Crisp Columbia Winter Fishing - Spring Chinook, Sturgeon, and Shad Bite Update

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to guy for all things fishing on the mighty Columbia River around Portland. It's Friday morning, February 20th, 2026, and we're gearing up for another crisp winter day on the water. Sunrise hit around 7:15 AM, sunset's at 5:45 PM—plenty of daylight to chase some bites before it dips. Weather's lookin' partly cloudy with temps in the low 40s, light winds from the east at 5-10 mph—perfect for not freezin' your toes off while you cast. Tides today per Tide-Forecast.com: high at about 5:40 AM, low around 1:30 PM, evenin' high near 8:20 PM. Fish the changin' tides, especially that outgoing slack for best movement. Spring Chinook season's heatin' up, y'know? ODFW and WDFW just dropped the word yesterday—retention opens March 1 downstream of Bonneville Dam through April 8, bag of two adult hatchery salmonids daily, but only one Chinook. Upstream, it's April 1 to 26, same limits. Lance Fisher Fishing reports springers are showin' early, with retention already greenlit from Tongue Point up past Bonneville. Recent catches? Sturgeon retention popped in The Dalles Pool yesterday, Feb 16, plus Feb 22 and 26—folks boated some nice 43-54 inchers there. Shad are in the mix too, and steelhead hangin' with 'em. Fish activity's pickin' up as waters warm a tad—spring Chinook are the stars, fat and tasty as ever, with some steelhead and shad roundin' out limits. Locals been pullin' a handful of hatchery Chinooks and steelies last week near Portland, not epic yet but buildin'. Best lures right now? Spin-n-Glo's in chartreuse or UV green, Kwikfish divers, or Brad's Super Baits cut plugs—troll 'em slow at 1.5-2 mph in 20-40 feet. For bait, fresh roe bags or cured prawns shine; sand shrimp if you can get 'em. Hit the outgoing tide with a cut-bank bounce. Hot spots? Try Beacon Rock for boat or bank—easy access, good current breaks. Or Vancouver side near the I-5 bridge for steelhead swings. Upstream, peek at Tower Island lines if you're trailered up. Bundle up, check ODFW updates, and let's get after 'em safe. Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more reports! 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.