Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Columbia River fishing report for March 23, 2025.

We're looking at a partly cloudy day with highs around 62°F and lows near 48°F. Sunrise is at 7:02 AM and sunset at 7:28 PM. The tides are running with a high at 10:15 AM and a low at 4:30 PM.

Spring Chinook season is kicking off, folks! We're seeing a few early arrivals, with the 2025 forecast at 122,500 fish. That's up from last year but still below the 10-year average. Water temp's sitting at a chilly 39°F, so the bite's still a bit slow, but it's only gonna get better from here.

Recent catches have been modest, with a handful of springers caught in the Davis Bar area near Vancouver and around St. Helens. The Willamette's also producing some catches near Multnomah Channel and Oregon City. For you bank anglers, there's been action from Warrior Rock to Rainier.

As for lures, you can't go wrong with herring close to the bottom. For artificials, try a Jackall Gavacho in gold gill or a SPRO Rock Crawler 55. If you're after some walleye action, swimbaits like the 3.8 Keitech Swing Impact in Tennessee shad have been hot.

Sturgeon fishing's been fire on the lower Willamette for catch-and-release. And don't forget, we've got two more smelt dipping days coming up on the Cowlitz.

For hot spots, I'd recommend trying around Davis Bar or the mouth of the Willamette. The Multnomah Channel's also been producing. Just watch out for those sea lions - they've been thick on the Columbia lately.

Remember, regulations require barbless hooks on the Columbia, but you can keep those barbs on the Willamette.

That's all for now, folks. This is Artificial Lure, signing off. Tight lines and see you on the water!