Fish Hunter’s Guide Service runs year-round salmon, sturgeon, and steelhead fishing trips on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, guided by pro guide Travis Choquette out of Washougal, Washington. Born and raised in Vancouver, Washington, Travis has spent his career mastering the Columbia River from Cathlamet all the way to Bonneville Dam, along with productive side fisheries on the Lewis, Wind, Drano, and Willamette Rivers.
The season kicks off with spring Chinook, one of the most prized fish in the Pacific Northwest, targeted from Cathlamet to Bonneville Dam through March and April before the fishery shifts into the Lewis, Wind, Drano, and Willamette Rivers through May and into June. Summer brings the arrival of June hog Chinook, historically massive summer-run kings averaging twenty pounds or more, alongside summer steelhead and sturgeon fishing on the Columbia. Fall delivers one of the region’s premier fisheries, with upriver bright Chinook and coho starting at Buoy 10 near the mouth of the Columbia in August before the fishery moves upriver through the Cowlitz, Lewis, Klickitat, and Drano Lake into October and November. Winter rounds out the year with steelhead on the Cowlitz and Lewis Rivers alongside year-round sturgeon fishing, including catch-and-release trips for oversized fish in the eight-to-twelve-foot range.
Trips run aboard a custom-built 25-foot Alumaweld Columbia open sled, with Travis holding a US Coast Guard Master license, a Captain’s license, and current CPR and First Aid certifications. Custom rods and reels from Lamiglas and Shimano are provided, along with homemade bait and tackle built from pro-guide techniques developed over years on the river.
Full-day trips run $250 per person for groups of one to three and $225 per person for groups of four to six, while half-day trips run $150 per person for smaller groups and $125 per person for groups of four to six, with Buoy 10 and Tillamook Bay trips priced $25 higher per person. A 25% deposit secures a booking, with full payment due three days before the trip.
For anglers looking to fish the Columbia or Willamette Rivers year-round with an experienced, Coast Guard-licensed local guide, Fish Hunter’s Guide Service offers a full season of salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon trips out of Washougal, Washington.
