Deschutes Steelhead
As many have heard, the Deschutes Steelhead and Salmon fishery will officially be closed starting August 15th. Wild steelhead over Bonneville did not meet the minimum number to keep the season going under the current framework. There is a chance that the season could re-open September 15th if the numbers eclipse the next numerical threshold. Here's to hoping, but we're going to need to see some big numbers soon for that dream to come true.
If you try to get a last outing in before the closure, be kind to your neighbor. The early ending of the season has significantly increased the angling pressure. To put it mildly, you're not going to be alone out there. Be respectful of other people's water, and that respect goes both ways. The best rule of thumb is, "just ask" if you even question where you're jumping in around other folks already fishing. The flip side of that coin is do not assume you can hold multiple runs to yourself if it's busy.
Deschutes Trout
The great news on the Deschutes is that the trout fishery will remain open. And the trout have been snappy! Caddis and aquatic moths are making up the bulk of the insect activity these days. Water temps this summer have definitely been helping the trout activity. It would be a looooong stretch to call the water temps good, but they have been notably better than in the last few years. Moody is not routinely hitting 70 degrees late in the day. We've had some heat, but the nights have been cooling off enough. All good things!
As for approach, first and last light have been very good. There's definitely been some solid surface activity right away in the morning. Whatever dead caddis that happen to be on the water are getting gobbled immediately. As soon as the sun starts poking over the canyon wall, the adult caddis start bouncing around. Prospecting pocket water with a trusty Elk Hair Caddis has been a lot of fun. Evenings have been great, too, with big clouds of caddis doing their thing.
The subsurface fishing has been pretty good, too. If you're nymph fishing, just make sure you have some type of caddis larva in the mix. As for streamer folks, the trout spey bite has been periodically spectacular! It can be a little hot/cold on all these days without a cloud in sight, but when it's good, it's REALLY good! The bites twitching scuplins and leeches are so good! Hard to believe, but the violent grabs from bigger trout make a lot of the steelhead grabs seem very gentle.
July 7, 2026
Deschutes Trout
It's the time of year again where Deschutes trout take the backseat. Understandable for ardent steelheaders, but kind of a cryin' shame for dedicated trout anglers. Yes, it gets hot out there and the best fishing windows are a little more limited....but they're really good! Morning and evening shade are key on the hot sunny days. Look for fish to be actively searching for whatever's available right at first light. This could be dead caddis swirling in back eddies, actively bouncing caddis adults, sparse crane flies or even your tiny chubby fished as a searching pattern! One thing worth noting is that the adult caddis hanging around in the grass start to fly in good numbers right when the first hint of sun is in the canyon. This rapid onset of insect activity provides a great morning window to work a deeper bank with a dry fly.
And then there's the evening. If you enjoy Deschutes trout fishing, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not fishing evening caddis a few times in the summer. It can look like a bit of a dead sea during the heat of the day in the high sun, but the trout sure come to life in the hour or two before dark. Some nights it seems to happen almost immediately when shade hits. Other nights, it's more like the last hour leading up to total darkness. Sometimes the rises are very obvious and sometimes they're not....but you can bet your bottom dollar that there are some sizable fish eating caddis right before dark. It's definitely worth trying!
Deschutes Steelhead
We've had plenty of inquiries about steelhead in the last week. To answer the question, yes, there are a few fish in the lower river. The cooler weather that recently came through was a nice reprieve and did temporarily slow the soaring water temperatures. Unfortunately, that weather has come and gone. Nothing but heat and sun in the foreseeable future. This means, barring a release of cooler water from the dam, temps are going to be getting very warm on the lower river in the later half of the day. Cross all your fingers and toes, but some years they release some cold bottom-fed water in the second or third week of July. Hopefully this will happen again as the fish response tends to be very noticeable!
The fish that are already there are much happier and the temp drop sucks in a lot more of them from the Columbia. Per usual in the heat, morning shade is key. The cool-ish morning temps are comfortable to fish in and your odds are the best. As for fly choice, it's a dry line show with brighter colors working very well. Purple Green Butts, Purple Muddlers, Pink and Purple Sno Cones.....you get the idea! If you're fortunate enough to encounter one of these early fish, hang on tight! They're as good as summer steelhead get.
Mt. Hood Lakes
Stillwater fishing has been good as of late. Most of the local lakes are seeing Callibaetis with regularity. If you can get out on a day with relatively light wind (rather hard to come by lately!), make sure you're prepared for some dry fly fishing. On the breezy days, wind drifting slip strike indicators with balance leeches has been deadly. If you want to increase your odds a bit, drop your balance leech a couple feet below a chironomid pupa. This is a deadly combo most of the time.
If none of the above is happening, don't be afraid to try an attractor or terrestrial dry fly. Add a dropper below the dry if you're inclined. Sometimes when times are tough, a relatively generic "bug" type dry will draw a surprising amount of attention. Small chubbies, foam beetles, ants, and the like. If there's not enough of a hatch going on to make the trout key in on something, they can get pretty opportunistic and grab whatever hapless bug hits the water.
June 12, 2026
Deschutes Trout
What a great time to trout fish the Deschutes! June can be so good.....and so quiet on the lower river. The stonefly chasers are long gone. Not that the fish won't occasionally still gobble a big dry. They definitely do. Generally speaking, their minds have started to fixate on other bugs. For the most part, this means caddis, caddis and more caddis. And be prepared to imitate all stages of the caddis life cycle from larva to dead adult.
If you're running nymphs, make sure you have something caddis-esque going. It doesn't have to be particularly elaborate, either. Something along the lines of the old Green Rock Worm typically does the trick quite well. Try caddis pupae on the swing or dropped of a dry. Then there's all the fun surface fishing, and the evenings will provide plenty of opportunities. Mornings, too. You may see a smattering of mayflies if you luck into some clouds, but be prepared for lots of caddis for the foreseeable future.
Trout Spey
Bugs aside, there has been some pretty sporty Trout Spey fishing going on, as well. Lots of traditional steelhead spots have been fishing well. Some of the most productive spots have been the faster heads of runs that have a very abrupt/distinct drop off. Streamers jigged across that transition seem to cause very aggressive reaction bites. Hang on tight!
Mt. Hood Lakes
The lake fishing around Hood has been solid. Lots of good reports of Callibaetis and chironomid bites happening. June is just a darn good month to stillwater fish around the neighborhood. All methods apply and just about anything could happen! Something to keep an eye on is an increase in damsel and dragon activity. We have some warmer on the horizon and this should get the various Odonates hatching in good numbers. Though there can be some dry fly fishing with damsels and dragons, it's mostly a nymph show. Slow crawling a nymph on a Midge Tip line can be extremely productive. Especially if you can fish the fly over the top of weed beds. Combing banks with the same rig can also work well. Damsel and dragon nymphs swim to shore and crawl out before the adults break through the nymphal shuck. If you happen to be lucky enough to experience a substantial migration of nymphs, you're going to be in for a dynamite day!
May 28, 2026
Deschutes Trout
The fishing pressure will be on the fade as we head into June. It can be downright amazing how many anglers give up on Deschutes trout when the stonefly hatch fades. Truthfully, some of the best dry fly fishing with stonefly patterns is at the end of the hatch. The selectivity you often see when there is an abundance of bugs goes away to some degree. They know that food source is fading fast and they're happy to gobble up what few bigger bugs remain. Scaling down the size of your dry is a great move at this point in the season. Smaller chubbies can draw a ton of attention. Could be a small golden. Could be a Sally. Could be a big caddis. Could be a terrestrial. Definitely works!
Beyond the stones, caddis are present in great numbers. Though there will be some mayfly activity under the right conditions, caddis will be the daily staple from here on out. Not to be missed, the evening caddis fishing can be just spectacular at this time of year. And it's a pretty angler-friendly program. The bulk of the activity happens when the sun dips below the canyon walls. Focus your efforts on the last couple hours of light. Bring plenty of Elk Hairs, floatant and dry shake. It usually doesn't have to be much more complicated than that. The fish are so tuned in to caddis in the evening that you should not be discouraged if there aren't piles of fish rising. Poke your way up a deeper grass bank and fire away. They'll be looking for it!
Mt. Hood Lakes
Things have changed for the better on the local lakes around the mountain. Many people reported slower-than-normal fishing the first few weeks after the opener, but that's improved. Callibaetis and Chironomids are starting to crank along yielding some great dry fly opportunities. Slip-strike indicator rigs with a Chironomid as the point fly and a Balance Leech below have been extremely productive, especially on the windier days. The lake fishing should be great for the foreseeable future.
Early Summer Steelhead
There have been a few folks out looking for a shot at the title in the last week. And there are a few around! Options are fairly limited this early on with some of the bigger Portland Metro rivers and the Klickitat being the best bets. Notable factor thus far is that water levels remain very low/clear for this time of year. The good news is that this makes the fish incredibly receptive to a floating line. Early summers tend to be great biters as is, and coaxing a fish to grab a skater or wet fly is not a big ask in the generally shallow water. Morning and evening shade will present the best opportunities with fish feeling a little more comfortable under the cover of darkness. In high sun, focus your efforts on water with some depth and chop. Try to fish as many spots as you can in the time you have. There aren't a ton of fish around yet, and getting one to bite isn't the hard part. The challenge at hand is finding one. Don't worry about baby-stepping down a likely run. Fish it fast and move on to the next to up your odds.
May 11, 2026
Deschutes Trout
Well, the gang's all here....Salmonflies, Golden Stones and Yellow Sallies are all present. The stoneflies, per usual, are offering some excellent windows of opportunity. The trout's willingness to eat bigger dries certainly has some variability to it from day to day. Sometimes they'll happily come up and grab it in high sun out in the open. Sometimes you can't get one to commit on the huge surface fly anywhere other than in the full-on Rambo water....the tough wades and tiny spots with good flow, structure and shade. It's fairly safe to assume that a good shaded spot with the right characteristics will have a bigger trout that's willing to eat the dry. Needless to say, it's been really fun!
With the ebb and flow of the big dry fly bite, it's important to mention all the other insect activity going on out there. Golden Stones and Salmonflies get most of the attention, but there are tons of Yellow Sallies around, too. Sometimes they really key in on Sallies and that can make for some outstanding dry fly fishing. There are also a ton of different caddis around making for some great dry fly fishing in shallower water.
The really pleasant surprise has been all the different mayfly activity. There have still been some March Browns out and about. PMD's are starting to come on strong. There are also some stray Mahoganies and B.W.O.'s. There's been a shocking amount of mayfly activity on all these beautiful sunny days. That often doesn't equate to mayfly surface fishing, but the nymphs are extremely important to mix into your dropper program. Heavy jigged PMD and March Brown droppers have been working well along with more standard Perdigon-style bugs.
Mt. Hood Lakes
The lake fishing around Hood has been a little on the slow side thus far. It's seemed like the early dose of extreme heat spurred some early algae blooms, and the hatches have been a bit sporadic thus far. Looks like we're in for a more standard weather pattern for this time of year, which will definitely help get things going. Leech fishing with intermediate lines or indicators has been most productive thus far with a little dry fly fishing in the mix. Things should heat up soon with good Callibaetis right around the corner.
April 20, 2026
Steelhead Flies
Deschutes Trout
Spring is happening on the Deschutes. There's green in the canyon, and you have to get that while you can! After a handful of cold nights, the current extend forecast is showing nothing but beautiful spring weather. Now to answer seemingly everyone's current question....what's going on with the stoneflies!?
With all the early heat we've had, that's a very valid question. Yes, we've heard some rumors of a stray golden stone or salmonfly, but not too much to report on the big bugs just yet. That said, it's certainly time to be ready for it. If the current forecast holds, things will likely be ahead of schedule by a bit this time around. Be sure to re-stock your flies, terminal tackle, floatant and dry shake. Luck favors the moderately prepared and some of these small but crucial items can become scarce in a hurry during the peak of the hatch.
Stones aside, the fishing is coming on rather strongly right now. All standard sub-surface techniques are working well. There are still some March Browns and BWO's. Caddis are making a daily appearance to some degree or another. The river is really coming to life and things are happening!
One approach worth mentioning is prospecting with a dry fly. Especially on some of these warm afternoons. You can go dry/dropper with a small chubby (or something along those lines), but it can be even easier than that. Try fishing shallow pocket water with a well-greased Elk Hair Caddis in 14 or 16. You'll be amazed at what you find!
Mt. Hood Lakes
Stillwater season is upon us. Be sure to check the regulations to verify the opening day of your favorite lake, but some of the best ones on Hood open 4/22. We have excellent conditions on the lakes for this time of year with water temps that should be a bit above average.
Expect to have excellent leech fishing with intermediate lines or balance leeches under indicators. The chironomid fishing should also be very good with great opportunities to fish on the surface in the later half of the day. Best of luck to all the anglers trying the lakes this week!
March 30, 2026
Steelhead Flies
Winter Steelhead
We're nearing the end of the season with just a few more weeks left. Time to search out your grand finale! The first couple weeks of April can produce some excellent fishing, and the crowds will start to thin. And it's just a wonderful time to be giving it a try. There are plenty of notable signs of spring throughout steelhead country, but they're especially evident on the coast. The plants are exploding and a lot of the spring birds are showing up. The salamanders are filling up pools along the rivers and the water temps are staying in a very favorable range. The steelhead will be making their last big push here. Time is no longer on there side and Spring Chinook are not too far behind them. If you want to get a few more cracks at winter fish, get out there sometime in the next couple weeks while there are still chrome fish to be had.
Deschutes Trout
Certainly wouldn't call it busy out there and the reports we've been hearing are quite good. The river is at a very nice spring flow and the water temps are good. Still a pretty mixed bag of bugs on any given day, but one worth focusing on is the early caddis. They may not be present in big numbers every day, but the fish have certainly been into them. If you're nymph fishing, but sure to try a caddis larva behind your standard larger point fly. Larva patterns with some green in them have been very productive. Beyond that, the streamer fishing has been periodically off the charts! If you get to try it on a cloudy day, hope for some surface activity, but push the streamer fishing in between. This is a great time of year for some amazing streamer fishing if conditions line up.
March 16, 2026
Steelhead Flies
Winter Steelhead
The second major "Atmospheric River" passed recently passed through the Pacific Northwest, and it was a dandy. Most rivers that see winter fish were at or approaching flood stage. It seems like we've received about 70% of our winter precipitation in two different rain events this time around. Things are going to be on the high side for a few more days but we have a fairly dry extended forecast.
The good news about all the water is that it is sure to move a ton of fish around. We have approximately one month left of the season and these last few weeks can be the best of the year. The stage is set for a great finale!
From a tactical standpoint, focus your efforts on doing whatever needs to be done to get below the fast surface currents, hold your fly at depth and swing it slowly. High water is one of the situations where multi-density Skagits truly shine. Sinking your head below the surface chop dramatically slows your swing. Some of our favorite options for this are the RIO Pickpocket in F/I/S3, S3/S5/S7, OPST Commando Groove, and on longer rods, the Airflo F.I.S.T. There are fish to be caught in the high water. You just need to get your fly down to them and hang it in their face long enough to convince a grab.
Practical Reminders
- Get Down, Stay Down – Use multi-density Skagit heads and heavier tips to cut through surface chop and keep your fly in the strike zone.
- Slow the Swing – High water fish are less willing to moveâ€â€ÂÂslow everything down and let the fly hang longer in prime holding water.
- Target Softer Edges – Focus on inside seams, tailouts, and softer buckets where steelhead slide out of heavy current to rest.
Deschutes Trout
The weather did have an impact on the lower Deschutes, as well. The White River went from ~370 cfs to ~3700 cfs. The water from the confluence down to the mouth will definitely be some shade of off-color for a bit. That said, the Deschutes above the confluence of the White is looking much better.
A few different things happening in the bug department out there right now. BWO's, caddis and midges are the most abundant, but be prepared for some "others". There are a few skwalas and early March Browns out and about, too. Hope to get lucky and see a little surface activity, but it's predominantly going to be a nymph and streamer program until the flows go down a bit more. The elevated water is a great time to nymph fish with large, dark stonefly patterns! Dark leeches work great, too.
Practical Reminders
- Fish Above the White – Better clarity upriver means more consistent fishingâ€â€ÂÂtarget stretches above the White River confluence.
- Go Big & Dark – High, off-color water calls for large stonefly nymphs and dark leeches to improve visibility and trigger eats.
- Nymph & Streamer Focus – Expect subsurface action; keep an eye out for BWO or midge windows, but plan on nymphing and swinging streamers.
March 3, 2026
Steelhead Flies
Winter Steelhead
It feels like we've been waiting for winter to materialize for a few months now, but it doesn't seem to be happening. Water levels have been up and down, but mostly down. We've got a little rain in the forecast, which will be great.
We're already getting into winter steelhead crunch time. Call it approximately six good weeks to go. The abbreviated timeline certainly helps the angler to some degree. Many of the fish that haven't ran upriver yet will do so in the next few weeks.
Water temps will likely be good and just getting better. Warmer water in the back half of the month definitely equates to snappier fish on the swing.
It's easy to fish really hard during the first half of the winter and burn out, but a lot of the best fishing happens in the fourth quarter. Get out there and give it a try in the beautiful weather!
Practical Reminders
- Monitor river levels and trends (rising vs. dropping water can matter more than a single number).
- Adjust sink tips and fly size to match water speed and clarity.
- Cover the run methodically, including inside and softer water before reaching for long casts.
Deschutes Trout
Trout reports off the Deschutes have been quite good lately. It's been incredibly mild, and the water temperature is much more favorable than it could be in early March. The river is in great shape and things are happening!
Kind of a little bit of everything in the bug department. B.W.O.'s and midges will remain strong contenders for a while, but there's some other activity, too. These warm days have spurred some early caddis. There's not a billion skwalas in the Deschutes, but there are definitely enough to carry some just in case. If nothing else, their nymphs will be getting active.
Indicator fishing with a medium-sized stonefly and a smaller dropper (olive, midge caddis larva, etc) will work well. Keep the bigger stonefly going and change your dropper until you find the bug du jour.
Stop and watch now and again in the afternoon. Sometimes the surface activity can be easy to miss if you're not actively looking for it.
Practical Reminders
- Midges and BWOs can produce on a wide range of days; match tactics to what you observe.
- Stonefly nymphs are a reliable anchor fly with a rotating smaller dropper.
- Watch for subtle surface activity and adjust your approach if you see consistent rises or adults.
February 13, 2026
Buyers Guide to Waders
Winter Steelhead
Well, it finally rained! Not enough to blow out many systems, but plenty to motivate some fish movement. We're back in a little dry spell, but there is more precipitation coming in the near future. The forecast looks a little more normal for the next couple weeks which will certainly help the fishing.
Lots of rivers will be trending toward low/clear here for a few days, but that's not the end of the world. You can always go fishing when the water is low, and it can certainly make the fish a lot easier to find. They don't mind holding in shallow water when the river is steelhead green, but they definitely don't love to do that when the water is clear. Deeper buckets show up like a beacon and that's where you can expect to find the biters. In theoretically ideal conditions, they could be just about anywhere. Sometimes to the point that it gets in your head! That is a great thing about low/clear. The holding water is greatly reduced and it allows the angler to focus primarily on what deeper water with color is out there. It also reveals the details of spots you've caught fish before in higher water.
One other thing to keep in mind about winter fishing is that the window isn't that long compared to that of summer fish. Winters are on a rapid mission to get upriver and spawn. There isn't a long holding period. Hard to believe, but we only have a couple months left, give or take, of prime time. Go when you can and put the advantage of time with fly in the water in your favor. As things drop and clear, try some brighter flies. Pinks, reds and oranges can draw some pretty violent grabs in these conditions!
Deschutes Trout
There's some wintery weather coming soon. In the trout world, that means B.W.O.'s! Not sure why those bugs like crummy weather so much, but they really do. Some of the best B.W.O. fishing happens in the nastiest weather. Look for them to be rather active this coming week. Be prepared to imitate all stages of their life cycle. Nymph fishing will be the best option in the morning. Try a larger point fly with a small trailing fly to imitate the olive nymph. Tiny Pheasant Tails are a great choice. As you slide into the middle of the day, keep your eyes peeled for fish targeting bugs as they emerge. A few favorite patterns to match this stage are the Film Critic, Sparkle Flag and Sprout B.W.O. Look for the duns to be on the water sometime between noon and 2:00. Try a Double Vision or Parachute Extended Body B.W.O for this stage.
February 1, 2026
Buyers Guide to Waders
Winter Steelhead
Well, we need some water. No way to sugar-coat the situation. It's been extremely dry for quite some time. It's definitely go time as we slide into February and there are some fish around, but you're going to have to either get pretty lucky or put in a fair amount of time for a fish. Coastal rivers will be a solid bet. Even when conditions are challenging with a relative lack of water, there are always some fish coming in off of the high tides. Fish movement is definitely slower further up the Columbia. With as dry as it's been, if we get a little rain and rivers go up even just a little, go fishing! One important thing to keep in mind with winter fish is that they are on a much more abbreviated timeline than summers. A little bit of rain can go a long way. Even if the bump only brings your river to the low side of good.
Be sure to be well-supplied with lighter sink tips and unweighted flies. Try some pinks, oranges and reds in the low clear water. Go before, during and after the next rain. Just go a lot if you can! The most successful winter steelheaders go as often as possible and find success through attrition.
Deschutes Trout
It's very abnormal, but you'd be hard-pressed to have more enjoyable weather on the Deschutes at this time of year. It's not getting very cold overnight, and the daytime highs in the extended forecast are in the 50's. It's just really nice in the desert country right now. If you're not a steelhead person or are tired of swinging your heart out with minimal activity, head east and go trout fishing. Pretty much any technique could be on the table throughout the course of a day. Look for nymphing and streamer fishing to be the most productive options. Kind of strange to say, but consider bringing sunscreen!
January 19, 2026
Buyers Guide to Waders
Winter Steelhead
Winter season is always a rollercoaster. The first part of this "winter", if you can even call it that, brought a tremendous amount of water and moved a bunch of fish. The bite area wide was pretty encouraging leading up to all the flooding and continued for a while when things dropped back in. This situation seems to come up often in the winter, but it's time to start hoping for rain again. Rivers from the coast through the Gorge have been on a long steady drop and it looks like that's going to continue for another week-ish. There are fish to be had, but they seem to be getting a little sparse for the time being in a lot of places. Look for the next bump to be productive. In the mean time, try some brighter sink tip flies on these beautiful sunny days!
Deschutes Trout
The Lower Deschutes is in great shape. Easy level to wade and the water temps are notably warmer than they could be at this time of year. That means there's some great trout fishing to be had! Nymph flies with whatever method you prefer will be the most consistent way to go, but there are other options on the table. Hatches of BWO's and midges will be fairly consistent. Especially on cloudy days. You could even encounter some other bugs on these extra warm days. If there is cloud cover, be sure to work a streamer into the program. Whether you're a Trout Spey person or prefer the single-hander, the streamer bite is not to be overlooked. It can be just outstanding and produce some of the larger fish in the river. The fly itself doesn't have to be that big, but your terminal tackle does! Call this a 1 or 2x fluorocarbon tippet deal. The initial bite and surge from a big one can easily break lighter tippet.
January 5, 2026
RIO MOW LONG Tips SALE
Buyers Guide to Wading Boots
Winter Steelhead
Is there anything better than hooking the first winter steelhead of the season!? Even just hearing about a few being caught is enough to pump up the crowd around here. The back-to-back Atmospheric Rivers certainly did a lot of re-arranging throughout the Pacific Northwest. New channels formed. Some shallow spots became deep....and some deep spots shallow. Lots of trees and rocks moved. It was a real series of events!
On to the point....are there fish around? There sure are! Consider it go time from here on out. Go early and go often. There's rain in the forecast, but not the catastrophic amounts that we've already seen. One huge positive has been the temps. It's been on the warmer side which definitely helps keep the water temps up. This always helps in the winter. Get your sink tips and flies in order if you haven't already. This is going to be a great week to give it a try.
Deschutes Trout
This is such a wonderful time of year to trout fish on the Deschutes. Keep your eyes on the gauges and try to avoid and big flow spikes or drops. The trout prefer things to be steady in those two departments, and changes either way can put them off the bite. Water temps have been in the low-to-mid 40's, which should have fish sitting in softer winter lies. Call it predominately a nymph and streamer game with the possibility of some afternoon BWO fishing. The bugs should be present to some degree every day, but surface activity will be variable. The huge bonus of fishing the Deschutes at this time of year is the solitude. You can have large stretches of the river all to yourself.....and some really good trout fishing!
December 18, 2025
Flooding Advisory: Oregon River Roads? Drive Safe, Fish Safe.
Evening River Report  Update: It's been raining incessantly in the Pacific Northwest, but the first big drop is on the horizon! This is the perfect opportunity to prep you gear and make sure you're dialed in for the first shot of the season!  Charlie | Gorge Fly Shop
QUICK READ: Winter Steelhead Prep List (blog post)
December 16, 2025
Buyers Guide to Korkers Soles
Winter Steelhead
Well, this pretty much sums up the current situation! The die-hards are super itchy to hunt for the first winter fish of the season, but aside from a few very brief windows, rivers have been out. Locally, we're predicted to see another 1-2" of rain tonight and more on the way later in the week. It's going to be pretty difficult to find any fishable water from the coast out to the eastern edge of the range of winter fish. All the high water will definitely move some fish around and it should be good when things finally drop.....but it may be a bit! It's going to be a good week to prep gear for the season ahead. Check your backing, sink tips, hooks, etc. Patch up your leaky waders. Replace your warm socks with the heels blown out. It's hard for steeheaders to sit on their hands at this time of year, but the prep work is never regretted when it's go time.
Deschutes Trout
Wish I could say there was a sunnier outlook on the Deschutes for this coming week, but if the predictions hold, it's going to get pretty big. Sometimes these giant systems coming in off the ocean lose most of their moisture before getting to the east side of the Cascades, but this one is giant. It's going to rain quite a bit out east, too. It takes a lot of water to make the Deschutes go up 5k+ in a short period of time, and it looks like we're going to get it. Look for the river to drop back down toward average flows before you give it a try again.
Discontinued Gear - Spey Rod Kits - Custom Fly Kits
December 1, 2025
Columbia Gorge Fishing Calendar
Winter Steelhead
How quickly the steelheader's mind shifts gears! We've already heard whispers of a couple winter fish on the coast. That tends to be a fun factoid about a lot of the winter rivers with decent wild returns. Their arrival times are highly varied. This allows different batches of fish to successfully make a go of it throughout the extreme variation of water levels we see in the nest few months. The beginning of the season is a great time to get one on the swing. The number of fish present isn't typically very high, but the water is on the warmer side for winter. That always increases the odds.
This is an annual statement on our blog, but it's definitely "make your own report" season with regards to winters. At this point, it's safe to say that every flow spike on the coast (and some other places) from now on will draw some fish. Just like summer season, the first fish to hand is always one of the best! If nothing else, it gets your head in the game.
Deschutes Steelhead
Call it about a wrap on a great season. You can certainly still find a fish or two out there, but the majority will have been around for a while....or a long while! Can't say that the water temp has taken a huge nose dive yet, but that could happen any time soon. If you try it again, focus on getting the fly down a bit and slowing your swing speed. Unless we see an unlikely rise in water temp, call it a sink tip game.
Deschutes Trout
Ideal conditions for trout fishing with a great extended forecast. Lots of cloudy days = good BWO hatches and awesome streamer fishing! Conditions couldn't be much better. The water just hasn't gotten that cold yet. Not nearly as cold as it could be, anyway. You could catch fish on just about any preferred technique at some point during the day. It would be wise to take advantage of the awesome fishing weather while it's still here. It can be great in the wind and snow, too, but the travel is easy for the time being.
November 14, 2025
Buyers Guide to Waders
Deschutes Steelhead
We've been pretty darn lucky with the late fall weather. It could be flat out cold by now and it's not. We've had some rain but it hasn't been enough to do anything crazy to the Lower Deschutes. Conditions for the tail end of the season couldn't be much better. Flows have been fairly steady and water temps have held up well. Pretty ideal situation to round out the season!
The fishing has changed a bit in the last couple weeks. It seems like a lot of the strays that were piled up down low have dropped out. There are certainly plenty of fish around down there, but noticeably fewer than there were a few weeks ago. It's a great time to spend a day higher up in the system.
As for the fishing, think about getting down a bit. You could definitely still get one on a floating line if you push the issue, but their willingness to move up in the water column and chase has definitely gone way down. Sink tip fishing will be the most effective method from here on out with smaller sink tip flies being the most productive. Best of luck to everyone out there trying for another fish, or two!
Deschutes Trout
For those of us that have put in a long season chasing steelhead, it's been pretty hard not to notice the increase in trout activity as of late! Things are pretty much perfect for that. All the dark and warmish weather has been kicking mid-day BWO activity into high gear. If you try for trout out there, be fully prepared to represent all stages of that bug. Nymph fishing will be effective right out of the gate in the morning. Be sure to have something imitating a BWO nymph going. A great two-fly combo is a stonefly or bigger Hare's Ear with a size 18-20 Pheasant Tail trailed behind. The bugs have been actively hatching sometime between noon and 2:00 spurring some good surface activity.
The streamer bite cannot be ignored, either. Dark weather is very conducive and the trout love bigger meals in the fall. It's not a particularly common practice on the Deschutes, but don't be afraid to mix in a bigger streamer if the standard smaller sculpins and leeches aren't working. You may not move as many fish, but you will see some real bruisers if you commit to if for a while.
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October 31, 2025
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Deschutes Steelhead
Fall is setting in in full force out on the Deschutes. Not much in the line of extreme cold or icy morning commutes yet, but that could certainly be the case any day now. There has yet to be any kind of major fall shake-up on the river as far as flow is concerned. There can be a pretty significant bump in flow associated with the end of the irrigation season in mid-October, but that never materialized. The White River never really blew out the Deschutes this time around either, and it should be pretty well locked up for the duration. The return of Fall Chinook was certainly noticeable, but it seemed to be a bit smaller than the last few years. At least it didn't seem to throw off the steelhead bite as badly as it can some years.
The only notable change to conditions has been the falling water temps. Even that has been steady and fairly mild to this point. We're probably just a few days away from the Moody gauge going below 50 degrees for the first time this fall. All things considered, conditions have been great.
With water temps nearing sub-50, it is high time for some tactical changes. Lots of anglers have recently been asking if there is still a dry line bite to be had. There is, but it's becoming pretty situational and much better in the afternoon when the water temps are peaking. Look for dry line biters to be in shallower spots with structure and softer current. The best opportunities will be in places that you can present a fly on a broadside swing at a slow pace. Switching over to a slow sink Polyleader also helps the cause. It will get your fly down just a little more and also helps to slow the swing speed a hair.
Other than that, it's a sink tip game from here on out. A cold steelhead is much more apt to move up a foot in the column to grab a fly than it is to move up three feet. The fly doesn't have to be big and gaudy. It just has to be down a little deeper. As for sink tips, it's pretty hard to beat the versatility of 10' of T-11. You can fish it through most shallower water with an unweighted fly and little or no mend. Conversely, you can adjust your angle slightly upstream and get deep with a weighted fly if you need to. Beyond that one, a 2.5' Intermediate/7.5' T-11 tip comes in very handy in spots with structure. Great options from RIO and Airflo there. These tips tend to weave there way through rocks and ledges much better than longer level tips.
Deschutes Trout
The fall feedbag is a real event in the trout world and it's particularly evident on the Deschutes. The fish have packed on so much weight in the last month! The Redsides don't miss any opportunities to eat salmon eggs. The fall hatches have also been strong with ample BWOs, October Caddis and a daily smattering of other bugs. All methods apply at some point during the day. You could easily go from indicator to trout spey to dry and back again in the same day! The trout fishing is just flat-out good right now however you prefer to do it. Even on the lowest reaches of the river, big trout have been gobbling BWOs. This is an ideal time to target trout as they have been largely unbothered while everyone looks for a steelhead.
Mt. Hood Lakes
Stillwater season is winding down locally. Many of the lakes close today and it's gotten rather cold at higher elevations. That said, a few of the stillwaters in the greater Hood River area remain open. If you're looking to get a little more lake fishing in, pick a warmer day if you can. That will spur some chironomid activity and give you a shot at some dry fly fishing. Aside from that, think low and slow. Creeping a leech along with a sinking line or suspending flies under an indicator will work well. The bite can still be very good, but the willingness to aggressively chase things is on the fade.
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October 13, 2025
Deschutes Steelhead
The weather is changing out in the desert. It's even been periodically rainy as of late! Look for stable weather patterns to produce the best fishing. One thing Deschutes steelhead hate is change. Even theoretically positive weather changes. Dark and rainy for several days in a row is good. So is bright and sunny. The day when the weather changes drastically from one to the other tends to be tougher. We get that a lot later into the fall and it's just a part of the program.
On the plus side, water temps on the lower river couldn't be much better. Temps have been hovering in the 56-59 degree range down at the mouth and it doesn't get any better than that! All methods are viable, but it's hard to deny how good the dry line fishing has been. Be ready with some smaller comeback flies. If you find a biter and can't seal the deal with your go-to searching pattern, show the fish something small and buggy, like a Steelhead Coachman or Undertaker. And don't be afraid to go really small. Sometimes it seems like the only limitation to how small of a fly they'll grab is having a hook stout enough to hold a fish!
Deschutes Trout
It's an awfully sporty time to be trout fishing out there right now! The cool and rainy weather has spurred some BWO activity. Caddis are still present to some degree. There have been a bunch of October Caddis around, too. Though the adult is sadly not a huge part of the game, the trout definitely love the pupa. If you do some indicator fishing out there, mix a big October Caddis pupa into the program. They love 'em!
Fall is also a great time to streamer fish. With much colder weather impending, some of the bigger trout are looking for more of a mouthful. Smaller sculpins and a variety of leech patterns will do the trick
Mount Hood Lakes
The local stillwater season is winding down. Check the regulations as many of the alpine lakes close to fishing at the end of the month. With colder weather up high, expect many of the lakes to be in the process of turning over if they haven't done so already. This tends to mean there will be some color in the water. If that's the case, stick with darker leech patterns. Slowly strip them along on an intermediate line, or fish them below an indicator.
September 25, 2025
Deschutes Steelhead
Fishing remains strong on the Deschutes. By this point in the season, there are fish spread throughout the lower river. Things should be picking up nicely up high. Down low, the recent blast of heat (now gone) had significantly warmed the Columbia. This created a perfect situation to drive in tons of strays destined for rivers further east. The moral of the story is, if you want to get a fall trip in out there, pick your favorite zone and go! The weather forecast is absolutely beautiful. It's all lining up for some great times out there.
As for the fishing, wow, has the dry line bite been good! It always is, but it's been exceptional this time around. Many anglers that are not intimately familiar with the river assume that getting down deeper is more productive, but that's really not the case until the water temps get much colder. Common practice is to fish a dry line in the shade and switch over to a sink tip in the high sun. This is a very effective approach, but there are ways to get them near the surface in high sun. A big part of that is spot selection. If you are not a sink tip person, think a lot about sun angles with your floating line. If you can, pick a spot where the fish will be chasing your fly away from the sun and/or toward a dark background. It doesn't hurt to go with a bigger/darker hair wing or muddler, either. They don't quit grabbing flies near the surface in the sunlight, but fishing something that they can see and track easily dramatically ups the odds.
Deschutes Trout
It's sure starting to feel pretty trouty out there! Water temps are cooling and all methods are working. In the bug world, there have been some massive hatches of smaller BWO's as of late along with the caddis. With cooler nights, look for the best caddis fishing to be in the evening on warmer days. It seems like the they have been on the fade a little compared to a few weeks ago. There have also been some sightings of Golden Stones, of all things. Though I wouldn't expect to see much in the line of a surface bite on these, there must be plenty of active stonefly nymphs out there. For all of you streamer junkies, this is a great time to get going with your favorite Trout Spey. This is the perfect time to streamer fish.
Mount Hood Lakes
Early fall is a wonderful time to sneak in some stillwater fishing. The weather is lovely and the crowds of summer have faded. Be ready for the few remaining Callibaetis to be going on warmer days. Beyond that, chironomids should make some sporadic showings. Smaller terrestrials will also get fish looking up on a sunny afternoon. Aside from that, the subsurface fishing should really get cranking. The high alpine trout become keenly aware of the fact that cold weather is around the corner. They take the opportunity to pack on some weight before the deep freeze sets in. Yet another excellent fall fishing opportunity here in the PNW!
September 5, 2025
Deschutes Steelhead
September is here and it's full-on steelhead time. It's been up, it's been down, it's been...well, normal steelhead fishing! There was a wave of fish in the lower Deschutes a couple weeks ago that yielded some pretty unbelievable fishing for a while. That faded after a bit and settled in to a pretty standard good bite. Anglers putting in shade sessions in the morning and evening have been rewarded with approximately 1-3 opportunities per day. Sometimes more and sometimes less. Call it standard steelhead fishing. It's been great! Particularly the dry line fishing. The high sun sink tip bite will improve here shortly as the water temps come down.
Angler etiquette is certainly worth mentioning at this point in the season. The reality of the Lower Deschutes, especially the lower 10 miles, is that if there are a good number of fish going over the Dalles Dam, it's going to be busy. Hikers, bikers, rafts, drift boats, float tubes, gear and fly...anglers abound down there. With this in mind, everyone needs to be attuned to fishing with and around others. You hear the term "Low Holing" thrown around a lot, but it's important to know what the definition of low holing actually is. If you are fishing a distinct pool with a defined start and finish, that's your spot. If someone jumps in below you within that defined piece, that is low holing. Plan A is always to fish a run above the first angler, but that's not always possible. The gray area is if there is another run below the first one that is technically a separate and unique spot. Some people will be totally fine with you jumping into the second spot below and some will not be! Good courtesy is to simply talk to the other angler and hash out a mutually agreeable plan if possible. If that's not possible, party on. It's not worth getting into a confrontation over. Along these same lines, it's also important to recognize that you can't expect to have a gigantic stretch of water all to yourself for an extended period of time. Sometimes people don't show up and you might get a few back-to-back runs, but that's not the norm. Furthermore, do not under any circumstances be afraid to fish behind people. Maybe you're casting a little further, swinging at a different speed or using a different fly. All these factors and some others contribute to you hooking one.
Deschutes Trout
The trout have been noticeably active in spite of the recent heat. You do not want to be a hapless caddis on the water at first or last light! The trout have been on them like glue. Most of the surface activity has disappeared during the high sun, but you'd likely do well nymphing faster water during the day. We're just a few days away from a major cooldown that will make the trout fishing much better through the entire day instead of it being a first and last light deal. Steelhead steal the show in the early fall, but the trout fishing is not to be ignored. It can be just excellent!
Mount Hood Lakes
Well, we're coming out of the longest spell of heat we've had the entire summer. Surface temps on the local lakes have been a bit on the warm side. A lot of the active trout will be at or below the thermocline until things cool a bit. This means it's time to go deep. Heavier sinking lines and extra long leaders with slip strike indicators will be the ticket to get you in the zone. The impending cooler weather along with the shorter period of daylight should drop water temps here shortly. There is still plenty of good lake fishing to be had this season. With schools back in session and most summer vacations wrapped up, the traffic on the lakes should be on the slide. The remainder of the stillwater season will present some excellent opportunities with relatively low fishing pressure. Pretty fun!
August 18, 2025
Deschutes Steelhead
Well, it's been off to a great start! Numbers have been strong and fishing has been good. We recently made it through three extremely hot days out in the desert....like over 100 degrees hot. That has been the one upside of the extreme heat we've had so far this summer. It's only been sticking around for a few days at a time. It looks like we are out of the high heat for the time being and there are some cooler nights in the forecast, which helps a ton.
From a fishing standpoint, the dry line bite has been excellent....especially in the morning. With a solid number of fish present, this is a great time try and raise one on a skater. At the very least, a grabby fish will often show itself. It may not bite, but it will give you a visual cue in the form of a flash, boil or charge. If you can't get it to commit on the surface, put a wet fly or two past it. No guarantees in steelhead fishing, but that usually seals the deal!
Deschutes Trout
It's pretty amazing how much trout activity you see when you're trying for a steelhead. The Redside's bigger cousins are not the only ones that like first and last light. Wherever you happen to step in on the lower river, you're very likely to see some noses in the morning. Several anglers have recently commented on the bigger trout grabbing caddis or aquatic moths in the morning. We've seen some bruisers rising in the last couple weeks!
Aside from the morning and evening surface program, all the standard sub-surface techniques have been effective, too. On the nymphing side of things, make sure you have something cased caddis-esque in the mix. Streamer folks can rejoice, as well. Deeper/faster runs with some surface bounce have been giving up some great fish with outstanding grabs. Make sure you're fishing a heavy enough rig to get your fly ~1/2 way down in faster water and you'll be in business. Olive, black and natural streamers have been working well.
Mount Hood Lakes
The stillwaters around Hood continue to be productive. Recent reports have been favorable with a mix of tactics producing fish. The surface bite continues with Callibaetis, some occasional chironomids and sporadic damsel flies. Prospecting with generic smaller terrestrials has been really fun lately, too. Call it something that just looks like a bug....tiny chubby, various ants, beetles, bees...you name it! If you look closely on any given day with wind, you'll find a rather diverse smattering of terrestrial insects. Cruising trout in stillwaters seem to love random terrestrials, and that style of generic dry fly can get them to rise when other patterns do not.
July 29, 2025
Deschutes Steelhead
This graph is a pretty good summary of the early portion of the return so far. Keep in mind that this is just unclipped steelhead, not total steelhead. It's a relief and great to see! Things on the lower river are about how they've been the last couple years. Afternoon water temps are quite warm. Your best bet is going to be from first light until noonish. Keep in mind that the coolest water of the day is hitting Moody sometime right around 8:30 a.m. and trending up from there. At this point, there should also be some fish higher up in the system. Don't be afraid to fish the access road below Sherar's Falls. You'd definitely have a shot at a fish and likely little company from other anglers.
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Deschutes Trout
Not too much new to report there. The trout fishing remains strong. Especially in the mornings and evenings. Caddis and aquatic moths are still the main bugs going. Typical of the mid-summer, trout are parked in a lot of faster water. This has made for some excellent Trout Spey fishing as of late! Smaller sculpins and leeches in olive or black have been producing, per usual.
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Mount Hood Lakes
The hot bite going lately has been in the evening. We've had lots of reports of excellent Callibaetis fishing this week during the last few hours of daylight. This is a good time to start carrying a broader assortment of Callibaetis dries. Beyond standard duns and spinners, be sure to have some change-up bugs. Cripples and emergers can save the day when the standbys are getting refused. Many of the most productive lakes around Hood have been getting fished relentlessly for sometime now. Something a little different can seal the deal when they get snooty.
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July 18, 2025
Deschutes Steelhead
Everyone seems to be asking. Are there some fish in the lower river? Yes! On any given year, barring a major catastrophe, there are some fish in the Deschutes in the first half of July. Sometimes there's just a few and sometimes there's a bunch. The major hitch tends to be the water temperature. Interestingly enough, due to some combination of the dam operation and weather, the coldest water temps of the day have routinely been at about 8:30 a.m. at the mouth. Not exactly corresponding with first light like we'd all prefer, but that's been the situation. On the really hot days, it's only been getting down to ~66 degrees and going up from there. Fortunately, we've had some slightly cooler nights the last few days. Temps this morning were down to ~63....a much better number!
For those looking to try it for the first time, focus your efforts on the early part of the day. Fish through the coolest water temps of the morning and call it a day when it starts getting excessively hot. Put on 12 lb. and a bright hairwing with a stout hook. The early summers can be totally ballistic and stacking the odds in your favor with the appropriate terminal tackle can be the difference between landing a fish and the "one that got away".
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Deschutes Trout
Not too much has changed in the trout world out there lately. Caddis and Aquatic Moths are still the stars of the show. The best dry fly fishing has been early in the morning and in the evening. That said, you can still drum up some fish in the riffles with a dry during the day. Nymph fishing remains strong and the Trout Spey bite is definitely there, too. The great news in the trout world is that the river is largely void of anglers. It gets eerily quite out there post-stonefly and it's really not warranted. The fishing is great!
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Mount Hood Lakes
Some of the shallower or lower elevation lakes are starting to go through a transitionary period. After several weeks of summer weather, the surface temps are starting to warm on certain lakes. Not to a detrimental degree, but it's changed the fish activity a bit. Lots of fish, especially during the heat of the day, will be feeding down deeper toward the thermocline. This can require a bit of a tactical change. If the on or near-surface stuff isn't working, try a heavier sinking line that will get you down in the 10-20' range. Slowly retrieving chironomid pupae or an unweighted leech will get these fish to go. It's also worth trying early in the morning at this time of year. The first light bite is not much of a thing on lakes at elevation earlier in the season, but it's definitely a thing now! Expect to see insect and fish activity increasing earlier in the day with hotter weather.
July 3, 2025
Deschutes Steelhead
Here we are again. The front end of Summer Steelhead Season!!!! It's a truly magical time of year for its devotees, but per usual, fraught with a bit of uncertainty. Most of this is related to warm water in the lower river again. The Moody gauge at the mouth has already hit 70. Sadly, not an uncommon situation for this time of year. The lower Deschutes was once a coldwater sanctuary for its native fish and for salmon and steelhead headed to other locales further east. Now, it's not terribly uncommon for the lower river to be warmer than the Columbia, making it unappealing for any migrating fish. Not to be all doom and gloom here as this all can change with the flip of a switch, more or less. There was a brief yet notable drop in temp out of the dam in early July last year. Hopefully this will happen again.
So what's going on with the front end of the run? Early numbers of fish moving through the Columbia are a fair bit below where they were at this time last year, but that could easily be weather-related. We've had some heat, but it's been fleeting. Certainly not enough heat to bring up the Columbia temps enough to make steelhead move quickly upriver. Recent counts over Bonneville are starting to go up. As are numbers over the Dalles. Hopefully this is the tip of the spear!
If you're ready to give it a shot for the first time, go early. Fish for a few hours starting at first light when the water temps are at their coolest. This is a dry line game. Fish heavy tippet and stout hooks. If you are lucky enough to come in contact in the next few weeks, be prepared for a serious battle. Early summer fish are truly about as good as they get in every conceivable fashion! They can be borderline un-land-able in a lot of situations....and that's a risk worth taking!
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Deschutes Trout
As we slide into steelhead season, Deschutes trout tend to take a back seat. The beloved anadromous cousins steal the limelight, but don't forget how good the trout fishing can be! We're settling into the standard summer trout program which largely entails dead caddis early in the morning and swarms of mating bugs in the evening. Look for the best dry fly fishing of the day to be in low light. The last hour of fishable light often has the river very alive with trout looking for caddis. Dead drift it...skate it...sink it and swing it. Lots of techniques can be effective when they're into them.
Mount Hood Lakes
The stillwater fishing continues to be steady. Callibaetis are present area-wide and the warmer weather is starting to spur more damsel activity. The last few days have presented some interesting conditions. Lighter winds with sporadic bug activity. Fish were rising here and there. Blind-casting a Callibaetis dry and letting it aimlessly drift was drawing the most attention. Random small terrestrials were working, too. Below the surface, fish were definitely looking for Callibaetis nymphs both under an indicator and creeped along on a midge tip line.
June 20, 2025
Deschutes Trout
Put June right up there as one of the best months to trout fish the Deschutes. It is annually amazing that so few people fish for trout out there after big bugs are gone. It's uncrowded and the fishing is excellent. Yes, that includes dry fly fishing! The caddis program is going strong and it doesn't have to be complicated. Grease up a size 14 or 16 Elk Hair and fish the choppy edges and fast pocket water. You may not see a bunch of fish rising but they are definitely looking for caddis. There are also a bunch of aquatic moths out there right now. They are a little smaller than most of the caddis and a bit lighter in color.
Beyond the dry, it's kind of a "choose your own adventure" scenario. Nymph fishing has been very strong with various Euro jigs and anything looking approximately like a cased caddis larva. Smaller flashback Hare's Ears in 16 and 18 fit the bill there. Don't be afraid to get out the trout spey, either. Jigging streamers through deeper/faster runs has been producing some freight train grabs from bigger fish. SO MUCH FUN!
The great news on Deschutes trout is the impending cloud cover. We have some very welcome darker weather moving through, and even a chance of rain out there on Saturday. This should spur a little more mayfly activity along with the caddis. The fishing is going to be outstanding. If you're feeling trouty, this is going to be a great week to give it a try.
Mount Hood Lakes
Stillwater fishing is in full-swing. Callibaetis are present daily on most lakes to some degree. The tricky part about targeting this hatch has been nailing a time period when there are a lot of bugs and lower wind. It's been Gorge Summer windy here as of late. Howling! It has been relatively calm most mornings for a bit, but the cooler nights keep the bugs at bay until later in the day.
Subsurface fishing in the chop has been excellent on most days. Wind-drifting balance leeches below a slip indicator is pretty hard to beat. All leech colors seem to be working, but some of the lighter color schemes have been particularly strong as of late. This could be related to the increase in Damselfly activity. Either way, tan and lighter olive leeches have been great!
Gorge Smallmouth
Lots of folks coming through on their way to the John Day as of late. Smallmouth fishing is game-on for the summer. This is a great trip if you're looking to do some serious catching! Fishing smaller poppers or foam bugs on a lighter rod will draw plenty of attention from the fish. If you want to try for a bigger one, take out a heavier rod and use a much larger surface fly. Or fish a big streamer on a sinking line in the deepest water you can find. There are some bigger bass out there, but it can be hard to keep smaller offerings away from the plentiful little ones.
May 21, 2025
Deschutes Trout:
It's that time of year again! Stoneflies are going on the Deschutes and it's about to get really good! The progression of things has been fairly similar to the last few years. We get some hot weather sometime in the second week of may and the bugs get very active for a few days. Then the weather cools off for a week or more and, though very present, the Golden Stones and Salmon Flies are not returning to the water in great numbers to lay eggs. Will they still eat a big dry fly? Absolutely, but you really need to get it in the pickers. Fish looking for adults will be under the tree limbs and overhanging grass.....areas most likely to have bugs blown into the water. If you're not opposed to it, adding a dropper below your dry will definitely up your odds. As will indicator fishing with a stonefly nymph.
The heat is going to be returning leading to the weekend and this should really crack things open for the remainder of the hatch. There will be some EPIC days of dry fly fishing in the next couple weeks. For those of you camping or fishing until dark, be prepared for some great evening caddis fishing, too. The impending heat should bring them out in great numbers, too.
Stillwater Trout:
It sure has been fun fishing the lakes around Mt. Hood! The stillwater bite has been strong to very strong. Callibaetis have been showing up. Chironomids continue. The tricky part has been hitting a window during daylight hours when the wind isn't absolutely howling! We're getting to the time of year where the strong and persistent Gorge wind is settling in. And that's ok. Enjoy the dry fly windows when they're there, but be ready to go down. Balance Leeches paired with a Chironomid or Callibaetis Nymph will be very productive. As will leeches stripped or trolled on intermediate lines. Regardless of technique, it's just a darn good time to fish the lakes.
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Deschutes Trout
Winter Steelhead
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Local Lakes
Deschutes Steelhead
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Mount Hood Lakes
Justesen Ranch
Deschutes Trout
Steelhead
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Fishing Reports - May 25th, 2023
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Deschutes Trout
Deschutes Trout
Mount Hood Lakes
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Deschutes Trout
Deschutes Steelhead
March 11th, 2023
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Deschutes Trout
Winter Steelhead
Fishing Report 12/16/2022 - Charlie's Report
Deschutes Trout
It's awfully quiet out in the desert at this time of year. To be perfectly honest, it's been darn cold on the Deschutes lately. Fortunately, the weather looks like it's going to trend to the warmer side by the end of next week. Hopefully this comes to fruition, but there are lots of days predicted in the high 40's to 50 in the later half of the month. It's going to be warm, dark and rainy. Ideal winter trout conditions. The fishing can be shockingly good in the cold, but a little winter warming trend will really kick things into high gear. Olives and midges will be on the menu. Nymphing and streamer fishing will be great. If good trout fishing in relative solitude is your thing, get out to the Deschutes in the next few weeks.
Fishing Report 11/3/2022 - Charlie's Report
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Deschutes Steelhead
They're out there, folks! The mild weather this past week made for some pretty good fishing for those putting in the time. We are, however, right on the edge of the first major cold front of the fall. The water temps are going to take a serious nosedive. This won't eliminate the possibility of catching fish on the swing, but presentation is going to become much more important. This means slowing your swing speed and getting the fly down. Think winter tactics for late summer fish. When the water gets really cold, try switching over to an intermediate or multi-density Skagit Head. These lines slow your swing speed to a crawl and can convert cold fish into biters.
Deschutes Trout
Deschutes Trout Standing out in the cold rain isn't on everyone's to-do list, but it sure makes for great trout fishing on the Deschutes. The recent rainy days gave way to some massive afternoon B.W.O. hatches. These hatches should continue to go off and improve with the impending sporty weather. Keep your eyes open for risers in the early afternoon and be sure to have at least one B.W.O. nymph going on your indicator rig. Even if there aren't many rising fish, they will be keyed in on the active nymphs.
Bugs aside, the streamer fishing has been very good and will remain a solid bet as the water cools. Vary your presentation until you figure out what peaks their interest. Sometimes they like the fly stripped aggressively and sometimes they don't care for that at all. Most of the action I had on the Trout Spey this week came on just a steady swing with no stripping. But that could be totally different today. Mix it up until you crack the code. Fish your streamers on heavy tippet. The possibility of a steelhead encounter is there, especially if you're just swinging the fly.
Fishing Report 10/17/2022 - Charlie's Report
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Deschutes Steelhead
Steelhead haven't been particularly easy to come by lately on the lower river, but there's still plenty of time for that to change. All the steelheaders passing through the shop have been optimistically talking about the upcoming weather change. Dark days and floating lines are on the way. The fall transition can definitely help stir things up and make fish move. One very notable thing about the Deschutes steelhead in the last several years is that many of them show up a little late to the party. A good majority of anglers hang up their gear in mid-October which leads to the ability to fish a bunch of great water with confidence. They may not jump in your net on the first run, but they're out there to be found. With fish spread throughout the system, pick your favorite area and find a unicorn.
As for flies, think buggy and natural. The water has been on the low/clear side for some time now. Dry line flies like Undertaker, Steelhead Coachman and the Brazilian have been working well. On the sink tip, try Hoh Bo Speys, Mini Intruders or Bantams.
Deschutes Trout
Deschutes trout fishing has been nothing short of excellent. Spawning fall Chinook have perked up the fish and they have been packing on some extra egg weight. The warmer weather has also spurred a bunch of insect activity. Be prepared to see a mixed bag of bugs out there...B.W.O's, caddis, crane flies and clouds of midges. The surface activity has been a bit sporadic, but the nymph fishing has been deadly. Don't be afraid to go small in clear water. Midge larva and pupa patterns have been working well. The streamer bite has also really picked up. The fish will be getting extra happy when the cooler rainy weather sets in. Deschutes trout love nasty weather!
Mount Hood Lakes
The lakes have been fishing quite well as of late. Local anglers have reported good chironomid activity along with a smattering of other bugs. The leech fishing has been very good with the most success coming on olive patterns or an intermediate lake line. Now is the perfect time to soak up our remaining warm weather on the lakes. Be sure to check the regulations before you head out as many of the lakes close at end of the month.
Middle Deschutes River
Upper Deschutes
Metolius River
Mount Hood Lakes:
Steelhead -
Smallmouth Bass / Carp:
Fishing Report 9/29/2022
GorgeFlyShop.com
Trout - Deschutes River:
Lower Deschutes River
Middle Deschutes River
Upper Deschutes
Metolius River
Mount Hood Lakes:
John Garrett and son Kohl getting into some Steelhead
Steelhead -
Smallmouth Bass / Carp:
Middle Deschutes River
Upper Deschutes
Metolius River
Mount Hood Lakes:
Steelhead -
Smallmouth Bass / Carp:
Fishing Report 8/26/2022
GorgeFlyShop.com
Nice Brookie that ate a small sculpin near some log structure.
Lower Deschutes River
The lower is still a good central Oregon fishing option. Again, with temps throughout Oregon still quite hot, it's important to focus your efforts from dawn until about 1pm for your most productive fishing window. Afternoons when it's hottest out, can be more challenging, and also not an ideal thing from an ethical standard as water temps are getting upwards toward 70 on hot days in the lower sections of the river, which can be lethal to trout and steelhead alike.
Mornings are productive fishing caddis dries in the back eddies and off grassy banks. Nymphing is still your best bet. Focus on faster riffles where it is most oxygenated. Some good bugs to run this time of year are jimmy legs, euro style frenchies, copper johns, red lightning bugs, various caddis pupa patterns and psycho princes. Dropper flies should be in the #16-18 range for best success.
Middle Deschutes River
Middle Deschutes has been productive in the mornings. This is great dry dropper water, so using a golden stone or small chubby dropped down to a euro style frenchie is a fun way to target the rainbows and browns that live here.
Upper Deschutes
The upper Deschutes has been fishing strong. The upper upper in between Little Lava and Crane Prairie is running cold and clean this time of year. This is a very fun stretch of water if you are the type of angler who likes to put some miles on their boots and fish in a beautiful high alpine setting. The brook trout are moving in from the lakes in prep to spawn next month and have been fired up and eating small streamers and buggers around log jams and in the deeper pools and seams. Small chubby's with a beadhead nymph dropper is a great tactic to to target some nice fish as well.
Nicely colored up brown that ate the #18 split case pmd.
The section below Wikiup down to Sunriver, is fishing really good as well. Lots of active fish eating nymphs hard in the seams behind log jams. Predominant hatches up there include pmds, various caddis and bwo's. Dry dropper during the hatch windows is a great tactic. Last Sunday I ran a #10 chubby with two flies beneath, a #16 euro frenchie and a #18 split case pmd nymph.
Metolius River
The Met continues to be a great option with it's consistent 46 degree water where the trout thrive. Caddis, pmds and various golden stones are the main bugs hatching the Met right now. Rusty spinner's at dusk is picking up some good fish and caddis are happening in the afternoons and into the evenings. Nymphing with rubber leg stoneflies, peridigons, rainbow warriors, frenchies and zebra midges are all great patterns.
Lots of lake run bull trout are in the Metolius getting ready to spawn in the tribs. Streamer action is strong both dead drifted and stripped when targeting these fish. These lake run fish will hang around after spawning all fall and into the winter so the time is now to string up the 8 and 9 weights with your favorite articulated streamer pattern.
Mt Hood Lakes
Lake season around Mt. Hood is in full swing. Float tubes are the best tool for the job up there and can be a ton of fun. Slow stripping wooly buggers, damsel nymphs and leeches is a great method. Nymphing with a set of chironomids or a pheasant tail nymph is a good bet too. If fishing this method, giving the indicator a few pops and strips here and there help bring those bugs to life and will trigger more takes.
Columbia River Carp
Carp fishing has been killer during this heat wave! Look for carp cruising the shallow flats and back sloughs off the main Columbia River and be prepared to put an accurate cast right in their face to get an eat. It's a super addicting way to fish and we have all the good carp bugs at the shop.
Steelhead
The lower Deschutes has been open now since August 15th and there have been mixed reports, even given the strong numbers of fish around. Fish are definitely being caught but you have to work for them and cover water to find them. Early mornings right at dawn until about 11am is your best shot at hooking a summer fish so get to your spot early.
Tight lines!
Fishing Report 8/19/2022
GorgeFlyShop.com
Super rare Metolius brown that ate a #18 purple peridigon nymph under an indicator.
Lower Deschutes River
The lower Deschutes is still a good option to beat the heat this week. Caddis are still going strong fishing pupas, adults and dead caddis. Nymphing in the oxygenated fast riffles will also pick up fish. Reminder to focus your efforts early in the morning and wrap it up early afternoon before the water temps get too warm. Depending on where you are fishing, water temps will stay good throughout the entire day. Down closer to the mouth, water temps are upwards of the 70 degree mark with this heat wave rolling through Central Oregon at the moment.
Middle Deschutes River
Middle Deschutes has been productive in the mornings. This is great dry dropper water, so using a golden stone or small chubby dropped down to a euro style frenchie is a fun way to target the rainbows and browns that live here.
Upper Deschutes
The upper Deschutes is holding on during the dog days of summer. Dry dropper rigs continue to produce in the deeper pools and undercut banks. Streamers are a good bet around structure to target the larger brookies and browns up there. Caddis and pmds are the main bugs happening up there. Go have some fun!
Metolius River
The Met continues to be a great option with it's consistent 46 degree water where the trout thrive. Caddis, pmds and various golden stones are the main bugs hatching the Met right now. Rusty spinner's at dusk is picking up some good fish and caddis are happening in the afternoons and into the evenings. Nymphing with rubber leg stoneflies, peridigons, rainbow warriors, frenchies and zebra midges are all great patterns.
Lots of lake run bull trout are in the Metolius getting ready to spawn in the tribs. Streamer action is strong both dead drifted and stripped when targeting these fish. These lake run fish will hang around after spawning all fall and into the winter so the time is now to string up the 8 and 9 weights with your favorite articulated streamer pattern.
Mt Hood Lakes
Lake season around Mt. Hood is in full swing. Float tubes are the best tool for the job up there and can be a ton of fun. Slow stripping wooly buggers, damsel nymphs and leeches is a great method. Nymphing with a set of chironomids or a pheasant tail nymph is a good bet too. If fishing this method, giving the indicator a few pops and strips here and there help bring those bugs to life and will trigger more takes.
Steelhead
The Lower Deschutes opened on Monday the 15th and will be open for a month then ODFW will re-evaluate wild steelhead numbers to see if the season will remain open the rest of the year. It is looking good for the season being open all year!
Fishing Report 8/1/2022
Lower Deschutes River
The lower Deschutes is a good option right now to beat the heat this week. With hot temps happening throughout the NW, I would focus your efforts early in the morning from sunrise till about 11am. Then back in the evening when the sun is setting. It's also a good idea during these heat waves to fish higher up in the system closer to Warm Springs where the water will be the coolest. This time of year is a good time to carry a Fishpond thermometer to make sure you are fishing responsibly. Fish water that is 68 degrees or less for trout. Anything above this can be fatal to trout upon release.
Fish dead caddis in back eddies and along grassy banks in the mornings. Nymphing continues to produce well at any time of the day. When it gets hot like this, the trout generally will move into deep and fast water so using heavily weighted nymphs will allow them to break through that current down where the trout are laying.
Middle Deschutes River
Haven't fished the middle Deschutes in a little while. I would assume fishing is decent. Should be some caddis hatching in the afternoons/evenings. Nymphing will be most productive in the fast riffles where the water is the most oxygenated.
Upper Deschutes
The upper Deschutes has been okay. Water is staying fairly cool the higher up in the system you go. PMD's are hanging on still with fish still looking up. Streamers and nymphs will be the most productive method at this time though.
Metolius River
The Met is a good bet with all this heat. With it being a spring fed stream, the water temps remain consistent throughout the year staying nice and cold which make the fish happy. There are quite a few lake run bull trout showing up at this time getting ready to spawn in the next few months. Dead drifting big articulated streamers that imitate whitefish/kokanee is a highly productive method. You can do this with or without an indicator. If you're able to see a few fish laying in a run, i like to just dead drift them without an indicator and watch for the fish to eat.
Trout fishing is good. Euro nymphs and traditional nymph rigs are getting it done. Caddis and pmd's are the main bugs that are hatching with the occasional golden stone flying around.
Mt Hood Lakes
Lake season around Mt. Hood is in full swing. Float tubes are the best tool for the job up there and can be a ton of fun. Slow stripping wooly buggers, damsel nymphs and leeches is a great method. Nymphing with a set of chironomids or a pheasant tail nymph is a good bet too. If fishing this method, giving the indicator a few pops and strips here and there help bring those bugs to life and will trigger more takes.
Steelhead
The Lower Deschutes river will be opening for steelhead fishing on August 15th which is exciting news. We surpassed the 9900 unclipped steelhead number over Bonneville to yield a season opener. The next number we need to hit is 23,100 unclipped fish over Bonneville through the month of August to ensure the season remains open for the rest of the season. Please give the shop a call if you have any clarifying questions, but as of right now, the Deschutes is set to open August 15th.
Last Week:
Laurence Lake Update:Laurance Lake Rd. (Forest Road 2840) on Hood River Ranger District opens Friday, July 8, following emergency repairs. Laurance Lake Rd. provides access to Kinnikinnick Campground, Laurance Lake Day Use Area, and several trails on the Hood River Ranger District. While the Eliot Creek washout has been repaired, Laurance Lake Rd. is still extremely rough and narrow. Forest engineers recommend travel by high clearance vehicles only, and highly discourage trailers. Laurance Lake Rd. has been closed for public safety due to a road washout at Eliot Creek. Crews recently completed work, which included installation of two culverts at the creek crossing. Campsites at Kinnikinnick Campground are now open and available for reservation at Recreation.gov. The crossing over Eliot Creek is a flood-prone area, primarily due to melted water and erosion from Eliot Glacier on Mount Hood's north side. In spring the fast-moving water carries rock, silt, and other debris down the mountain and into streams. Erosion from the snowmelt creates unstable ground and stream washouts, specifically at this section of Eliot Creek. |
