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FISHING GUIDE · LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER
Lower Columbia River Salmon and Sturgeon Fishing Guide
The lower Columbia has big runs of fall chinook and coho, with the Buoy 10 fishery at Astoria drawing huge crowds in August. Upriver, the Hanford Reach is known for wild fall chinook in the fall. Washington and Oregon set the seasons together and change them in season, so check the latest rules from both states before each trip.
📍 The Columbia River between Washington and Oregon. Buoy 10 is the fishery at the river mouth near Astoria, from the Buoy 10 line up to the west end of Puget Island. The Hanford Reach is the free-flowing stretch up toward Priest Rapids Dam near the Tri-Cities, Washington.
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Open the full Oregon & Washington map →
Quick facts
- The 2026 preseason forecast was 636,500 fall chinook and 358,700 coho to the Columbia (ODFW, June 2, 2026).
- In 2026 the Buoy 10 area allowed 2 adult salmon a day, only one chinook, Aug 1 - Sept 2, with hatchery-only chinook Aug 10-24.
- The Hanford Reach is the nation's only remaining non-tidal, free-flowing stretch of the Columbia; its national monument was created in 2000.
- Lower Columbia sturgeon fishing is catch-and-release; ODFW does not expect retention there until the population rebuilds.
- It is illegal to pull any sturgeon over 54 inches fork length fully or partly out of the water.
What you can catch
- Fall chinook salmon
Buoy 10 in August; Hanford Reach in the fall. - Coho salmon
Hatchery coho kept at Buoy 10 through Dec 31 in 2026; wild coho released there. - Summer chinook
2026 forecast was low (40,700); adult retention closed in summer below Priest Rapids. - Sockeye salmon
Retention June 23 - July 5, 2026. - Steelhead
Hatchery summer steelhead 1 a day in 2026 summer season; all steelhead released at Buoy 10 Aug 1 - Oct 31. - White sturgeon
Catch-and-release in the lower river; productive near Astoria in June and July.
Month by month
| January | Sturgeon catch-and-release; winter steelhead below The Dalles Dam under permanent rules. |
|---|---|
| February | Sturgeon catch-and-release; check current rules. |
| March | Sturgeon catch-and-release; check spring salmon rules. |
| April | Check current spring chinook rules. |
| May | Sturgeon spawning sanctuaries closed May 1 - Aug 31. |
| June | 2026 summer season opened June 16 (jack chinook and hatchery steelhead); sockeye June 23 - July 5. Sturgeon near Astoria. |
| July | Summer season through July 31, 2026; sturgeon catch-and-release near Astoria. |
| August | Buoy 10 opens Aug 1 (2026: 2 salmon a day, 1 chinook; hatchery chinook only Aug 10-24). |
| September | Buoy 10: chinook kept through Sept 2, 2026, then hatchery coho only. Hanford Reach fall chinook season. |
| October | Hanford Reach chinook; Buoy 10 hatchery coho through Oct 31, 2026. |
| November | Winter steelhead opens Nov 1 below The Dalles Dam; Buoy 10 hatchery coho and steelhead. |
| December | Buoy 10 hatchery coho and steelhead through Dec 31, 2026; lower Hanford Reach open for late coho. |
Tips
- Read both the ODFW and WDFW rules for the exact river section; Buoy 10 rules change by date and by the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line.
- Carry a tape: Buoy 10 adult coho must be at least 16 inches Aug 1 - Sept 30, and sturgeon are measured by fork length.
- Learn to tell hatchery fish (clipped adipose fin) from wild fish; wild coho and some chinook must be released.
- Keep big sturgeon in the water for photos and release.
- Watch for in-season changes; managers adjust seasons when returns come in above or below forecast.
Rules and license
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), jointly · Official rules page ↗
- Oregon: fishing license, Combined Angling Tag (even for catch-and-release sturgeon) and Columbia River Basin Endorsement.
- Washington: fishing license and catch record card for salmon and steelhead.
- Buoy 10 (2026): 2 adult salmon daily, only 1 chinook, Aug 1 - Sept 2; hatchery chinook only Aug 10-24; all chinook released Sept 3 - Dec 31.
- Buoy 10 (2026): wild coho released; all steelhead released Aug 1 - Oct 31; no jack retention through Sept 30.
- Sturgeon: catch-and-release only in the lower Columbia; spawning sanctuaries closed May 1 - Aug 31; never remove a fish over 54 inches from the water.
- Thermal angling sanctuaries at Eagle Creek, Herman Creek and the Deschutes mouth area in summer.
- Hanford Reach: limits differ by section (1 fish from Hanford Townsite powerlines to Priest Rapids, 2 fish lower down per WDFW); check current WDFW rules.
- All seasons can change in season by emergency rule.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 16 boat ramps and 5 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Blue Heron Marina
- Chinook Marina
- Chinook Marina Boat Launch
- East End Basin Boat Launch
- Hammond Marina
- Hammond Marina Boat Launch
- Ilwaco Port Boat Launch
- Warrenton Boat Launch
- Warrenton Boat Marina
- West Mooring Basin
Sources
- https://myodfw.com/news/columbia-river-2026-summerfall-salmon-and-steelhead-seasons-announced
- https://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/OSCRP/CRM/docs/2026/2026%20Columbia%20River%20summer-fall%20regulations.pdf
- https://myodfw.com/articles/sturgeon-fishing-oregon
- https://wdfw.wa.gov/places-to-go/weekender/south-central
- https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/emergency-rules/hanford-reach-and-upper-columbia-river-salmon-fishery-update-2025-07-0
- https://www.fws.gov/national-monument/hanford-reach
- https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations
- https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/fishing/catch-record-card
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.