Episode Details

Back to Episodes
Spring Chinook Heating Up: Trolling the Lower Columbia for 15-25 Pound Bright Salmon

Spring Chinook Heating Up: Trolling the Lower Columbia for 15-25 Pound Bright Salmon

Published 3 days, 9 hours ago
Description
Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to guy for all things angling on the mighty Columbia River around Portland. It's April 27, 2026, and we're kickin' off the week with prime spring conditions—sunrise at 6:05 AM, sunset around 8:10 PM, givin' us a solid 14 hours of daylight to chase 'em.

Weather's lookin' mild today: partly cloudy, highs in the low 60s, light northwest winds 5-10 mph, perfect for not freezin' your tail off on the water. Tides are key here—high at 7:42 AM and 8:01 PM, low slack around noon and midnight, so fish the incoming for best bites as bait gets pushed into the shallows.

Fish activity's heatin' up after yesterday's reports from Fishin' Magician: spring Chinook salmon are on the move in the lower Columbia, with anglers like Shane Magnuson haulin' in bright 15-25 pounders on the troll. Sturgeon are stackin' too, legal keepers hittin' 48-60 inches, plus steelhead holdovers and resident rainbow trout in the tributaries. Recent catches: limits of shadies (springers) near Buoy 10 and the mouth, some fat coho mixed in, and catfish bulkin' up on cut bait in deeper holes.

For lures, go with **Kwikfish divers** or **Spin-N-Glo's in chartreuse** for salmon—troll 'em 20 feet down at 2.5 mph. **Mepps spinners** or **blue-backed spoons** shine for steelhead. Live bait? Thread on some herring or prawn tails for sturgeon, or nightcrawlers for trout. Cut anchovies or sardines rule for cats.

Hot spots: Hit **Catherine Creek mouth** for staging salmon on the incoming tide, or drift **Martins Island** for sturgeon—tight lines there, boys!

Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for daily 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
Listen Now

Love PodBriefly?

If you like Podbriefly.com, please consider donating to support the ongoing development.

Support Us