Expert Columbia River Fishing Guides and Charters

We are one of this region’s most experienced Columbia River fishing guides. It’s one of the reasons our Columbia River guided salmon fishing charters are some of the best in the world! With five big runs and over a million salmon entering the Columbia River every year, the salmon fishing is Oregon’s biggest fishing attraction and a staple of many Oregon fishing guides. The Columbia River gets three runs of Salmon: spring chinook, summer chinook, and fall chinook, and provides anglers with fishing opportunities throughout the calendar year. The Columbia River also gets a good run of coho and sockeye salmon each year. The areas we fish are Buoy 10, near Astoria; Portland, Oregon; Bonneville Dam; Hood River; and the mouth of the Klickitat River.

Spring Salmon, otherwise known as “Springers,” are the prize of the Columbia River Salmon. With their dark red flesh and a taste that’s second to none, they rival that of Alaska’s Copper River Salmon. Many of these amazing fish began their lives at the White Salmon National Fish Hatchery.  Though not as abundant as some of the Columbia’s other salmon runs, Columbia River springers see a lot of angler effort due to their absolutely amazing table fair. The Springers start entering the river early March, with the peak of the run usually showing mid-April through mid-May. If you are looking to catch what is considered by many the best-tasting salmon in the world, this is your opportunity! Here at Columbia River Fishing Adventures, we split our season between the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, both conveniently located just minutes of the Portland airport. FlyPDX – www.pdx.com

Summer Chinook also commonly Referred to as “June Hogs”. Once growing to over 100 pounds, the summer Chinook originated in the upper reaches of the Columbia River. They were some of the biggest salmon in the world and defiantly the biggest, most powerful salmon to ever migrate up the Columbia River. Unfortunately, in 1933 with the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam, the once legendary summer Chinook salmon run was destroyed. In the mid-90s through a combined effort, much of that coming from the local tribes and the Chief Joseph Hatchery, the runs have been slowly restored to an annual return of 50,000 to 90,000 salmon. These fish are some of the biggest, brightest, and hardest fighting salmon to enter the Columbia today! These guided salmon fishing trips on the Columbia River start mid-June, and close July 1st. If you are looking to catch some of the Columbia River’s biggest salmon while enjoying Oregon’s sun and temperatures in the 80s, this is the trip for you!

The Columbia River Fall Chinook runs are the largest run of salmon on the Columbia River. Typically numbering over 800,000 salmon, it is the Columbia River’s busiest and most successful salmon fishing season. The action usually starts in early August at the mouth of the Columbia River — often referred to as the Bouy 10 fishery. It’s the norm to see hundreds of boats and thousands of anglers getting in on the action. This fishery draws anglers and fishing guides from all over the country. It’s a popular fishery for Oregon fishing guides and Washington fishing guides, too. If you are interested in booking a fishing guide for the Fall salmon fishing season, we recommend booking early to beat the rush. Typically around mid-August, the Salmon will have filled the river from the mouth to well beyond the Portland Oregon stretch of the river and will continue migrating upriver through October. If you are looking for a day filled with action and some salmon in your freezer, this is the best Salmon fishing trip of the year!

Guided sturgeon fishing trips are where fishing expectations are shattered! Columbia River Fishing Adventures offers two different options for some truly world-class Columbia river sturgeon fishing trips! With a population of over 2 million sturgeon, Oregon has the best sturgeon fishing in the world! Sturgeon can be caught year-round and provide a great fishing trip for everyone. These fishing trips provide non-stop action averaging from 30 to 50 fish a day. The white sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in the world and can grow to over 13 feet. Some sturgeon weigh over 1000 pounds!

The Columbia River offers two excellent “keeper” sturgeon fishing seasons. The first takes place in the Bonneville pool. The lower end of the pool starts at Bonneville Lock & Dam, the upper end 45 miles upriver, marked by The Dalles Lock & Dam. The sturgeon fishing “keeper” season opens January 1st and is managed on a quota of around 500 fish, and fishing usually stays open until mid-February. Our other Columbia River “keeper” sturgeon season takes place 100 miles downriver near Astoria. This is an epic fishery as Columbia River fishing guides catch these fish in less than 15 feet of water. Nothing is more exciting than going on a Columbia River guided sturgeon fishing trip and catching a 100 lb sturgeon in 10 feet of water. The sturgeon can’t go down, so they make a lot of long runs and become very acrobatic! This season opens mid-May and runs until mid-June.

Oregon guided sturgeon fishing trips during the catch and release season offer over 150 miles of river with two million sturgeon and rarely another boat it sight. These sturgeon fishing trips are truly one of the best fishing experiences the world has to offer. These sturgeon fishing trips fall into two different groups of anglers: those who want to catch a lot of fish and those who are looking to catch the biggest fish in their lifetime. Oversized sturgeon fishing is quite the thrill. If you are looking to have a fantastic action-packed day catching fish, an average day will usually see 30 to 50 fish per day in the 3 to 6-foot range. If you are looking to catch that fish of a lifetime over 8 feet, you will commonly catch 4 to 8 fish a day many in the 10-foot range. We catch sturgeon year-round with April through June being the best fishing of the year. If you are looking for big numbers, 30 to 50 fish days are very common. If you are looking to catch the big ones, then June through September is your best opportunity.

Walleye fishing has quickly become one of the hottest fisheries on the Columbia River. The Columbia is known for big walleye. With lots of structure, unlimited food sources, and a big female laying over 10,000 eggs, walleye have flourished since their introduction to the upper Columbia River in the early 60’s. The river is full of 1 to 3-pound Walleye that are best known for their fantastic table fare. Most anglers hire Oregon fishing guides in search of the trophy walleye, hoping they will be the one to catch the new world record many believe will come from the Columbia River walleye fishing.

Columbia River Fishing Adventures has been chasing Walleye for over 15 years, and we are committed to putting our clients onto great fish. We often get asked the question, “When is the best time to catch Walleye?” My answer is always the same: pre-spawn, you chase trophy-size fish while catching 10 to 15 nice-sized fish for dinner. You can catch fish all year around with the best time being February through October. With an abundant population and no catch limit, Columbia River fishing guides catch Walleye all year!