Columbia River Spring Action: Steelhead, Chinook, and Walleye Heating Up

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to guy for all things angling on the mighty Columbia River around Portland. It's early morning on April 28, 2026, and conditions look prime for a solid day on the water. Weather's cooperating with partly cloudy skies, temps climbing from 48°F to a comfy 62°F, light winds out of the west at 5-10 mph—perfect for casting without fighting gusts. Sunrise hits at 6:05 AM, sunset at 8:15 PM, giving you over 14 hours of daylight to chase bites. Tides are running moderate: high at 7:2 AM (1.2 ft) and 7:45 PM (0.9 ft), low at 1:15 PM (-0.5 ft)—fish the outgoing for best action as bait gets flushed. Fish activity's heating up with spring runoff stirring things. Recent reports show steelhead still pushing through, averaging 8-12 lbs, with spring Chinook starting to show—limits of 10-20 fish boats daily near the mouth. Walleye are hot in 10-20 ft depths, pulling 3-6 pounders, and sturgeon legal keeps (48-60 inches) coming steady on the deeper holes. Smallmouth bass are aggressive on shallows too. For lures, hammer 'em with **Kwikfish #33 or 39 in chartreuse** for steelhead—they're diving plugs mimicking injured baitfish. **1/4 oz jigheads with curly tail grubs in motor oil** crush walleye. **Buzzbaits or topwaters** at dawn/dusk for bass. Live bait? Thread herring or nightcrawlers on a single hook shine for sturgeon and salmon—cut bait like sardines if you're anchoring. Hot spots: Try the **Vancouver side near Hayden Island** for steelhead rolls, or **Cathedral Park under the St. Johns Bridge** for walleye jigging—public access and parking easy. Rig tight, watch for snags, and stay safe out there. Thanks for tuning in, folks—subscribe for weekly updates! This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn