Columbia River Winter Steelhead Forecast - December 2, 2025

# Artificial Lure's Columbia River Fishing Report – December 2nd, 2025

Well folks, it's Artificial Lure here with your Tuesday morning update from the Columbia River watershed around Portland. Let me break down what's happening out on the water today.

**The Tides and Timing**

We're looking at a low tide at 12:40 AM that already passed us, with a high tide hitting around 4:58 AM this morning near the Vancouver I-205 Bridge area. Your next low tide will be around 12:16 PM, followed by another high at 4:35 PM. The water's moving well, which is exactly what you want for steelhead. Sunrise came early at 7:31 AM, and we're wrapping up daylight around 4:27 PM, so you've got a short window today.

**Winter Steelhead Are Firing**

Here's the good news – winter steelhead are actively moving through the Sandy and Clackamas Rivers right now. The recent storms have pushed fresh fish into the system, and the rivers are running at good levels for winter runs. This cold, wet December pattern we're experiencing is prime steelhead season. You want to be targeting deeper pools and behind current breaks where these fish rest.

**What's Working**

For lures, throw some small spoons – silver and gold are your bread and butter in these conditions. Spinners with orange blades work great too. If you're going the bait route, fresh roe is absolutely king right now. Some anglers are also having success with sand shrimp and smelt. The steelhead are hungry and aggressive this time of year.

**Hot Spots to Hit**

Get yourself down to Riverplace Marina or check out the areas near the City of Portland Dams – these create excellent holding water for winter steelhead. The current breaks and deeper pools are where you'll find them stacked up.

**Final Thoughts**

Conditions are perfect for a productive day on the water. Bundle up, hit those prime tidal windows, and get after those winter steelhead.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI