Spring Walleye Fishing on the Columbia River

The Columbia River offers one of the best walleye fishing opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. After all, it’s got the best walleye fishery in the area, with many anglers saying that the next world record of the walleye will likely come from the river!

Whatever the case will be, spring walleye fishing on the Columbia River will always be worth it because you can surely catch many of them with the right timing, equipment, technique, and a bit of luck.

But how can you go about it, exactly? Read on as we share our guide on spring walleye fishing on the Columbia River!

Spring Walleye Fishing on the Columbia River

The Columbia River is a huge body of water with tons of fishing spots. If you plan on catching walleye, then one of the best locations would likely be in the Dalles Pool. This is also called Lake Celilo, stretching from The Dalles Dam upstream to John Day Dam.

Dalles Pool and the mid-Columbia River area offer some of the best fishing opportunities when targeting walleye. You also get some of the best walleye fishing here when looking for a place to fish near Portland.

Moreover, you can find excellent walleye fishing opportunities farther up the Columbia River and north into Washington state.

Let’s delve deeper into the other things you must know when it comes to spring walleye fishing on the Columbia River:

Fishing Regulations

The Columbia River is free for fishing all year round for warm water species, and this includes the walleye. As of writing, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife does not have specific bag limits for walleye. The same goes for smallmouth and largemouth bass.

That said, using live fish as bait isn’t allowed when targeting any species.

Moreover, the Columbia River is closed to boat fishing from the first 3,000 feet below the John Day Dam. Not to worry, as you can go bank-angling when you are over 600 feet below the fishway entrance.

Boat anglers must have a valid angling license. Their fishing license can come from Washington or Oregon when fishing in mainstream Columbia. Furthermore, you can launch from either state’s shores.

However, you must possess a license from the state you are fishing in, particularly when fishing in sloughs, tributaries, and other similar waters of the main Columbia River.

Continue to stay updated with the current OFDW rules and regulations.

When to Go Walleye Fishing

While you can go walleye fishing all year long, you will want to catch them during the dead of winter or late winter. That said, spring is also an excellent time to target this species!

Early walleye fishing begins in March, with April being a good pre-spawn fishing month. Avoid fishing in May, as walleye are less active during this main spawn season. Rather, you’ll want to target them again come June to July, which is their post-spawn period.

Where to Catch Walleye

If you are fishing in the Dalles Pool from March to April, it’s recommended to launch the boat at Rufus, fishing in the upper areas of the pool a bit below the John Day Dam. More specifically, you’ll want to target walleye in the following areas:

• Preacher’s Eddy
• The Willows
• Rufus Run

As for the specific spots to find walleye, it’s important to remember that this species is schooling fish always looking for structure to shield them from the main current while allowing them to ambush and prey passing by.

As such, you will surely find them against the bottom, usually behind rocks, stumps, ledges, or in places outside the current. You can begin looking for walleye between 18-38 feet deep. That said, it will also heavily depend on the shifts of currents, water temperatures, and food sources.

Walleye Fishing Techniques

When spring walleye fishing in the Columbia River, you will want to go jigging or trolling. You may also want to try crankbaits!

Trolling

When the wind picks up during the day, you will want to troll with bottom walkers and a worm harness. Troll rigs in a downstream direction, which is typically the way food sources drift down to walleye.

Depending on the depth and current, you can use rigs anywhere between 1.5 to 3 ounces. The weight must be enough to keep the line in the water at a 45-degree angle.

Jigging

Jigging is best used when the winds are calm or very light. We recommend the vertical jigging technique below the boat. When doing this, do NOT use a lot of action!

Rather, you should only move the jig within 8-18 inches of the zone. There are various kinds of jigs you can use here, like plain lead heads with nightcrawlers or curly-tail plastic worms.

Crankbaits

When the weather begins to warm, you’ll want to continue jigging and trolling. However, try adding crankbaits as well.

Compared to waters, you can troll your crankbaits upstream and give them proper action. Try slow trolls so you can provoke a strike from walleyes that protect their territory.

When using certain lures, try finding patterns with green shades, such as the fire tiger, blue-black, or chartreuse colors.

Just like any other presentation, your crankbait needs to be on the bottom. If ever the bill isn’t scratched after meeting rocks, you aren’t doing it properly. If this is the case, you can change it to a deeper-diving lure or head to shallower waters. Your lure should tap the bottom with the rocks and walleyes!

Wrapping It Up

We hope that our guide on spring walleye fishing on the Columbia River helped you out! Now that you know more about how to catch walleye, why not begin planning your trip to the Columbia River soon?

Contact us now for fishing charter services so you can increase your chances of catching more walleye while having the time of your life!