John Day Dam Fishing Trips

JOHN DAY DAM WALLEYE FISHING

Looking for a place to land that perfect catch?

The Columbia River below John Day Dam is home to some of the best Walleye fishing in the state of Washington. Our guides target these Walleye below John Day Dam down to the mouth of the Deschutes River.

Starting in late February and continuing until July you can find our team of guides filling their live wells full of nice Walleye.

Trolling worms or crankbaits on the bottom is key as well as knowing where the hot spots are. For pure numbers of Walleye, this is the place to go.

Last Spring our boats were bosting numbers exceeding 70 fish per day. Give our John Day Dam fishing guides a call if you are interested in catching a great number of Walleye!

JOHN DAY DAM SALMON FISHING

The mighty Columbia River, home to a spectacular double-header of salmon runs.

This section of the Columbia River sees two runs of salmon, Spring Chinook, and Fall Chinook. Depending on the season and runs, you will find our guides targeting Spring Salmon towards the end of April and into May.

This is mostly anchor fishing that occurs right out from the Maryhill State Park or just below John Day Dam. Our John Day Dam fishing guides know exactly where to drop the anchor to set you up for success. These Spring Salmon are chrome bright and are some of the best-tasting salmon on the market.

In the Fall time, around the first of September, another Salmon fishery occurs. These are the Fall Chinook or Upriver Brights as many call them. Fishing for these fish takes place near the mouth of the Deschutes River a few miles below John Day Dam. Trolling Brad’s super baits and spinners are key. We know exactly when and where to be targeting these fish and it’s not uncommon to have a boat limited-out within a few hours.

John Day Dam Sturgeon Fishing Trips

Maryhill State Park is pretty amazing; it’s the only spot on the Columbia River where ancient Sturgeon make a yearly appearance.

One of the last areas of the Columbia River to have yearly retention of Sturgeon occurs right out from the Maryhill State Park and below John Day Dam.

Taking place early in the year, January until the quota is met or until the set closure in May, our John Day Dam fishing guides will put you onto Sturgeon ranging in size from one foot to over 10 feet! Our guides have found that Sturgeon on this section of the Columbia fight harder than anywhere else!

sturgeon fishing

Our Amazing Fishing Guide Reviews

Based on 93 reviews
Kimberly Kempton
Kimberly Kempton
January 27, 2023
I had the best time steelhead fishing on the Clearwater with Captain Jim from Reel Time Fishing. He put us on the fish and we were able to bring in all that we caught. He was very professional and accommodating in every way. He made us a great hot lunch each day. We back trolled and side drifted and had so much fun bringing in all those beautiful fish. We stayed at the Lenore Lodge which was 3 mins from the launch. The lodge had 10 beds and an awesome game room. It was very clean and comfortable. I do suggest Reel Time Fishing for an epic trip and I will definitely return for more fishing.
J RAND LOTHSPEICH
J RAND LOTHSPEICH
January 27, 2023
Just spent the last two days fishing with Jim our guide- fantastic time!!! I have caught in the neighbourhood of 40 steelhead in my life time and I caught the two biggest on this trip 37” 14lbs- perfect boat great equipment- we also stayed at the lodge in Lenore perfect
Michael Pickren
Michael Pickren
October 18, 2022
I highly recommend Jeff at Real Time Guides who put us on some outstanding fish both days we were here.
Ashleigh Schultz
Ashleigh Schultz
October 10, 2022
Great time with Jim Carter, Again! fantastic day on the river!
Larry Meier
Larry Meier
September 27, 2022
They treat you well and provide alot and share secret spots
Ken Gutowski
Ken Gutowski
September 20, 2022
Great trip,Travis worked super hard to get our salmon!
Jason Person
Jason Person
August 27, 2022
We fished a half day for Sturgeon with Jeff and had a great trip. Caught 3 Sturgeon and one was really nice (7'6"). Boat and equipment were top notch. Definitely would book with Reel Time again. Don't be afraid to book with them, the price is right and the guides know what they are doing. Thanks for the great trip.
Monica Jaeger
Monica Jaeger
July 15, 2022
Had an amazing time with Shane! Very experienced and knew exactly where to go. Well worth the time and money. If we lived closer we would book again!
Colton Malone
Colton Malone
June 16, 2022
Great time with great people! The Clearwater was high and supposedly blown out but our guide, Jeff, still put us on some great fish and we tagged out in 3 hours! Definitely coming back.

Frequently Asked Questions about our fishing trips

HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I BRING ON MY TRIP?

The legal max boatload is six anglers, but with six full time guides available we are able to accommodate large groups of more than six people.

IS LUNCH/DRINKS PROVIDED ON MY TRIPS?

We do provide a BBQ lunch and drinks on all Clearwater, Snake, and Dworshak trips. Lunch and drinks ARE NOT provided on any of our Columbia River or Grande Ronde river trips.

HOW MANY HOURS ARE WE ON THE WATER?

Look forward to at least 8 hours of fishing unless you book a half day trip, then look forward to 4 hours of fishing

DO YOU PROVIDE ALL THE GEAR WE NEED TO FISH?

Yes, each guide is fully equipped with top-notch rods, reels and bait to ensure success on your trip.

DO I NEED TO PRE-PAY OR PLACE A DEPOSIT DOWN TO HOLD MY SPOT?

We require a 50% deposit at the time of booking, final payment must be made in full 10 days prior to your trip. We do not offer refunds for cancellations or head-count changes made inside 10 days of your trip.

DO YOU CLEAN AND FILLET OUR CATCH?

Yes, all of our guides will clean and fillet your catch unless otherwise specified.