Columbia River in transition as spring Chinook close out and summer fish move in

What's Biting

What's Next

With the Columbia running at 223,000 cfs and 62°F, the river is approaching its seasonal turning point. Snowmelt-driven flows typically begin declining through mid-June as the upper basin snowpack recedes, and water temperatures should climb into the mid-60s over the coming weeks — both trends that encourage more aggressive fish behavior and improve water clarity along the mid-river corridor.

For spring Chinook, the practical window on much of the mainstem is in its final chapter. Peak counts at Bonneville Dam typically occur in late April and early May; any springer activity this week likely reflects late-run fish holding in deeper, cooler water pockets. If you're chasing late springers, concentrate on softer current edges adjacent to deeper holding water — back-trolling plugs or an anchor-and-bait presentation near channel breaks are the established approach when flows are running this high and visibility is limited.

The more forward-looking opportunity is positioning for early summer Chinook. Summer-run fish (often called upriver brights in the mid-Columbia context) begin showing at Bonneville in May and June, and some will be staged well upriver by the time flows start receding in mid-June. As water clarity improves with dropping flows, reaction-bait presentations — spinners and cut-plug herring — typically outperform pure scent approaches. Watch for the first significant flow drop as a trigger to shift tactics.

White sturgeon fishing generally holds well through high-flow periods; the species favors deep, slow-moving water and bottom structure over fast mid-river runs. With 223,000 cfs pushing through the gorge, focus effort on large back-eddies, deep troughs, and the downstream sides of major islands where current velocity drops sharply. Bottom rigs baited with smelt, sand shrimp, or night crawlers remain the standard. Regulations in this corridor are zone-specific and change throughout the season — check ODFW's current emergency order page before any trip, as some zones shift to catch-and-release during portions of the run.

Plan to be on the water at first light this weekend. The Last Quarter moon combined with the early-morning thermal window consistently produces the best action for both Chinook and sturgeon on this river.

Context

For the Columbia River salmon and sturgeon fishery, early June is a well-established transitional period. Spring Chinook returns to the mainstem — the cornerstone of the upper Columbia and Snake River sport fisheries — are indexed at Bonneville Dam, where passage counts typically peak in late April and early May before tapering sharply through June. A gauge reading of 223,000 cfs at The Dalles in early June falls within the normal range for a watershed still releasing snowpack from the Cascades and northern Rockies; it does not signal an unusual runoff event on its own.

No comparative run-strength or year-over-year bite data appeared in this week's indexed regional feeds. The sources available here do not include Bonneville passage tallies or ODFW season-opening assessments, and no angler-intel contributors reported specifically on the Columbia River in this cycle. The honest assessment is that the seasonal backdrop here comes from established norms rather than verified in-season comparison data.

What is typical for this corridor in early June: spring Chinook returns to the mainstem have varied considerably in recent seasons, with strong years extending quality fishing into mid-June and weaker years seeing sharp decline after mid-May. White sturgeon, a resident population throughout the lower and mid-Columbia, are present year-round and generally less sensitive to flow variation than migratory salmonids — they function as a reliable fallback target when Chinook availability is uncertain. Summer steelhead begin building through June and typically peak on the upper mainstem and Snake River tributaries in July and August.

If you're planning a trip specifically around the spring Chinook window, early June is the trailing edge — fish are present but numbers are declining. Pairing sturgeon and early summer Chinook in your strategy is the smarter play for the next several weeks as the fishery rotates from spring to summer species.