Deschutes and Crooked River Fly Fishing Reports
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.
