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Columbia River Late Fall Fishing Report - Coho, Walleye & Sturgeon Bite Ahead of Winter
Published 5 months, 1 week ago
Description
Artificial Lure reporting live from the banks of the mighty Columbia River here in Portland on Thursday, November 20th, 2025, where the late-fall bite is battling cooler weather and changing river conditions.
First light hit the water at 7:17 am this morning, and you can expect sunset tonight around 4:36 pm. The sky’s serving up thick clouds and occasional drizzle; winds are light, temps hovering in the upper 40s—classic November in the Northwest, just enough nip in the air to keep your hands in your pockets but perfect for chasing the season’s last coho and walleye.
According to Fishing Reminder and NOAA tides, today’s tidal swings are gentle: low tide at 7:55 am followed by high at 12:34 pm, low again around 7:51 pm, and another high at 10:48 pm. Best fishing windows line up with the major bite time from 5:35 am to 7:35 am and again from 5:50 pm to 7:50 pm. Aim to fish when that water’s moving, either side of those slack tides, for aggressive takes.
Now for the fish news: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s latest check at Bonneville Pool shows late coho is the name of the game, with 32 landed and a jack or two for local boaters. Sturgeon retention remains closed, but for those chasing catch-and-release, a handful of over-legal monsters were reported in The Dalles Pool. Walleye are putting up numbers too, especially in The Dalles Pool area, where four boats brought home 18 solid keepers in the last cycle.
Steelhead and chinook runs up the interior basin are lean this year—a reminder of ongoing conservation battles, especially above Bonneville, with only 14 wild Snake River sockeye making it to spawn in Idaho. Most fall chinook have faded, and shad won’t return until spring, but persistent anglers working deep slots and seams with wobbling plugs or drifting eggs near the tributary mouths are still finding a few late steelies.
For baits and tackle: coho prefer flashy spoons and spinners—think silver, chartreuse, and pink. Walleye are snapping up bright blade baits, heavier jigs tipped with worm, or minnow-imitation cranks. If you’re targeting sturgeon, bring along herring, smelt, or squid, always remembering those catch-and-release regs.
Hot spots this week: Give Riverplace Marina and Tomahawk Bay Moorage a shot for land-based success, especially at dawn or dusk on moving water. Swan Island and the Columbia Way West Marina also delivered solid walleye and resident trout catches. For the boaters, Bonneville Pool and the sloughs around Kelley Point remain reliable, while The Dalles Pool is the ticket for walleye and adrenaline-pumping sturgeon battles—even if they’re only for the photo.
Stay up-to-date with the latest ODFW regulations, especially since fall management rules adjust weekly, and check health advisories—Columbia River fish may carry elevated mercury and PCBs, so follow proper consumption guidelines.
With the salmonids winding down and the winter steelhead prep ramping up, now’s your time to enjoy the river’s late autumn magic. Respect the water, mind those tides, and remember—sometimes the real catch is just being out there under these northwest skies.
Thanks for tuning into your Columbia River fishing report from Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for more timely updates. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
First light hit the water at 7:17 am this morning, and you can expect sunset tonight around 4:36 pm. The sky’s serving up thick clouds and occasional drizzle; winds are light, temps hovering in the upper 40s—classic November in the Northwest, just enough nip in the air to keep your hands in your pockets but perfect for chasing the season’s last coho and walleye.
According to Fishing Reminder and NOAA tides, today’s tidal swings are gentle: low tide at 7:55 am followed by high at 12:34 pm, low again around 7:51 pm, and another high at 10:48 pm. Best fishing windows line up with the major bite time from 5:35 am to 7:35 am and again from 5:50 pm to 7:50 pm. Aim to fish when that water’s moving, either side of those slack tides, for aggressive takes.
Now for the fish news: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s latest check at Bonneville Pool shows late coho is the name of the game, with 32 landed and a jack or two for local boaters. Sturgeon retention remains closed, but for those chasing catch-and-release, a handful of over-legal monsters were reported in The Dalles Pool. Walleye are putting up numbers too, especially in The Dalles Pool area, where four boats brought home 18 solid keepers in the last cycle.
Steelhead and chinook runs up the interior basin are lean this year—a reminder of ongoing conservation battles, especially above Bonneville, with only 14 wild Snake River sockeye making it to spawn in Idaho. Most fall chinook have faded, and shad won’t return until spring, but persistent anglers working deep slots and seams with wobbling plugs or drifting eggs near the tributary mouths are still finding a few late steelies.
For baits and tackle: coho prefer flashy spoons and spinners—think silver, chartreuse, and pink. Walleye are snapping up bright blade baits, heavier jigs tipped with worm, or minnow-imitation cranks. If you’re targeting sturgeon, bring along herring, smelt, or squid, always remembering those catch-and-release regs.
Hot spots this week: Give Riverplace Marina and Tomahawk Bay Moorage a shot for land-based success, especially at dawn or dusk on moving water. Swan Island and the Columbia Way West Marina also delivered solid walleye and resident trout catches. For the boaters, Bonneville Pool and the sloughs around Kelley Point remain reliable, while The Dalles Pool is the ticket for walleye and adrenaline-pumping sturgeon battles—even if they’re only for the photo.
Stay up-to-date with the latest ODFW regulations, especially since fall management rules adjust weekly, and check health advisories—Columbia River fish may carry elevated mercury and PCBs, so follow proper consumption guidelines.
With the salmonids winding down and the winter steelhead prep ramping up, now’s your time to enjoy the river’s late autumn magic. Respect the water, mind those tides, and remember—sometimes the real catch is just being out there under these northwest skies.
Thanks for tuning into your Columbia River fishing report from Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for more timely updates. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI