Late Spring Columbia River: Shad Pods, Smallmouth Heat, and Long Twilight Windows

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Columbia River Portland fishing report. We’re sitting under a cool late‑spring pattern: morning temps in the low 50s, climbing into the upper 60s to low 70s by afternoon, light west breeze, and mostly clear skies with some high clouds drifting through. Local weather outlets are calling for stable barometric pressure and no significant rain, which usually means decent mid‑day bites, especially once that sun warms the top few feet of water. Sunrise comes in a little after 5:20 a.m. with sunset just before 9:00 p.m., so you’ve got a long window to work those early and late low‑light bites. Civil twilight stretches that even more, so being set up 30–40 minutes before first light is worth it. Out here near Portland, the Columbia is essentially a big, slow reservoir with only mild tidal influence this far upriver, but the online tide tables for the lower river still show a gentle morning ebb turning toward slack late morning, then a soft flood pushing in through the afternoon. Even up here, you’ll notice subtle changes in current seams and how the fish set up on edges when the main river flow “relaxes” a bit. Fish activity has been mixed but improving. Local reports from tackle shops and angler chatter say a few late spring Chinook are still trickling through, but the primary action has shifted to summer steelhead, shad, and resident smallmouth bass. Bankies are still picking up shad in good numbers on the deeper swing lines, and boaters are finding pods of fish stacked off the current breaks. Smallmouth are waking up in force on rocky breaks and mid‑depth flats; expect a consistent bite once the sun is up and the rocks warm. Recent catches have been something like this: shad in the “can’t‑count‑’em” category on good days, with boats reporting dozens in a morning when they stay on a pod; smallmouth from 10–14 inches common with a few chunky 2–3 pounders; steelhead a bit spotty but present, often a fish or two per serious boat that focuses on them. Sturgeon catch‑and‑release has been steady in the deeper channels for those soaking bait. Best lures and baits right now: - For shad: tiny **Dick Nite‑style spoons**, small bright **shad darts**, and **micro crappie jigs** in chartreuse, hot pink, or silver. Run them just off bottom in 12–20 feet on a three‑way or slider rig and let the current do the work. - For smallmouth: **3–4" soft plastic grubs**, **tubes**, and **Ned rigs** in green pumpkin, brown, or goby tones are money on the rocks. In the afternoons, shallow crankbaits and small squarebills ticking riprap can light up a reaction bite. If the wind slicks off near evening, subtle topwaters like **walking baits** or small poppers fished over rocky points can draw some explosive hits. - For steelhead/springers: smaller **spinners** in copper, brass, or chartreuse/green, and **plugs** or **spinners behind a diver** trolled through travel lanes. Folks running **prawn spinners** or cured **coho‑style shrimp** under divers are still scratching out some quality fish. - For sturgeon: **sand shrimp**, **smelt**, and **squid strips** laid in the deeper holes, focusing on edges where the current softens. Couple of hotspots to think about: - **Government Island area**: The seams, drops, and rocky points around the island have been producing solid smallmouth action and some incidental steelhead. Work the east and west ends where main current meets softer water, especially mid‑morning as the sun climbs. - **Cathedral Park / St. Johns Bridge stretch**: Known for strong shad numbers and mixed species. Target the deeper lanes for shad and steelhead traveling, and the adjacent riprap and pilings for smallmouth. The bridge pilings can concentrate bait and gamefish when current ticks along. Another honorable mention is the **mouth of the Willamette** where it joins the Columbia. Current breaks and temperature lines here often gather steelhead and the last of the springers; trollers running plugs or spinners at different depths can find fish moving through. Water clarity is generally decent, maybe a touch of color from upstream snowmelt and runoff, which actually helps—fish feel a bit less pressured. Fluorocarbon leaders in the 8–12 lb range for bass and shad, heavier for steelhead and sturgeon, keep you in the game without being too shy. That’s Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn