COLUMBIA RIVER GUIDE

Columbia River Guide

A field guide to the Columbia Gorge, salmon country, public access and live water data along the Northwest’s great river.

Open a live Columbia River gauge Compare Columbia River gauges

River story

History, landscapes and river context

Fishing

Species, water and places to explore

Live data

Current USGS gauges along the river

LIVE COLUMBIA RIVER DATA

Columbia River levels, gauges and monitoring stations

Check the live river overview or open an individual USGS gauge for current streamflow, gauge height, trends and historical context.

Open live gauge →COLUMBIA RIVER AT INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY · USGS 12399500 Current Columbia River levels & streamflow →River overview with live USGS conditions and trends Washington river levels →Browse monitoring stations across Washington Oregon river levels →Browse monitoring stations across Oregon

COLUMBIA RIVER AT INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARYUSGS 12399500 · View live gauge →COLUMBIA RIVER AT PORT WESTWARD, NEAR QUINCY, ORUSGS 14246900 · View live gauge →COLUMBIA RIVER AT THE DALLES, ORUSGS 14105700 · View live gauge →COLUMBIA RIVER AT VANCOUVER, WAUSGS 14144700 · View live gauge →

EXPLORE THE RIVER

Follow the Columbia River

Trace the reviewed mainstem geometry across the Columbia Plateau, through the Gorge and toward the estuary.

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River path derived from U.S. Geological Survey NLDI hydrography.

Columbia River Gorge from Cape Horn, Washington. Photo: John Russell.

THE COLUMBIA STORY

A continental river shaped by salmon, trade and power

The Columbia has long sustained Indigenous nations whose cultures and fisheries remain inseparable from the river. The modern channel also records navigation works, hydropower development and continuing fish-restoration work.

Since time immemorial

A living Indigenous river

Tribal nations have fished, traded and lived along the Columbia for generations beyond written history.

1805–1806

A documented expedition corridor

The Lewis and Clark expedition traveled the lower Columbia, a route interpreted today by National Park Service sites.

20th century

Dams reshape the mainstem

Federal dams transformed navigation, power generation and fish passage across the basin.

Today

Restoration across jurisdictions

Tribal, state and federal programs work on salmon, habitat and estuary recovery.

Research context: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Geological Survey

FISHING

Fishing the river

The mainstem supports migratory salmon and steelhead, sturgeon and shad, but seasons and retention rules are reach-specific and frequently updated.

Fish you may encounter

Chinook salmon

Coho salmon

Steelhead

White sturgeon

American shad

Where the river changes

FISHING AREA

Columbia River fish conservation office ↗

Federal fish-conservation program information.

Before you fish

Rules, seasons, closures and consumption advice vary by jurisdiction and can change; consult the linked fish and wildlife agency before a trip.
A gauge reading describes conditions at that monitoring location; it does not establish fishing quality or safety elsewhere on the river.

PARKS & RESOURCES

Places and official resources

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area ↗

Official recreation and visitor guidance for the Gorge.

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park ↗

Official visitor information for sites near the Columbia estuary.

UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS

Learn how river levels affect fishing and paddling

How river flow affects fishing →How river levels affect kayaking →How to read a USGS river gauge →What CFS means →