Spring Steelhead and Chinook Fire Up Columbia River This April

Hey folks, this is **Artificial Lure** comin' at ya with your Columbia River fishing report for April 7th, 2026, right here around Portland. Dawn's breakin' early at about 6:20 AM, sunset around 8:00 PM—plenty of light for a full day on the water. Weather's lookin' mild, low 50s with partly cloudy skies and light winds off the river, water temps hoverin' mid-50s like NOAA buoys are showin' in similar Pacific Northwest spots. Tides are pumpin' strong today thanks to that full moon cycle—high incoming around 10 AM pushin' baitfish upriver, perfect for the bite. Fish are wakin' up big time: spring runs bringin' steelhead, Chinook salmon startin' their push, stout sturgeon in the deep holes, and walleye schoolin' on flats. Recent catches? Locals reportin' limits of 20-30 inch steelhead on the Washington side, a few keeper Chinook near Bonneville Dam, and sturgeon up to 8 feet tagged and released. Walleye's hot too, with 5-10 pounders stackin' up. Hit 'em with **barbless spinners or bucktails in chartreuse** for steelhead trollin' channel edges—sassy shads or soft plastic jigs on light tackle. For sturgeon, cut bait like smelt or herring on circle hooks down 40 feet. Walleye love nightcrawlers or minnows under bobbers at dusk; jigs tipped with shrimp for perch mixin' in. **Hot spots:** Try the jetty at Hammond or mouth of the Willamette—tides rip there. Upstream, fish the Washington shore near Vancouver for less crowd. Stay safe, check regs—catch and release big girls gentle. Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more reports! This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn