We will start our COLUMBIA RIVER SPRING SALMON season on April 1st for 2026. We will be able to fish thru April 8th this year. The last week of the season is always best. We as Columbia river spring salmon guides look forward to another fun year chasing these prized pacific northwest salmon. With low snowpack in the mountains I would bet it’s going to be a very very good columbia river season with warmer water and fish being earlier then we have seen in the last few years.
Are Spring Salmon Good To Eat?
These Columbia spring salmon are some of the best eating salmon in all of the pacific northwest due to their high oil content. These fish spend up to 6 months in fresh water before they spawn and we catch them in the first few days to a few weeks of them being in freshwater and that is what makes them such fantastic eating fish. Many of these fish are bound for Idaho and that makes them some of the highest oil content around. They swim over 1000 miles going back to where they were born!
How Much Do Columbia River Spring Salmon Weigh?
These fish average from 8 to 15 pounds but see fish into the 20 pound class every year. We fish for Columbia river spring salmon run in the St. Helen’s area and above. The 2026 forecast is around 190 thousand fish which is a good run. We saw some good fishing last year and this year even looks better. We will be fishing out of Westport off hwy 30 and out of Scappoose bay off hwy 30 wherever the fishing best is where we go. Don’t miss out on the best eating fish of the year and the first chance to catch a salmon in 2025
