Well Mike I guess I'll start this and maybe Don (Shortshank) can add to it.
The two largest rivers in Oregon that are close to where I'm from are the Willamette River that runs through downtown Portland, and of course the other is the Columbia River that starts out in Canada and runs down through the state of Washington, then turns West and divides the states of Washington and Oregon before it dumps into the Pacific Ocean. Probably the biggest tributaries to the Columbia are the Willamette in Portland and the Snake River coming out of Idaho.
COLUMBIA AND SNAKE RIVER SYSTEM
The Willamette River has for many many years had a real nice run of Spring Chinook Salmon. That run has declined badly over the past 20 to 25 years. Some say it is because they have introduced so many hatchery bred fish into the run and that those fish are what are referred to as "non-biters." It doesn't matter what you put in front of them, they will not bite. The Willamette also holds Sturgeon, but not in the numbers that the Columbia does. The biggest fish are usually caught up at Willamette Falls in Oregon City, which is about 15 miles upstream of downtown Portland. Around Memorial day every year there is a really big run of Shad in the Willamette as well as the Columbia.
WILAMETTE FALLS AT OREGON CITY
The Columbia River is a very big river and is navigable by the biggest of tugs and barges at least up to Priest Rapids Dam, but am not sure if they go up beyond that point or not. There are 11 Hydroelectric Dams in the Columbia in Oregon and Washington, and at least three more beyond that in Canada.
The Columbia River has runs of Chinook (King) and Coho (Silver) Salmon. As for the Salmon there are the Sping and Fall runs. The fall run Chinook are what they call the "Upriver Brights" and can weigh as much as 60 t0o70 lbs. It has a fairly good population of Sturgeon, the bigger fish reaching lengths of up to 14 feet long. It also has Steelhead, Laremouth and Smallmouth bass, Bullheads, Crappie, Bluegill, Perch, Walleye, and a huge run of American Shad once a year. I've probably left out a species or two but it is a large fishery.
Here are the Hydroelectric Dams on the Columbia River starting with Bonneville Dam which is the first dam in the system as you head upstream from the ocean.
BONNEVILLE DAM
THE DALLES DAM
THE JOHN DAY DAM
McNARY DAM
PRIEST RAPIDS DAM
WANAPUM DAM
ROCK ISLAND DAM
ROCKY REACH DAM
WELLS DAM
CHIEF JOSEPH DAM
GRAND COULEE DAM
The Snake River too has runs of Salmon and Steelhead. Hells Canyon Dam is as far as these fish can go however, because there are no fish ladders at the Hells Canyon Dam.
The Snake River system has real good populations of Large and Small Mouth Bass, Crappie, Perch, Bluegill, Trout, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish and I'm told Blue Catfish, but I'm not 100% sure about the Blues. It also has Carp, Squawfish, Bullheads, Sculpins and probably some more that I've left out.
The Snake River is also another fairly large river that can be navigated by the same tugs and barges that travel the Columbia. I'm not 100% sure how far up the Snake they can go, but I'm pretty sure they can go beyond Little Goose Dam.
Here are pictures of the Hydroelectric Dams on the Snake River beginning with the first one up from it's mouth at the Columbia River.
ICE HARBOR DAM
LOWER MONUMENTAL DAM
LITTLE GOOSE DAM
LOWER GRANITE DAM
HELLS CANYON DAM
OXBOW DAM
BROWNLEE DAM
Here are some more pictures of fish taken from the Columbia and Snake Rivers. I don't know any of these people these are pictures I got off the internet.COLUMBIA RIVER SMALLMOUTH
COLUMBIA RIVER FALL CHINOOK
COLUMBIA RIVER SALMON
COLUMBIA RIVER STEELHEAD
COLUMBIA RIVER STURGEON
COLUMBIA RIVER STURGEON
COLUMBIA RIVER WALLEYE
SNAKE RIVER STURGEON
Well that's a good start on those two rivers anyway. I might add to this post from time to time.
Jim
Subject: Columbia And Snake Rivers 
Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:48 am
