Spring Chinook Winding Down on the Columbia as Summer Run Builds

What's Biting

What's Next

Looking ahead, the Columbia's mid-June picture hinges largely on what the flows do over the next two to three weeks. At 241,000 cfs, the river is running moderately above its typical early-June average, likely driven by late-season snowpack melt from the interior ranges. If seasonal patterns hold, flows should begin easing into the 180,000–220,000 cfs range by mid-to-late June as the snowpack depletes. Falling and clearing water is usually the signal that summer Chinook become more catchable near the surface — fish that have been hugging bottom in off-color current begin moving more freely as visibility improves.

For the immediate weekend window, expect conditions similar to today: high flow, off-color main channel. Productive water will be found at seam lines where fast current meets slower backwater, particularly below tributary mouths and downstream of wing dams. Side channels can hold fish that main-channel boat traffic pushes out of the run, and smaller craft can work water that larger jet sleds skip entirely.

White sturgeon fishing typically improves as flows stabilize or drop, allowing bottom presentations to stay put without constant re-anchoring. Smelt, sand shrimp, and night crawlers on a sliding sinker rig are the traditional approach. Note that the Columbia's sturgeon retention rules vary by river section and are subject to in-season adjustments — verify the current slot-size and open-retention windows for your specific reach before keeping any fish.

Summer steelhead are worth tracking as June progresses. Early-run fish move more aggressively through the mainstem as water warms relative to spring, and by late June reliable numbers are typically established in the lower system. Tonight's waning gibbous moon is generally considered favorable for low-light feeding activity — early morning and late evening windows are worth prioritizing if you can get on the water before the main current picks up with the afternoon wind.

Watch the USGS gauge for flows dropping below 220,000 cfs as a meaningful threshold: that's historically when angler access improves, bite windows widen, and fresh charter and shop reports start confirming what the calendar already suggests.

Context

Early June on the Columbia has a well-established rhythm. The spring Chinook fishery — the region's most celebrated run — typically opens on the lower mainstem in late March and peaks through May, with concentrated effort near Bonneville Dam and the Willow Creek zone. By the first week of June, most spring fish have moved upriver or been harvested, and the calendar turns toward summer Chinook, which build through June and July before peaking in the upper system in August.

Water temperatures in the low 60s Fahrenheit are entirely on schedule for this window. The Columbia's early-June thermal profile is generally favorable for active salmon: cold enough to sustain adequate dissolved oxygen and keep fish comfortable, warm enough that fish are migrating purposefully rather than staging lethargically. At 61°F, the river is running right where you would expect it on June 2.

The flow reading of 241,000 cfs is modestly elevated relative to the Columbia's long-term early-June average of roughly 180,000–200,000 cfs at Bonneville. This is consistent with above-average interior snowpack — a pattern that has appeared periodically across Pacific Northwest watersheds and does not shut down the fishery, but does shift where fish hold and how anglers effectively pursue them. High-flow Junes historically favor anglers who can read slack water, work wing dams precisely, and present bait slowly near bottom rather than casting into the main channel push.

For white sturgeon, early June is historically a solid period. Sturgeon are cold-tolerant, opportunistic feeders, and the food-rich spring environment tends to produce consistent bottom-fishing action. Retention rules on the Columbia's sturgeon fishery have tightened considerably over the past decade as managers work to protect the wild population; always verify the current slot size and open retention windows for your specific river section.

No comparative signal is available in this week's intel feeds to confirm whether 2026 is running ahead of or behind the typical pace — the assessment above draws on established historical patterns for the fishery rather than fresh testimony.