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Willamette River Fishing Report | April 2026

Report by Capt. David Johnson
David Johnson guides the Willamette and Columbia systems for spring Chinook and is a Catch America captain. Shop David Johnson's tackle.
What is working right now

Spring Chinook are the target on the Willamette River in April 2026. Capt. David Johnson has been running sand shrimp and eggs behind jumbo jet divers and backtrolling. As the water warms and drops, he is switching to trolling a 360-type flasher with a spinner. In May, watch the tributaries with eggs, bait-wrapped plugs, and coon shrimp, and watch for a possible Columbia reopener.

How is the Willamette River spring Chinook fishing?

Capt. David Johnson has been fishing spring Chinook on the Willamette using sand shrimp and eggs, fished behind jumbo jet divers and backtrolled. The water is starting to warm and drop, which means less current, so he is transitioning toward more trolling as April continues.

What presentation works as the Willamette warms up?

Trolling. David says most anglers will switch to a 360-type flasher with a spinner, and possibly a shrimp behind it, as current drops. In warmer water, spinners are what people will be running for the rest of the month and into May.

Where do the fish move in May on the Willamette system?

Into the tributaries. As those rivers warm, fish push up and the fishery shifts back to eggs, bait-wrapped plugs, and coon shrimp. David lists those as the three main baits used in the tributaries once the spring fish start moving in.

Could the Columbia River reopen in May?

Possibly. David says to watch for a Columbia reopener if the dam counts are good or fewer fish were caught in April than expected. If it reopens, it would be prime time, fished as an anchor fishery with plugs or a troll fishery with herring.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. David Johnson): We've been fishing on the Willamette for spring Chinook, using sand shrimp and eggs, fished behind jumbo jet divers and backtrolled. The water is starting to warm up, so it's time to start switching over to doing more trolling. Most guys are going to be trolling with a 360-type flasher with some kind of a spinner. In May, keep an eye out if they open the Columbia.

Willamette River April 2026 FAQ

What is the target on the Willamette in April 2026?

Spring Chinook salmon, per Capt. David Johnson.

What bait works for Willamette spring Chinook?

Sand shrimp and eggs fished behind jumbo jet divers and backtrolled.

What changes as the Willamette water warms?

Anglers switch to trolling a 360-type flasher with a spinner as current drops.

What baits work in the tributaries in May?

Eggs, bait-wrapped plugs, and coon shrimp as fish move up the warming tributaries.

Might the Columbia River reopen in May?

Yes, possibly, if dam counts are strong, fished with plugs on anchor or herring on the troll.

What water conditions is David seeing?

Warming temperatures and dropping water with less current heading into trolling season.

Tags: david-johnson spring-chinook willamette-river
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Sacramento River Fishing Report | August 1, 2026

Report by Capt. Jeff Goodwin Jeff Goodwin runs Jeff Goodwin Guide Service on the upper Sacramento River and is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Reach him at (530) 510-2925 to book a trip. Shop Jeff Goodwin's tackle. What is working right now The upper Sacramento River king salmon season opened August 1, 2026 at the world-famous Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. It was a slow opener with under a dozen fish caught, but Capt. Jeff Goodwin says prime fishing is only 2 to 3 weeks out. His go-to is back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on 10 ounce weights, double-wrapped with fresh sardine and wild prawn. What is biting on the upper Sacramento River right now?King salmon are the target at the Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. August 1, 2026 was the official opener, and Capt. Jeff Goodwin called it a light, slow opener with fewer than a dozen fish caught. His daughter Gracie boxed the first fish. More salmon are arriving as the run builds. What technique is working for Sacramento River king salmon?Back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on the bottom. Jeff runs 10 ounces of weight to reach bottom in the deep water, with 12 to 18 inch droppers and about a 48 inch leader. The lead gets the plugs down where the fish hold since they will not dive that deep alone. How do you wrap plugs for Sacramento River salmon?Double-wrap the plug with fresh sardine and a piece of wild-caught prawn. Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. Start with a loose wrap that keeps the hooks free so you do not tie them to the plug body, then add a couple of wraps on top. More bait draws more bites as long as it does not kill the action. How do you tune a Brad's KillerFish plug?Wrapping bait shifts the center of gravity, so a plug that ran straight can start leaning one way. The fix is the eye: if the plug swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. Test it beside the boat until it dives straight and dances side to side. Out of tune plugs will not get bit. What does massaging the plug mean?It means keeping continuous action on the plug so it never sits dead on the bottom. Pull up on the rod to make the plug dart to one side, then drop the tip so it flutters back. Salmon often hit on that flutter, so be ready for a hard, full-on strike that takes line right away. What is the guide's outlook for the Barge Hole?Jeff says the area is about 2 to 3 weeks out from really good fishing. August, September, and October are the prime months, and a late fall run from November through the end of December produces some of the biggest fish of the season. Eggs, boondogging, and hover fishing come later in the run. Watch the full report From the report (Capt. Jeff Goodwin): One of the favorite techniques for fishing out here in the Barge Hole is to back-bounce Brad's Killerfish. Today, we're using 15s and 16s as far as the size goes. We're running 12 to 18-inch droppers, and then about a 48-inch leader. We're using 10 ounces of weight today because we've got quite a bit of water, and we let out enough line to get down to the bottom. Sacramento River August 1, 2026 FAQ When did the upper Sacramento River salmon season open in 2026?The Barge Hole area opened August 1, 2026. Jeff notes his openers have always been July 16th and August 1st, though an open river does not mean the fishing is great yet. Where is the Barge Hole?On the upper Sacramento River near Anderson and Cottonwood, California, just below where Battle Creek dumps in. Salmon stack here and hold until the first October rains, then turn up Battle Creek to Coleman National Fish Hatchery. What weight do you use to back-bounce at the Barge Hole?Jeff ran 10 ounces of weight on opening day because there was quite a bit of water, letting out enough line to stay on the bottom. What leader and dropper lengths does Jeff Goodwin use?About 12 to 18 inch droppers and roughly a 48 inch leader, sometimes into the 50s. What baits do you wrap on Brad's KillerFish plugs?Fresh sardine and wild-caught prawn are the go-to, and Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. How do you know a plug is tuned correctly?Pull it up toward the bow of the boat. If it stays alongside the boat and dances side to side while diving straight, it is tuned. If it swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. When is the best salmon fishing on the upper Sacramento River?August, September, and October are prime, and a late fall run from November through the end of December brings some of the biggest fish. The opener itself was slow, about 2 to 3 weeks from really good fishing. Who guides the upper Sacramento River Barge Hole?Capt. Jeff Goodwin of Jeff Goodwin Guide Service. Call or text (530) 510-2925 to book. Shop the Tackle Brad's KillerFish KF15 Brad's KillerFish KF16 Shop Capt. Jeff Goodwin's Tackle Shop River Salmon Gear

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San Luis Reservoir Fishing Report | July 27, 2026

Report by Capt. Roger George Roger George runs Roger George Guide Service and is the exclusive guide on San Luis Reservoir. Reach him at (559) 905-2954 to book a trip. What is working right now San Luis Reservoir is fishing up and down in late July 2026 as heavy wind stirs algae and holds the water temperature at 71 degrees. Capt. Roger George is trolling the main lake flats in 60 to 80 feet of water at 2.2 to 2.4 mph, running lures 120 to 140 feet behind the boat. White belly and chartreuse are the top colors. One recent trip landed fish of 14, 21, and 27 pounds. What is biting at San Luis Reservoir right now?The bite is up and down as constant wind churns the lake. Capt. Roger George had an epic recent trip with guest Bob McGill, landing fish of 14, 21, and 27 pounds, then a tough follow-up trip. Big fish are still figuring out where the bait has moved. The report did not name a specific target species. What depth are the fish holding at San Luis Reservoir in late July?Roger is fishing the main lake flats that run about 70 feet deep, trolling in water 60 to 80 feet deep. As the surface warms toward 80 degrees over the next week, expect fish to slide deeper, likely down to 70 to 80 feet. Watch your sonar daily since depth shifts with wind and overcast. What lure colors are working at San Luis Reservoir?White belly patterns are helping out right now, and chartreuse is producing as well. Colors can change day to day with the wind and light, so Roger's rule is to let the fish tell you what they want rather than committing to one pattern. Specific lure models were not named in this report. How is Roger George rigging and trolling at San Luis Reservoir?He is trolling 2.2 to 2.4 mph and letting lures back 120, 130, and 140 feet behind the boat, running through water 60 to 80 feet deep on the main lake flats. He leans on his sonar to find the depth fish are holding at and whether they are active before committing to a zone. What are conditions like at San Luis Reservoir?The lake is holding stable near 50 percent, with water being pumped in and out, which stirs in grass, debris, and algae. Water temperature is only 71 degrees, well below normal. Heavy wind is the biggest factor, and shore anglers have been doing a little better than boaters because wind limits boat time. What is the guide's outlook for San Luis Reservoir?Roger expects temperatures to rise toward 80 degrees over the next week, which should move fish deeper and change the pattern again. His forecast is decent fishing coming up if you can handle the summer heat. Water clarity beyond the algae mixing was not specified in this report. Watch the full report From the report (Capt. Roger George): We're running 2.2, 2.4 mph and we're putting back 120, 130, 140 ft behind the boat and running it in water that's like 60 to 80 ft deep. White bellies right now seem to be helping out. Chartreuse is working as well as the white, but that could change tomorrow. Once again, let the fish tell you what's happening. San Luis Reservoir July 27, 2026 FAQ What is the water temperature at San Luis Reservoir?Water temperature is 71 degrees, well below normal for late July, held down by heavy wind. Roger expects it to rise toward almost 80 degrees over the following week. What lake level is San Luis Reservoir at?The lake is holding stable around 50 percent, with water being pumped in and taken out, which is normal for this time of year and stirs in grass and debris. How fast should you troll at San Luis Reservoir?Roger is trolling 2.2 to 2.4 mph on the main lake flats. How far behind the boat should you run lures at San Luis Reservoir?He is letting lures back 120, 130, and 140 feet behind the boat in 60 to 80 feet of water. What lure colors are working at San Luis Reservoir?White belly patterns and chartreuse are the top colors right now, though Roger says colors can change day to day. Are shore anglers or boaters doing better at San Luis Reservoir?Shore anglers have been doing a little better than boaters because the constant wind limits how and when boats can fish, while shore anglers can fish earlier and later. What size fish are being caught at San Luis Reservoir?One recent trip produced fish of 14, 21, and 27 pounds, though the next trip was much tougher. The specific species was not named in this report. Who guides San Luis Reservoir?Capt. Roger George of Roger George Guide Service, the exclusive guide on San Luis Reservoir. Call (559) 905-2954 to book. Shop the Tackle Trolling Spoons Striped Bass Tackle Shop Striped Bass Gear

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Northwest Oregon Fishing Report | July 2026

Report by Capt. David Johnson David Johnson guides Tillamook Bay and Northwest Oregon for salmon and is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Shop David Johnson's tackle. What is working right now Northwest Oregon's July focus is offshore ocean coho with Chinook mixed in, running 1 to 7 miles out with flashers, hoochies, and various lures and baits. Capt. David Johnson still has late spring Chinook in Tillamook Bay as a wind backup. Coastal cutthroat, catch-and-release sturgeon on the Columbia, and halibut round it out, with albacore tuna still about 100 miles out. What is biting in Northwest Oregon right now?Ocean coho with some Chinook mixed in is the main focus, fished 1 to 7 miles offshore. Capt. David Johnson is also still catching late spring Chinook out of Tillamook Bay. Coastal cutthroat, halibut, and catch-and-release sturgeon on the Columbia are all available too. Where are the salmon holding off Northwest Oregon?Offshore, usually 1 to 7 miles out for the coho and mixed Chinook. That ocean fishery is dictated by wind, so when David gets blown off he has a backup fishing inside Tillamook Bay for the springers. He follows the wind and the fish. What are anglers using off Northwest Oregon?For the offshore coho and Chinook, flashers with various lures and baits, including hoochies. Inside the bay he targets the late springers. Guys also run bottom-fish and halibut trips. No specific Catch America product was named in this report. What about tuna and other species?Albacore tuna are just starting to get close but average about 100 miles out. When they push into the 30 to 40 mile range, sport anglers start getting albacore. There is also excellent catch-and-release sturgeon fishing on the Columbia River and fun coastal cutthroat. What is the outlook for Northwest Oregon?Ocean coho is the main play, with spring Chinook as the plan B when wind allows, plus cutthroat for fun. David plans more on the cutthroat later. Halibut and eventually albacore add to the July and summer mix along the coast. Watch the full report From the report (Capt. David Johnson): We're still catching some late spring chinook out of Tillamook Bay, and our main focus is going to be fishing out offshore. We're going to be catching coho with some chinook mixed in, usually running out 1 to 7 miles offshore and fishing with flashers and various lures and baits, hoochies. The tuna are just starting to get close enough, but they're still probably on average 100 miles out. Northwest Oregon July 2026 FAQ What is the main July fishery in Northwest Oregon?Ocean coho with Chinook mixed in, 1 to 7 miles offshore. Are spring Chinook still available in Northwest Oregon?Yes, late spring Chinook are still being caught inside Tillamook Bay as a wind backup. How far out are the albacore tuna?On average about 100 miles out, with sport anglers getting them once they push to 30 to 40 miles. What else can you catch in Northwest Oregon in July?Coastal cutthroat, halibut and bottom fish, and catch-and-release sturgeon on the Columbia River. What baits are used offshore?Flashers with various lures and baits, including hoochies. Who guides Northwest Oregon for Catch America?Capt. David Johnson, a Catch America pro-staff captain. Shop the Tackle Shop Capt. David Johnson's Tackle Shop Salmon Gear

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