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Columbia River December Fishing Report: Steelhead, Coho, and Winter Conditions
Published 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Description
Hey folks, Artificial Lure here, your go-to guy for Columbia River angling around Portland. It's a crisp December 12th morning, sunrise at 7:41 AM and sunset 'round 4:27 PM per Tides.net. Tides today show high at 12:34 AM hitting 7'1" and 1:49 PM at 8'3", with lows at 9:00 AM (1'6") and 10:00 PM (2'9") at the Vancouver I-205 Bridge, according to Tides.net—fish the outgoing for best drift.
Weather's typical PNW winter: chilly highs in the 40s, partly cloudy with light rain possible, winds 5-10 mph from the south. Bundle up, water's cold.
Fish action's slow but pickin' up for winter steelhead in lower Columbia tributaries like the Big Creek, Gnat Creek, and Klaskanine—hatchery fish are fair, per the ODFW Northwest Zone report updated Dec 9. Fall Chinook closed Dec 1, no retention all year. Hatchery coho lingerin' in spots like North Fork Nehalem, some bright ones still good into December, but numbers low. Early winter steelhead showin' in Wilson and Trask Rivers, fair to good if flows drop—check ODFW for levels.
Catches recent: a few hatchery steelhead and coho, limits spotty but quality fish. No big numbers, but persistent anglers hookin' 5-10 lb steelies.
Best lures? Spin-n-Glo's in hot pink or chartreuse, 3-4" kwikfish for steelhead swings, small spinners like Mepps #3. Bait-wise, fresh roe clusters or cured prawns rule—drift 'em deep on the outgoing tide.
Hot spots: Try the hole below Bonneville Dam for steelhead staging, or Big Creek mouth near Highway 30 for easy access and consistent hatchery bites. Launch from Portland's Cathedral Park ramps if river's fishable.
Stay safe, check regs—no wild coho retention.
Thanks for tuning in, folks—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Weather's typical PNW winter: chilly highs in the 40s, partly cloudy with light rain possible, winds 5-10 mph from the south. Bundle up, water's cold.
Fish action's slow but pickin' up for winter steelhead in lower Columbia tributaries like the Big Creek, Gnat Creek, and Klaskanine—hatchery fish are fair, per the ODFW Northwest Zone report updated Dec 9. Fall Chinook closed Dec 1, no retention all year. Hatchery coho lingerin' in spots like North Fork Nehalem, some bright ones still good into December, but numbers low. Early winter steelhead showin' in Wilson and Trask Rivers, fair to good if flows drop—check ODFW for levels.
Catches recent: a few hatchery steelhead and coho, limits spotty but quality fish. No big numbers, but persistent anglers hookin' 5-10 lb steelies.
Best lures? Spin-n-Glo's in hot pink or chartreuse, 3-4" kwikfish for steelhead swings, small spinners like Mepps #3. Bait-wise, fresh roe clusters or cured prawns rule—drift 'em deep on the outgoing tide.
Hot spots: Try the hole below Bonneville Dam for steelhead staging, or Big Creek mouth near Highway 30 for easy access and consistent hatchery bites. Launch from Portland's Cathedral Park ramps if river's fishable.
Stay safe, check regs—no wild coho retention.
Thanks for tuning in, folks—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI