Columbia summer run builds as spring chinook season winds down

What's biting

What's next

With today marking the summer solstice, Columbia River temperatures are at their seasonal inflection point and will continue climbing through the coming week. Anglers should check USGS gauge readings for the Bonneville Dam and McNary stations before launching; summer low-water conditions concentrate fish but also push them into deeper, cooler holds in the main channel.

**Salmon windows.** Summer chinook, called bright fish for their chrome-fresh condition when they first enter the river, should be increasingly available in the lower mainstem as June gives way to July. Early arrivals stage near the mouth and hold in deeper runs before pushing upriver. Trolling herring, anchovies, or spinners at 20 to 40 feet near channel edges and ledge drops is the conventional approach. Numbers tend to build week over week through July, with the run peaking farther upriver, above Bonneville and into the mid-Columbia, in late July through September. Bank anglers on the lower river will find morning sessions near deeper bends and current seams to be the best bet as water temps climb through the afternoon.

**Sturgeon timing.** White sturgeon are available year-round, but summer warmth pushes fish into the deepest available water. The tidal zone below Bonneville fishes well on incoming tides, when cooler Pacific-influenced water moves upstream and stirs bottom-oriented fish into feeding mode. Sand shrimp, smelt, or cut herring fished on bottom in 30 to 60 feet is the go-to presentation. With the moon in its First Quarter phase this week, tidal swings are moderate, not the dramatic pull of a new or full moon, but enough current movement on the change to prompt bottom fish to reposition and feed. Always confirm current slot limits and retention windows with state fish and wildlife before keeping any sturgeon, as regulations change seasonally.

**Summer steelhead.** The first summer-run steelhead are typically entering the Columbia system by the solstice, with numbers building through July. Side-drifting beads, jigs, or cured roe through deeper seams and soft-water pockets can intercept early-run fish, especially in morning low-light windows. These are chrome-bright, hard-fighting fish and a prime target as spring chinook action tapers.

**Weekend planning.** The Pacific Northwest in late June typically delivers marine-influenced mornings with afternoon clearing. No acute weather advisories appear in current feeds. Heat events can trigger temporary emergency regulation changes and thermal stress on fish; monitor state wildlife updates before heading out if a heat dome is forecast.

Context

Late June on the Columbia is historically the quietest stretch of the salmon fishing year. The spring chinook run has largely cleared the lower river by now, and the summer run has not yet built to fishable density. It is the classic transition window that separates the casual spring crowds from the dedicated anglers who stay through the summer and into the fall coho season.

None of this week's source feeds carried comparative intel on how the 2026 season is stacking up against prior years. IFish.net Fishing Reports, the most Oregon-specific outlet in this report's feed, logged only lost-gear notices this cycle: no trip reports, no charter intel, no conditions posts for the Columbia mainstem. Without that direct signal, a meaningful year-over-year comparison is not possible for this report. For the sharpest real-time picture of where the summer run stands, publicly available Bonneville Dam adult fish ladder counts are the standard reference local anglers track daily during the salmon season.

If the Columbia follows typical late-June patterns, summer chinook numbers should step up meaningfully by the first week of July, and sturgeon action in the tidal lower river, particularly on morning incoming tides, will remain the most consistent bite between salmon windows. The summer fishery generally holds through August before fall Chinook and coho provide the season's final major peak. Conditions permitting, this is a solid window to get on the water before summer crowds peak and before the full heat of July sets in.