Columbia River Walleye Fishing Guides

Angler in an orange beanie holding a big walleye on a guide boat, Columbia River bridge behind

The fishery

Fast water, silty river, big fish

Walleye suit the Columbia. They like the fast current and the silty water, and the river grows them big.

The best fishing comes on days with a slight wind and a chop on the water. If you have never hooked a 10-pound walleye, you are in for a treat.

Walleye fishing is not like fishing for salmon or bass. It is easier with someone who knows the river, which is where your guide comes in. Rods and tackle are provided and your guide sets the day up.

What the river gives up

10 lb and up The fish you remember
About 15 lb Caught regularly
Close to 20 lb Now and then

When to fish

Walleye all year, and what runs beside them

Walleye is the one fish we chase in every month. The bars below show what else is running while you are out there.

October: Walleye is in season, alongside Sturgeon (fall–winter), Salmon (fall), Steelhead (fall–winter).

Typical fishing months for each species, from our season calendar
Species	Window	Typical months	Fishing now
Walleye	Year-round	All year	Yes
Sturgeon	Keeper	January to March	No
Sturgeon	Spring	April to May	No
Sturgeon	Oversize	June to August	No
Sturgeon	Fall–winter	September to December	Yes
Salmon	Spring	April to May	No
Salmon	Summer	June to July	No
Salmon	Fall	August to October	Yes
Steelhead	Winter	January to March	No
Steelhead	Fall–winter	September to December	Yes
Shad	Run	June to July	No

How we fish them

Slow water, steady drift, simple gear

Walleye punish the wrong gear and the wrong spot. The way we fish them takes both off the table.

Find the one-mile-an-hour water

Walleye are lazy. They will not sit in the fastest current, so we look for water running between 0.8 and 1.3 mph, usually along the current breaks that come off the deep channels.

0.8–1.3

Still water Walleye hold here (mph) Fastest current

Your first walleye

Stay on the flats and in slower water.
Cover ground: drift or troll downstream so the lure finds fish for you.
Heavier weights find bottom in the river’s fast flows.

When you know the river

Big fish also hold in deep holes, at the head end behind the bottom current break.
Move up to jigging and blade baits for the most bites.
Lighter weights and a fluorocarbon leader feel the soft bites.

The easiest way to catch one

Drift or troll downstream with a plastic-blade spinner worm harness behind a 2 to 3 ounce bottom walker. It is close to impossible to get wrong, and it covers the most water.

A plastic blade keeps thumping at slow speeds. Metal blades need just the right speed, which is hard to hold while you are learning.

What we put on the rods

Blade baits
Soft plastics
Swim baits
Spinner worm harnesses
Wedding ring spinners
Shallow crankbaits
Deep-diving crankbaits
Worm and weight on a slinky slider

Angler holding a walleye inside the enclosed cabin of a guide boat, river behind him

Warm, dry and still fishing

Both boats are fully enclosed and heated, so a cold or windy day does not end the trip. That is why we fish walleye through the winter too.

Trips and rates

Fish walleye with us

Three ways to spend a day on the water. Rods and tackle are included on every trip.

Full day
Salmon or walleye
A full day on the water after salmon or walleye. Rods and tackle included.

Length

8 hours

$225 per person

Best for

Making a day of it on one fish.

Book this trip
Combo trip
Two species in one day
Two kinds of fish in one day, so you cover more water. Rods and tackle included.

Length

8 hours

$250 per person

Best for

Trying two kinds of fish in one day.

Book this trip
Half day
Walleye, sturgeon or salmon
A shorter outing on the river. Rods and tackle included.

Length

4 to 5 hours

$500 for the whole boat, up to 4 people

$200 each for two anglers

Best for

A small group, a pair, or a first time on the river.

Book the boat Book for two

Walleye catches

Walleye from our boats

See all walleye photos

Walleye questions

Before you book a walleye trip

Short answers to what people ask us most about walleye.

Still unsure? Call or text (541) 357-6577

When is the best time to catch Columbia River walleye?

Walleye bite all year, and we fish for them every month. The best days have a slight wind and a chop on the water. Check the seasons and runs to see what else is running when you want to go.

How big are Columbia River walleye?

Fish around 15 pounds are caught regularly, and an occasional fish comes close to 20 pounds. Hooking a walleye of 10 pounds or more is something most people remember.

Do I need walleye fishing experience?

No. Your guide sets the day up and shows you how. For a first walleye we drift or troll downstream with a spinner worm harness, a simple method that covers a lot of water.

Can we fish walleye in cold weather?

Yes. Both boats are fully enclosed and heated, and walleye fishing runs all year. Dress warm anyway, and call before you pick a date if you want to talk through the weather.

What tackle do you use for walleye?

Rods and tackle are provided. A typical set-up is a 6.6 to 7 foot medium-heavy rod with 15 to 20 pound braided line, a spinner worm harness with a plastic blade and a 2 to 3 ounce bottom walker. Read the field notes for the detail.

Where do you fish for walleye?

Walleye live almost everywhere on the Columbia where there is current. We choose the stretch on the day from the season, the water and where the fish are holding. See where we fish.

How much does a walleye trip cost?

A full day for salmon or walleye is $225 per person, and a half day is $500 for the whole boat, up to 4 people, or $200 each for two anglers. Rods and tackle are included. See all rates.

Plan the trip

Everything for your walleye day

From the fishing news

Why Rufus, Oregon Is Famous for Columbia River Walleye

Other fish we guide

Field notes

Walleye on the Columbia: rods, line, lures and water

The longer version, for anglers who like the detail. You do not need any of it to fish with us: the tackle is ours.

Rod and reel

For a first walleye, a 6.6 to 7 foot medium-heavy casting rod is the one to pick, matched with bottom walkers of 2 ounces and up. A beginner needs the heavier weight to find bottom in the river’s strong flows, and a casting reel lets out line quickly when the bottom changes under the boat.

Anglers with more time on the water can step to a medium, fast-action casting rod for a better feel of soft bites, or a 6 to 7 foot spinning rod in light-heavy to medium action. Spinning gear suits blade baits, jigging and swim baits, usually 3/8 to 3/4 ounce depending on the time of year and the flow.

Line and leader

Spool either reel with 15 to 20 pound braided line. When you are bottom bouncing a spinner worm harness, tie the braid straight to the swivel so you do not lose gear all day. Walleye can eat a lot of tackle if you are not careful.

For blade baits and jigging, add a couple of feet of 10 to 14 pound fluorocarbon leader. These are slower presentations, and walleye have good eyesight and time to look at your lure. A nearly invisible leader gets more bites.

Lures and presentations

Columbia walleye take jigging blade baits, soft plastics, swim baits, spinner worm harnesses with metal or plastic blades, wedding ring spinners, shallow-lipped crankbaits behind a bottom walker, deep runners, and drifted worms on a bottom walker or a slinky weight slider.

Experienced anglers will out-fish a beginner by jigging or blade baiting. For someone new those methods are easy to get wrong, and hours can go by without a bite. Drifting or trolling downstream covers the most water, so even in the wrong spot you have not wasted an hour.

Where walleye are

Walleye live almost everywhere on the river except water with no current. Look for current breaks off the deep channels, and keep in mind the season and the baitfish in the river at that time. For roughly half the year big walleye feed on smaller walleye, which spawn before other baitfish.

The number to remember is a current of 0.8 to 1.3 mph. Walleye do not commonly hold in the fastest water. The biggest fish may sit in deep holes in fast current, usually at the head of the hole behind the bottom current break. Newer anglers do better on the flats and slower water.

Columbia River Walleye Fishing Guide