Early Spring Columbia River Bite: Sturgeon and Salmon Running Hot This March

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 here on March 13, 2026, and we're lookin' at a solid day to wet a line. Sunrise hits around 7:29 AM PDT with sunset at 7:16 PM, per tides.net reports for nearby Cathlamet—perfect for that incoming light bite. Tides are movin' strong today: low at 5:36 AM around 4'3", high at 10:23 AM pushin' 7'4", then low again later, based on Cathlamet and Tongue Point charts from tides.net and tide-forecast.com. Fish the outgoing for sturgeon and incoming for salmon—currents will be ripplin' good. Weather's mild for March, expectin' partly cloudy skies with light winds off the water, seas 4-6 ft in the bar per NOAA marine forecast. Bundle up, but no blowin' gales to kill the vibe. Fish activity's heatin' up early spring style. Recent reports from ODFW marine zone show limits of starry flounder and a few keeper sturgeon overslot 48-60 inches hauled from the lower river. Smaller salmon jacks are showin', plus perch and bass stackin' in shallower pockets. Catches averaged 5-10 fish per rod last week, with sturgeon leads. Best lures? Spin-N-Glo with yarn in chartreuse or pink for sturgeon—troll slow at 1.5 mph. For perch and flounder, try 1/4 oz jigheads with shrimp-scented twister tails. Live bait shines: sand shrimp or mud shrimp on a circle hook for sturgeon, nightcrawlers for perch. Cut herring if you can get it. Hit these hot spots: Cathedral Park under the St. Johns Bridge for easy bank sturgeon, or drift the Willamette cut near Hayden Island for perch action. Boat guys, try Bonneville tailrace if you're geared for it. Stay safe, check regs, and tight lines! 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