The sturgeon fishery of the Columbia River is the finest on the planet, with an annual sport harvest of 20,000 fish. "Keeper" sturgeon refers to those fish in the 42- to 60-inch range (3-1/2-to 5-feet) which are available for harvest at select times (larger and smaller fish must be released at all times). The fish themselves are excellent sport, strong fighters and a great match to medium weight tackle. In general terms, these fish move up and down the river as food sources become available in different areas. Dan moves with the fish, beginning the year in the Bonneville Dam area and moving up and down river with the best fishing. You can count on the Bonneville area producing well in the winter and spring, the Astoria area in summer, and back upriver in fall.

It is important to note that sturgeon management is unstable at best. While excellent fishing can be had all year long, harvest periods have been changing frequently. Dan will recommend booking dates for both harvest and catch-and-release trips. In either instance, the quality of the experience remains exceptional.

Oversized Sturgeon
May-November

"Oversized" sturgeon are those that have passed through the harvest slot to become mature adults of breeding size. For the angler that means these are huge fish, five to twelve feet in length with seven- to ten-footers the most common! These sturgeon are the largest freshwater game fish in North America. With carefully balanced equipment, Dan offers a true big game experience in which you will go head-to-head with these fish of massive proportion, and win. Common tactics for these sturgeon include bottom fishing a whole American shad (2-4lbs.), which is exceptionally effective, but for the adventuresome angler Dan also "backbounces" lighter baits, incorporating a moving boat and strikes that occur while the angler is holding the rod. Success rates in this fishery are outstanding with two to five fish days expected, although landing a single fish is an unforgettable fishing memory.

Spring Chinook
March, April, May

The spring chinook salmon are arguably the best eating salmon in the world. Entering the Columbia River with oil reserves that will last six months, their flesh is incomparable. Recent years have seen great returns of these fish and accompanying solid fishing seasons. Based on water conditions, Dan fishes a skillful mix of techniques in very specific target water to produce results. The mainstem of the Columbia River is fished, along with Wind River and Drano Lake, river inlets off the main river, in the middle of the Columbia River Gorge.

Fall Chinook and Silver Salmon
August through November

August sees the opener of the famed Buoy 10 fishery, located at the Columbia River's mouth in Astoria. Here huge quantities of chinook and silver salmon (over 1 million) will stage at the rivers mouth prior to making their spawning run to areas as far east as Idaho. The average day is excellent by most standards, the good days are phenomenal with limits of ocean bright fish not at all uncommon. In September these fish will move upriver, and Dan stays with them for the next months in the first one-hundred miles to Bonneville Dam. This fall period is the best time of year for combination salmon, keeper sturgeon and oversize sturgeon, all in the same stretch of river.

Winter and Summer Steelhead

Winter steelhead provide bright spots amongst the gray skies of a Northwest winter. From November through February, the Cowlits and Lewis rivers are home to the strongest returns of hefty steelhead in southern Washington. Free-drifting small baits from the boat along with backtrolling bait and/or plugs will produce fish and Dan can work with you on which techniques will provide the trip you're looking for. Summer steelhead enter the rivers in late may with the best fishing from June through August. Again the same techniques apply for what is the most revered game fish in the Northwest.

Walleye

The Columbia and Willamette Rivers hold monster Walleye and provide excellent opportunity. A wide variety of Lures and Bait are used throughout the year to catch these trophy fish!