The Willamette River in the Portland, Oregon, area is home to some of the best sturgeon fishing in the Pacific Northwest. The sturgeon here are a catch-and-release fishery, meaning they must be released immediately after being caught. Despite this restriction, the Willamette River offers an exciting fishing experience for anglers of all skill levels. On some days, it is not uncommon to catch sturgeon that are as small as two feet or as large as 10 feet long!
Sturgeon fishing on the Willamette River is at its best in the spring, especially in late February. That’s when the smelt runs on the Columbia River, which is where the sturgeon are.
Although you can find some great sturgeon fishing on the Willamette in December and January, right around the Swan Island area, one of the other top spots for sturgeon on the Willamette is near Oregon City, just below the falls. Fishing here will offer plenty of fun action for everybody.
When fishing below the Oregon City Falls, the water is generally faster and very rocky, which makes it difficult to anchor. Use caution when fishing in this area.
When the smelt starts to show up on the Columbia River, you definitely want to fish for sturgeon on the lower Willamette, near the mouth.
A good boat ramp to use is cathedral park Located under the St. Johns Bridge, this is a free park.
I have been fishing for sturgeon in the Willamette River for over 20 years, and I have learned a lot about what it takes to catch these fish. When I am fishing for sturgeon, my go-to baits are smelt, squid, and sand shrimp. I prefer to use fresh bait, and I have found that the fresher the bait, the better the results.
Around the middle of March, the Willamette River generally will have plenty of sturgeon, and the spring salmon will start showing up. March, April, May, and June are great opportunities to do a half-day salmon and a half-day sturgeon fishing trip on the Willamette.
I’m happy to talk to you about sturgeon and salmon fishing on the Willamette River. Please call Marvin’s guide service at 503-314-5087 to book your trip.
If you’d like to learn more about the Willamette River, click the link here my other post about it.
A monster sturgeon was caught with Marvin’s guide service. Check out the picture and story of this monster catch!
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Last Updated on by Marvin
