Spring chinook, also known as “springers,” are built for the long haul. Unlike their genetically identical counterparts, the fall chinook, which enter the river beginning in September and are already sexually mature, spring chinook start their freshwater migration in early March while still immature. They spend months maturing in deep, cold upriver pools, with some stocks traveling almost 1,000 miles to reach their natal spawning waters in eastern Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
Due to their extended time in the river and migratory capabilities, springers naturally carry high fat reserves that sustain them during their journey and enhance the quality of their flesh, making them highly prized.
Spring chinook salmon range from Southern California to Alaska, and their migration is one of Mother Nature’s most epic journeys. It’s a stirring sight, one that I have been fortunate to witness on frosty fall mornings among yellowing leaves – a spawning pair of salmon along Idaho’s Salmon River in the Stanley Basin, more than 900 miles from the Pacific.
This Chinook fishing season has seen higher-than-average returns on the Columbia River, leading to several in-season date extensions. While tighter restrictions were imposed on the Willamette and Umpqua. Where fishery managers entered the season with cautious optimism due to stable though not increasing numbers. Resulting in stricter gear and harvest limits in some basins. The Columbia River saw a preseason forecast of 147,300 upriver spring Chinook, slightly lower than 2025 but above the 10-year average, prompting the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and Washington fish managers to add extra recreational fishing days.
Willamette & the McKenzie rivers
The Willamette River basin, including the McKenzie River, faced initial challenges with a forecast of 43,700 adult spring Chinook. The early-season thresholds were not met, leading to a temporary ban on the Two-Rod Validation to protect hatchery broodstock. However, the Two-Rod Validation was later reinstated below Willamette Falls as returns stabilized.
By mid-June, approximately 25,000 spring Chinook had successfully migrated over the falls, heading to the tributaries of the upper Willamette River. This figure represents a significant improvement compared to last year, when only about 20,000 spring Chinook had made the journey by the same time. Overall, local salmon fishing has been fair.
Umpqua River
Spring salmon fishing on the Umpqua River has been challenging this season due to strict conservation regulations. Projected low returns of wild adult Chinook salmon prompted ODFW to prohibit the harvest of wild spring Chinook on the main stem of the Umpqua, allowing only the retention of marked hatchery springers. These restrictions are in place to protect wild Chinook entering the South Fork of the Umpqua, where their numbers have declined significantly. In the North Umpqua, the harvest is limited to one wild adult Chinook per day as part of the two-fish daily limit, while hatchery fish can still be retained throughout the entire system.
Rogue River
Spring salmon fishing on the Rogue River has been “good”, maybe some of the best in the state. Springers have now moved upstream through traditional travel lanes and have gathered in the holding holes up to about Grants Pass. With consistent reports of success from both the river below Grave Creek and the mid-river stretches downstream from Grants Pass. Springers have averaged about 18 to 22 pounds, with some pushing upwards of 30 to 40 pounds.
Regulations this season vary from river to river based on real-time observations by fisheries biologists and may change at any time. Make sure you check the regulations specific to the river you plan to fish before heading out at myodfw.com/regulations
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