Late-September Salmon Surge on the Columbia

Artificial Lure here, with your Columbia River fishing report for Portland — Saturday, September 20, 2025. Sunrise rolled in at 6:54 AM today, with sunset coming up at 7:13 PM — plenty of daylight for a full day of chasing fish. Today’s weather is classic late-September: a cool morning in the low 50s, warming up towards the mid-60s by afternoon, with partly cloudy skies and light winds out of the west. Water temps are still decent, and we’re coming off a strong incoming tide earlier this morning with slack low tide set for just after noon, which should fire up the bite right through lunch. All eyes are on the fall Chinook run, which is peaking on the mainstem. Reports from yesterday have fish moving thick from the mouth at Astoria all the way up to Bonneville, with some solid numbers landed at the Portland Harbor stretch and right off Kelly Point. Several locals at the ramps are calling this one of the most consistent runs in years — most boats are getting into multiple kings a day, and a few coho are showing up in the mix too. According to the latest from brideoutdoors, anglers are hooking bright Chinook in the 12-18 pound range, with the occasional 25+ pounder bending arms and breaking hearts. Early morning bites have been best, but the action is picking up again just before sunset on the outgoing tide. Trolling is producing the most fish — everybody’s pulling Pro-Troll flashers with herring, or cut-plug anchovy for scent, but the real ticket has been 3.5 spinners in copper, chartreuse, and blue. Fresh eggs under a float are also getting the job done from the bank, especially near the mouth of the Willamette and over by Government Island. Smallmouth bass are active in the lower river, especially around rocky points and wing dams below the I-205 bridge. Ned rigs, curly tail grubs, and crankbaits are catching fish all day, though bite windows are tightening as water cools off. Sturgeon action has slowed, but there are still some keepers being hooked in deeper holes near Sauvie Island — fresh shad and squid strips are your best bet. Folks targeting walleye should try just below the Multnomah Channel mouth and river edges by Chinook Landing; slow-troll worm harnesses, chartreuse and perch pattern crankbaits. Some panfish and perch are still hitting jigs in the backwaters east of the airport, but numbers are tapering off as we ease into fall. Crabbing is getting better as salinity rises — recent rains are pushing the Dungeness out towards the lower river and estuaries, but shore and dock action is decent from Warrior Rock down to Goble. Try chicken or fish carcasses for bait. Keep an eye out for invasive European green crabs; ODFW asks you to report any you catch. Two best hotspots right now: - The Portland Harbor stretch between Cathedral Park and Kelly Point: solid salmon numbers, especially for boaters trolling mid-channel. - The mouth of the Sandy River: good action for both bank and boat, with kings moving in and some bright coho reporte This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.