Columbia River Portland: Late Spring Stable Pattern, Chinook and Walleye Action

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Columbia River fishing report around Portland. We’re sliding into a stable late-spring pattern now. Along the Portland stretch, the river’s running a little colored but fishable, with decent visibility on the main channel and cleaner water in the side bays and sloughs. Flows have eased off enough that working ledges and current breaks is back on the menu. According to the National Weather Service Portland, we’re looking at a mild, mostly dry day: light morning clouds, then breaks of sun, highs in the upper 60s to low 70s, and a light west to northwest breeze building in the afternoon. Winds pick up downriver first, so plan your open-water trolling for the morning and tuck into the islands or inside bends later. Sunrise came early, just after 5:20 a.m., with sunset expected a bit after 9 p.m., giving you a long low-light window at both ends of the day. Those first and last two hours of light are your best bet for shallow feeders along riprap and flats. Tidal influence in Portland is mild but real. NOAA’s station at Vancouver shows a morning high pushing through mid-morning, easing to a lower stage by late afternoon. On the Columbia here, that translates to slightly softer currents and a subtle push-back on the inside bends around the tide turns. Fish those transition periods hard: slackish seams, eddies behind pilings, and the downstream side of islands. Recent catch chatter from local anglers’ reports and tackle shops up and down Marine Drive has been solid: - Spring chinook and a few early summer chinook are still showing, mostly below the I-205 bridge and down toward Caterpillar Island, with fish taken on herring and spinner rigs behind Pro-Troll flashers. - Walleye action has been very good in the deeper slots and wing-dam edges, particularly out toward Camas and downriver toward the mouth of the Willamette. - Smallmouth bass are post-spawn and chewing, especially along rocky banks and marina edges. - Shad numbers are strong, stacked in the faster lanes near the I-205 and Glenn Jackson bridges. Best offerings today: - For chinook: plug-cut herring or anchovy on a 5–6 ft leader behind a rotating flasher, trolled downstream just off bottom. Chartreuse/green or blue chrome blades are producing. Spinners with copper or 50/50 blades also taking fish when the sun’s higher. - For walleye: bottom bouncers with nightcrawler harnesses in chartreuse, perch, or watermelon patterns; also jigging soft plastics in natural shad colors when current eases. - For smallmouth: 3–4 inch green pumpkin or brown tubes, Ned rigs, and small crankbaits in craw or shad patterns tossed tight to rock and wood. - For shad: 1/16–1/8 oz shad darts or small spoons in hot pink, chartreuse, or silver, swung through the faster lanes. Couple of local hot spots to circle on your mental map: - The stretch around Government Island, especially the downstream points, drop-offs into the main channel, and the inside bays. Good mix of chinook, walleye, and smallmouth with plenty of current breaks. - The mouth of the Willamette and down toward the St. Johns Bridge, where mixing currents stack bait and salmon, plus plenty of bass along the industrial riprap. Conditions are lining up for a classic Portland Columbia day: manageable wind, long light, and fish spread from the shoreline rocks out to the main river slots. Keep your offerings near bottom for salmon and walleye, go lighter and tighter to structure for bass, and work the tide turns and low light for your best shot at a limit. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn