Here is my Portland salmon fishing report on the Columbia River for September 24, 2023.
I decided to meet my clients on the Columbia River at the M. James Gleeson Memorial Boat Ramp, which is located on the Columbia River, right by the Portland International Airport. We departed the ramp at 7:00 a.m.
There were like 25 to 30 other boats there also. Most of the boats decided to head down the Columbia River. I decided to do the opposite and head upriver towards the I-205. bridge.
I was rigged up with pro trolls and Brad’s Super Bait, exactly how I have been fishing out of Astoria on the lower Columbia River and also in the Pacific Ocean. The only thing that changed is I put lighter sinkers on.
I explained to everybody how we would be fishing, how the salmon would bite, and what to expect. So, we deployed our lines, and we were trolling about 5 to 10 minutes when we got our first takedown, Unfortunately, it did not stick which means we did not hook up.
In the next 20 minutes, we had like three more takedowns that did not stick. I’m thinking, wow, this is bad luck. Actually, they could have been small jack salmon; it’s hard to say why they didn’t stick.
Well, around 10:30, we got another takedown, and this one stuck. It was a nice 10-pound chinook salmon.
We reeled up our lines and ran back up the Columbia River to the I-205 again to start our troll over. Well, guess what? We got another takedown, and this one also stuck. This was a 10- to 12-pound coho salmon, but unfortunately, this was a wild one, and we had to let go.
We fished for another two hours, trying to beat the rainstorm coming in. Unfortunately, we only were able to keep the one chinook salmon.
I expect the salmon fishing in the Columbia River around the Portland area to stay productive for another week or two. Then I will move my trips up the Columbia River around Bonneville Dam. I will also keep my eye on the Bonneville Dam salmon counts and decide when I want to move all of my salmon fishing trips above Bonneville, around the Dalles area.
Feel free to call, email or text, or even leave a comment on this page, and we can discuss where salmon fishing would be best within the next month or so.
A client holding a salmon caught in the Portland area, next to guide Marvin.
Last Updated on by Marv
