t was a beautiful evening tour. Capt Bruce points out historical points along the way and shares…read moreintersting stories. It's nice to see Astoria from the river and then travel through tucked away areas you can't get to by car.

We went on a 3 hour tour with Captain Bruce on Saturday morning and thoroughly enjoyed it. He was…read morefunny and super knowledgeable without feeling overdone tour guide-like. So much great information about the river and shipping!!! We saw a harbor seal, sea lions, a bald eagle, a crane and lots of seagulls and other birds. It was a little chilly so we were glad for our coats, hats and gloves. Watching from below wouldn't have been nearly as fun as being up on the deck. I have two suggestions for improvement and would have given 5 stars: 1. The boat needs some tidying up. Even if someone lives here sometimes, put things away, dust, vacuum, etc. so the first impression upon boarding isn't one of entering a messy dorm room. 2. Offer bottled water or some sort of light snack and beverage. It's a 3 hour trip. Sure we brought our own but it would be a nice touch. I imagine some of the local companies would give you a deal to offer their products and help spread the word about their delicious beer, chocolate, baked goods, etc. Well worth the cost and a great way to really see Astoria and understand this river town.

For all you land lubbers, city slickers, or couch surfers, if you're in the Port of Ilwaca, go see…read moreLarry & Cindy at Skywater Boat Tours. Incredibly friendly, very accommodating, and affordable for a few or more hours out on the water! Their charter boat, Maiden Heaven, is comfortable, two bathrooms, heated interior, great view on the upper deck, and so much to see out on Cape Disappointment, the mouth to the Columbia River, history, possible shipwrecks & marine animals to view! Larry explained he has over 50 years of maritime experience so you'll be in good hands. Cindy was very friendly and even provided a custom, signed photo of me and my friend upon docking at the Port of Ilwaca after our ocean/bay/river voyage. The treats were nice on the boat, bottled water, and nature provided the sunshine for our trip (I can't guarantee it for your trip). Larry and Cindy. FIVE STARS!

Conclusion first: book your tour and enjoy the beautiful scenery, wildlife, history and warmth of…read moreCaptain Mark and the crew. At first glance, I worried that the tour was too expensive. However, I also knew we had been to Astoria so many times over the decades and I was curious about what more I could learn from the riverside of this awesome area. Turns out, the pricing is fair. Here's what we experienced: --friendly, informed captain and deck hand for thus two-hour tour --eagles --sea lions and lots of wildlife -- history of the geography of the river / islands east of Astoria , into the John Day River --cold drinks (NA) --into the fish processing / fish vacuums, just under the Astoria Bridge --awesome slide show of Astoria's history Simply book your tour. This was a highlight of another awesome Astoria weekend for us.

Had a wonderful tour today along the Columbia River on the Arrow No. 2. The boat has been…read morebeautifully restored. We learned a lot about Astoria's history during the tour. And best of all our kids had a lot of fun.

I was fishing with my husband in Astoria for the Buoy 10 fishery. We had hooked a chinook and it…read moreheaded right under the First Pass Outfitters boat. The guide immediately asked his clients to reel up. Our fish got tangled up in one of the lines and he immediately cut that line so that we were able to get the fish in. We have finished at buoy 10 for many years and run into similar situations several time and the guide was unwilling to pull their lines from the water to help out a fellow fisherman, resulting in a lost fish. I feel that this is the one of the classiest things I have seen on the water. We have friends coming from Toronto next year and I will try to get them on his boat. He impressed me as a quality guide

My cousin Booked the whole boat for Salmon fishing, (August 15th 2025). The weather was not in our…read morefavor... Heavy Wind, Lots of Rain, Spotty Sea conditions, ETC... Curtis didn't bat an eye and rather than canceling the trip he approached it with can do attitude "Lets GO"! We had 3 adults and 3 "kids" 10, 14, and 14. Curtis was professional, courteous, and friendly. It was a great trip. We limited out and enjoyed the day regardless of the conditions. As someone who has worked in the boat industry, I can attest to the quality, maintenance, performance, and attention to detail Curtis has put into his boat. Keep up the good work and we are looking forward to future trips!

Words can't describe what a beautiful place this is. So cool to be at the mouth of the Columbia…read moreRiver, and see Washington across the bay. I stopped here during my spring break Oregon Road trip, which consisted of driving up through Central Oregon before I headed west to Astoria, and then down the entire coast of Oregon. I wasn't expecting to like Astoria as much as I did, but wow was I beyond impressed. The area of Fort Stevens is also very cool, it's neat how they made a park out of what was once a military site. There's so much lush greenery growing over the remaining army equipment, it's pretty cool how nature has taken over. I also saw some elk that were just sitting down hanging out in a little park. That was pretty awesome! Would definitely return here to visit again.

Love this place! Kind staff, decent marina, flexible departure date/times. They will also take…read morepackages for you if you're passing through and need parts for your boat (or Amazon delivery).

We had such a fantastic day on the water with Matt! From start to finish, he made the experience…read morefun, stress-free, and incredibly rewarding. His knowledge of the area, the fish, and the best techniques was unmatched, and he was patient in explaining everything to beginners while also offering great tips to more experienced anglers. Not only did we catch plenty of fish, but we also learned so much along the way. Matt went above and beyond to make sure everyone felt comfortable, safe, and excited throughout the trip. You can he loves what he does, and that passion makes the experience even more memorable. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, friendly, and professional fishing guide who will make your trip both successful and enjoyable, I can't recommend Matt enough! We'll definitely be booking again.

My boyfriend and I had a once in a lifetime experience fishing with Matt. Unfortunately salmon…read moreseason was cut short, so we fished for only sturgeon. However, we had the opportunity to catch and keep sturgeon only if it was between 44-50 inches; which occurs twice in a year. From beginning to start, Matt was super helpful with providing gear for me as it was my first time fishing. His boat was top of the line compared to the rest on the river that day. It had a hot water sink and very comfy chairs to sit in. He also had beers, waters on dec and had anti-nausea meds on board which was great for me since I was feeling sick. After 5 minutes, my boyfriend caught his first sturgeon that was 47 inches. And I caught one four hours later that was 45 inches. He allowed us to reel it in (which was a struggle for me, but worth it) and he took great photos after. We were the only 2 people that day to catch and keep our sturgeon. We couldn't have had a better experience and we got so lucky that day thanks to Matt! He ended up filet-ing our sturgeons and took 15 pounds of it home. It was the highlight of our trip to Portland. And we plan to come back in the spring once salmon season starts. If you're thinking about booking a trip with him, DO IT. You won't regret it!

Went here last weekend to see if they rented crab rings. They didn't, but they told me the closest…read moreplace to them that did and told me where I should go if I wanted to catch anything. She was very friendly and helpful, definitely a place I would come back to for tackle or bait.

Very helpful and nice. Picked up our fishing license here and directions to best fishing as well as…read morewhere to get something to eat.

A huge thank you to Shannon for working so hard, while cheerfully accomodating The Utterback Five…read more Group! Everything about this excursion was excellent. Our Captain, Nick Hernandez was fantastic. He took us out past Buoy 10. We caught our limits of salmon, plus a bunch of mackeral (They went back in the ocean!) on the way we retrieved the 3 crab pots that Nick set on the way out. Omg!! There were 86 crabs. We kept 42 of them!!!! We got back to shore by noon. The wonderful crew at the marina cleaned and fileted the salmon and expertly vacuum sealed them at a nominal extra fee. ...and, their crew steamed all 42 crabs in this huge pot that gets lowered into the boiling water at NO CHARGE!!! We couldn't believe it. We took our haul back to where we are staying and had a huge seafood fest!!! It was a great day from start to finish! Thank you for a fabulous experience!!!!!

From the owner: Lance Fisher Fishing in Astoria offers fishing charters from fishing guide, Lance Fisher. Salmon,…read moreSteelhead and Sturgeon fishing on the Columbia River, Ocean and at Buoy 10.

The "Shake N Bake" is about as good as it gets for sport fishing here in the PNW!…read more This 42ft sport fishing yacht is fast (twin turbo diesels) and smooth as it cuts through the waves taking you to where the fish are biting. Nothing but the best equipment and the deck hand takes care of everything. You can just enjoy catching fish!

Outstanding charter. You can stop reading now, book, and I guarantee you'll have the time of your…read morelife. I truly can't imagine anyone doing it more right than Mike and Clark. They make a great team, provide the very best equipment, and do everything to ensure you have a whale (tuna?) of a time. We departed the port very early in the morning and proceeded to blast by all the other charters (including ones that started hours earlier) en route to the fishing. Nobody digs taking your time over the bar and their boat guarantees you don't. Upon hitting the fishing "grounds" (why do they call it that!?), we trolled around for about an hour, had a hit or two to tell us we were getting to the right area, and then suddenly all hell broke loose. The next hour or two was nonstop action with a fresh 25-35lb fish entering the boat every couple of minutes. All hands were tied up as we filled the boat in very little time. Based on radio communication, I believe that not only were we one of the first boats to the target water, but we were the first to find the fish, and I'm pretty certain the first to return to port. As much as I like boat rides, charter fishing is not about the ride, and both me and my body were happy to be back on land in the shortest amount of time. By 5pm our fish had been cleaned, packed, and we were on our way home. Everyone left with a filled cooler and a beaming smile on their face. Random notes: - Lunch and drinks are provided. - Bring your own cooler. - Wear sunscreen. - Wear rubber rain boots. - Overdose on dramamine or get your doctor to prescribe you "the patch" - Pack light - you really don't need much. - Save the drinking for the return. - Jackpole. - There will be blood.