Columbia River Sturgeon
Year-Round Fishing
Sturgeon fishing on the lower Columbia river in
Astoria Oregon is best in May, June and July. The
mid river from Longview Washington to Portland is
best February, March and April.
Seasons & Locations
Columbia River above and below Bonneville Dam
(Year-Round).
The river below Bonneville Dam (Cascade Locks) is
best for oversize fish May through July and keeper
fish (42-60 inches) January through March.
Sturgeon Fishing (Full Day) $150.00
Sturgeon Fishing (Half Day) $75.00
About Sturgeon
In salt water, sturgeon range from Ensanada, Mexico
to the Gulf of Alaska. The larger river systems on
the west coast host spawning runs. The
Columbia-Willamette, the Sacramento-San Joaquin, and
the Umpqua are the most notable. Smaller populations
can be found in the Russian, Klamath, Rogue and
Coquille systems. Populations with access to the sea
may or may not migrate and there are landlocked
sturgeon in the Columbia River and Shasta Lake.
Sturgeon can live to be 100 years old and are the
largest fresh water fish in North America. The
sportfishing record fish was caught in The Dalles,
Oregon and weighed 900 pounds. All the west coast
states have bracketed length requirements for fish
taken. For Oregon and California fish that are 4 to
6 feet in length are allowed to be kept. Check the
Regulations!
A female sturgeon takes at least 11 years to mature,
males somewhat less. Sturgeon do not spawn every
year. Spawning takes place during the spring and the
fish prefer rocky or gravel bottoms. Up to 5,000,000
eggs are released into the river followed by the
milt. The sticky eggs adhere to the bottom where
they hatch within 2 weeks.
White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) can live
for more than a century and grow up to 19 feet and
1,800 pounds. With a torpedo-shaped body, large
dorsal fin, flat head, bony plates, and whisker-like
sensors, the white sturgeon has remained virtually
unchanged for 175 million years.
"The lower Columbia River that divides Oregon and
Washington States has the best Sturgeon fishing in
the world. It's an experience you won't forget!"
May thru June the big oversize fish come in
following the Shad. "It's truly the thrill of a
lifetime" to get an 8- to 11-foot fish on the end of
your line.
|
