Welcome to my 2024 fishing reports for the Portland/Vancouver area, with an emphasis on the nearby Columbia and Willamette Rivers.
Right now, this report will focus mostly on spring chinook salmon fishing, which is just beginning for the year. I will share my first-hand experience guiding on these rivers as well as my network of guides and friends I’ve developed in the local fishing community after guiding here for a quarter century.
We are currently fishing the Lower Willamette River in Portland. The Willamette remains open to spring chinook salmon fishing, while at this writing the Columbia River in this area is closed.
The early run forecast calls for just under 50,000 springers to turn up the Willamette, and roughly three-fourths of those are expected to be hatchery-marked fish. That’s roughly an average run size for the Willamette over the past decade.
As always, if you’re thinking about hiring a guide for salmon, sturgeon, or walleye and wondering what the fishing is like, feel free to call or text me at 503-314-5087. I keep close tabs on the changing fishing conditions and regulations.
Latest Portland Fishing Report
A quick note to say that the Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife have added more open days to fish for spring chinook salmon in the lower Columbia River (below Bonneville Dam boat and bank deadlines).
Here are the newly revised open dates:
- Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19
- Saturday, May 25 through Monday, May 27
- Wednesday, June 12 through Saturday, June 15
This ODFW news release has the full details, including limits and exact location boundaries, but I wanted to get those dates to you. Let me know if you want to catch salmon, walleye, or giant sturgeon in the next month or two.
Previous Portland Fishing Reports
Wednesday, May 8
The recent rains put the Willamette River out of shape for salmon fishing, but now that the skies have cleared and summer-like temperatures are on the way, we’ll be chasing chinook again very soon.
I think the Willamette should be in good enough shape to fish again by this weekend. We’re still in the peak of the spring chinook salmon run in Portland, so there should be fish to catch in those improving conditions.
Give me a call or send me a text if you’re looking for a chance to catch a springer!
Monday, April 29
A happy customer holds up a spring chinook salmon caught fishing on the Willamette River with Marvin’s Guide Service.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted. For the most part, recent days have been somewhat tough. The weather patterns haven’t helped lately.
However, we’ve certainly managed to get some keepers in the boat, including another one today while fishing on the Lower Willamette River near the head of the Multnomah Channel. The catch rates I’m hearing from down into the channel and upriver near Oregon City have been similar, with anglers scrapping for any opportunities. We’re marking the fish, they just have been reluctant to bite.
We’ve caught fish pulling 360 flashers and Brad’s Super Baits. We’ve also caught fish on spinners with a coon shrimp.
Sturgeon fishing is another option on the Lower Willamette River. It typically offers more action, but it’s strictly catch-and-release.
Wednesday, April 17
Fishing in the lower Willamette River has really picked up.
We had to let some wild spring chinook go today, but I saw about a dozen other salmon caught around us at the head of Multnomah Channel. Anglers up around Oregon City are also catching good numbers.
Basically, the fish are showing up and salmon fishing should be quite good for a while now.
Saturday, April 6
This client caught a spring chinook salmon today while fishing the Columbia River with Marvin’s Guide Service.
There was a hot bite around Davis Bar near the I-5 Bridge for about the first hour of fishing this morning when we and other anglers put fish in the boat.
Things slowed after that. There was one caught here or there all day, which was just enough to make it interesting.
Friday, April 5
I saw more salmon hooked around Davis Bar today than I’ve probably seen in the last two weeks combined. The 2024 season has really hit its stride.
Unfortunately, we had our chances but lost a couple of springers before they hit the nets. Columbia River salmon can be a bit harder to land because we have to use barbless hooks. But on the bright side, I think we’ll see a lot more shots at salmon in the next few days. The Columbia River Compact has added several days to the season below Bonneville Dam.
Thursday, April 4
My client holding a spring chinook salmon he caught on the Columbia River near Portland today.
We got one hatchery springer on the deck and another missed opportunity on the Columbia River in and around the Davis Bar area (on the Washington side near Vancouver).
Other boats also saw some success in that area and in a few other sections of the lower river, so we’re definitely seeing some better fishing as the state DFWs stretched our season out through this weekend and up to Tuesday, April 9.
I also know of a handful of spring salmon caught on the lower Willamette River near the head of Multnomah Channel. The Willamette will remain open after the Columbia closes, so there’s still plenty of Portland-area salmon fishing to be had.
Saturday, March 30
Spring Chinook fishing still isn’t what I’d call red hot, but it seems like every day there are a few more being caught. I’d look for that to continue this week as we finish out the open days we’ll have, at least until run forecasts come in.
Today springers were caught in the Columbia River, at least from Davis Bar downriver to Longview, including around St. Helens. The Lower Willamette River is also producing some catches.
Monday, March 25
We’re starting to see the numbers of salmon build. Today I know of a fair number of salmon caught in the Columbia River in the Longview area.
Davis Bar near Vancouver had light fishing pressure today but only one springer caught that I know of.
Spring Chinook also are turning into the Willamette River in increasing numbers. I know of salmon caught near the head of Multnomah Channel and farther upriver in Oregon City.
We should be seeing a good push of fish coming up.
Saturday, March 23
There were a few spring salmon caught in the Davis Bar area of the Columbia River (on the Washington side across from the mouth of the Willamette River).
There are still lots of sea lions on the Columbia, which is making things tougher. I’m hopeful the sea lions will head back downriver in the next few days, and fishing should really improve.
I also heard about three fish caught in the Willamette Park area on the Willamette River.
Thursday, March 21
The Columbia River from the Davis Bar area across from the mouth of the Willamette and downstream produced salmon today. So has the lower Willamette River.
In fact, it might be a safer bet for anglers to fish the Willamette right now because sea lions are so thick on the Columbia.
There are also steelhead still being caught on the Columbia River.
If people decide to fish the Columbia, try trolling slowly with herring close to the bottom.
Also, remember that regulations require barbless hooks on the Columbia. You can have barbs on the Willamette.
Thursday, March 14
We tried just a few hours of salmon fishing today, but the Columbia remains on the slow side. I’m expecting it to get quite a bit better for Oregon’s spring break during the last week of March and into the first days of April before it’s closed beginning April 6.
I do know of a handful of salmon caught so far, though most have been downriver closer to Longview and Kalama. A couple of bank anglers also have caught fish off Prescott Beach on the lower river.
After a while, we switched over to sturgeon fishing on the lower Willamette River, and this catch-and-release fishery continues to be on fire. We had similar success with sturgeon on Wednesday.
Saturday, March 9
I fished on the Columbia River today and saw only one other boat giving it a shot.
There are still lots of smelt in the river at least up to the airport, and a lot of sea lions, too.
I marked some fish but we didn’t get any bites.
It’s still early, though, so things will improve later this month and in the first days of April before the scheduled closure.
Friday, February 23
I won’t be booking trips for a few more weeks yet, but a few people I know have been giving it a shot in the last few days, with mixed results.
One guy I know tried his luck in the Lower Willamette River’s Portland Harbor but didn’t catch any.
Another guy fished farther up by Meldrum Bar. While he didn’t find any springers, he did catch a steelhead.
Also of note, there are smelt in the Columbia River at least up to Portland International Airport.
Last Updated on by Marv
