Deschutes River Oregon Fly Fishing Report
Updated 04/14/24
Headlines: The Lower Deschutes is closed to fishing from Warm Springs down to northern tribal boundary until April 22nd. Good hatches are taking place. Stream levels are still a little high in all sections but most sections can be fished successfully.
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Tailwater
Species
Rainbow Trout (Redsides) Native
Steelhead (Mostly Wild, some
Stocked)
Brown Trout
Whitefish
Size
Large
Location
Central Oregon
Nearest Towns
Maupin
Bend
Sunriver
Season
Year-round in Lower Deschutes
Access:
Fair to Good Depending on the
section
Special Regulations
Yes, several. Check current year’s
state regulations.
Non-Resident License
State of Oregon
Weather
National Weather Service
Stream Flow Data:
USGS Real Time Data (6 sites on
lower Deschutes)
USGS Real Time Data (4 sites on
upper Deschutes)
Season:
You can fish the Lower Deschutes
year-round.
Winter:
Steelhead run through December. Trout fishing can be okay on warm days in the lower section.
Spring:
Springtime is the best time for fishing the hatches. Summer:
Summer is excellent for fly fishing the Deschutes River due to the cold tailwaters.
Fall:
Steelhead run from late August through December. Trout fishing can be very good during the Fall.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
For Steelhead and Salmon
Fly Line:
7, 8 , 9 or 10 weight for appropriate typerod, sinking, sinking tip and floating
Leaders:
10#, 12# in 9 to 15 feet lengths
Tippets:
10# and 12#
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly 7, 8, 9 and 10 ft. single hand rods
Fly Reels:
For 7 to 10 weight lines
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
KISS Strike Indicators, Lanyards, etc.
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing On The Deschutes River In Oregon
The two-hundred mile long Deschutes River (river of falls) begins in the Cascades at Little Lava Lake. Here the spring-fed river flows through pine forest and beautiful meadows. This section, called the Upper Deschutes, makes its way through Crane Prairie and Wickiup Reservoirs. Below the reservoirs, the stream drops about 750 feet through canyons of lava creating plenty of fast water and some white water sections. Fly fishing the Deschutes River is Oregon’s finest. Check back weekly. We update the Deschutes River fishing report weekly.
After the drop in elevation, the Deschutes slows down and flows through the City of Bend into a huge irrigation canal system. The water not used for irrigation continues on downstream through more canyons as it continues to make its way through the middle of Oregon’s high desert. This difficult to access part of the river is generally referred to as the Middle Section of the Deschutes. The river slows down again and flows into Billy Chinook Reservoir.
Below the large lake, the Lower Deschutes River flows for another hundred miles providing more native rainbow trout and steelhead fishing for the angler. The Lower Section is the most famous section of the Deschutes. Fly fishing the Deschuters River in this section is second to none.
The Upper Deschutes flows through pines and meadows in the Deschutes National Forest. From Little Lava Lake through the Ponderssa Forest, the Upper Deschutes changes drastically. The Spring Creek section is a wading paradise with plenty of easy to catch brown, brook and rainbow trout. Fly fishing the Upper Deschutes can best be described as fun. The wild life and Bald Eagles and surrounding landscape makes it well worth fishing although larger fish exist downstream. Dry fly fishing the Upper Deschutes is usually great.
The Upper River flows into two reservoirs – Crane Prairie and Wickiup. Both lakes are stocked with rainbow and brown trout. Flowing out of Crane Prairie Reservoir the river goes through a short section that runs down to Wickiup Reservoir. This section offers some really great water, and there are plenty of brown trout. This section has a shortened fishing season, so be sure you check the current fishing regulations.
After Wickiup the river turns and flows to the North towards Bend. There are several water falls – Pringle Falls, Benham Falls, Dillon Falls and Lava Island Falls. Even though there are plenty of water falls, there’s also plenty of good fishing water. The river flows through steep canyon walls.
Right smack in the city of Bend you can find several places where nice riffles hold the famous Redside trout. Dry fly fishing can be excellent during the summer. There is plenty of private property and irrigation can present problems with the middle section. The stream flows through Juniper and Sage but there are stands of Ponderosa Pines in many areas.
Fishing is best form about mid April through October. There are several access points. Even though there’s a lot of private property, there still a lot of trout water you can fish. The water temperature during mid Summer can become marginal and irrigation can create some low flows that doesn’t help the situation. The Middle Section of the Deschutes River ends at Lake Billy Chinook.
The Lower Deschutes River is completely different. It is also the most popular area of the huge Deschutes River. It has both wild trout and steelhead. The trout population is said to exceed 3500 fish per mile of water.
The best trout fishing is in the first forty or fifty miles of the river below Pelton Dam. It also has huge returns of Summer Steelhead. Some consider the Lower Section of the Deschutes the finest river in Oregon and a top one in the United States.
The Lower Deschutes flows through a basalt canyon that runs through the high desert of Central Oregon. There’s a hundred miles of fishing from the base of the Pelton Dam to its confluence with the Columbia River.
Similar to the entire Deschutes River, the into three major sections of water. The section between Warm Springs and Maupin is called the upper section of the Lower Deschutes Similar to the entire Deschutes River, the Similar to the entire Deschutes River, the Lower Section of the Deschutes is also broken into three major sections of water. The section between Warm Springs and Maupin is called the upper section of the Lower Deschutes River. From Maupin to Mack’s Canyon lies the middle section of the Lower Deschutes River. From Mack’s Canyon to the Columbia River is the lower section of the Lower Deschutes River.
This can get confusing to the visiting angler, so make sure you get the specifics of the local names.
The Lower Deschutes has a great population of native Redside rainbow trout. They average about 15 inches but go up to over 20 inches. The summer run steelhead are in the river from August to the first of January. Fishing opportunities last year-round and considering the size and quantities of the fish, anyone would have to consider the Deschutes River as one of the best fly fishing streams in the country.
Steelhead:
We will start with the steelhead fishing in the Lower Deschutes. It is World renowned for its steelhead fishing primarily because the fish will eat a fly on the surface of the water. The steelhead start coming into the Deschutes from the Columbia River as early as July and can be caught as late as November. There are both wild steelhead and steelhead that have been stocked. The hatchery raised trout will come into the river from the Ocean anywhere from late June to August depending on the water levels. The stocked steelhead average about nine pounds. The wild fish are referred to as “A” run and “B” run fish The “A” run wild steelhead come into the Deschutes in July and August and will average from four to six pounds. The “B” run steelhead enter the river from August to September and average about twelve pounds or better. They stay in the Ocean from two to three years. All wild fish must be returned to the river. There are several ways these steelhead can be caught but the most frequently used method, and one that has been around for years, is the traditional wet fly method of fishing. A floating fly line is used for this. The presentation is made down and across the runs and the fly allowed to swing across the run to the downstream position. It usually takes a few mends to control the drift of the fly. Anglers fish the entire length of a long run from it head to it tail. It is best to fish early and late, especially when there’s a bright, sunny sky. You can catch steelhead
up in the day when the sun is bearing down on the water, but you will need to use a sink tip fly line or a sinking fly line to get the fly down to them.
Upper Deschutes River Trout:
The trout fishing is good throughout the entire length of the Deschutes River from its Upper Section all the way to the Columbia River. The trout have a tremendous diversity and quantity of aquatic insects to choose from. The Upper River is considered the water upstream from Bend to Lava Lake, a distance of about 80 miles. Public access is easy because most of the river is in the Deschutes National Forest in the Cascades
Mountains.
Below Wickiup Reservoir down to Benham Falls, the Deschutes River has both wild and stocked trout. Both rainbows and brown trout are present. The stream in this area is best fished from a drift boat. Both rainbows and browns move out of Crane Prairie and Wickiup Reservoirs to spawn and this adds additional big fish to the river. There are rainbows and brook trout in the uppermost part above Crane Prairie Reservoir. Thee
are both brown and rainbows below Wickiup Reservoir., but it’s mostly brown trout down to Benham Falls.
Below the falls, the majority of the trout are rainbows. The brown trout get quite large but the rainbows only average about ten inches. The brook trout are about four to six inches long.
Fly Fishing the Middle Deschutes
River for Trout:
For purposes of this guide, we will call the Middle Deschutes the water downstream of Bend Oregon to Billy Chinook Reservoir. Most of the Middle Deschutes River runs through private property but there are still several places you can access the stream.
There is public access just outside of Bend in the Tumalo State Park. Fishing is best in this section during the Spring and Fall seasons. During the summer, especially during years of low water, irrigation needs can create low water in the Middle Deschutes which can get too warm for good trout fishing. There are several smaller sections of canyons and fishing can be very good in the pocket water when the water levels are good.
Fly Fishing the Lower Deschutes River
for Trout:
The Lower Deschutes River starts below Billy Chinook Reservoir. It flows for a hundred miles before reaching the Columbia River. The upper part of this section consist mostly of huge canyons. This section is classified as a National Wild and Scenic River. The section of the river from Warm Springs downstream to Mauplin is as good as it gets. It has a very good population of wild rainbow trout.
There are several places you can access the stream to wade but there are also some sections as long as thirty miles without access for walk in anglers. Most anglers prefer to fish this section from a drift boat. It will take at least two days to fish the section from Warm Springs to Mauplin from a drift boat and most prefer to stretch that out a day or two so they can stop and fish occasionally.
The area around Mauplin, both above and especially downstream of Mauplin to Mack’s Canyon, has plenty of access. You can catch trout in this area year-round. Keep in mind that it can become crowded during Steelhead season.
Below Mack’s Canyon downstream to the Columbia River, there’s about twenty-five miles of water that has almost no access for waders. This area is best fished from a drift boat. It is the prime Steelhead fishing area of the Deschutes River.
Deschutes River Hatches and Flies::
Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Deschutes River and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726.
There is quite a bit of difference in what locals call the Upper Deschutes River and the Lower Deschutes River. This is a very diverse and long river. For that reason, we will sometimes specify which section we are writing about.
Blue-winged Olives start hatching in the lower section in February, increase in March and April and still continue into May. Some of these are bi-brooded and also, there are several different species. There will be another hatch that takes place in September and October.
During the months of May and June, you may find a few Green Drakes hatching but it is usually not what you would call a prolific hatch and it only occurs in certain areas of the river. The most important mayfly on the Deschutes River is the Pale Morning Dun. It hatches in May, June and July, depending on the area of the stream. There are also some Pale Evening Duns in the Deschutes. They hatch over a long period of time, depending on the section of the river, starting in April and lasting into August.
March Browns can hatch in decent quantities during March and April. They progress upstream and hatch as late as the end of April in the Upper River. Mahogany Duns hatch in April and May and again in September and October. These can be important hatches even though they are not huge.
In the Upper Deschutes, Little Brown Stoneflies start hatching by the middle of February and last through March. Skwala Stoneflies begin to hatch in the lower river the first of March and continue through April.
Midges are important all year but usually only focused on during periods of cold water.
About the middle of July, grasshopper, ants and beetles become a part of the diet of the trout in the Deschutes River. They are quite abundant. Imitations of them can be effective and terrestrial fishing is a popular method during that time of the year.
One of the most important flies you can have on the Deschutes in many angler’s opinion, are streamers. Imitations of sculpin, minnows and baitfish will produce trout anytime of the year and especially when the lighting conditions are low. Imitations of crayfish can also be effective.
Fish eggs are an important form of food in the Lower Deschutes River. Salmon eggs are in the river during November and December. Flies imitating these eggs are very effective as well as other traditional steelhead flies.
We recommend our “Perfect Flies”. They have been tested and used by several regular Deschutes anglers would great results. They are not only the most realistic flies you can buy, they are the most effective at catching trout. If you haven’t already done so, please give them an opportunity to produce for you. We are confident, you will be glad you did.
Caddisflies are very plentiful in the Deschutes River. The Spotted Sedges,
which consist of several different species, hatch from March through September. They are heavier at times and vary with the various parts of the river. The little Short-horned Sedges last about the same length of time or even longer. There are also several species of Green Sedges that hatch from the first of March all the way through October. Imitations of their larvae, called “rock worms”, are effective flies anytime you fish the river. The larger October Caddis start hatching about the middle of September and last until about the middle of November.
Golden Stoneflies start hatching about the middle of May and last for the first couple of week of June. They are more plentiful in the Lower Section of the river. There are a few Salmonflies that hatch from about the middle of May until the middle of June in the Lower Deschutes. Yellow Sallies, or Little Yellow Stoneflies, hatch in June and July.