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Sandy River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Portland's home steelhead river: winter chrome under Mount Hood's glacial shadow, forty minutes from downtown.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
333 cfs
Air / High
65 / 67 F
Wind
NW 4 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 14142500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Sandy River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 333 cfs, on the rise. Today brings a mixed sky, wind NW around 4 mph, steady pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 67. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown troutExcellent

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

SteelheadFair

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Similar at 69 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Sandy River below Bull Run.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 14142500.

302326349333 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp65 F
High / Low67 / 53 F
WindNW 4-6 mph
Pressure1012.6 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain40% cloud, 48%
Sunrise / Sunset06:34 / 19:40
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Rain, 67/53 F, wind 7 mph, rain 48%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Sandy River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Sandy River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Sandy River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 62 F, wind to 10 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 67 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Oregon requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Oregon license + Columbia Basin endorsement + steelhead/salmon tag. Wild steelhead release; check ODFW Sandy rules.

Access

Lewis & Clark SP (mouth), Dabney, Oxbow, Dodge Park accesses; Cedar Creek hatchery reach.

About this water

56 miles from Mount Hood to the Columbia, Clackamas/Multnomah counties, OR. Portland's steelhead backyard.

Fishing Sandy River: the full guide

The city's wild river

The Sandy drains Mount Hood's glaciers west into the Columbia at Troutdale: Portland's closest legitimate steelhead-and-salmon river. Winter steelhead (December-March, wild and hatchery) headline: spring chinook follow: coho stack in fall: and the river's glacial temperament (it colors with every warm rain on the mountain) teaches patience as the price of proximity.

Winter steelhead program

The hatchery run peaks December-January (Cedar Creek's returns), the wild fish through March: drift-fish eggs and beads through the traditional runs (Dodge Park, Oxbow's drifts), float jigs in the softer water, or swing flies where the river opens. When the glacier melt greys the water, size up and slow down: Sandy fish eat in color that would blank clearer rivers.

The gorge sections

Oxbow and Dodge parks anchor the mid-river: drift-boat water through basalt gorges that feel wilderness despite the zip code. Above Marmot, the old dam site (removed 2007: a restoration landmark) reopened miles of spawning water: the river's wild runs have climbed since: a rare good-news steelhead story.

Reading the glacier

Summer afternoons and warm rains melt Hood's ice: the river greys by evening and clears by morning: plan accordingly (fish early, watch the gauge's temperature-driven daily rise). Winter's cold locks the glacier and the river runs green and steady: the season's gift. Our gauge panel shows the Bull Run confluence flow daily.

Common questions

When is winter steelhead season on the Sandy?

December-March: hatchery fish early (Cedar Creek), wild fish through late winter. After a cold snap with green water is prime: the glacier stops melting and the river settles.

Why does the Sandy River turn grey?

Glacial flour from Mount Hood: warm afternoons and rain melt ice and cloud the river. It clears overnight in cool weather: morning fishing beats evening almost year-round.

Is fishing good at Sandy River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Drano Lake35 miLake Merwin37 miLewis River38 miKalama River48 miDetroit Lake50 miWillamette River52 mi
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