Fall Bite Heats Up on the Columbia River

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure coming to you on this beautiful Friday, October 10th, 2025. Let's talk about what's happening on our beloved Columbia River right here in the Portland area. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife just dropped their latest report, and I've got the scoop on where the fish are biting. The action around Portland has been heating up, folks. Recent weekly checks from the Troutdale area showed anglers bringing in 41 coho and 2 jack coho, with another 32 Chinook, 8 jack Chinook, and 9 coho released. That's coming from 61 boats with 123 anglers, so the bite is definitely on. Down in the Portland to Warrior Rock stretch, it's been a bit slower with just one coho kept and a couple Chinook released, but don't let that discourage you. Between Warrior Rock and Rainier, things picked up with 19 coho landed and plenty of fish released. The real hot spot though? Buoy 10 is absolutely firing off, with 125 coho kept just this past week from 92 boats. That's some serious action. Now let's talk tackle. For these coho and fall Chinook, you want to be running spinners in chartreuse and pink, or go with blue and silver. Herring is your go-to bait, either whole or cut plug. Don't sleep on those big Colorado blades with some shrimp either. For gear, I'm talking 15 to 20 pound test, and you'll want to be trolling or back-bouncing depending on where you're fishing. Water conditions are key right now. We've had some rain come through, which is pushing fresh fish up from the estuary. The Columbia's flowing nice, and with the cooler fall temperatures, these salmon are active and aggressive. A couple of hot spots I'd recommend: hit the mouth of the Willamette where it dumps into the Columbia, especially early morning. The seam where that current meets the main river is holding fish. Also, don't overlook the channel markers between Sauvie Island and the Washington shore. Work those deep slots. Remember folks, there are some retention closures in effect, so check your regulations. Sturgeon retention is closed throughout the system right now, strictly catch and release on those dinosaurs. The fall run is in full swing, and with more rain in the forecast, expect the bite to stay strong through the weekend. Get out there, enjoy this beautiful Pacific Northwest weather, and tight lines to you all. Thanks for tuning in today. If you found this report helpful, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss the next one. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.