Deschutes River

The Deschutes River
The Deschutes River is one of the premier fly fishing rivers in the Pacific Northwest. Where else is a blue ribbon, native-fish-only trout stream and a strong summer steelhead run found in the same place?  Click Here: BOOK NOW
The Deschutes River can be broken in to 3 sections: The Upper, Middle and Lower Deschutes, each with unique characteristics, seasons, geology and fish.

The Upper Deschutes originates West of Bend in the Cascade Mountains. It begins it's journey from the spring fed waters of Little Lava Lake and flows South to Crane Prairie Reservoir. This section of river is the quintessential mountain stream. With Snow Capped peaks near by, the river runs through Pine forests and grassy meadows full of wildflowers in the summer. The Upper Deschutes runs clear and cold. Rainbow and Brook Trout as well as healthy populations of Mountain Whitefish call this river home. This is wonderful dry fly water. A small beadhead nymph fished below a dry fly will often account for the most fish. The season runs from June to the end of September.
After it flows from Crane Prairie Reservoir there is a short section of the Upper Deschutes that runs down to Wickiup Reservoir. This section offers some really good looking water, and you'll also find healthy populations of Brown Trout here. This has a shortened season. Consult the ODFW regulation book for exact dates.
After Wickiup the river turns and runs North towards Bend. In this stretch you'll encounter Pringle Falls, Benham Falls, Dillon Falls and Lava Island Falls. Even though there are several major falls in this section you'll mostly find placid currents with some riffles and rapids.
There are many Parks, Campgrounds, Boat Launches and roads to gain access to this section of the Upper Deschutes. Besides road access and hiking along the river, another great way to fish this portion of river is with a drift boat or raft. There are also places where a motor boat is a good way to fish this section of river.
While fishing here, you'll enjoy mature Ponderosa Pine forests, jack pine stands & massive lava flows. You will also enjoy very limited developement, mostly found in the Sunriver area. There are rainbow's and some huge Brown Trout here. Attractor dries and streamers are usually the best bet, but good hatches of mayflies, caddis, stones and midges can occur at any time. Fishing begins in the Spring and is good until October. The Fly Fisher's Place offers guide service on all of the Upper Deschutes.
Right through the city of Bend you can find several places where riffles hold good numbers of Redside trout. Many summer evenings have been enjoyed just minutes from the hustle and bustle of Downtown Bend catching nice trout on Dry Flies. It's True!
The North end of Bend is the beginning of the Middle Deschutes. This section has the most private property and irrigation water issues. With that being said, there is still outstanding fishing on the Middle Deschutes. From mid-April to the end of October is the best time to fish the middle river. With access around Tumalo, Eagle Crest, Cline Falls, Odin Falls, Lower Bridge, Crooked River Ranch, Steelhead Falls and the confluence of Whychus Creek you can still find plenty of water on the Middle Deschutes.
Fishing begins in the Spring with good hatches of March Brown mayflies. Along with baetis throughout the season, you'll see hatches of Pale Morning Dun and Pale Evening Dun mayflies. Also, expect prolific caddis hatches and in some areas good Salmonfly/Goldenstone hatches.
The Middle Deschutes is also perfect "attractor" water. Renegades and Purple Haze are both favorites here.
April, May and June are the best times to fish here. Start watching the water temperatures here in July, August and September as the draw down for irrigation can create low flows that warm the river to unsafe levels during the height of the summer. During some seasons, the water temps remain OK during these months and fishing is not a problem. The Fall is a good time to fish the middle river again.
Much of the Middle Deschutes runs through smaller rimrock canyons. Juniper and Sage are the predominate flora but Ponderosa Pines are also prevelant. Deer and Quail call this home, as well as the occasional sighting of a Coyote. Many of these canyons are a birders delight with frequent sightings of raptors and songbirds.
The Middle Deschutes ends at Lake Billy Chinook.

The Lower Deschutes River begins it's 100 mile journey a few miles upstream of the Hwy. 26 Bridge at Warm Springs, Oregon. From Warm Springs down to Whitehorse rapids there are about 3500 trout per mile. Below White horse that number drops some but the trout fishing remains excellent all the way to Mack's Canyon. This is Canyon country, with huge cliffs and Basalt flows thousands of years old. Juniper and sage predominate with Alder trees lining the river and some Pine along the rimrocks. Deer, Quail, Chukkar, Ducks, Geese, Heron, Otter, Beaver, Mink, Coyote, Cougar, Bobcat, Big Horn Sheep and Reptiles all call this home. It is a National Wild and Scenic designated river!
The section from Warm Springs to Maupin is an outstanding fishery. From late April to the end of October you'll find trout feeding on a myriad of aquatic insects. At the beginning of the season expect smashing rises to Salmonflies and Golden Stones during our May/June hatch. After the Salmonfly hatch you'll encounter good hatches of PMD's, Pale Evening Duns and Caddis from June through August. In the Fall we have good Blue Wing Olive hatches plus plenty of big Orange October Caddis. Midges and smaller caddis are also a part of the daily menu in the Fall.
Much of the fishing you'll do on the lower Deschutes will be with a 2 fly dropper nymph set up and a strike indicator. In the fall you never know from one cast to the next whether you'll bring another nice Redside to the net, or be hooked up to a 8 pound Summer Steelhead that is running and jumping out in the strong currents mid-river. Are you up for that?
While there are walk in access points at Warm Springs, Mecca, Dry Creek and Trout Creek, most serious fishing comes from floating this in a drift boat. A perfect 1 day float begins at Warm Springs and ends at Trout Creek. BOOK NOW
Beyond Trout Creek the only other access point (for over 30 miles) for walk-in anglers is South Junction.
A float trip that begins at Warm Springs and ends a few miles upstream of Maupin can take from 2 to 5 days depending on your pace. This area is the best Trout fishing on the river! In September and October it is also exceptional for Steelhead. If you have 2 nights to camp and can fish with us for 3 full days, this is a trip you'll want to do every year. We set up a nice camp, cook hearty meals and enjoy fishing as good as anyplace you've ever been.  BOOK NOW
Once you arrive in Maupin, you'll find the Summer months to be filled with whitewater rafters. There are several miles of river from Harpham Flats down to Sandy Beach with great rapids for whitewaer enthusiasts.
In the Winter and Spring, a great place to access good fishing is on the road upstream of Maupin. Harpham Flat, Devil's Canyon, Nena and Locked Gate are all fine spots to fish.
Downstream of Maupin, the Oak Springs Hatchery area on the West side of the river is also a good spot.
On the East side of the River there is an access road that travels from Maupin to Mack's Canyon (approx 25 miles) and offers plenty of access to good water. During Steelhead season this can get very crowded and your best bet is to float from Pine Tree to Beavertail or Beavertail to Mack's Canyon. Both of these floats are one day trips and will get you on the other side of the river away from the crowd. The Fly Fisher's Place guides fish this water regularly. This area is very good for trout fishing year round and is exceptional Steelhead fishing from August through December.
From Mack's Canyon to the Columbia River is the final stretch of the Lower Deschutes. 24 miles of drift boat, raft or jet boat fishing brings you to the Deschutes finest Steelhead water. There is no road access other than a a frightening descent on the Kloan road. The Steelhead run begins here in July and fishes well into the Fall. Again, the guides at the Fly Fisher's Place can do a 2 to 4 day trip in this section and will provide a nice camp, meals and the opportunity for some very hot steelhead.  BOOK NOW

As you can see, the Deschutes is a diverse river flowing over 200 miles from the Cascade Mountains down to the arid Columbia River country. The Fly Fisher's Place specializes in guided fishing trips on the Deschutes river. The shop staff knows each section well and can help you find the best water during your visit and set you up with the right flies for optimum success.
Give us a call at (541)549-3474 or try our NEW online booking service to book a trip with us. If you have questions feel free to call us at the shop or go to our Contact Us link and send us an email with your questions. We are here to help.