Cunningham Slough in Columbia County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Columbia County, Oregon, this is Cunningham Slough. The water sits 23 feet up. It runs to roughly 43 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Ground here is low by Oregon standards. Nearest place of any size is Warren, 2 miles away. Vancouver sits 15 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Cunningham Slough

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Slack water is dead water on a place like this. Flats either side fish on the drop as bait is pushed off them. Reported across Columbia County: Coho salmon, bluegill, yellow perch, largemouth bass and white crappie. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Cunningham Slough gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 65°F in August and bottom out at 40°F in January. The awkward stretch is midsummer, not midwinter. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Cunningham Slough runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. A pier or jetty stands 0.9 miles away, which helps on a crowded bank. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Millionaire Lake sits 0.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Cunningham Slough if anything is unclear.