Fly Fishing The Wallowa River Oregon
The Wallowa River's headwaters begin in the Eagle Cap
Wilderness as a small stream with mostly small trout that
flows into Wallowa Lake. The main river flows from
Wallowa Lake in the Wallowa Mountains of Oregon for
fifty miles to its confluence with the Grande Ronde River.
The upper part of the river below the lake flows through
a valley of farmland. The lower section flows into a
rugged canyon and at its end, joins the Minam River.
This is a very good rainbow trout stream with steelhead
appearing the first of the year and peaking in February
and early March. Fly fishing the Wallowa River is good
during much of the year.
The steelhead are caught on most traditional fly
patterns using nymphs and swinging wet flies. The
rainbows are mostly caught using nymphs but the dry fly
fishing can be good at certain times of the year. The
lower section of the river, approximately ten miles long,
isn't easily accessed. Steelhead move into this part of
the river from the Grande Ronde in January and
continue to move upriver into the more accessible areas
in February. Above the town of Minam there's about
nine miles of the river directly accessible from highway
#82. It's a beautiful canyon section of the river and a
popular one during the peak season. This section of the
river, consisting mostly of pocket water, is also a great
area for catching the resident rainbows. The best
rainbow trout fishing takes place from sometime in June,
depending on the weather, through September. Most of
the rainbows average about 12 inches but go up to as
large as 18 and over. The section from the lake to
Wallowa flows through private property. In most cases,
you can probably obtain permission from land owners to
fish.
Something unique about this area is the 'steelhead
train" that runs up and down a ten mile stretch of the
river each Saturday in February and March. It drops
anglers off in the morning and picks them back up in the
afternoons. This is a function of one of the lodges.
Season:
The season varies with species, so be sure to check the
current regulations
Winter:
Steelhead fishing peaks from January through February
Spring:
Late Spring can be okay for rainbows depending on the
runoff and weather.
Summer:
Fly fishing the Wallowa River for rainbows is best during
the summertime.
Fall:
Early Fall can produce some rainbows
Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Trout Flies
The Wallowa River's headwaters begin in the Eagle Cap
Wilderness as a small stream with mostly small trout that
flows into Wallowa Lake. The main river flows from
Wallowa Lake in the Wallowa Mountains of Oregon for
fifty miles to its confluence with the Grande Ronde River.
The upper part of the river below the lake flows through
a valley of farmland. The lower section flows into a
rugged canyon and at its end, joins the Minam River.
This is a very good rainbow trout stream with steelhead
appearing the first of the year and peaking in February
and early March. Fly fishing the Wallowa River is good
during much of the year.
The steelhead are caught on most traditional fly
patterns using nymphs and swinging wet flies. The
rainbows are mostly caught using nymphs but the dry fly
fishing can be good at certain times of the year. The
lower section of the river, approximately ten miles long,
isn't easily accessed. Steelhead move into this part of
the river from the Grande Ronde in January and
continue to move upriver into the more accessible areas
in February. Above the town of Minam there's about
nine miles of the river directly accessible from highway
#82. It's a beautiful canyon section of the river and a
popular one during the peak season. This section of the
river, consisting mostly of pocket water, is also a great
area for catching the resident rainbows. The best
rainbow trout fishing takes place from sometime in June,
depending on the weather, through September. Most of
the rainbows average about 12 inches but go up to as
large as 18 and over. The section from the lake to
Wallowa flows through private property. In most cases,
you can probably obtain permission from land owners to
fish.
Something unique about this area is the 'steelhead
train" that runs up and down a ten mile stretch of the
river each Saturday in February and March. It drops
anglers off in the morning and picks them back up in the
afternoons. This is a function of one of the lodges.
Season:
The season varies with species, so be sure to check the
current regulations
Winter:
Steelhead fishing peaks from January through February
Spring:
Late Spring can be okay for rainbows depending on the
runoff and weather.
Summer:
Fly fishing the Wallowa River for rainbows is best during
the summertime.
Fall:
Early Fall can produce some rainbows
Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Trout Flies
Copyright 2010 James Marsh
| Type of Stream Freestone/ Tailwater-note: Wallawa Lake was a natural lake raised by a dam. It is no longer used for electricity, only for water storage. Species Steelhead Rainbow Trout Size Small to Medium, 50 miles long Location Northeastern Oregon Nearest Towns Wallowa Season Varies with species Access: Fair Non-Resident License State of Oregon Weather National Weather Service Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Trout Flies |
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| Options For Selecting Flies: 1. Email us with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response. 2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need. 3. Call or email us with a budget for flies and we will select them and get them to you in time for your trip. Shipping is free in the U. S. Orders over $50 are shipped Priority Mail. |