Columbia River Sturgeon Fishing — Regulations, Seasons, and What to Bring in 2026

Sturgeon are the reason a lot of people end up loving the Columbia River. They’re older than the dinosaurs — the genus traces back over 200 million years. They grow past 12 feet. They eat anchovies, lampreys, and the occasional unwary salmon. When they hit a bait, you know.

This is the plain-English guide to fishing them legally, ethically, and well in 2026.

Can you keep a sturgeon you catch on the Columbia?

Mostly no. White sturgeon is catch-and-release year-round on most of the Columbia. Short seasonal keeper windows open in spring and again in summer — usually one or two weeks each. When they open, slot limits apply.

For 2026, the lower Columbia (below Bonneville Dam) keeper windows are expected to follow the recent pattern:

• Spring keeper window: 1–2 weeks in May or June
• Summer keeper window: 1–2 weeks in late summer

Exact dates are announced by ODFW and WDFW jointly, usually 2–4 weeks ahead of opening. Tony tracks every announcement and tells you on the boat the morning of your trip.

What’s the slot limit?

When the keeper window is open, only sturgeon within a specific fork length (snout to fork of tail) can be retained. The current slot on the lower Columbia is 44 inches to 50 inches fork length for retention. Fish below or above that — including the big, old breeders — go back.

The slot exists for a reason: white sturgeon populations on the Columbia have been depressed for decades. Releasing the big spawners protects the future of the fishery. Tony’s been fishing sturgeon on the Columbia for over 25 years and runs every trip with that future in mind.

Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing year-round

Outside the keeper windows, catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is open year-round on the Columbia. This is what Tony runs most days.

You’ll fight a 4-to-8-foot fish — sometimes bigger — and release it at the boat. Photos are part of the deal. The fish goes back in the water alive, exactly the way you found it.

If you’ve never landed a sturgeon, the experience is unmistakable. The take is solid, the run is long, and the fish doesn’t tire the way salmon do. Plan for at least one fish on your arms by lunch.

License and tag requirements

To fish for sturgeon on the Columbia in 2026 you need:

• Oregon (or Washington) fishing license — annual or short-term
• Combined Angling Tag with the sturgeon endorsement if you’re targeting them for retention during a keeper window
• For catch-and-release fishing, the Combined Angling Tag covers you

You can buy all of this online from ODFW or WDFW, or at any sporting goods store.

Where does Tony run sturgeon trips?

Tony fishes the lower Columbia between Bonneville Dam and St. Helens, with most trips launching from ramps near Beacon Rock, Bonneville, or the Vancouver, WA area. The exact launch depends on where the fish are holding and what the water’s doing that week.

For trophy-class catch-and-release fishing, the deep holes below Bonneville are tough to beat. For keeper windows when they’re open, Tony picks the launch based on the rules in effect.

What to bring on a sturgeon trip

• Your fishing license and Combined Angling Tag
• Layers — Columbia mornings are cold, even in summer
• A rain shell
• Gloves — sturgeon scutes (the bony plates along their backs) are sharp
• Lunch, water
• Cash, Venmo, or card for trip payment at the ramp (3% fee on cards)

Tony provides everything else: heavy rods, conventional reels, terminal tackle, bait (smelt, herring, sand shrimp depending on the bite), boat fuel, and 25 years of knowing where to anchor up.

Pricing

A guided sturgeon trip is $250 per person standard, $200 per person for veterans, active-duty military, retired military, first responders, and their dependents. A full boat (up to 6 anglers) is a flat $1,500.

Booking

Call (503) 381-0868. Tony picks up most days, 6 AM to 9 PM. Catch-and-release sturgeon days are available almost any day Tony’s free. Keeper-window dates book months ahead — call as soon as the windows are announced if you’re after a retention day.

Or read more about the guided Columbia River sturgeon trip.