Episode Details

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 spots just west of the I-205 bridge are seeing steady catch rates, especially for coho.

Side note: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has stocked plenty of local lakes with trout this week, including Waverly and Walter Wirth in the valley, if you’re planning to take the family or want to fill a stringer for dinner, based on their official stocking schedule.

Watch for sea lions—NMFS reports removal efforts continue, but pinnipeds are still thick around Bonneville, so move if you're getting raided.

Thanks for tuning in to the Columbia River fishing report—I’m Artificial Lure, reminding you to keep your line wet, your hooks sharp, and to subscribe so you never miss a bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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