Columbia River

The Columbia River is the best known river in the Pacific Northwest. It is also the largest river in that territory and stretches from British Columbia to the Oregon coast. The Columbia is the fourth largest river in the entire United States and home to a variety of anadromous fish. Anadromous fish live in both freshwater and saltwater environments.

Salmon and the Columbia River

The Columbia River is probably best known for its salmon population. Both Chinook and Coho salmon live in these waters and swim up the river from the ocean to spawn. Fishing for salmon along the Columbia River is a highly regulated sport. The salmon numbers have been dwindling for years and there are many programs put into place to help the population bounce back. Commercial fishing is allowed along the Columbia River, although it was banned to allow the salmon population to rebound for a season.

Other fishing in the Columbia River

The Columbia River is also home to steelhead and sturgeon species of fish. Steelhead fish are similar to salmon in that they travel from the ocean to inland waters to spawn and then die. Sturgeon perform this trip numerous times over their life span before eventually dying. Both types of fish are caught by anglers, although pregnant sturgeons are supposed to be thrown back after being caught. This is to ensure that their population stays high in the river.

The Columbia River is one of the largest rivers in the United States and is a popular fishing destination. The river is home to a variety of fish, including salmon.