Fishing in the Columbia River Gorge?

Hello,

I am new to the kayak fishing and this forum. I am looking for enthusiasts of kayak fishing in the Columbia Gorge (Hood River, The Dalles) area to share tips, practicies, and experiences.

Thanks,

Fiszka

Hi there fiszka - I am not sure who is in the immediate area.  But everyone here is great at sharing tips, practices, and experiences.  Just ask away! Welcome!

I haven't fished much in that area but I'm learning the area upstream of you.  Irrigon / Umatilla area.

Thank you for the welcome, Revjcp

One of the areas that I would like to improve on is handing a kayak in strong winds. It blows in the Gorge for 80% of the year and I have been struggling to maneuver my NuCanoe Froniter 12 in such conditions? Does anyone have any suggestions or insight?

I am also looking for a local salmon conservation group. I believe that fishing is as much about care for environment and habitat preservation as it is about catching fish. Whence, I would like to join a group to help preserve Columbia River fisheries. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Fiszka

Thanks for the post Justin. What do you typically fish for in your area?

It would be great to hear from you about anchoring in the Columbia (how and what gear do you use), handling winds (do you have any tips on kayaking in strong winds) on water, etc.

Have a great day,

Fiszka

It depends on what winds your talking about.  Most of the time i drive through that area there is no way I'd be out there in a kayak. 

Do a search on this site for anchors, there are a lot of different ways to set up a kayak.

When I'm fishing the columbia it's usually for salmon and steelhead.  I have caught a few bass and attempted to sturgeon fish this last January. there are walleye around as well.

There is plenty of kayak fishing available in the Gorge, you have to learn the conditions and what to fish for and you can go fishing every day.
As everyone has mentioned, you have to be aware of the wind. You also have to be aware of the water height and flow, especially in the spring and early summer. There are plenty of calm days to get out there.
Not many people use kayaks to fish around here so you kind of have to discover where to launch and fish on your own. You'll have to search for places to launch your kayak, you'll find you can get to a lot of spots that regular boaters have to drive a long way to reach.
Most people fish for salmon and steelhead, if you asked me, anchoring in the middle of the river in a pack of boats is not the best way to utilize your kayak, but everybody has their own way of fishing. There are times of the year where anchoring a kayak in the middle of the Columbia would be life threatening, if not flat out insane. Slow trolling, bottom bouncing or drifting where the fish are and the crowd isn't would be using a small boat like a kayak to your advantage. There's also a time when it's stupid to paddle into the middle of a treacherous Columbia when you can catch the same fish by wading into one of the side rivers and doing your best "river runs through it" routine.
There is excellent smallmouth bass fishing in the Gorge, plenty of good spots around The Dalles. While most fishermen focus on catching a few steelhead or salmon a season, you can catch all the smallmouth bass you want if you know where to look and how to fish for them. Paddling around hunting for smallmouth is a perfect application for a fishing kayak. Drifting or slow trolling a nightcrawler along the bottom can get you walleye. If you want to dink around, sign up at The Dalles boat launch to catch pikeminnows and get paid $5 a fish. The sturgeon fishing is pretty good right below The Dalles dam, at least that what my friends who grew up in The Dalles tell me, I don't do much sturgeon fishing myself.
With your 12' kayak, I would start fishing the side lakes; Horsethief Lake, Spearfish and Little Spearfish Lake, Rowland Lake and Tunnel Lake. Like most of us, you will probably wind up buying both an Oregon and Washington fishing license, as well as a Discovery Pass and Oregon State Parks annual pass.
As of today, I had hoped to get a few more days of smallmouth bass fishing in before the water gets too cold. You can launch at Rowena(Mayer State Park) paddle out to the mouth of the Kickitat if weather permits to fish for salmon and steelhead(just look for the flotilla), or paddle along the shoreline and dropoffs in about 5-15' of water and look for bass.
Check the blog in my signature for more info.

Thanks for this great post Ronbo613. Great blog -- what an amazing place we live in!

Fiszka

Ronbo's post was an excellent primer on gorge fishing.  Really well done!

The gorge wouldn't be the gorge without wind.  Here are a few tips that work for me.

Just like it's always windy in the gorge somewhere, it always not windy somewhere.  The trick is figuring out where.  The internet really helps with this.  Good gorge wind related sites to check out are... thegorgeismygym.com, windonthewater.com and the granddaddy,  NOAA.gov.

Along with the lake suggestions Ronbo gave, take a look at the nearby mountain lakes, Goose, Lost, Badger, Pine Grove res and Laurence.  They can sometimes be still when the river is very windy.

If you are going to spend a lot of time fishing the Gorge, start saving for a Hobie now!  Being able to propel yourself without your hands makes fishing in the wind much easier.

Thanks a lot Snopro! The lakes are definitely on my radar. The weather/wind websites are very useful - thanks and see you on the water!

Fiszka