Mid Columbia River Fishing Adventures

Mid Columbia River Guided Fishing Trips

Looking for the ultimate fishing adventure on the Columbia River?

If you’re looking to have a great Chinook fishing experience, the Mid-Columbia River is where it’s at! The area extends from Bonneville Dam all the way up through John Day Dam and there are some hot spots along the way.

Springtime brings us over to Drano Lake – a tributary of the Columbia formed by Little White Salmon that has an awesome hatchery program helping make this spot one of most popular chinook fisheries around.

If you take a journey up the Columbia River, your destination will be John Day Dam. It’s here that our Mid-Columbia Fishing Guides cast their lines year-round—and with luck they’ll hook into some of the many fish species swimming in these waters!

Sturgeon Fishing on the Columbia River

Get ready for the start of fishing season in Rufus, Oregon!

Beginning January 1st, it’s all about Sturgeon with our Columbia fishing guides working hard to land what we affectionately call “Columbia River Gold.” Once that quota is met, we go after spring Chinook and Walleye, now that takes skill. So, book your fishing adventure with Reel Time Fishing and let’s go have some fun!

Walleye are the ling cod of fresh water – simply the best tasting freshwater fish you can catch. Once the Spring Chinook shows up, we will put down the walleye rods and pick up the salmon gear. This area can be a great Chinook fishing adventure if you are with the right guides. There are hot spots where you need to be or else you will just be “fishing” all day. Visit our Rufus or John Day Dam pages to learn more about these fisheries.

mid columbia river 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.