Steelhead Fishing on the Columbia River

Steelhead fishing in the pacific northwest is world class. We are fortunate to have one of the premier Steelhead Fisheries in the world. We offer guided summer steelhead Fishing trips on the scenic Columbia River. These fish average 6-12 pounds but put on a heck of a show once hooked! Columbia River summer Steelhead start to show themselves around may and will be of catchable numbers through mid to late july. Light tackle is the name of the game when targeting summer Steelhead, the clear water in the summer makes them very line shy. 6-10 pound fluorocarbon line is usually our go to when fishing for these beautiful Steelhead. Summer Steelhead season also overlaps our popular spring Chinook season so it’s not uncommon to catch Salmon as well on your Columbia River Steelhead fishing trip. This is an exciting fishery that takes place in beautiful weather on the scenic Columbia River it truly is a once in a lifetime Steelhead fishing trip.

Steelhead Fishing in Portland

Steelhead fishing in the Portland area will usually take place in mid June through early July. This fishing takes place minutes from the Portland airport. This time of year we have Salmon and Steelhead in the river so you never know what is going to rip the rod over! Trips start early in the morning to get the first good push of fish at first light. We take up to 6 customers on these fishing trips.

We will be fishing on anchor this time of year fishing three different types of techniques. The first technique is using plugs such as the Yakima Bait MAG-LIP. These are very effective and make for a mesmerizing takedown! The second technique is using spinners, this is a very effective technique especially on those nice warm sunny days on some occasions we will wrap a piece of shrimp on to the spinners for added scent. Last but not least is fishing a coon shrimp behind a Spin-N-Glo. This is a very effective technique especially in cooler water.

Steelhead Fishing the Lower Columbia River

This is my favorite Steelhead fishing of the year. Fishing the lower river you will see the best Steelhead fishing around the middle to end of June, but it will stay good through August! Summer Steelhead caught in the lower Columbia River are about as fresh as you can get. Columbia River fishing guides swear by these fish saying that they are some of the best eating the whole river has to offer.

The lower river is a competitive fishery, I often spend my nights out on the river to get us the best spot for our day of catching! We anchor just feet off the shore in stretches of river that are not accessible by land. The schools of fish push right along the shore lines and we are there waiting to intercept them on their way through. The bait of choice here is coon shrimp fished behind a Spin-N-Glo with bright vibrant colors on it. Steelhead are very aggressive and usually won’t pass up a tasty shrimp on their journey up the Columbia River.

Steelhead Fishing for the Whole Family

Steelhead are acrobatic fish that are capable of swimming from 0 to 25 mph in less than a second. Steelhead fishing with family and friends is one of the best things to do in the summertime. Spending your day in a nice spacious aluminum sled in beautiful weather catching chrome bright steelhead, what could be better? Fighting a steelhead on light tackle is a blast, with their sudden bursts of speed and acrobatic leaps it really makes for a heart pumping fight from start to finish. 6 customers can experience this day of fishing that often ends with boat limits within hours of our meeting time.

One of my good customers Dale Burton once said “Wow I have never in my life seen a fish that weighs 8 pounds kick my butt like that fish just did” they really fight and give it their all until they are in the net! Dale has come back every year for 3 years so far and every single trip has been a complete success. This is a world class fishery that I would love to share with you!

For the Ultimate Portland Oregon Guided Fishing Trip

Steelhead Fishing Season Notes