Man and a boy on a Columbia River boat holding a long keeper sturgeon between them

Oregon · Washington · Keepers and oversize

Columbia River Sturgeon Fishing Guide

Book a sturgeon trip Call / Text (541) 357-6577

Columbia River sturgeon fishing with a guide: keepers to hold for the photo, and giants to meet at the boat, from a heated cabin.

Keepers: 38 to 54 in; Held for the photo
Oversize: About 10 ft; Left in the water at the boat
Keeper season: Jan to Mar; Winter fishing
Oversize season: Jun to Aug; Summer fishing

Couple on a Columbia River boat holding a long keeper sturgeon between them

The fish

An ancient fish, and a very big one

White sturgeon have changed little in 170 million years. They can live past 100 years, and the species can grow close to 20 feet long and 1,800 pounds.

On the Columbia, anglers sort them into three classes by length. The class decides what happens at the boat.

Three classes of sturgeon

Shakers Under the legal size
Keepers Within the legal size range
Oversize Over the maximum size, called peelers

When to fish

Keepers in winter, giants in summer

The bars show our sturgeon windows by name, and what else is running beside them. The keeper and oversize seasons are the two to remember.

October: Sturgeon is in season, alongside Walleye, 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

Keeper or oversize: choose your day

Both are white sturgeon, and both are a trip you will remember. What changes is the season and what happens at the boat.

January to March

Keeper sturgeon

A fish you can hold.

Keepers fall inside the legal size range. You hold the fish for the photo, in the season when the heated cabin matters most.

38 to 54 inches
Held for the photo
Legal size is set by ODFW and WDFW

June to August

Oversize sturgeon

A fish you meet in the water.

Oversize fish are over the maximum size, so they stay in the water at the boat. You see the whole fish beside you, and it goes back. Many sturgeon anglers fish for these and nothing else.

About 10 feet
Left in the water at the boat
Called peelers: they strip line off the reel

Patience, then a run

They mouth the bait A sturgeon tastes and feels the bait before it takes it.
Then they take it Once it commits, the fish inhales the bait whole.
Big ones peel line A giant strips line off the reel, which is where the name peeler comes from.

Angler in a blue hoodie holding a keeper sturgeon on the boat, with the river behind him

Winter fishing stays comfortable

Keeper season falls in the coldest months. Both boats are fully enclosed and heated, so the cold never decides the day.

Trips and rates

Fish sturgeon with us

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

Full day, sturgeon
Keeper and oversize sturgeon
A full day on sturgeon, from keepers to oversize fish. Rods and tackle included.

Length

8 hours

$250 per person for 2 to 3 anglers
$200 per person for 4 or more

Best for

Chasing the big fish of the river.

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

Sturgeon catches

Sturgeon from our boats

See all sturgeon photos

Sturgeon questions

Before you book a sturgeon trip

Short answers to what people ask us most about sturgeon.

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

What is the difference between keeper and oversize sturgeon?

A keeper is a sturgeon inside the legal size range, and you hold it for the photo. An oversize fish is over the maximum size, so it stays in the water at the boat and goes back. Shakers are fish under the legal size.

When is sturgeon season?

Keeper fishing runs from January to March and oversize fishing from June to August, with sturgeon fished in the months between. See the seasons and runs. Dates and rules change, so call us before you pick a day.

Can I keep the sturgeon I catch?

Only a fish inside the legal size range, in an open season, may be kept. Oversize fish are always left in the water. ODFW and WDFW set the rules and can change them, so we confirm the current rule when you book.

How big are Columbia River sturgeon?

Keepers run about 38 to 54 inches. Oversize fish are around 10 feet. The species itself can reach close to 20 feet and 1,800 pounds, and can live past 100 years.

How does a sturgeon bite?

A sturgeon mouths the bait first, tasting and feeling it, and then inhales it whole. Big oversize fish strip line off the reel, which is why they are called peelers. Your guide reads the bite for you.

Can we fish sturgeon in the cold?

Yes. Keeper season is in the winter months, and both boats are fully enclosed and heated. Dress warm and call us if you want to talk through the weather.

How much does a sturgeon trip cost?

A full day of sturgeon is $250 per person for 2 to 3 anglers, $200 per person for 4 or more, 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 sturgeon day

From the fishing news

Other fish we guide

Field notes

Columbia River white sturgeon: classes, seasons and the bite

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

The Columbia River white sturgeon

White sturgeon are a giant of North American fresh water. The species has been around for about 170 million years with little change in appearance, can live past 100 years, and can reach close to 20 feet and as much as 1,800 pounds.

The fish we meet on a Columbia River trip are a fraction of that, but they are still the biggest freshwater fish most anglers will ever touch.

Shakers, keepers and oversize

Sturgeon anglers divide the fish into three classes. Shakers are any fish under the legal size. Keepers are fish inside the legal size range. Oversize fish, often called peelers, are over the maximum size.

Peelers get the name from the way they peel line off the reel. Many sturgeon anglers target them exclusively. On our boats a keeper is a fish you hold, and an oversize fish stays in the water at the boat.

How a sturgeon bites

When a sturgeon first meets the bait it mouths it: it tastes and feels the bait before it inhales it whole. That is why sturgeon fishing rewards patience, and why a guide who reads the bite matters.

Keeper fish show up most in the winter months and oversize fish in summer, so the season you pick shapes the kind of day you get.

Size limits, seasons and egg-bearing fish

Seasons, legal sizes and whether a fish may be kept are set by ODFW and WDFW, and they can change during the year. We tell you the current rule when you book, and you should check the agencies as well.

On the Columbia, size limits make it very unlikely that anyone legally keeps an egg-bearing fish. The fish that are legal to keep are too small and not yet mature enough to be worth harvesting for eggs.