Late Summer River Giants - Columbia Fishing Report 8/31/2025

Morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Columbia River fishing report for Sunday, August 31, 2025, here in the Portland stretch and just downstream. We’ve got a classic late-summer setup and folks are already on the water before sunrise, which came up at 6:35 a.m. today. You can plan to fish well into the evening with sunset not until 7:56 p.m.—a solid window for chasing those river giants. Let’s talk tide: At the Columbia River entrance near the North Jetty, the early low tide rolled in at 12:38 a.m., the first high tide peaked at 7:45 a.m., followed by a midday low at 12:01 p.m., and the evening brings another high at 6:16 p.m. This swing favors an early morning and late afternoon bite, with moving water lined up just right for our salmon and steelhead runs, plus hungry walleye holding in those deeper slots. Tidal exchange is robust today, so expect strong current near high tide—prime time for most species according to Tides4Fishing. Weather’s about as good as you can hope for headed into September: the marine forecast from the National Weather Service calls for north winds around 5 to 10 knots and easy seas at 3 to 4 feet, meaning the main channel should be plenty safe and comfortable through the weekend. Now for the big question: what’s biting? Fall Chinook are hitting with more regularity each day, and there were good numbers reported in the lower river between St. Helens and Longview. Local guides are reporting 12–20 pound upriver brights mixed with a few early coho, especially at anchor near reed islands and river mouths on the outgoing tides. Walleye action upstream has been consistent, with several chunky keepers reported out past the Bonneville Pool. Smallmouth bass are still active on the rocky points, and you might run into channel cats prowling in deeper holes south of Kelly Point. Best baits and lures for today: - For Chinook: Plug-cut herring or anchovy behind a 360 flasher, with Pro-Cure gel for scent. If you’re trolling, Brads Super Baits loaded with tuna have been hot as well. - For bank anglers, eggs and shrimp rigs below slip bobbers are getting attention. - Walleye are taking nightcrawler harnesses, especially chartreuse and orange blades, and soft plastics on a slow troll. - Smallmouth are slamming shallow-dive crankbaits and drop-shot plastics. Hot spots to target right now: - The mouth of the Willamette, where cooler in-flow is stacking big Chinook just after high tide. - The area off Sauvie Island, working the drops near Multnomah Channel for both salmon and bass. - For walleye, the flats just above the Portland airport are producing, especially along the wing dams. One quick safety note: Vancouver Lake is under a blue-green algae advisory, so steer clear of that area but the main river remains safe with normal caution. As always, keep an eye on floating debris and shifts in wind, particularly if you’re venturing out past St. Helens. Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe for your daily river repor This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.