2026 Columbia River Summer and Fall Salmon Seasons Set

The 2026 Columbia River Summer/Fall Salmon and Steelhead seasons have been set. This is a joint effort between ODFW and WDFW which takes some coordination each year. Based on this year’s forecast, we have a summer salmon/steelhead season, an uninterrupted Buoy 10 season, and months of Columbia River salmon fishing opportunities. We’ve been waiting for this announcement and now it’s official. Ready? Feel free to check out specific fishery details on our Columbia River Salmon fishing page.  

Buoy 10 Salmon Fishing

We target Columbia River Fall Salmon before they even enter the river. Fall Chinook and Coho stage in the Pacific Ocean near Astoria to bulk up and wait for the perfect time to run the river. This year the ocean opens up on June 20th and we’ll be out fishing the ocean before moving into the river with the fish.

The official start of the Columbia River Fall Salmon season takes place in Astoria, at the well-known Buoy 10 Salmon fishery. Opening day this year is August 1st. Our Chinook season looks similar to last year, allowing us to retain Chinook salmon from August 1st through September 2nd.

Remember that we can keep hatchery Coho throughout the entire season. Here’s the breakdown for Chinook retention:

August 1st through August 9th: any Chinook salmon

August 10th through 24th: hatchery Chinook.

August 25th through September 2nd: any Chinook salmon

After that, it becomes a Coho Salmon show for the remainder of the Buoy 10 season, which will run through September and into October, often including crabbing. Combine our favorite fishery with what is usually the best weather of the year, and Astoria is the place to be for fishing, dining, and sightseeing during the Buoy 10 salmon season.

Portland Area Fall Salmon

August 1st – September 3rd: Downstream of Warrior Rock, retention of all Chinook (native and hatchery) and hatchery Coho salmon.

August 1st – September 15th: Above Warrior Rock, retention of all Chinook (native and hatchery) and hatchery Coho salmon

After a brief closure, the river above West Puget Island re-opens on October 1st and we’ll be able to fish the entire Columbia River again. This year we can keep any Coho through October 15th before switching to hatchery coho only for the rest of the year.

With all of the prime fishing action taking place at Buoy 10 in Astoria and upriver closer to Portland, it might be hard to choose a trip location during August and the first half of September. If you’re looking for a weekend fishing trip, this might be the perfect option.

There is a tentative Columbia River Compact meeting in early September and we’re hopeful that the numbers will allow them to adjust the season and give us more days on the water.

Late Fall Columbia River Salmon

The Columbia River above Bonneville Dam also opens for salmon fishing on August 1st. The river above the dam will be open for native and hatchery Chinook and hatchery Coho salmon retention up to the Oregon/Washington border through September 15th. After a short closure, the river reopens on October 1st for a Coho only season through December. Both Coho and hatchery Steelhead may be retained during the last quarter of the year, although we usually wind up our fishing by October 31st. Throughout the season, native Coho may be retained above the Hood River Bridge. Below the bridge, they must be released.

We follow the fish as they move, and this latter part of the fall salmon season typically finds us hover fishing in the stretches of river between the dams, often near the mouth of the  Klickitat or Deschutes River. If you’re new to hover fishing, it’s pretty incredible. Imagine bobber fishing except the boat is the bobber. That’s one big bobber! It takes a skilled fishing guide to keep the boat right where it needs to be. This area of the Columbia River Gorge  isn’t just known for its fishing, there are some beautiful sights to see, including Multnomah Falls and all of the changing fall colors.

Columbia River Summer Salmon and Steelhead

The Columbia River will be open for Summer Salmon, in addition to ongoing Steelhead, retention from June 16th through July 31st. This year we’re allowed to retain jack Chinook salmon, Sockeye salmon, and hatchery Steelhead, depending on the date. Hatchery steelhead and Jack Chinook salmon retention is allowed during the entire season. With about 275,000 Sockeye salmon forecast, the river is open for Sockeye retention June 23rd through July 5th. Summer salmon/steelhead combo trips can provide an action-packed day on the water. If you want to change things up even more, add a day of catch-and-release sturgeon fishing to the day. The sturgeon gather in the Columbia River Estuary in Astoria during June and July, which can make for some epic battles. No matter what you want to fish for, the Columbia River is the place to be for summer salmon and steelhead. 

Ready to book your trip? Have questions? Contact us. We’re always happy to help.