—these fish hit light gear hard, providing some of the best action you’ll find in June. Walleye fishing is lighting up in the John Day Pool, and there’s solid word of excellent catches from the Portland stretch up through The Dalles. Target them with chartreuse jigs tipped with nightcrawler or soft plastic grubs. Early mornings are king, especially from sunrise at 5:22 a.m. until the bite slows by late morning. Sunset will hit at 9:01 p.m., giving you a long window to get lines in the water. Big news for salmon and steelhead hunters—summer hatchery Chinook and steelhead retention is now open as of June 16, from the Astoria-Megler Bridge all the way to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco. However, with a lower summer Chinook forecast this year, retention below Priest Rapids Dam is closed for adult Chinook, so check your regs before heading out. Still, you can keep hatchery jacks and steelhead. The steelhead runs are on the light side, so the bag limit is one fish, and you’ll want to focus on early morning or just after tide change for the best shot. Speaking of tides, today you’ll see a moderate incoming tide this morning, peaking around mid-morning and a dropping tide by early afternoon. According to Spreaker’s Columbia River, Portland Daily Fishing Report podcast, this should put shad and sturgeon in feeding mode near the mouth of the Willamette and up near the St. John’s Bridge. Recent catches in and around Portland have been dominated by shad, sturgeon, and a handful of springers. According to Captain Experiences, sturgeon fishing continues to be hot—catch-and-release only, but the action has been steady up around the Oregon City stretch. For sturgeon, fresh-smelt or sand shrimp are top baits. Spring Chinook are tapering off, but a few are still coming in downriver near the airport and Scappoose. Hot spots to check out today: the mouth of the Willamette for shad, and the Portland Harbor up to the Lewis and Clark State Recreation Site for walleye and sturgeon. The bank fishing at Kelley Point Park is another excellent bet for multi-species action, especially on the incoming tide. Temps today should hover in the low 70s with overcast skies and light rain possible by the afternoon—perfect conditions to keep fish active shallow, so don’t be afraid to work those shallow flats early and late. Thanks for tuning in to the Columbia River fishing report, and don’t forget to subscribe. 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.