Portland Oregon Salmon Fishing Guide

Call or text 503-314-5087 to book your Portland salmon fishing trip.

Looking for a Portland Oregon salmon fishing guide? Marvin’s Guide Service runs guided salmon trips on the Columbia River and Willamette River around Portland, Oregon — from the airport stretch to Davis Bar, Sauvie Island, the Multnomah Channel, and Oregon City, all the way up to Bonneville Dam.

My name is Marvin Henkel, and I’ve spent more than 27 years guiding anglers on the Columbia and Willamette rivers. Around Portland, we get three distinct salmon runs — spring, summer, and fall — which means there’s a salmon season worth fishing nearly half the year.

Three Salmon Runs Near Portland

Spring salmon are one of the best-eating salmon in the world, thanks to their fat content. Summer salmon — the famous “June hogs” — are very good eating too. And fall salmon bring big numbers and hard fights. Springers are the prize, but every run has its moment.

Spring Salmon Fishing (February – July)

I generally start poking around in February looking for that first spring salmon on the Columbia River around Portland. Fishing doesn’t usually get good until the middle to end of March, but there are always a few early fish and it’s fun to be after the first one.

I generally start fishing around the Portland airport, between the I-5 bridge and the I-205 bridge. I’ll also run down below the I-5 bridge to what we call Davis Bar, and the Sauvie Island area. I fish that water into early April, which is generally when spring salmon fishing closes on the Columbia.

But just because the Columbia closes doesn’t mean salmon season is over — the lower Willamette River gets hot and heavy for springers. We fish the lower river, the Multnomah Channel, all the way to Oregon City, right up into early July. One of my favorite spots is just below the St. Johns Bridge at the head of the channel.

How I Fish Springers

I like trolling with a herring and a triangle flasher, close to the bottom, very slow. The water is usually cold that time of year, so I go as slow as possible — but I make sure that herring is spinning.

Summer Salmon — June Hogs (June – July)

Sometime in early June, the Columbia and Willamette switch from spring salmon to what they call June hogs — the summer run. Whether we get a summer season on the Columbia is determined year by year based on models and dam predictions, so it can vary.

How I Fish Summer Salmon

I can still troll herring, but a lot of the time I’ll switch to a 360 flasher with a Super Bait or SpinFish. Sometimes we’ll even anchor up in fast, shallow water and throw spinners and plugs.

Fall Salmon (August – October)

Fall salmon start on the Columbia River around August 1st and generally run into late September or early October, depending on water and weather conditions.

How I Fish Fall Salmon

One of my favorite ways: a 360 flasher with a Brad’s Super Bait, or a 360 flasher with a coon shrimp spinner. Definitely trolling — trolling covers a lot of ground, and that’s how you find where these salmon are running.

Many fall anglers combine a Portland trip with a Buoy 10 salmon fishing trip near Astoria.

Where Portland Salmon Trips Launch

I launch from the Gleason boat ramp, Chinook Landing, or Cathedral Park depending on where the fish are. A lot of the time I keep my boat moored at Janzen Beach. I’ll confirm the exact meeting spot before your trip.

View Oregon fishing trip meeting locations

What’s Included — and What to Bring

When you book a trip with me, all you need is your food, drinks, snacks, the appropriate fishing license, salmon tag, and Columbia River endorsement. I provide all the bait and tackle.

In the spring, my boat runs with the top and heater on to protect you from the weather.

Learn more about my 27-foot Oregon fishing guide boat and how to get an Oregon fishing license.