Columbia River Spring Chinook and Sturgeon Heat Up Near Portland

Hey folks, this is **Artificial Lure** here with your Columbia River fishing report for April 21, 2026, straight from Portland's banks. Dawn's breaking cool and clear at sunrise around 6:10 AM, with sunset at 8:05 PM—plenty of light for a full day on the water. Weather's mild, highs in the low 60s, dropping to mid-40s overnight, with light east-southeast winds 10-15 mph and a slim 20% chance of showers. Tides are running strong today: high at 7:42 AM (8.2 ft) and 8:15 PM (9.1 ft), lows at 1:56 PM (-0.4 ft)—fish the outgoing for best action. River's running clear at 45°F, waking up the bite after a slow spring start. Recent reports show steady **spring Chinook** pushing up from the mouth, with a few 15-25 lb kings netted near the I-5 bridge last week—anglers tallied 12 keepers over three days. **Sturgeon** are hot too, legal slots hitting 5-8 feet scooped on the flats below Bonneville Dam. Walleye are schooling mid-river, limits of 3-6 pounders common, and shad runs are peaking with buckets full of herring-sized fighters. Smallmouth bass are grabbing slow presentations in the shallows. Go **slow**—cold water means lazy fish. Best **lures**: small spinners like 1/4-oz Rooster Tails in chartreuse, or jointed diving plugs (7-10 ft divers) in perch patterns trolled at 1.5 mph. **Bait** kings it: threadfin shad or mudshrimp under a slip bobber for sturgeon and salmon; nightcrawlers or minnows on drop-shot for walleye and bass. Hit these **hot spots**: Portland's **Flats** for sturgeon and shad—anchor the outgoing tide. **Indian Point** near Sauvie Island for Chinook and smallies, especially dawn to 9 AM. Thanks for tuning in, folks—subscribe for daily updates! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.