12/18/25 – Well, out of nowhere the Lower Deschutes has started fishing quite well again. Hot-beaded stones (#6-8), perdigons (#14-16), and PMD-nymphs (#14-16) have all been catching fish fairly consitently. An egg below your stone will still catch a few fish here and there, but it may be until spring until they really turn on again.
As mentioned in my last report, steelhead season is (un)officially over. Some early-spawners will start doing their thing in the next few weeks and the rest will follow suit in January and February. At this point, it is best practice just to let them be.
Note: The area of the Lower Deschutes from Maupin to the Mouth is on flood watch through the weekend.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
12/5/25 – The fishing on the Lower has been super hit or miss lately, with most anglers finding success on stonefly nymphs and not much else. Eggs will still work periodically (especially in certain areas), but they aren’t popping off the same way they were last month.
At this point in the season, it’s not advisable to target steelhead as they prepare to spawn (with some early spawners already doing their thing). It’s been a long time since they left the ocean and are pretty tuckered out.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
11/14/2025 – The Lower Deschutes is definitely starting to slow down. PMD nymphs, drab caddis pupa, and stoneflies are still finding fish in the deep water. Egg patterns have worked sporadically, though they have absolutely slayed when they’re really working. There are a TON of Chinook in the Day Stretch and below Sherars, so eggs will continue to work as time goes on.
Steelhead are still being caught in good numbers throughout the whole system. Our guides have been finding a lot of fish nymphing on the Day Stretch, while we’ve had good reports from people swinging lower in the river.
If you plan on swinging, make sure you’re really dredging those flies; T-14 or T-10/11 with some brass or lead eyes will do the trick.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
11/01/25 – Steelhead Update: The fish is the lower river mostly consist of Idaho and BC-bound fish. While there aren’t as many fish as there was a month ago, they are bigger on average. A few Coho and Chinook are also popping up in this zone. The vast majority of Deschutes fish are between Maupin and the Dam. The Chinook are spawning everywhere along the day stretch, so be careful where you enter the river. If you see Chinook or clean gravel, try to avoid their zone. Steelhead are also all over the Day Stretch. Swinging darker colors, like reds, purple, blacks, and blues are good options. Nymphing eggs and stoneflies is still going to be your best bet.
The trout fishing has continued to be pretty epic. While the number of fish caught in a day rarely surapasses a dozen or so, the fish being caught are fat, colored up, and not too pleased to have a piece of metal in their mouths. They have also been taking swung bugs a good amount, so don’t be too surprised if that fish pulling drag on your 6wt spey rod is actually a fired up Redband and not a steelhead.
Note : As of today, the tribal side of the Deschutes from Dry Creek to below Trout Creek is NOW CLOSED. This means the left-side of the river cannot be fished until the northern boundary upstream from Maupin.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
10/24/2025 – Steelhead update: The majority of the fish seem to be hanging out in the Trout Creek to Maupin zone. We had to cancel trips this weekend due to the forecasted weather (sustained 20mph winds with gusts up to 40 and freezing rain), but it should be good to go come Tuesday. For those looking to go lower down in the river, you’ll have to pay special attention to the White River and hope that it doesn’t get blown to bits and muck up the river over the weekend.
Skagit tactics are your friend this time of year as the water temperature has dropped somewhat sharply, and the fish have moved into the deeper runs and tailouts. For skagit fly recommendations, consult the last few reports.
According to the government, the Chinook spawn started on the 15tth, which actually seems pretty accurate this year. As such, PGE must adhere to higher water quality standards for the water they let out of Pelton Dam. The question is have they abided by these standards? Absolutely no chance. They have violated the water temperature standards outlined in their FERC agreement every single day since the 15th and I’m sure will continue to do so. OK, I have got my mini rant out of my system and will now dive into the trout fishing side of things.
Similar to the spring, “eggs and legs” is the name of the game. A stonefly to an egg pattern will work wonders as Chinook eggs caught in the current make their way downriver. Other than that, caddis pupa (October and normal caddis pupa) will elicit strikes; as will larger attractor patterns that are able to get down quickly. While I do not think hot bead flies/flies with a hot collar are always better than toned down, drab patterns, they sure work better this time of year.
Reminder: The tribal side of the river that can be accessed with a tribal permit CLOSES on the 31st of October, so keep that in mind if you find yourself floating between Warm Springs and Trout Creek.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
10/10/2025 – Steelhead update: Bonneville numbers have continued to taper off, and are now sitting between 200-350 fish per day. Does this mean steelhead season is over? Absolutely not! This just means that the vast majority of the fish that will enter the Lower Deschutes this year have already done so. I would say the majority of the catching has taken place closer to Sherars Falls and upstream around Maupin. Our last 4-5 guided trips between Trout Creek and Harpham Flats have had very solid success both nymphing and swinging for steelhead. I had the opportunity to take my parents on the Day Stretch this past Sunday and was able to tie into a nice 27in steelhead myself! Always a nerve wracking ordeal when a fish that large is hooked on a size 16 barbless nymph.
The trout fishing has slowly continued to get better and better. The fish are fattening themselves up for a cold winter and are eating stoneflies and caddis nymphs in great numbers. One’s focus should turn from the riffles to the slower, deeper (slightly poor-looking) water on the edges of the current. Fish hangout in weird places on the Deschutes.
For those not opposed, egg patterns will become more and more productive as more and more Chinook start their spawn. While there won’t be much surface action, we witnessed a decent caddis hatch between 10am-noon that had a fair number of fish consistently rising to grab bugs off the top.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
10/3/2025 – Steelhead update: numbers over Bonneville are dwindling down to about 750/day. There should still be a ton of fish between Bonneville and The Dalles that will be making their way up the Deschutes, in addition to the fish that will continue to pour over Bonneville for the next two weeks or so. Peak season is nearly upon us! Fish are now consistently getting hooked/caught in the Day Stretch with a few Chinook popping up here and there.
Trout fishing has been great! The average fish seems to be larger than usual and colored-up, too. Nymphing is the name of the game right now. Fishing two flies (2x on the top and 3x on the bottom) will be the most effective way to fish right now. 3x to 4x will also work OK, though you’ll certainly wish you upped your tippet if you do indeed hook a steelhead or Chinook. As one of our guides said to me in the shop the other day, “5x is not allowed during steelhead season”.
A heavy stonefly or October Caddis pattern will be great top flies, while caddis and PMD patterns will be great for the bottom fly. As will any kind of euro jig with a hot spot.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
9/26/2025 – Steelhead update: counts over Bonneville are still hanging out at 1k, though a ton of fish have been moving into the Deschutes, with many of them as high up as the Day Stretch. I have heard of at least 8-10 fish getting hooked between Warm Springs and Trout Creek. The Camp Stretch also seems to have a good density of fish at this point. Our most recent group of anglers to head that direction managed to land 4 and missed a few more. I was able to get out as well this weekend and managed to net a few! Very exciting stuff.
Skagit flies to try: Hoh Bo Speys, Dirty Hohs, Marabou Tubes, Hartwick’s Tube, Foxee Prawns, Ostrich Mini Intruders, and Fish Tacos are a few great patterns. Blue, black, purple, pink, red, and orange are colors to pay attention to.
Scandi patterns: Green Butts, Silver Hilton, Lady Caroline’s, Freight Trains, Max Canyon’s, First Ladies, and Anderson’s Euphoria.
The trout fishing has been just decent, but the average fish has been massive! I don’t think I can remember a time where the average Deschutes Redband being caught has been so large (14in-16in). PMDs and stoneflies are the most important patterns to have. Eggs and caddis pupa will also do well. October Caddis season is certainly upon us on the lower Lower Deschutes, meaning that those big orange nymphs should be working pretty gosh darn well soon.
There are still a few caddis eaters in the eddies, but not consistently at all.
Remember to size up your tippet size; 2x to a stonefly and 3x to anything else will work.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
9/19/2025 – Steelhead update: numbers over Bonneville have averaged just over 1k for the past week, which is perfectly ok. I’m still hoping for a more substantial second push. While they are still concentrated lower in the system, our guides have reported hooking at least 4 steelhead in the Trout Creek area since my last report. Flows down by the Mouth have bumped up, which could mean some fish will be taking that hard right up the Deschutes!
Trout fishing has been good once one is able to find the fish. They seem to be sitting more in the deeper, weedy stuff currently. Surface action is extremely limited to caddis swirling around in the back eddies, just ASKING to get munched. Nymphing with a stonefly and a muted caddis or PMD pattern has worked well. We are also starting to enter the time of year where anything orange starts slaying fish (this includes egg patterns whether one likes it or not).
Make sure to up your tippet! If you end up hooking a steelhead you will be happy you did.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
9/12/2025 – Steelhead update: Numbers over Bonneville have sharply risen after bottoming out the day after my last report, so I am feeling mildly-to-reasonably pleased with my prediction last week. Numbers over the Dalles Dam are also good! This means there are a lot of fish between Bonneville and the Dalles right now, many of which are taking a hard right and headed up our favorite river! People seem to be having a ton of success of Scandi-style lines with traditional hairwing flies; Green Butt Skunks, First Lady’s, Lady Carolines, Anderson’s Euphoria, Streetwalkers, Summer Irons, and Hartwick’s Assassin are a few examples. This style of fishing is most productive at extreme first and last light. Skagit tactics will be the most productive throughout the day, however. Burnt Chickens, Hoh Bo Speys, RIOs Bantam, and anything black and red are good flies to start with.
Trout fishing has been getting significantly better, too. There is still hardly any dry fly action (a few caddis here and there), though nymphing has been firing. Stoneflies, egg patterns, PMD nymphs, and attractor patterns like Duracell’s, Diamond Brite Perdigons, CDC Pheasant Tails, CDC France Flies, and SF Jigs (olive or PMD in #14-16).
I had the opportunity to fish in the Mecca-area earlier in the week and saw multiple chinook pass by–including one above the Warm Springs boat ramp! How cool is that?!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
9/5/2025 – Steelhead update: numbers over Bonneville have been less than ideal, though given there has been a massive push of fish over the Dalles, I’m certain that a good number took a hard right up the Deschutes and are freshly in the Mouth. Of note, the ocean has been very rough near Astoria the last 1-2 weeks. Not that I claim to understand the brain of a steelhead, I do know that such conditions can greatly affect the passage of anadromous fish into the fresh water. I still believe we will see another spike of fish here in the next week or two.
Trout fishing has finally begun to heat up. Caddis nymphs, stoneflies, egg patterns, and heavily-weighted attractors make up a majority of the best-producing flies right now. Surface action is very, very minimal with some caddis popping off at last light–especially in the tailouts. We did have a client land a steelhead on a pink Chubby Chernobyl, though, which was very exciting for everyone involved.
Steelhead flies to try: Fish Tacos, Prawn Jovies, Ostrich Mini Intruders, Hartwick’s Tube Fly, and Hoh Bo Speys. Color combos to try: red/orange, red/orange/yellow, blue/black, purple/black, and red/pink.
IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT COUNT ON TOILETS BEING OPEN BETWEEN WARM SPRINGS AND SHERARS FALLS. BRING WAG BAGS THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/29/2025 – Steelhead update: numbers have been up and down, but this run is still edging out last years by a few thousand fish. Our guides have started reporting hooking into steelhead as high up as the Warm Springs Boat Ramp, meaning that fish are officially all the way throughout the river! Our most recent camp trip that went out between Trout Creek and Maupin also got into a fair number of fish both on the swing and nymphing.
We are starting to get into “Eggs and Legs” season! Translation: Those hoping to nymph up a steelhead, but aren’t ready to fully commit to the agony and volatility of being a steelhead-specific anglers should consider a tandem nymph rig of a stonefly on top with an egg pattern dangling below. While this setup is well-known to produce Lower Deschutes River steelies, it will also catch trout, which greatly adds to the fun of fishing for steelhead on the Lower D!
Surface action has been pretty non-existent, so nymphing deep with the nymphs you have the most confidence in will be a safe bet.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/22/2025 – Steelhead update: The cold front the other week that temporarily tanked steelhead numbers over Bonneville is no more and a second wave of fish seems to have started as of the 19th, with numbers increasing by the hundreds each of the last four days. Interestingly, August 21st-25th, 2024, were BY FAR the biggest days of the year in terms of fish passing over Bonneville.
Scandi-Lovers: Silver Hiltons, Freight Trains, Streetwalkers, Undertakers, and Anderson’s Euphoria are some traditionals to try. Steel Plows and Ska-Oppers are skaters to try, too.
Skagit-Buddies: RIO’s Marabou Tube (black, purple, orange), Hoh Bo Speys, Ostrich Mini Intruders, Fish Tacos, and Ultra Mini Intruders are all great bets. If the fish are there and wanting to eat, this flies will catch fish.
Honestly, trout fishing has continued to been rather poor during the day with a good caddis hatch most evenings and the occasional morning. Early mornings have also been productive with stoneflies and PMD nymphs (Tungsten PMD Jigs, Split Cases, etc…). This is the time of year to throw your entire box at the fish and see is anything works especially well. Bonus points if it has a hot tag for a tail.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/15/2025 – Steelhead update: that large push of fish that passed over Bonneville the other week seems to have entered the Lower Deschutes in full force. One of our guides caught 10 fish in 3 days, which is an EXTREMELY respectable outcome these days. In addition, out of the 22 fish caught in his group, only 2-3 were hatchery, meaning that the overwhelming majority were wild! That is awesome to see. Skagit tactics with flies like Hoh Bo Speys, Jerry’s Mini Intruder, Hartwick’s Marabou Tube, and traditional flies like Freight Trains, Lady Carolines, Green Butt Skunks, and Hilton variations are must-have’s. NOTE: Be very aware of temperatures when fishing! Temps near the mouth have eclipsed 70 degrees every day for the last week, so fishing in the early, early morning and late-evening is extremely important.
The trout fishing has been fairly abysmal for most, though you will still almost certainly hook some fish. The PMD hatch in the morning/midday has been widespread, though the fish don’t seem to especially care. It could be that they were pushed down by the recent heat spell and haven’t quite started looking up again. Nymphing stoneflies, PMD patterns, and soft hackle flies (weighted or unweighted in tandem with a heavier stonefly or similar) have been producers. As have tan, orange, yellow perdigons and other Deschutes classics, like Duracells, Iron Sallies, and even egg patterns.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/8/2025 – First, a steelhead update: numbers have dropped back down to about 2,000 fish/day over Bonneville. While it remains to be seen what kind of run we have on the Lower Deschutes, we have already hit 80k over the dam, which is better than the year-long total for 2019 and 2021 and will almost certainly end up beating 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2023 totals, as well! For those who haven’t had a chance to read my blog post on the site, check it out by clicking the “Blog” tab above and clicking on the most recent post.
For those floating or bank-fishing the Lower Deschutes for trout in coming days will want to target first light or last light. This kind of heatwave normally does not bode well for the midday fishing. The fish will almost certainly be pushed off the banks and out of the riffles and into the deep stuff. Stoneflies and PMD nymphs make a great combo. Subbing the PMD for a soft hackle or attractor can also produce fish.
The mornings and evenings can bring a solid caddis and/or PMD hatch, and nymphing tends to be much more productive than during other times of day.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/1/2025 – I think I shall lead off today’s report with a steelhead update! Numbers over Bonneville have increased drastically in the past week or so, with around 4,000 fish a day traversing the ladder at Bonneville. We are currently beating last year total-to-date by about 15-20%, which is very exciting! I will be posting a more in-depth explanation on our blog later today!
The Lower Deschutes has been fairly typical for this time of year. Their has been a midday and an evening caddis hatch, with the fish seemingly concentrated in back eddies and under overhanging trees. Matching the hatch as well as possible is a good idea, especially during the midday hatch.
Nymphing has been good for those who are able to get their rigs far enough off the bank to find holding fish. They tend to keep out of the shallows (the warmer water) and retreat to a bit of depth in search of cooler water. Stoneflies are a safe bet; as is a stonefly-soft hackle tandem rig. Roza’s Violet Tail Jig, CDC France Flies, Morrish’ Hotwire Caddis, and RIO’s Rain Drop in size #14 and 16 have proven their worth.
I have heard of steelhead being caught as high up as Beavertail with nothing yet being caught upstream of Sherars. Be very mindful of water temps if you choose to head that direction–especially as you get close to the mouth where water temps are hovering around 68-70 degrees. Fishing for steelhead in such conditions is not an ideal situation as the mortality rate of hooked fish drastically increases passed 67 degrees regardless of whether or not it seems to swim away fine.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
7/18/2025 – After a pretty good scare from the Cram Fire on Tuesday that saw Trout Creek Road and CG close, the Lower Deschutes is back to being a great option right now! In addition. the river is fairly quiet right now as many anglers have turned their attentions toward waters south of Bend for their fishing fix.
While the caddis action in the evening is still the main event, the mid-afternoon PMD hatch has been impressive, too! Nymphing to start the day is a good idea, but you’ll want to start paying attention to the bugs around 2pm to see if throwing a dry on will be a worthy endeavor. Target overhanging bushes, trees, and riffles along grassy banks for caddis action. For nymph recommendations, see last week’s report.
The water is fairly cool and the outside temp is not, so it’s also a good time to wet-wade! A pair of Korkers All-Axis with Yulex Gravel Guards beneath will save you from frying yourself in your waders. We just got a restock of the above items, so we’ve got a solid size run for both.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
7/11/2025 – The caddis hatch on the Lower Deschutes this past week has been absolutely spectacular! While the hatch is typically a post-noon activity, those looking to avoid the somewhat hellish temps in the canyon right now will still want to hit the water early. A caddis dry to a PMD dry is a deadly combo right now; though one might find they are only hitting one or the other and may chop off the spare to increase the quality of their drifts. There have been a few midges mixed in, though nothing compared to the much more prevalent caddis hatch. For those who have the ability, staying out until the very last light moved below the canyon walls could yield some incredible dry fly action.
During the hours where the surface action is not as killer, nymphing has been consistent! Soft-Hackle Carrots, Guides Choice Hare’s Ears, SF Jigs, and Croston’s FMJ with extra-big beads (as we have in the shop) are killer options. As always, a stonefly nymph will help get your bugs down to the fish and will provide an added shot at hooking up!
Steelhead update: Due to lower expected returns, ODFW announced this week that there will be a closure from July 15th – September 15th on the Lower Deschutes from the bottom of Moody Rapids downstream to the mouth of the river where I-84 crosses over it. While this is an extremely small closure-area, it does illustrate the fact that–while we will most likely have a season again on the Lower Deschutes for salmon and steelhead–returns will be considerably less than last year.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
7/4/2025 – Our guides have been having a good amount of success on the Lower Deschutes the past week! The caddis hatch in the evenings has continued to be stellar, with some PMDs, PEDs, and some midges mixed in.
During the day, nymphing has been relatively consistent, especially will attractor patterns like Blowtorches, SF Jigs, Duracell Jigs, and Soft Hackle Pheasant Tails. Caddis nymphs like Keslars IGGY, Sweetmeat Caddis (tangerine in #4-16), Morrish’ Dirty Bird, and small Possie Buggers have done well. As per usual, stonefly nymphs are a must-have: Newbury’s Golden Stone, Masked Maurauders, Goodspeed’s Private Stock, and Nemec’s Tungsten Stone are a few that you may not be familiar with that are certainly worth giving a try.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
6/27/2025 – The fishing has been so-so on the Lower Deschutes this past week (perhaps the result of last weekends weather). Some really good caddis hatches in the evening with some mayflies mixed in; primarily PMDs and PEDs. During the bulk or the day the action will be happening under the surface. The bug of choice has been different day-to-day, so one will want to cover the basics: PMDs, caddis, stoneflies, eggs, and any euro-style jig.
For anyone not nymphing a stonefly, split-shot or a very over sized bead will be very helpful in getting your flies to the necessary depth.
Those further downstream may find caddis-eaters in shallow riffles or along the banks–primarily the banks made up of long grass.
On the topic of steelhead: everyone must’ve been crossing their fingers this past week, because numbers are looking up! While they aren’t anything noteworthy, it seems more and more likely that we will indeed have steelhead season on the Lower Deschutes this summer/fall. Perhaps the fish were having too good of a time chowing down on shrimp, squid, and whatever else they might be coming across out there and wound up entering the Columbia a bit late. Either way, woohoo!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
6/20/2025 – Flows on the Lower Deschutes below Warm Springs have dropped to 3900cfs, which is about 150cfs less than the average, but is still perfectly reasonable for this time of year! As we are seeing with the Crooked, there seem to be a few spawners hanging around later than usual, so be on the lookout for areas of clean gravel.
I expect the caddis hatch to mellow out a bit with the change in weather this weekend, though overcast skies often bring mayflies with them; primarily PMDs and PEDs. With gusting winds in the forecast, nymphing below an indicator is probably going to be your best bet. Roll-casting a stonefly nymph with a attractor off it might be a worth endeavor. TJ Hookers, Pat’s Rubberlegs, Masked Marauders, and Newbury’s Golden Stone are some lovely stonefly-imitations to try out.
Droppers to mix-in might include: Roza’s Violet Tag Jig, larger Diabaetis Perdigons, Qiull Bombs, Czech Bombs, Rockworms, Tereyla’s Light Saber, and whatever your go-to PMD nymph might be.
Side note: Steelhead numbers are not looking awesome, so everyone should cross their fingers for an influx in the next couple of weeks!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
6/13/2025 – The Lower Deschutes has been a bit of a mixed bag recently with the exception of incredible caddis hatches pretty much every evening. The post-salmonfly caddis hatch on the Lower D is not to be overlooked. While many anglers turn their sights south towards our alpine lakes and streams, the month of June can be one of the most exciting times to be on the lower river. One might expect the voracious Redbands that inhabit the Deschutes to be full after a calorie-dense month of May, but the opposite seems to be true! I really, really like a Corn-Fed Caddis in a #14 or #16. For those willing, a small black Elk Hair Caddis behind the Corn-Fed is an ideal setup for an evening of caddis on the Lower Deschutes.
Apart from having plenty of caddis, anglers should still expect to get some bites on Chubby Chernobyls and similar, so a dry-dropper setup is a worthy endeavor.
Nymphs to try: Juan’s Splitback Shady (PMD-flavored), pretty much any perdigon-style fly, TJ Hookers, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Pheasant Tails (#14-16), and whichever caddis pupa/larva one might have confidence in.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
6/6/2025 – The salmonflies and golden stones are officially on their way out for the 2025 season. Fishing a single salmonfly/stonefly dry will no longer elicit strikes, though adding a dropper to that big foam bug should prove extremely effective. Now, comes an odd period of transition. Fishing will continue to be hot, though the bugs they’re feeding on and that are flying around change significantly. Yellow Sallies, caddis, green drakes, and PMDs are now on the menu!
Throughout the next few weeks, crowds on the river will wane, but the fishing will not! Post-salmonfly comes some of the best fishing of the year on the Deschutes! Fishing a double-dry fly rig with your favorite pattern from any of the bugs listed above is a great way to spend a day on the Deschutes in June! Make sure to cover as much water as possible! I see a lot of people get stuck in the same spot fishing the same drifts for up to 20 minutes. If you get 5-6 good drifts through a particular spot, there most likely is not a fish feeding on the surface in immediate area (or at least none interested in eating the specific flies you have on). If you continue at that spot for another 15 minutes you might find one that decides to rise to your bugs. However, moving fast and covering water will help you find those more aggressive fish that are solidly focused on eating bugs floating over their heads.
There are too many good patterns to list here, so for recommendations, feel free to call the shop or drop on by and we can hook you up for your day on the water!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
5/30/2025 – The Hatch is reaching it’s peak it seems! Several of our guides have reported having their best dry fly days of the year so far in the past 2-3 days! The hype surrounding the salmonfly/stonefly hatch rarely seems to mirror the amount of success anglers are having on the water. It seems that many anglers get burnt out early in the hatch before the trout have exhausted their supply of easy prey (salmonfly/stonefly nymphs). As the hatch enters June, consider sizing down your dry and toning down your pattern. A #8 Clark’s Stone is the perfect example of an inoffensive stonefly a Deschutes River Redband will readily guzzle after seeing 200 #4-6 purple Chubby Chernobyl’s drift overhead.
For more pattern suggestion, refer to the 5/23 fishing report.
Two more quick notes; as word doesn’t seem to have spread especially well, the Lower Deschutes will be closed for Spring Chinook this season. In addition, our friends at the Deschutes River Alliance and Deschutes River Angler are hosting Troutfest in Maupin over the next couple of days! There will be a lot of fun activities, information, and like-minded folk.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
5/23/2025 – The Maupin-area is still reporting good surface action, though a=anglers tend to need to size down their dry flies as the hatch progresses on the Lower Deschutes. The fish tend to get a little bit leery of huge bugs, and are generally more willing to grab a more appropriately-sized meal. Make sure you have some Green Drake’s in your box! As Amy Hazel, owner of Deschutes River Angler once told me, “A salmonfly is like a baked potato to a trout: kind of tasty, hearty, and highly-caloric. A Green Drake is like a filet mignon; if the Drakes are around in numbers, they couldn’t care less about the baked potato.”
The hatch is absolutely going NUTS on the Day Stretch right now! For those that commit to dry fly fishing with golden stone (#6-10) and salmonfly patterns (#4-8) will be rewarded. When choosing spots, consider where these bugs are most commonly found: overhanging trees, boulder gardens, long grass right along the edge of the river, downed log, etc…
Dries to try: Gee’s Supafly Stone, the Fool’s Gold (salmonfly), Chubby Chernobyls (black/tan, purple, and pink are some of underutilized colorways that catch plenty of fish), Chubby Norm’s, Clark Stones, and anything that’s color can be described as “Midnight Fire”.
With the weather really heating up in coming days, I think this upcoming week-and-a-half will be the peak of the hatch. With any luck, it will be prolonged well into the first week of June (which is a very real possibility).
Final notes: Fish also seem to be looking for PMDs and caddis of any kind; on the surface or otherwise. Changing gears briefly, there will be no spring Chinook fishery on the Lower Deschutes River in 2025.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
5/16/2025 – We have had a lot of people in the shop this week (somewhat) distressed by the fact that they are seeing lots of salmon and stoneflies, yet the fish don’t seem to be rising to them. Fear not! The hatch has hardly even begun. While the big bugs on the surface are a great source of protein for a growing Redband, the nymphs are a much easier target as they cannot escape very quickly or easily. For this reason, the fish normally don’t start to focus on the adults until they have had their fill of the nymphs.
That being said, they do seem to be sporadically rising to bushy dries on the surface. A dry dropper with a buoyant dry and a mayfly nymph of lightly weighted stonefly are awesome combos. Dries to use: Rio’s Juicy Stone/Salmonfly (#6-10), Double Stack Chubbys (#6-10 in purple, black, and orange), and your classic Chubby Chernobyl (royal, pteronarcys, orange, gold, pink, purple, black, and tan in size #4-10).
Droppers to try: Jimmy Legs (#8-10), Eggstatic Eggs (#12-16), Newbury’s F2 Caddis (14-18), Keslars Iggy (#14-16), Tasmanian Devils (#14-18), and the Deschutes staple: the Duracell Jig (#14-18).
The hatch is slowly working it’s way up towards Warm Springs with the Maupin-area being the next place for the hatch to really pop off.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
5/9/2025 – It is that time of year! The first salmon and stoneflies were spotted around the Maupin area on May 4th, with fish starting to rise to them downstream of Maupin around the 6th-7th. While they are not 100% keyed in on the adults yet throughout the system, fishing a #6-8 Double Stack Chubby with a #6-10 Jimmy Legs will absolutely slay fish; both under the surface and on top. The hatch will continue to make it’s way upstream over the next few days, with the fish on the Day Stretch starting to see them in great numbers over the course of the next week.
For those tired of fishing Chubby Chernobyls, here are a few alternatives that the fish don’t see as often: Gee’s Supafly Stone, Morrish’s Fluttering Stone, Morrish’s Still Stone, Fool’s Gold in the salmonfly colorway, and Rio’s Juicy Stone. Don’t be afraid to up your tippet to 3x during the hatch! They normally are less tippet shy during the month of May. Look for trees, overhanging bushes, and boulders near the banks for an unweary bug to crash land on the surface above them.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
4/25/2025 – The Day Stretch (Warm Springs to Trout Creek Campground) is now open and absolutely firing! Our guides are consistently reporting anywhere from 20-40 fish caught every day. Stonefly nymphs (#6-10) like Tungsten 20 Inchers, TJ Hookers, Pat’s Rubberlegs, etc… Eggs will also be important to have in the box: apricot, orange, and pink are the best colors and are normally fished in the #14-16 range.
Steelhead Smolt are in the system, so please exercise the normal amount of caution.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
4/11/2025 – Flows are starting to level out and will hopefully start to drop soon as Opening Day (April 22nd) approaches. The Maupin-stretch of river is definitely running high but is fishable. These higher flows often push fish close to the banks where they don’t need to work as hard to stay in the same spot; as such, make sure you cast close to the banks before getting in the water and wading out further.
With the exception of the occasional BWO hatch on the most overcast of days, there isn’t a ton of surface action. March Brown dries (#12-16) are worth having and you may find a fish or two keying in on caddis in the afternoon/evening, but nymphing is still the name of the game. Large stonefly nymphs will soon be making their migration to the banks to complete their life cycle, so nymphing large golden stone and big black stoneflies (#4-8) should prove to be effective. Apart from that, attractor nymphs are important to have when the water is off-color or running high.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
3/28/2025 – As of right now, the Lower Deschutes River below Lake Billy Chinook is flowing at 8230cfs. Due to these high flows, the river is extremely off-color and flooding the banks in some areas. Fishing it in these conditions is relatively fruitless and can be dangerous. Please call or consult us, or any other fly shop to get an update before making the decision to head that direction.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
3/14/2025 – The flows are still relatively high on the Lower Deschutes River near Maupin (the section of the river that is open right now), but the visibility has increased significantly. As of today, it has been running at 5800cfs for several days in a row, with the historical average for this time of year being around 5000cfs.
If you do head out that direction, nymphing #4-8 Stoneflies deep has been working well. Baetis nymphs and other olive patterns (#14-18) have been working well, while flies like #18 Crossfit Midges, #14-16 Quilldigons, #12-16 Micro Stones, and #14-18 Holo-Point Jigs.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
2/28/2025 – Due to recent precipitation, the Deschutes has blown out with flows almost doubling from around 4500cfs to just under 8000cfs. In addition, the water is quite murky, so visibility is terrible. If you plan on going out to the Lower Deschutes in the near future, check with your local fly shop and/or check the flows to make sure it is not still raging.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
2/14/2025 – Flows have bumped up slightly on the Lower Deschutes in the last 24 hours, from about 4200cfs to near 4600cfs. This shouldn’t have too much of an effect on the fishing, though it will be important to check this if you plan on heading north anytime soon. Due to the recent precipitation, it stands to reason that PGE may let out more water than usual in the coming days.
Stonefly nymphs (#6-10) are by far the most productive flies this time of year on the Lower Deschutes. Stoneflies are in the river year-round, and the fish seem to really key in on them during these cold, winter months. Baetis nymphs (#16-20), like the Silver Bullet Baetis or the Diabaetis Perdigon, are handy patterns to have in the box, too. While not a guarantee, there have been som BWO hatches during the middle of the day, so having a few of them in your box can’t hurt.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
1/31/2025 – The Deschutes is sitting around 4100cfs, which is very typical for this time of year. Fishing remains fairly steady, though not many reports have been coming in as of late. Stoneflies and eggs are important to have, as well as small caddis and baetis imitations. In terms of dry flies, BWOs are really the only bugs flying around, so no need to bring much variety.
