Canada is famous for its beauty, with many gorgeous places that will simply take your breath away. However, it’s also well known for its great walleye fishing opportunities. The Columbia River is one of the most renowned places to go fishing in Canada for this particular species. It has the perfect habitat for walleyes to thrive and they can grow to some rather impressive sizes. You can expect the walleyes found in this river to average around five pounds but it’s not uncommon to catch ones between eight and twelve pounds.
One of the reasons this species is so popular is because its one great tasting fish. Cooked up just right, it will compliment any meal. In fact, many anglers fish for them just for the great taste. Another reason why this is a popular species is because they are hard to catch. They have a very subtle bite that is hard to feel. You must pay close attention to your line and watch for the bite if you want to have any luck reeling in walleyes. Using a bobber can help you see when you get a bite and using a sensitive rod can help you feel it.
Normally, the best time to fish for walleyes is late evenings and early mornings. During this time, you can see well enough to navigate the river easier. That makes it safer to fish especially if you’re not familiar with the river. This is the time that most anglers will hit the water. However, things are a little different when fishing the Columbia River. Walleyes tend to bite aggressively throughout this body of water even on hot sunny days when the sun is shining bright. Therefore, you can even catch them in the middle of a hot summer day.
Best Places to Fish on the Columbia River
Having an idea of where to go fishing once you reach your destination will save you some time. You’ll be able to go straight to fishing because you already have a starting point instead of moving around looking for a place to fish. There are many places to fish on this river depending on where you are located because this species is abundant here. However, if you’re planning a fishing trip to Canada just for fishing in this river, then you may need some idea of where to go.
Here are three of the best places in Canada where you can fish the Columbia River for walleyes:
1. Vancouver
2. Mica Dam
3. Revelstoke Dam
When fishing this river look for places that are considered prime areas for walleyes. This would be areas where they can thrive the best and it includes sunken Islands, drop offs, river bends and around breaklines that run parallel to the bank. You also want to fish places where the baitfish is plentiful because the walleyes are sure to be nearby too.
River Fishing Tips
Here are a few good river fishing tips that can help you be more productive when fishing the Columbia River. Fishing rivers, especially one this size, is different from other types of water. You’ll need to tweak your fishing habits a bit to get the most from your river fishing adventure.
One of the first things that you should know is that prime locations can change from one year to the next. Therefore, if you found a special spot one summer that was excellent, it doesn’t mean it will produce walleyes the next summer. For this reason, you need to be flexible and willing to change things up and explore different areas. It’s a good idea to try different techniques and baits too for variety.
If you’re fishing with bottom bouncers, you’ll have better results if you move downstream as you fish. However, if you’re trolling with crankbaits, then you may have better luck going upstream. You’ll need to experiment to see what works the best for you at any given time.
The depth is one of the most important factors that will determine how successful your walleye fishing trip is. The depth at which the walleyes will be found on this river will change because the depth of the water changes drastically in some places. For example, you can be going down the river, the water can be around 10 to 20 feet deep and then all of a sudden, it will be 200 or 300 hundred feet deep. It changes that quickly. However, the best fishing depth for walleyes is usually around 20 to 30 feet deep.
Use small gear when fishing for this species because they have small mouths and because they can see so well. The small gear will make it easier to feel when you get a bite and hook the fish more securely. It will also be less visible to the walleyes increasing the number of bites you get. Using these tips can help to make all of your Columbia River walleye fishing trips in Canada more fun and productive.