Fishing the Columbia River and Buoy 10: the salmon run, the sturgeon, and the plan to fish them

What and where it is

The Columbia is the largest river in the Pacific North-West, forming much of the Oregon–Washington border before it meets the Pacific. The fishery on this page is the lower river, and above all Buoy 10, the channel marker at the estuary mouth near Astoria. It is big, tidal water, fished from a boat.

The river drains a vast basin and runs the state line for most of its lower course, so a single trip can touch two states' rules (more on that under licence). The lower river near the mouth is wide, powerful and tidal: the sea pushes salt up the estuary on the flood and the river pushes out on the ebb, and the fish, the bait and the boats all move with it. Buoy 10 itself is a marked line across the river near the mouth that the fishery is named after and managed around.

Astoria, on the Oregon side, is the natural base: a working river town under the Astoria-Megler Bridge, with launches, charters, fuel and food. Hammond and Warrenton sit just downriver toward the mouth, and Ilwaco and Chinook are the main Washington-side ports across the river. The estuary is open, exposed water near the bar, so weather and tide run the day. This is not a wade-and-cast river down here; it is a boat fishery, and for a first visit a guided one (see the boat section).

The fish, and where, when and how to catch each

Three fish make the trip: Chinook and coho salmon, the famous late-summer Buoy 10 run, fished by trolling near the mouth; and white sturgeon, prehistoric and huge, fished on the bottom and released. Steelhead, the sea-run rainbow, are a fourth, taken more often upriver. The cards below give where, when and how for each.

I have set the fish out as cards. Read the one you are after, check the through-the-year section for how the runs line up with your dates, and follow the rig link to build the method.

How the fishing changes through the year

Spring brings the prized spring-Chinook run upriver. Summer is quiet on salmon until the big event: Buoy 10 opens roughly in August for Chinook, with coho building into September. Autumn Chinook then run upriver. White sturgeon, catch-and-release, can be fished through much of the year, so they fill the gaps.

Here is the year in plain terms. Treat every date as provisional: these runs are managed by forecast and the dates shift each season.

• Late winter and spring (the spring Chinook). The spring Chinook run is a separate, prized fishery earlier in the year, fished higher up the river rather than at Buoy 10. If your trip is in spring, this is the salmon to look at, and sturgeon are available too.
• Early summer (the quiet patch for the estuary). Before Buoy 10 opens, the mouth is between runs. Catch-and-release sturgeon is the reliable thing to fish in the lower river.
• Late summer (August, the Buoy 10 opener). The headline. The Buoy 10 season opens roughly in August for Chinook, fished hard from Astoria, Hammond, Ilwaco and Chinook. This is the trip most travellers plan around. The mouth fills with boats; book early.
• Early autumn (September, the coho build). Coho strengthen into September while the Buoy 10 window holds, then autumn Chinook push upriver. The fishing follows the fish up the river as the season runs on.
• Autumn into winter (sturgeon and steelhead). When the salmon seasons close, catch-and-release sturgeon carries on through much of the year, and steelhead run the river. This is the time to fish the river without the August crowds.

What you can eat (and what you must release)

Salmon are the eating fish here, and Columbia salmon are excellent on the plate, kept within the year's bag limit and only where retention is open. Often only hatchery, fin-clipped salmon and steelhead may be kept and wild fish must be released. White sturgeon are catch-and-release only in the lower Columbia (Buoy 10 up to McNary Dam): you cannot keep one.

This matters, so it is worth being exact.

• Salmon (Chinook and coho) are the fish for the table, and Columbia kings and silvers are among the best eating salmon you can catch. The catch: retention is only open when the season is, the daily bag is set each year by the run forecast (often one to two adult salmon per day), and many days are mark-selective, meaning only hatchery, fin-clipped fish may be kept and wild (intact-fin) fish go back. Read the current rule before you keep one. (Source: ODFW/WDFW Columbia salmon rules, as of 5 June 2026.)
• Steelhead: keep only hatchery, fin-clipped fish; wild steelhead are released. (Source: ODFW/WDFW, as of 5 June 2026.)
• White sturgeon: retention is closed in the lower Columbia from Buoy 10 up to McNary Dam. It is catch-and-release only. Use barbless hooks, keep the fish in the water, and release it. There is no eating sturgeon on this stretch. (Source: ODFW Columbia River Zone sturgeon regulations, as of 5 June 2026.)

Check the size and bag limits and any closed season before you keep a fish, and clean your kit between waters so you do not carry anything from one river to the next. Follow any fish-consumption advisory for the lower river.

Licence and rules

Yes, you need a licence, and one thing that catches visitors out: on top of the licence and the Combined Angling Tag, every angler fishing salmon, steelhead or sturgeon on the Columbia mainstem from Buoy 10 up needs the Columbia River Basin Endorsement. An Oregon non-resident annual angling licence is $138 for 2026. Buy it all at myodfw.com.

Which state's licence. The Columbia is a shared river, and under the Oregon–Washington Columbia River fishing agreement a licence from either state generally covers the mainstem Columbia, but it depends on which bank and section you fish and the rule can differ for tributaries and bank fishing. If you launch and fish out of an Oregon port (Astoria, Hammond), an Oregon licence is the natural buy; out of an Ilwaco or Chinook (Washington) port, look at a Washington licence. Confirm which your trip needs with ODFW/WDFW before you buy. If you book a guide, ask them which licence to get (they will tell you exactly).

2026 Oregon licence and tags (non-resident, from myodfw.com, as of 5 June 2026):

So a non-resident planning a salmon or sturgeon trip buys the annual licence, the Combined Angling Tag and the Columbia River Basin Endorsement as a set. The endorsement is the one people forget; it is required for all anglers on this water, not optional.

How to get it

• Go to myodfw.com (Oregon's official site) and create an account, or use a licence agent.
• Buy the annual angling licence, add the Combined Angling Tag and the Columbia River Basin Endorsement. (Buy the Washington equivalents at WDFW if your section needs them.)
• Carry the licence and tag while you fish, and record each kept salmon, steelhead or sturgeon on the tag as you go.
• If you book a guide, confirm with them exactly which licence and endorsements you need for the section you will fish.

Sizes, bags and seasons

Source: ODFW Columbia River Zone and eregulations.com/oregon/fishing/columbia-river-zone, and WDFW Columbia salmon rules, as of 5 June 2026.

• The big caveat: salmon and steelhead seasons and bags are set each year by the run forecast and can be opened or closed by emergency rule mid-season, sometimes within days. Check the current ODFW/WDFW regulation and any in-season update before you go and again the week you fish. Treat the months above as the usual window, not a guarantee.
• Barbless hooks are required for salmon, steelhead and sturgeon in the lower Columbia.

Where to fish, and which port

This is a boat fishery, launched from one of four ports around the river mouth: Astoria and Hammond/Warrenton on the Oregon side, Ilwaco and Chinook on the Washington side. Astoria is the easiest base, with the most charters and amenities. Bank fishing exists higher up the river but does not do the Buoy 10 run justice.

The lower estuary is big, tidal and busy in the Buoy 10 season, so a boat and local knowledge of the channels and the tide are what catch fish here. The launch ports (from the atlas roster and the agency port guides, as of 5 June 2026):

• Astoria (Oregon). The main base. A working river town under the Astoria-Megler Bridge with launches, a large guided-charter fleet, fuel, tackle and somewhere to stay and eat. The natural choice for a first trip.
• Hammond / Warrenton (Oregon). Just downriver from Astoria, closer to the mouth and the Buoy 10 line. A popular launch for the run, with its own ramps and charters.
• Ilwaco (Washington). The main Washington-side port, across and toward the bar, with a charter fleet of its own. Base here if you are buying a Washington licence.
• Chinook (Washington). A smaller Washington-side port near the river mouth, with launch access and charters in the season.

What the water means for method

• The estuary mouth around the Buoy 10 line, on the tide: the salmon stage and push through. Trolled bait, spinners and plugs worked with the current. This is the heart of the run, and a boat working the right tide is the method.
• The deeper holes and channels of the lower river: white sturgeon hold on the bottom. Anchor and fish the sturgeon rig baited on the bottom.
• Bank fishing is possible higher up the river for salmon and steelhead from the shore and jetties, but the Buoy 10 fishery itself is a boat game; from the bank you would not reach the productive estuary water on the tide.

Bank vs boat, and the tide

This is a boat fishery, full stop, at Buoy 10. From a boat you troll the estuary mouth for Chinook and coho on the tide, or anchor the channels for catch-and-release sturgeon. There is little real bank fishing at the mouth; the productive water is out on the tide. For a first visit, book a guided charter.

Plain version: at Buoy 10 you fish from a boat and you fish the tide. The bite often switches on as the current runs, so your guide will time the troll to the flood or the ebb. Salmon are the August/September trip; sturgeon (released) carry the rest of the year. If you only have shore access, your fishing is upriver for steelhead and salmon, not the Buoy 10 estuary.

This table is the core of the trip. It lives on the cheat sheet too. Read it as: pick your fish, pick where and when, and it gives you the rig.

The boat: guided, charter, or your own

Three ways onto the water. Book a guided charter (much the simplest for a first visit and for the Buoy 10 run, which is busy, tidal water near the bar), or, if you have the boat and the skill, launch your own at one of the four ports. Rates vary by season and operator, so book through the ports' charter fleets rather than from a quoted number here.

A charter is the sensible way to fish Buoy 10 for a first trip: the estuary mouth is big, tidal, crowded in the run, and close to the Columbia River Bar, which is serious water. A guide supplies the boat and the tackle, reads the tide, and knows the channels and the current rules. For sturgeon, a charter also handles the heavy gear and the safe release of a very large fish.

Guided charters (recommended for a first visit)

Large charter fleets work the salmon season out of all four ports. Book through the ports' fleets:

• Astoria (Oregon) charter operators run salmon and sturgeon trips through the season.
• Hammond / Warrenton (Oregon) charters launch closer to the mouth for the Buoy 10 run.
• Ilwaco and Chinook (Washington) charter fleets work the Washington side of the river and the bar.

Book directly with a licensed charter at your chosen port. A guided trip also means the guide can tell you exactly which licence and endorsements you need for the day, and they supply the tackle.

Launch your own

If you have a capable boat and the local knowledge, the four ports (Astoria, Hammond/Warrenton, Ilwaco, Chinook) have public launch ramps. The estuary near the bar is exposed, tidal water, so treat the weather, the tide and the bar with respect, watch the forecast, and know the channels before you go out. The Buoy 10 run is busy, so launch early.

Where to stay (and buy a licence locally)

To base yourself near the fishing, Astoria (Oregon) has the most lodging, food and tackle close to the launches, with Warrenton and Hammond just downriver toward the mouth; Ilwaco and Chinook serve the Washington side. You can buy a licence online at myodfw.com or in person at licence agents and tackle shops in these towns.

Stay near the water

• Astoria (Oregon) – the main base, with hotels and rentals, tackle shops, fuel and restaurants right by the river and the charter docks.
• Warrenton and Hammond (Oregon) – closer to the river mouth and the Buoy 10 line, with lodging, camping and ramps; handy if you want to be near the launch in the run.
• Ilwaco and Chinook (Washington) – the Washington-side ports, with lodging and charters; base here if you are fishing the Washington side.

Buy a licence in person at licence agents and tackle shops in Astoria, Warrenton and the Washington ports, as well as online. Buying in person is a good moment to ask the shop about the current Buoy 10 dates and the day's rule.

The methods, and the rigs to build them

Two methods cover this water. For salmon (and steelhead) you troll the estuary on the tide, bait or herring behind a flasher, or spinners and diving plugs. For sturgeon you anchor a heavy sliding-sinker bottom rig with a barbless hook and release the fish. Each links to its own build page.

Map of fish, where and when, to a rig. The build instructions and the knots live on the rig pages, so I link rather than repeat them.

• Chinook and coho salmon, trolled at the river mouth on the tide → the herring/anchovy troll behind a flasher. Whole or cut bait on a spreader behind a flasher, worked with the current. This is the Buoy 10 staple, and on a charter the guide rigs it. For the lure version (spinners and diving plugs) and how to set the depth, see the trolling rig.
• Salmon and steelhead on lures → trolling rig. Spinners and diving plugs, fished flatline near the surface for coho and steelhead or run deeper for kings. The page covers how to get the lure to the right depth and the terminal end.
• White sturgeon, anchored on the bottom → sturgeon rig. A heavy sliding sinker on the main line above a strong leader and a single barbless hook, baited and fished on the bottom. Catch-and-release: keep the fish in the water and release it. The page covers the right leader, the barbless hook and the safe handling.

The knots these need are on the rig pages: the Palomar (the workhorse, for swivels and braid), the snell (the bait hook on the sturgeon leader), and the improved clinch (a lure to a mono or fluorocarbon leader on the troll). Each rig page links the knots it uses.

Build your kit (the kit builder and the shopping list)

Pick your fish (salmon, sturgeon) and whether you are on a guided charter or your own boat, and the kit builder trims the list and the rigs to what you actually need. On a charter you bring almost nothing; the boat supplies the tackle. On your own boat you need a salmon trolling outfit and a heavy sturgeon outfit. No brands, no prices.

If you fish a guided charter: you mostly need yourself, your licence, tags and the Columbia River Basin Endorsement, warm and waterproof layers for an exposed estuary, polarised sunglasses, and a cool box for the salmon you keep. The boat supplies the rods, reels, terminal tackle and bait. That is the simplest way to fish Buoy 10.

If you fish your own boat, two outfits: a salmon trolling outfit and a heavy sturgeon outfit (the shopping list above, trimmed by the kit builder, is your packing list). Buy generic salmon and sturgeon terminal tackle in the right sizes; you do not need a named brand to catch a salmon.

A trip checklist

Before you go: check the current Buoy 10 dates and the day's rule (the season is set annually and can change in-season), buy the Oregon (or Washington) licence with the Combined Angling Tag and the Columbia River Basin Endorsement, book a charter at your chosen port, pack for an exposed estuary, and note the limits. Then print the cheat sheet.

Do this in order:

1. Check the current season and rule. Salmon and steelhead seasons are set each year by the run forecast and can open or close in-season. Confirm the Buoy 10 dates and the day's bag and mark-selective rule with ODFW (and WDFW for the Washington side), before you book and again the week you go.
2. Buy the licence and the endorsement. A non-resident annual angling licence ($138 for 2026, ODFW), the Combined Angling Tag ($89) and the Columbia River Basin Endorsement ($9.75 with the licence). Do not forget the endorsement; it is required for everyone. Carry the licence and tag, and record kept fish on the tag.
3. Book the boat. For a first visit, book a guided charter at Astoria, Hammond/Warrenton, Ilwaco or Chinook. Ask the guide which licence and endorsements your section needs, and that they supply the tackle and bait.
4. Pack for the estuary. Warm waterproof layers, a buoyancy aid, polarised glasses, a cool box for salmon. On your own boat, bring the salmon trolling outfit and the heavy sturgeon outfit (the shopping list above, trimmed by the kit builder, is your packing list).
5. Note the limits. Salmon often 1 to 2 a day and frequently hatchery-only; wild steelhead released; white sturgeon catch-and-release only, barbless hooks. Keep sturgeon in the water and release them.
6. Print the cheat sheet and fold it into the box. Get the printable cheat sheet

Common mistakes

The big ones: turning up assuming the Buoy 10 season is open on fixed dates, forgetting the Columbia River Basin Endorsement, keeping a wild salmon or steelhead on a mark-selective day, trying to keep a sturgeon, and underestimating the bar and the tide. None is hard to avoid once you know.

• Assuming fixed season dates. Buoy 10 salmon is set each year by the run forecast and can open and close in-season. Check the current ODFW/WDFW dates before you book and again the week you go, not after you have flown out.
• Forgetting the Columbia River Basin Endorsement. It is required for every angler fishing salmon, steelhead or sturgeon on the Columbia mainstem from Buoy 10 up. It is cheap and easy to add, and easy to forget. Buy it with your licence.
• Keeping a wild fish on a mark-selective day. Many days only hatchery, fin-clipped salmon and steelhead may be kept; wild (intact-fin) fish must be released. Check the fish for a clipped fin and the day's rule before you keep one.
• Trying to keep a sturgeon. White sturgeon are catch-and-release only from Buoy 10 to McNary Dam, with barbless hooks required. Keep the fish in the water and release it.
• Buying the wrong state's licence. The river is shared, and which licence covers you depends on the bank and section. If in doubt, ask your guide or ODFW/WDFW before you buy, especially if you launch from a Washington port.
• Underestimating the bar and the tide. The estuary mouth is exposed, tidal water near the Columbia River Bar, which is serious. Fish it from a capable boat, watch the forecast and the tide, and for a first trip, go with a guide.

Frequently asked questions

The questions travelling anglers ask most about the lower Columbia and Buoy 10: what is here, when the salmon run is, the licence and the Columbia River Basin Endorsement, the prices, keeping salmon and sturgeon, bank versus boat, which port, the two-state licence, and the kit.