Spring Chinook Push Upriver: Portland Harbor and Multnomah Channel Heat Up This Week

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to guy for all things rod and reel on the mighty Columbia River around Portland. It's Monday morning, March 16th, 2026, and we're lookin' at a solid day to wet a line before that Small Craft Advisory kicks in this afternoon per the marine forecast out of marine.weather.gov.

Sunrise hit at 7:21 AM, sunset's 7:18 PM, givin' us about 12 hours of light. Tides today from tides.net: low at 2:07 AM at 0'5", high 5:55 AM at 7'4", low 2:07 PM at 2'8", and high 5:24 PM at 8'2". Fish the incoming tides hard—spring Chinook are pushin' upriver.

Weather's typical early spring: partly cloudy, temps in the low 50s, light winds buildin' to 10-15 knots by evening. Bundle up, but no major storms yet.

Action's been mediocre but promisin', accordin' to The Guides Forecast. More springers hittin' in Portland Harbor and Multnomah Channel—folks boatin' limits of 15-25 lb bright Chinook, plus a few steelhead and sturgeon. Catfish and perch stackin' up in the shallows too. Bites pick up on the flood tide with fish active in 20-40 feet.

Best lures? Spin-N-Glo's in cerise or chartreuse with a yarn wrap, or Kwikfish divers in #33 green/silver. For bait, fresh herring or prawn tails on a spreader bar—can't beat 'em for springers. Troll slow at 1.5-2 mph.

Hot spots: Anchor up in Portland Harbor near the dredge cuts, or drift the Multnomah Channel sloughs. If you're bank-bound, try the jetty at Eagle Cliff for sturgeon.

Get out there safe, check your regs, and handle 'em right.

Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI