Columbia River Fishing Trip Questions

Yes. Bring a valid fishing license for the state you will be fishing in; it is on the list of what to bring. Not sure which one fits your day? Call (541) 357-6577 and we will point you the right way.

Warm clothing, sunglasses, sunscreen, a camera, lunch, drinks, a cooler and your fishing license. Rods and tackle are provided.

Your guide, the boat and all the tackle. Rates are in the trips and rates section, per person or per boat depending on the trip.

Yes. All tackle is provided and your guide runs the day, so you do not need experience. Tell us who is coming, and their ages, when you book or call (541) 357-6577.

Both boats are fully enclosed and heated, so cold does not stop a trip. If the captain calls off a trip for wind, lightning, ice or other safety reasons, you choose a new date or a full refund. Read the weather policy or call (541) 357-6577.

$100 reserves your date and is not a daily rate. You pay the balance at the dock. Online you can pay with PayPal or a debit or credit card.

Yes. The half-day whole boat takes up to 4 anglers. Bigger group? Call or text (541) 357-6577. For groups of 12 or more, call (541) 969-2537.

It depends on the fish. The seasons ribbon shows when each species typically runs, and the seasons and runs page has the detail. Runs change every year, so call before you pick a date.

The full day and combo trips are priced per person, and a half day for two is $200 each for two anglers. The half-day whole boat ($500 for the whole boat, up to 4 people) and the shad trip ($600 for the whole boat, up to 6 people) are priced for the whole boat. Bigger group? Call or text (541) 357-6577.

A full day is 8 hours on the water. A half day is 4 to 5 hours. Rods and tackle are included either way.

Yes, but we reserve the right to book the whole boat for one party unless a four-person minimum is paid. If your group is smaller, call (541) 357-6577 and we will tell you how to fish it.

Pick the fish first. Walleye bite every month. Keeper sturgeon run January to March, spring Chinook April and May, summer Chinook and shad June and July, oversize sturgeon June to August and fall Chinook August to October. Steelhead fish well from September through winter. Not sure? Call (541) 357-6577 and we will help you choose a date.

Yes. Both boats are fully enclosed and heated, and winter brings keeper sturgeon, walleye and steelhead. Dress warm anyway.

Spring Chinook is the most tightly regulated run, and the season can close without notice. Check the current rules with ODFW and WDFW, and call (541) 357-6577 before you book a spring date.

The windows on this page are typical, not a guarantee. Runs and regulations change every year and are set by ODFW and WDFW, so check their current rules and call (541) 357-6577 before you book.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

There are three Chinook runs: spring, summer and fall. Spring and summer fish run first, and the big fall run follows from late summer into October. See the seasons and runs. ODFW and WDFW set the dates each year, so call before you book.

Chinook, also called kings, are the biggest salmon in the river and average about 22 pounds. Fish of 40 pounds and more are caught, including the summer fish nicknamed June hogs.

Yes. Spring Chinook is the most tightly regulated run, and it can close unexpectedly when returns are low or catch rates are high. We watch the rules and book around them, which is why a call before you pick a date is worth it.

As the river warms, catch rates drop, and once the water is over 60 degrees fishing can be slow. Early starts help: the best chance is before sunrise until about noon.

It is the free-flowing stretch of the Columbia near the Tri-Cities where most fall Chinook end up to spawn. Hundreds of thousands of fish gather in about 40 miles of river.

Yes. Rods and tackle are provided, and your guide changes baits and tactics with the water flow and temperature. Bring warm clothing, lunch, drinks and your fishing license.

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.

Yes, they are the same species. Steelhead migrate between the ocean and the river, and rainbow trout do not.

Steelhead run from about 8 to 40 pounds, and most are between 12 and 20 pounds. The winter runs, called B run steelhead, tend to be larger than the summer runs.

Steelhead can be found in the Columbia at most times of year, and they are most plentiful from November through February. Our windows are fall into winter. See the seasons and runs.

Call or text (541) 357-6577 with your dates and how many are coming. Steelhead fishing follows the run and the water, so we plan each day with you.

Both boats are fully enclosed and heated, so a winter day on the water stays comfortable. Dress warm anyway.

Our shad window is June to July. It is a short run, so call early to hold a date. See the seasons and runs.

$600 for the whole boat, up to 6 people for 8 hours. The price covers the boat, so a full boat shares it.

Yes. It is fast, fun fishing for all ages, and your guide runs the day. Tell us who is coming, and their ages, when you book.

Rods and tackle are provided. Bring sun protection, a camera, lunch, drinks and your fishing license.