When Is the Best Time to Fish for Chinook Salmon on the Columbia River?

If you only fish the Columbia once a year, the question is when.

Chinook salmon, also called king salmon, run the Columbia in three distinct cycles: spring, summer, and fall. Each one has different fish, different water conditions, different rules, and different odds. Here’s the honest read on each, from a guide who’s worked the river for over 25 years.

Spring Chinook (April – early June)

Spring Chinook are the prized eating fish of the Columbia. They run from late March through early June, with the peak typically falling in late April through mid-May on the lower Columbia.

The fish are bright, smaller than fall kings (15–25 lb typical), and packed with the oil reserves they’ll need for the long swim to spawn. The eating quality is exceptional. If you ever wondered why people pay $40/lb for “Copper River king” at the store, this is the same fish coming home in your cooler.

Best for: Anglers who care about table fare. First-time salmon fishermen who want to learn on a less-pressured run.

Booking note: Weekend spring Chinook dates fill 4–6 weeks ahead. Weekdays open up faster.

Summer Chinook (June – mid-July)

A shorter run than spring, but the fish run bigger — Summer Chinook average 20–30 lb, with 40+ pounders showing up regularly. The season is typically open through mid-July with selective retention rules.

This is a transition window between the heavy spring runs and the bigger fall returns. Worth fishing if you have flexibility, but less reliable than spring or fall for first-time bookings.

Best for: Repeat clients who already know the river. Anglers fishing for a bigger fish, willing to accept fewer.

Fall Chinook (August – early October)

The big numbers. Fall Chinook return to the Columbia in hundreds of thousands every year, with the peak running mid-August through mid-September. Most of these fish stage in the Buoy 10 area (the estuary near Astoria) before pushing upriver — that’s why Buoy 10 is its own dedicated trip during this window. Read about Buoy 10 here.

Fall kings are the biggest of the year — 25–40 lb typical, with 50+ pounders landed every season. The fishing is busier and the boats are more numerous than spring, but the fish-per-hour rate is high.

Best for: Trophy-fish bucket-list trips. Veterans bringing family or out-of-state guests. Anyone who wants their best shot at a big king.

Booking note: Buoy 10 dates fill 6–10 weeks ahead. Mainstem fall Chinook dates are easier to grab on short notice.

Coho salmon (September – October)

Once fall Chinook starts to wind down, coho salmon (silvers) take over. They run from early September through late October, peaking around the end of September. Coho are smaller than Chinook (6–12 lb typical) but fight harder for their size and are often more aggressive on the bite.

Coho retention rules differ from Chinook. Tony tracks all of it.

So when should you book?

Here’s the cheat sheet:

If you want	Book
Best eating fish, learning the river	Late April – mid-May (spring Chinook)
Biggest possible fish	Mid-August – mid-September (Buoy 10 or fall Chinook)
Most fish per hour	Early September (fall Chinook overlap with coho)
Aggressive bite, smaller fish	Late September – October (coho)
Year-round trophy bend in your rod	Sturgeon, any month

Pricing

Salmon trips are $250 per person standard, $200 per person for veterans, active-duty military, retired military, first responders, and their dependents. Same pricing on every trip type — Buoy 10, sturgeon, walleye. Full boat (up to 6 anglers) is a flat $1,500.

Book

Call Tony at (503) 381-0868, 6 AM to 9 PM, every day. He’ll hold a date on his calendar and tell you what to expect on the water that week.

Or read more about the Columbia River salmon trip.