Fishing Report: Deschutes River – Warm Springs to Trout Creek

Date: June 28, 2023

The Deschutes River from Warm Springs to Trout Creek is in excellent shape for fishing. The current flow rate, measured in cubic feet per second (CFS), is running at 3750, providing good water conditions for anglers. The water temperature is currently around 56 degrees Fahrenheit, which is conducive to active fish behavior.

While the fishing was exceptional during the spring, it has slowed down over the past week or so, transitioning to more normal fishing conditions. However, there’s exciting news as the caddis hatch is ramping up, with hordes of adult caddis insects on the water. The fish are eagerly looking up for the little grey fluffy caddis insects, presenting a great opportunity for dry fly fishing.

To locate fish rising to caddis during midday, focus your attention on areas that provide a combination of trees for shade and deep water. These spots are ideal for laying the dry fly and enticing the fish. Our experienced guides recommend positioning yourself below feeding fish and casting up to the wild trout. This strategy gives you the best chance of landing one of these tricky-to-catch fish.

In addition to the caddis hatch, deep nymphing with caddis and mayfly nymphs has been productive. Recently, we’ve also observed immature stone fly nymphs becoming active, so using Pat’s Rubber Legs stone fly nymphs can be effective in attracting fish.

One advantage of fishing on the Lower Deschutes currently is the thin crowds. Most days, you can expect a peaceful and uncrowded fishing experience, allowing you to enjoy the serenity of the river.

For dry fly fishing, we recommend using a size 14 or size 16 caddis adult pattern with 4x or 5x tippet for optimal presentation and success.

Our fly shop is fully stocked, and our knowledgeable staff is eager to assist both local anglers and travelers with their fishing needs. Whether you require equipment, advice on fly selection, or any other assistance, we are here to ensure you have a great fishing experience.

Furthermore, our camp and fly shop offer convenient amenities for anglers. You can set up a tent or park your RV, providing a comfortable base for your fishing trip. Moreover, to beat the midday heat, our fly shop offers a range of refreshments, including ice-cold beverages, draft beer, and grilled food options or deli sandwiches.

Tight lines and happy fishing on the Deschutes River!

Fishing Report – Salmon Fly Hatch on the Deschutes River
Date: May 20, 2023
Location: Deschutes River (Warm Springs to Trout Creek)
Current Conditions:
Following the intense thunderstorms that swept through the area over the weekend, we are pleased to report that the Deschutes River remains in fishable shape from Warm Springs to Trout Creek. The river is not blown out, water clarity a bit “off” but fishable. This means that anglers can continue to enjoy the fishing opportunities without any major disruptions.

Fishing Update:
The eagerly anticipated salmon fly hatch is happening and our guides have gotten their clients into some topwater action already. Though hopefully, weather permitting, the fishing will only get better. The fish are beginning to look up. The water levels are high, but currently on the drop. Until the water clears fish dries on  shallow gravel bars, soft edges, and along the banks and behind the alders. With the water clarity if they can’t see the fly they won’t come to the surface for it.
Recommended Flies:
Given the current water conditions, the chubby Chernobyl dry has proven to be the ticket for success. With the water running high and slightly off-colored, this attractor pattern has been attracting the attention of the hungry fish. Its buoyancy and visibility make it an ideal choice for imitating the salmon flies and enticing strikes.

Tactics and Techniques:
Anglers have been finding success using dry dropper rigs. By combining a buoyant dry fly, such as the chubby Chernobyl, with a nymph or emerger pattern below, anglers have been able to effectively target fish feeding both on the surface and subsurface. This versatile setup allows for a more enticing presentation and increases the chances of hooking into actively feeding fish.
With the Deschutes River in decent shape post-storm, the salmon fly hatch will go into full swing by mid werk, with fish starting to look up, it’s an excellent time to hit the water. Remember to stock up on your chubby Chernobyls and set up a dry dropper rig to maximize your chances of hooking into some impressive fish. Tight lines and happy angling!

Author,
Matthew Price

9/18/22

Deschutes River Fly Fishing Reports

We are headed into fall.. the turn of the seasons is very welcome. Fall is a wonderful time in Oregon. Cooler temperatures plus the arrival of some anadramous fish makes for an exciting time to fish the Deschutes! Fishing is good for trout on the river. The fall is when we see a resurgence of hatches, including caddis, Mayflies (BWO’s & Mahogany duns) and we are already seeing some October Caddis also.

Long line nymphing and euro nymphing techniques work best for nymphing. There are fish looking up as well.. small caddis dries and caddis emerger type flies work. As long as the weather stays warmer (70′-80’s) and before it cools off too much the caddis will be out. The last few evenings have been very buggy and we are seeing trout on the surface like it was June!

As it cools down we will see more mayfly hatches and October Caddis. Hatches of BWO’s and Mahogany Duns can be imitated with parachute mayfly patterns like adams and purple hazes in sz.14-18. Some of your old Salmonfly dries like Norm Woods and Orange Stimi’s can imitate the Oct. Caddis

We also have some October Caddis specific patterns in the fly shop, and along with a ton of other there good flies! Swing into the shop before you hit the river for more recent intel!

Steelhead Update:

While there have been a few reports of steelhead in the Warm Springs area, based on the Sherars Falls fish counts there are not too many fish in the upper river.. yet. We had a client swing one up on a trout spey just above Maupin last week though. The trap numbers have not been updated for over a week at this point either. That many and more go over the falls and not through the trap so the numbers in the trap are not accurate to the exact number. But the numbers are low so far..

The good news is that there is over 50K more steelhead total over Bonneville Dam on the Columbia at this time versus last year. And there have be reports of some pretty good catches on the lower river so we are hoping that we will get some fishable numbers in the upper river too! Late October and November, even December (for the die hards) is best in the Warm Springs section of the Deschutes!

We offer trout/steelhead combo guide trips until then, and steelhead specific trips in October and November on the day stretch (Warm Springs to Trout Creek) Call the shop or shoot us an email for more info..

Deschutes River – (4,000 CFS) Good flows

Fishing is good to excellent on the Deschutes right now, and will only improve over the next month… The river has been most recently in transition from the Stonefly hatch to the summertime mix of Caddis, PMD’s, Little Yellow Sallies, and the like. Fish have had gorged themselves and been pressured hard during the hatch, so once they recover and digest the fishing usually picks up!

We see some of the best dry fly fishing of the season in June and early July, typically head hunting and stalking fish slurping caddis. The evenings and morning can be especially good this the time of year when you can experience those magical evenings when it seems the whole river is boiling! Crowds are typically more light and camping and weather ranges from warm to hot.. but don’t let that detour you from of some of the best fishing of the summer! Stop into the shop for more beta on top flies and where and how to get in on the caddis topwater action!

Crooked River Fishing Report (85 CFS) Low water level

The Crooked is fishing good right now, but low water levels are concerning and leave us wondering just how long the water will last this season. Typically the Crooked is a great summer fishery as the the dam is a bottom release dam, releasing cold water from the bottom of a deep reservoir. But currently water levels and a persistent drought again make us wonder how long the fishery will hold up this summer.

Typically the PMD’s and Glossosoma Caddis start to hatch here soon, and you get some great summer dry fly fishing. Nymphing is always good on small midge, mayfly, and caddis patterns and the like. We will be running trips out there almost daily for the remainder of the summer or until flows get reduced.

Flows much under 75 CFS are really to low for good fishing, and the fish mortality also increases also with the lower flows, less oxygen, etc.. the fish are already stressed at that point.