Four Rivers for a Portland Fishing Trip
There are four major rivers in the Portland, Oregon area that a Portland steelhead fishing guide can choose from for his clients. The Columbia River and its tributaries, the Willamette, Clackamas, and Sandy are all within a half hour drive of Portland International Airport (PDX).
A Portland steelhead fishing trip or Portland steelhead fishing charter with a Portland steelhead fishing guide provides a unique opportunity to catch these magnificent fish near a big city. A Portland steelhead fishing trip is one of the few places in the world where you can catch chrome bright steelhead in close proximity to a major population center. There is no other large city in the U.S. that has the quality of steelhead fishing that Portland, Oregon has within its boundaries.
Columbia River – The nation’s largest river west of the Mississippi is the superhighway for steelhead migration into Oregon and Washington and the reason a Portland steelhead fishing guide has so many options. The list of Columbia River tributaries on the Oregon side of the river upstream of Portland which support steelhead runs include the Sandy River, Hood River, Deschutes River, John Day, Umatilla, and Grand Ronde (Snake River). The list of Columbia River tributaries upstream of Portland in Washington state that support steelhead runs is even longer: the Washougal River, White Salmon, Wind, Klickitat, Yakima, Snake, Wenatchee, Entiat, Methow, and Okanogan Rivers. Any steelhead intent on spawning in one of these streams literally must pass through the Portland, Oregon city limits to get to its final destination providing a Portland steelhead fishing trip or Portland steelhead fishing charter the perfect opportunity to intercept these prized fish.
Sandy River – 14 miles east of Portland is the confluence of the Sandy and Columbia Rivers. Originally named the “Quicksand River†in 1805 by Lewis and Clark because of “emence quantitys of sand” at the mouth, the Sandy originates from the Reid Glacier on the southwest side of Mt. Hood, Oregon’s largest peak in the Cascade Range at around 11,240 feet. In addition to the Reid Glacier, the 56 mile long Sandy is also fed by the Sandy Glacier and the ZigZag Glacier. Being a glacial-fed river system, the Sandy runs very muddy when the warm winter rains melt the glaciers. A Sandy River steelhead fishing guide often must wait for the river to clear up for a couple days if the freezing level on Mt. Hood rises above 4,000 feet. If the freezing level remains below 4,000, however, a Sandy River steelhead guide and his clients are good to go. It can rain all day and the Sandy will remain fishable. In October of 2007, the Sandy became a free flowing river with the removal of Marmot Dam at river mile 30. What this means is since 2007 Sandy River steelhead can once again run unimpeded from the ocean to their spawning gravel in the upper basin on Mt. Hood. The Sandy is the Columbia’s second largest producer of winter steelhead with estimates of up to 6,000 combined hatchery and wild winter steelhead returning each year.
Willamette River – “The Willy†runs directly through Portland and offers an opportunity for a Portland steelhead fishing trip or Portland steelhead fishing charter in Oregon City, near the historic Willamette Falls at the end of the Oregon Trail. Steelhead bound for upper Willamette tributaries such as the McKenzie, Molalla, and Santiam Rivers must pass right through downtown Portland and the Willamette River. The best time to go on a Portland steelhead fishing trip occurs on the Willamette when flows are between 12,500 – 20,000 cfs and water temperatures are between 45-55 degrees. High water events in November and early December often bring the first push of winter steelhead into the lower Willamette and provide the first opportunity of the season for a late fall or early winter Portland steelhead fishing trip.
Clackamas River – A tributary of the Willamette River which holds both summer-run and winter-run steelhead. Summer steelhead were first introduced to the Clackamas in 1970. Clackamas winter run fish are typically available from January 1st thru the end of April. A Portland steelhead fishing trip or Portland steelhead fishing charter on the Clackamas will usually produce the best results when the river level is between 10 and 13 feet.
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