Columbia River Portland Fishing Report Today

Hey folks, Artificial Lure here with your Columbia River Portland area fishing report for Sunday, September 21, 2025.

We kicked off the day at sunrise, 6:27 this morning, with a sharp pre-fall chill in the air, steadily warming under clear skies. High reached into the low 70s—perfect fishing weather and light north winds made for some easy casting along the banks and from the boat. Sunset’s set for 6:39 this evening, so you’ve still got time to wet a line before dark.

The inland tide today set the pace for the bite. Low slack was at 5:27 AM and again at 5:44 PM, with a hefty high tide flooding in just before noon, peaking at 11:40 AM. Tidal swings like these always juice up the fish activity, especially close to high slack, so mid-morning through early afternoon had the runs jumping. Water clarity remains decent, though downstream of Portland you may still deal with a little debris after last week’s wind.

Straight out of the latest reports from The Guide’s Forecast, Portland/Metro has finally hit the main event: fall Chinook are thick from St. Helens clear up to Bonneville. It’s go time—anglers are already cashing in on the best returns we’ve seen in years. Multiple guides call this one of the hottest September bites in over a decade, with the mainstem river absolutely loaded. Cohos are showing as well; we’re just seeing the first solid push in the lower river, so silver fans take note—action’s only going to get better in the weeks ahead.

Today’s catches tell the story:

- At Davis Bar, Lee Richey landed a bright upriver Chinook this morning running a Mexican Hat Spinfish loaded with canned tuna at 30 feet on the wire.

- Further upstream near Warrior Rock, anglers reported double-digit Chinook to the boat before noon, targeting 20-30 foot depths with 360 flashers and cut plug herring.

- The bite slackened in the late afternoon as the low tide settled but picked back up near the evening high.

Best baits and lures right now:

- For Chinook: Chartreuse or green 360 flashers paired with herring or anchovy, or go with a spinner like the Mexican Hat or Simon 3.5 Colorado blade. A little Pro-Cure herring scent doesn’t hurt.

- For coho: Brad’s Super Baits in pink or orange, trolled behind a shortbus flasher, or twitch a ½-ounce marabou jig at the mouth of smaller tributaries. Spinners in size 4 or 5 are also pounding early silvers right now.

Hot spots to hit:

- Davis Bar: Still the Portland metro go-to for Chinook this week.

- The mouth of the Willamette: Cohos starting to stack up—work the tide change for best results.

- Warrior Rock to Frenchman’s Bar: Strong returns and steady catches from both the bank and anchored boats.

If you’re going after sturgeon, most are still catch-and-release, but a few slot fish have been hooked below Bonneville on smelt baits around the high tide. Bass and walleye activity has slowed a touch due to the cooling water, but a blade bait or crayfish trap along rocky drop-offs still produces if you’re patient.

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Artificial Lure here, with your Columbia River fishing report for Portland — Saturday, September 20, 2025.

Sunrise rolled in at 6:54 AM today, with sunset coming up at 7:13 PM — plenty of daylight for a full day of chasing fish. Today’s weather is classic late-September: a cool morning in the low 50s, warming up towards the mid-60s by afternoon, with partly cloudy skies and light winds out of the west. Water temps are still decent, and we’re coming off a strong incoming tide earlier this morning with slack low tide set for just after noon, which should fire up the bite right through lunch.

All eyes are on the fall Chinook run, which is peaking on the mainstem. Reports from yesterday have fish moving thick from the mouth at Astoria all the way up to Bonneville, with some solid numbers landed at the Portland Harbor stretch and right off Kelly Point. Several locals at the ramps are calling this one of the most consistent runs in years — most boats are getting into multiple kings a day, and a few coho are showing up in the mix too. According to the latest from brideoutdoors, anglers are hooking bright Chinook in the 12-18 pound range, with the occasional 25+ pounder bending arms and breaking hearts.

Early morning bites have been best, but the action is picking up again just before sunset on the outgoing tide. Trolling is producing the most fish — everybody’s pulling Pro-Troll flashers with herring, or cut-plug anchovy for scent, but the real ticket has been 3.5 spinners in copper, chartreuse, and blue. Fresh eggs under a float are also getting the job done from the bank, especially near the mouth of the Willamette and over by Government Island.

Smallmouth bass are active in the lower river, especially around rocky points and wing dams below the I-205 bridge. Ned rigs, curly tail grubs, and crankbaits are catching fish all day, though bite windows are tightening as water cools off. Sturgeon action has slowed, but there are still some keepers being hooked in deeper holes near Sauvie Island — fresh shad and squid strips are your best bet.

Folks targeting walleye should try just below the Multnomah Channel mouth and river edges by Chinook Landing; slow-troll worm harnesses, chartreuse and perch pattern crankbaits. Some panfish and perch are still hitting jigs in the backwaters east of the airport, but numbers are tapering off as we ease into fall.

Crabbing is getting better as salinity rises — recent rains are pushing the Dungeness out towards the lower river and estuaries, but shore and dock action is decent from Warrior Rock down to Goble. Try chicken or fish carcasses for bait. Keep an eye out for invasive European green crabs; ODFW asks you to report any you catch.

Two best hotspots right now:

- The Portland Harbor stretch between Cathedral Park and Kelly Point: solid salmon numbers, especially for boaters trolling mid-channel.

- The mouth of the Sandy River: good action for both bank and boat, with kings moving in and some bright coho reporte

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Artificial Lure here, coming at you with your Columbia River fishing report for Friday, September 19, 2025—live from Portland, where the fall bite is starting to get hot! As the sun rises at 6:55 AM and sets at 7:15 PM, expect classic mild Oregon fall weather: low clouds early, with highs pushing into the upper 60s by midday. The river’s cool overnight temps and steady daytime warming keep conditions optimal for salmon and steelhead runs.

NOAA's tidal predictions for Portland indicate a low at 10:24 PM and a high tide around 12:22 PM today at 1.26 feet. If you’re bank or boat fishing, plan to work those transitions—shortly before and after the slack tide is prime for salmonids moving upstream. Last week’s reports from ODFW showed 493 Chinook, 82 jacks, and 25 coho kept in the Portland to Warrior Rock stretch, with steady numbers for both boat and bank anglers. Warrior Rock itself and down near Troutdale were steady producers, with over a hundred Chinook, a couple dozen jacks, and even a few fat coho being taken.

The best performing lures right now are **Kwikfish, MagLips, and Brad’s Wigglers** in metallic patterns or chartreuse. Trollers and drifters alike say fresh cut *herring* or *sand shrimp* tipped on spinners, or even just run solo, are the ticket for coaxing those finicky Chinook. Coho seem to be taking smaller spinners (Blue Fox in orange or pink, size 3-4), and a few sharpies are scoring using twitching jigs in deep holes along the Multnomah Channel.

If you’re after *steelhead,* the bite is slow but steady, so focus on swinging size 2 pink-washed spoons or casting natural color soft beads below riffles. Warm water temps mean sturgeon and walleye action is slower, with sturgeon retention closed throughout the Portland reach, but don’t overlook the occasional jumbo walleye—especially near The Dalles Pool, where boats kept 4 last week using big chartreuse curly tails tipped with a worm.

Hot spots for today:

- **Warrior Rock**: Deep slots and gentle current make this ideal for anchoring to intercept upstream Chinook and coho.

- **Troutdale Launch**: Excellent for boaters trolling upstream edges and bank anglers working the rocky shoreline.

- **Multnomah Channel mouth**: Early morning and late afternoon always see a push of coho filtering in on higher tide.

Early coho numbers are six times what they were last fall according to The Guide’s Forecast—but those fish still haven’t pushed high above the falls, so Portland and Willamette confluences remain hot.

Health note: The Oregon Health Authority still advises caution for long-term consumption of Columbia River fish because of mercury and PCB advisories. Occasional meals are considered safe, but know your fish and check the latest advisories if you plan to fill the freezer.

Today’s best advice? Start pre-dawn with big flashers and cut plug herring for Chinook, then switch to smaller offerings mid-morning as the sun climbs—a size-down approach will trigger shy coho as pressure builds. Don

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This is Artificial Lure with your September 17th, 2025 Columbia River, Portland fishing report.

We’re rolling into classic late summer weather across the Portland stretch of the Columbia. Skies this morning are sitting mostly clear with mild temps in the upper 50s, expected to climb to the mid-70s by noon, and winds staying light and variable through the afternoon. It’s a picture-perfect day, especially with sunrise clocking in at 6:52 am and sunset at 7:15 pm according to tides4fishing and US Harbors.

Today’s tide profile is moderate, with an early morning low at 11:24 am (-0.2 feet) building up to a high tide around 4:23 pm (1.9 feet). The tidal coefficient is 59, right on average, so currents and movement aren’t extreme but just enough to stir up some fish activity during the swings. These transitions—late-morning ebb to afternoon flood—usually mark the best window for action, especially for migratory salmon and walleye.

Fishing’s been firing in the Portland-to-St. Helens reach. Anglers over the last couple days report coho are pushing through in bigger pods each morning below Multnomah Channel, and the first few fall Chinook are still trickling up, most holding deeper along faster runs and ledge drop-offs. Bank anglers and boaters alike have been turning mixed bags, with steelhead making a surprise reappearance along the shorelines southeast of Hayden Island. Some sturgeon are still active, though keeper slots are rare, so best practice is quick catch and release.

For lures, folks are scoring best with spinners—Blue Fox Vibrax and Mepps in chartreuse, pink, or copper have been the go-to for coho and steelhead. Many boaters are also flatlining Brad’s Cut Plugs stuffed with tuna or herring chunks for Chinook, especially from the mouth of Willamette up to Sauvie Island. Wobbling spoons like the Toman’s Spinner and Mag Lips plugs in firetiger or metallic silver are working great during the lower light. If you’re tossing bait, fresh sand shrimp, cured eggs, or nightcrawlers fished under a bobber at slack tide have all turned bites.

Smallmouth bass action’s steady just east of I-205 bridge; try Senkos or tube jigs pitched toward submerged riprap as the sun gets higher. Walleye are still chewing through the channel edges near Kelly Point, with chartreuse jigheads tipped with nightcrawler trailing behind bottom walkers pulling in some good eaters.

A couple hot spots to lock in:

- The Columbia slough mouth at Kelley Point Park is producing solid mixed bags from dawn to noon and is easy access for both boaters and bank anglers.

- The channel north of Hayden Island, especially near the railroad bridge pilings, is stacking up with both migrating salmon and resident bass—expect congestion around prime bites, but the rewards are there.

With tidal movement picking up mid-afternoon, stick out the falling tide to catch those active feeders, then swap up tactics around the late-day high tide for the evening bite. Keep an eye on bar traffic if you’re r

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This is Artificial Lure with your September 14, 2025 Columbia River and Portland area fishing report.

We kicked off the morning right around 6:45 a.m. with a rosy sunrise, and we’ll cap the day at 7:22 p.m. It’s shaping up as a prime day on the water—current weather is in the high 50s at dawn, warming up to the upper 70s by late afternoon with scattered clouds, a gentle east breeze, and no rain in sight. That means perfect visibility and cool enough water for active fish movement.

On the tides, folks fishing near Vancouver or the lower channel want to note a mellow series today. According to Tides4Fishing, we’re seeing moderate tidal coefficients starting at 55 and dropping to 42 by this evening, offering steady but not extreme tidal swings—the kind of rhythm that favors steady trolling and good anchor sets in the deeper slots.

The big news? The fall Chinook run is roaring now. According to The Guide’s Forecast, the stretch from St. Helens up to Bonneville Dam is loaded with fall Chinook. These fish are on the move as water temps drop, and catches in the 15–25-pound range are being boated daily. Most local anglers are doing well running 360 flashers trailed with small spinners, and either Super Baits or SpinFish, especially filled with fresh tuna or prawn scent. Bright, chartreuse, or pink-flash combos have been the ticket when the sun’s up, while darker greens do best when the clouds roll in.

If you’re itching for an early coho, it’s a little slow but picking up both in the Willamette and at mainstem confluences, with best catches for those targeting the upper Willamette above the Falls. Last year’s adult coho count exceeded 40,000, so we’re on watch to see if numbers keep climbing through this coming week.

Summing up angler success, most boats trolling downstream of the Portland airport, and those targeting the deeper shipping lanes between Kelly Point and the mouth of the Willamette, have been hooking plenty of Chinook. Try the “Airport Hole” or just off Sauvie Island for a shot at a big one. Those looking for less traffic should give Frenchman’s Bar or Government Island a look—these spots are a little quieter midmorning and consistently produce.

On the bait front, nothing is outperforming brined herring—either cut plug or whole—for those running lead droppers with divers. For hardware, metallic spinners and Mag Lip plugs are still pulling some bites, especially as the sun gets higher.

Overall, shore-bound anglers are also tagging a few fish at Cathedral Park, especially with large spinners in the predawn light. For bankies, toss chartreuse or orange Spin-N-Glos tipped with scented eggs if the flow allows.

If your heart’s set on something other than salmon: Smallmouth bass continue to hit well near rocky stretches from the Willamette mouth upstream to the I-205 bridge, especially on soft plastics, crankbaits, or small jigs.

A quick mention—crabbing in the lower Columbia estuary is improving, with better quality keepers reported after

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Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure reporting from the banks of the mighty Columbia River around Portland, and it’s Saturday, September 13, 2025. Here’s your Columbia River fishing update for today.

Tides are running with decent amplitude—over at Vancouver, tidal coefficients are high this morning, meaning stronger currents and active fish movement. In Portland, you’re looking at sunrise at 6:47am and sunset hitting at 7:24pm. We’ve got low tide at 7:53am, a high at 11:48am, followed by another low at 7:29pm and a high again at 10:59pm. Fish those moving water periods for best results—especially the first couple hours after that midday high when current is strong and bait is moving.

Weather-wise, expect crisp early fall mornings with temps in the upper 50s at dawn, reaching up into the mid-70s by late afternoon. Expect light winds—great conditions for working topwater and soft plastics or running plugs in the deeper holes.

Now, let’s get to the fish activity. The fall Chinook salmon run is in full swing through the Portland stretch of the Columbia, with boats stacking up below Bonneville and along Sauvie Island’s beaches. Anglers have reported solid catches this week, especially on the outgoing tide. Most fish are coming in averaging 15-25 pounds, with a few pushing north of 30 taken at the mouth of the Willamette and the Multnomah Channel. Pro-tip: Troll with 360 flashers and spinners (red and chartreuse or pink seem to be hot this week), and use fresh cut plug herring for bait. Anchor anglers are doing well on the deeper channel edges with wobblers in gold and copper.

Don’t sleep on coho either. They’re showing up in larger numbers, especially early morning and late evening. Target them in slightly swifter water, and scale down your presentation—try smaller spinners in blue and silver, or a pink hoochie behind a flasher.

For sturgeon, catch-and-release is still on the menu, and action’s decent up around the Portland Harbor. Focus on deeper holes and flats above the I-5 Bridge, and fish fresh shad, smelt, or sand shrimp for best results. Remember, keepers are off the table now so handle these dinosaurs with care.

If you’re after walleye, The Dalles and the area just east of Camas still have them biting. Early and late hours are key—bounce a chartreuse jig with a nightcrawler along rocky points and deep drop-offs.

Warmwater fishers, smallmouth bass are feeding up for fall—they’re smashing shallow crankbaits, tubes, and spinnerbaits along rocky bank lines and points all through the Multnomah Channel and around Government Island.

Crabbing is open coastwide, and though it’s just a little brackish in the lower river right now due to recent rain, folks are still pulling good numbers of hard, legal Dungeness from the estuary near Astoria. Use chicken legs or fish carcass for bait—the smellier, the better. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reminds everyone to keep an eye out for invasive Chinese mitten crabs or European green crabs, and r

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Good morning, anglers—Artificial Lure here with your Friday, September 12th, Columbia River fishing report, straight from the Portland stretch and surrounding areas.

Let’s start with the tides: today’s low is at 5:04 AM, bottoming out around 0.6 feet, then rising to a mid-morning high at 8:53 AM at 1.94 feet. The next low comes at 3:31 PM (0.27 ft), before one of the highest evening pushes we’ve seen in a while, 3.7 feet at 9:10 PM, according to tide-forecast.com. Tidal swing is tight to the times when fish start to bite, especially near structure and channel edges on the outgoing and first push of incoming waters. Sunrise is at 6:45 AM and sunset wraps things up at 7:26 PM.

Weather’s stable with light wind and a classic early September sky—mornings start cool in the upper 50s but by midday we’re mid-70s and bluebird. That’s prime comfort for both anglers and salmon.

Fishing has picked up with the fall run sliding into high gear. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife checked nearly a thousand boats out over the weekend from Bonneville down to Lord Island. This week, the hottest action is on Chinook, with solid numbers showing throughout the lower river. Buoy 10 lit up with over 600 Chinook and 630 coho kept, and Rocky Point up to Bonneville saw a pile of both species. In the Portland metro stretch—especially Vancouver, I-5, and Longview—most boat anglers who put in their time came away with at least a Chinook or two, and in Vancouver 97 boats checked in with 34 Chinook and a few bonus coho.

Bank anglers are finding some success too. Bonneville, Woodland, and down toward Kalama have been especially productive early and late, with most keeping a Chinook, and some lucking into a chrome-bright coho.

Hotspots right now are the mouth of the Lewis River—try just above or below the confluence, especially with that morning incoming tide—and the Portland Harbor stretch near Cathedral Park, which always seems to light up on that first evening push. Drano Lake is another top spot if you want to venture upriver, stacking with both Chinook and the first few steelhead.

As for tackle, spinners in chartreuse, silver, and green remain top producers for coho and Chinook. Pro-troll flashers with a Brad’s Super Bait or cut-plug herring have been money for boaters, and eggs cured red, fished below a float or plunked off the bank, are pulling in both main-stem and tributary fish. Early morning or that last hour before dark are your best windows—clearer water always helps throwing natural or subtle colors.

Sturgeon is all catch and release below Bonneville; no recent effort noted and most folks aren’t targeting them with the current salmon run in full swing. Walleye and shad get a pass this week—there’s no news of real effort or success on either front.

Quick reminder for all: keep an eye on reg updates and fish advisories, especially related to mercury and PCBs—they’re posted on the ODFW site for your safety. Also, this is a busy time on the boat ramps, so be

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Artificial Lure here with your Columbia River, Portland fishing report for Wednesday, September 10, 2025.

Sunrise rolled in at 6:48 a.m., with sunset due for 7:36 p.m. According to Tide-Forecast.com, our day starts with a high tide at 2:56 a.m. (6.93 ft), dropping to a low at 8:41 a.m. (0.22 ft), back up for an afternoon high at 3:01 p.m. (7.94 ft), and guts out with a late low at 9:24 p.m. (-0.7 ft). The mid-morning and mid-afternoon tide changes provide your best shots at active fish movement.

Weather’s about classic early September—patches of cloud early giving way to clearer skies into the afternoon. National Weather Service says marine clouds will keep things cool in the morning, temps ramping into the upper 60s and low 70s. Winds are a notable factor, blowing west at 15-25 mph in stretches, especially around Hood River and the gorge. Strong westerlies generally mean better oxygenation and choppier water—good for avoiding those spooky, flat-water blues but challenging for finesse presentations.

Fishing action is heating up for fall salmon, with reports of Chinook and Coho being caught from Tongue Point to Warrior Rock. According to Sea Breeze Charters' 2025 update, the Buoy 10 ocean salmon fishery is now closed, putting all the pressure upriver. The in-river season allows two salmon daily, only one of which can be a Chinook, and keep in mind that all wild Coho must be released—look for that healed adipose fin clip before dropping fish in the box.

Bank anglers and boaters are reporting good catches of Chinook in the St. Helens stretch, with fish pushing up and stacking at tide turns. On the Multnomah Channel side, Rocky Point is a consistent hot spot early when the tide is flooding in. Fishermen working the mouths of the Willamette and the Lewis rivers are also scoring big, especially during first light and slack water. The Cowlitz entry, just north, is another pinch point worth checking for early morning biters.

Bait and tackle reports show plug-cut herring and anchovies getting most of the salmon action, with blue label herring and natural anchovy colors being the top picks. Trolling behind 360 flashers, or running spinners in metallic chartreuse and copper, especially with a few wraps of tuna or shrimp scent, is taking both Chinook and a few late Coho. Pro-Troll and Brad’s Super Baits stuffed with tuna are also drawing plenty of strikes. For bank fishers, try bobber and eggs near the mouths on an incoming tide.

Other species—walleye and smallmouth bass—continue to bite in the slower water around Rooster Rock and above Bonneville Dam. Soft plastics and drop-shot rigs in natural shades are best. Folks bottom fishing around Government Island have reported steady catches of catfish, especially after sunset when the river quiets down.

Recent angler blogs and trip reports, like those from Captain Experiences, confirm strong crabbing and a slowdown in bottom fishing near the ocean, but solid salmon numbers upriver. Local guides say product

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Artificial Lure here with your Columbia River fishing report for Portland and the surrounding reach, reporting bright and early on this Sunday, September 7, 2025.

Sunrise just slipped over the horizon at 7:10 AM, and you’ll have daylight until sunset at 7:44 PM. That’s plenty of time for folks to get lines wet and chase those fall runs. Checking the tides, the high swings roll in around 3:33 PM for Portland, so expect that afternoon push to kick up some movement in the water, and fish will likely respond to that uptick according to Tide-Forecast. The early morning low, plus the incoming tide, should make for a strong bite window till midday for many species.

Weather’s playing nice today—National Weather Service reports light south winds around 5 to 10 knots and seas sitting at an easy 3 feet with a soft mix of long-period swells. Conditions will be comfortable for boaters and bank anglers alike, so just keep an eye on those river currents, especially on ebb.

Onto the fish: September can be dynamite on the lower Columbia. Local chatter and this week’s reports are hinting at a decent mix of early fall Chinook coming upriver, with a handful of coho showing in the counts too. Plunkers down by Sauvie Island and Kelly Point have seen success anchoring wrapped Kwikfish, with Bloody Mary and chartreuse/silver patterns out-fishing others. Trollers are working the mouth of the Willamette and up toward St. Helens and the Portland Harbor, running Pro-Troll flashers with spinners or cut-plug herring, and connecting with both keeper kings and the odd coho. Lure selection is everything right now—metallic blue, green or classic 50/50 patterns are putting numbers in the net. Anchovy and herring, fresh or naturally brined, are top natural baits for those targeting Chinook—just be sure to keep them rolling slow and true behind your flasher. If you’re targeting smallmouth or walleye, the midday hours during slack tide are great for bouncing crankbaits or jigs in rocky flats along Vancouver’s waterfront and near Government Island.

Bankies at Cathedral Park and Cascade Locks are picking up a mixed bag—steelhead (mostly wild, so handle gently and release) are being caught on pink worms and drifted shrimp, while late summer shad and even a few catfish are hitting nightcrawlers and shrimp as bycatch. Plenty of perch and bass action can still be found with finesse plastics around docks and shallow structure.

Hot spots worth checking:

- The mouth of the Sandy River: This classic convergence zone draws in salmon chasing cold flows on the incoming tide.

- St. Helens to Warrior Rock: Steady early fall Chinook bite reported, and ideal for both anchoring and trolling.

- Sauvie Island beaches: Reliable for plunkers, especially with heavier gear as fall flows begin to rise.

A quick tip: focus your efforts during tide changes and when that river “milks up” a bit, especially near tributary mouths—those are ambush points for aggressive salmon on the move.

Thanks for tuning in

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Artificial Lure here, and it’s just past sunrise on the Columbia River—time for your Saturday, September 6th, 2025 fishing report for the Portland stretch and surrounds. At 7:11am, the sun popped above the tree line, and we’ve got a sunset ahead at 7:41pm. Weather this morning started out cool and partly cloudy, temps in the high 50s, heading for a mild upper-60s day, with low wind—classic late-summer bite conditions.

Tides are running moderate today. In Portland, we’re seeing our first high right around 1:30pm and low tide previewed for 11:46pm, lined up with a slow exchange and a nice midday push. Down at the mouth—the Columbia River North Jetty—we saw a morning low near 5:40am, with a rolling high peaking above 7 feet at 12:25pm. The window from late morning through early afternoon is prime for moving fish as they stage and migrate, especially for Chinook and steelhead according to Tide-Forecast.com.

Let’s talk fish. September puts us in some of the best action of the year for fall Chinook, coho, and summer steelhead. Reports from the past week upstream of Bonneville and throughout Portland’s boat launches show an uptick in large Chinook catches, especially just after tide change and into the early ebb. Anglers are routinely netting solid numbers—on a good day, expect a handful of kings per boat, average running 14-22 pounds, with a few pushing higher.

Coho are starting to arrive in better numbers, though mostly wild fish requiring a careful eye (watch those adipose fins—fin-clipped hatchery coho can be kept), with catches in the 5–10 pound range. Steelhead are tapering off but early mornings with a spin-n-glo and sand shrimp combo are still producing.

Smallmouth bass remain reliable from the local sloughs and rocky banks through St. Johns and Frenchman’s Bar. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits in craw or shad patterns, and Ned rigs have been hot.

Top lures for salmon right now include chartreuse or silver spinners, Pro-Troll flashers paired with cut plug herring, and 3.5 Colorado blades in green or pink. Early runs are keying on natural colors but if the sun cracks through midday, don’t shy from going bold and flashy. For bait, fresh cut plug herring is the local favorite. If you’re after coho, try smaller Brad’s wigglers or blue fox spinners.

Those hiking up toward Bonneville or fishing close to bank access points like the mouth of the Sandy River and Rooster Rock should bring cured eggs for back-bouncing or drift gear—plenty of bites were recorded this week just after dawn, especially as tides fill in the flats.

Hot spots to put you on fish today:

- Davis Bar, just downstream from the Sauvie Island bridge, is producing some of the best fall Chinook action anywhere in the Portland reach—good current, deep seams, and a classic anchor fishery.

- The mouth of the Willamette near Kelley Point is perfect for intercepting mixed schools of Chinook and coho, especially with the morning outgoing tide.

- For bank anglers, Meldrum Bar and the walk-in s

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