Spring Chinook Heating Up on the Columbia River

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 on April 9th, 2026, and conditions are prime for a solid day on the water—clear skies with temps climbing from 45°F to a comfy 62°F by afternoon, light winds out of the northwest at 5-10 mph per NOAA forecasts. Sunrise hits at 6:22 AM, sunset at 8:01 PM, giving you a long window to chase bites. Tides today? Low slack around 3:25 AM, high at 9:42 AM, then dropping to low at 4:18 PM—fish the outgoing for best results, as moving water pulls 'em in. River flow's steady at about 250,000 cfs from Bonneville Dam reports, perfect for staging fish. Action's heating up with spring chinook pushing in strong—anglers tallied 15 keepers yesterday from Buoy 10 to the mouth, averaging 12-20 lbs, per Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife creel checks. Steelhead are still showing, with a handful of bright 8-12 lb bucks grabbed on the lower stretches, and sturgeon legal limits hit in the gorge. Smallmouth bass are bedding in shallows, hitting 2-5 lbs, while walleye are stacking up mid-river in 10-20 ft. Top lures right now: Spin-N-Glo with yarn and cured eggs for salmon, drifted under a bobber; Mepps spinners or jointed Kwikfish for steelhead in faster water. For bass, go tube jigs or crawfish-imitating plastics like those North Fork Anglers swear by. Live bait? Sand shrimp or nightcrawlers on a single hook—can't beat 'em for sturgeon and cats. Hot spots: Hit the jetty at Hammond for incoming salmon on the tide change, or try the deeper holes below Bonneville Dam for sturgeon and walleye—rig heavy and be patient. Get out there safe, check regs, and tight lines! Thanks for tuning 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