5/29/2026 – Perhaps due to the couple of cold snaps we have had in recent weeks/days the stonefly hatch is lasting a lot longer than I originally expected! The salmonflies are getting much attention at this point, but the golden stones are! At this point in the hatch, the fish have seen a lot of a big foam bugs and Chubby Chernobyls. This is where we need to get a little more accurate with our imitations and a lot sparser, too. The Clark’s Stone, Norm Woods Special, and the Rogue Foam Stone, and Stimulators are probably my favorites.
Regardless of the topwater action, the nymphing has been very consistent–specifically on olive caddis pupa. Stoneflies nymphs (Pat’s Rubberlegs, TB Twenty Inchers, TB Mega Stones, and Girdle Bugs) are still going strong.
The caddis on the surface have died down a bit, but you still want to make sure you have some.
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5/22/2026 – The Lower D had a really good week this past week! While our guides are still primarily running dry-droppers, they are getting a lot more action on the surface. In addition, the fish seem to have assumed their position below the overhanging trees. Look for those outside bends and steep rock walls and you will find fish. As Amy Hazel of Deschutes Anglers always says, “If it looks like you’re going to die getting down, that’s where you need to be.”
For those looking to fish dries exclusively, I would like to echo my sentiments of the last two reports and say that the fish have also been keying in on caddis, so a double-dry rig is a great idea.
Gee’s Supafly Stone, Clark’s Stones, Norm Wood Specials, big Rubberleg Stimulators (for added buoyancy), and Juicy Stones are my bugs of choice.
On the dropper side of things, I really like a long dropper; preferably around 5ft below your big, bushy dry fly. The key to a good Deschutes dropper is an attractor with a big bead on a size #14 hook. Berry’s PCP, Roza’s Violet Tail Jig, Tungsten Diamond Jigs, Split Case PMDs (the big ones with the tungsten beads), and KJ’s Hot Rib Hare’s Ear are a few of my faves. Caddis pupa and larvae have also been super killer the past week.
It looks like it’s going to be hot in the canyon this week, so stay hydrated and wear sunscreen. Also, a lot of boaters have been getting ticketed for not having their boaters passes! Make sure you navigate to Recreation.gov and secure your pass before heading out on your float trip. The other thing you need is your Waterway Access Permit from ODFW, so make sure you’ve got that, too.
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5/15/2026 – I had the opportunity to spend the first three days of the week on the Camp Stretch (Trout Creek to Harpham Flats) and had great fishing the whole time! The majority of the surface eats came on the top third of the float; somewhere below South Junction all the way up to the boat ramp at Trout Creek. This current colder snap should sort of pause the hatch, so they should be really making their way to the bottom end of the Day Stretch right about now. While they were certainly all around us as we got closer to Maupin, the fish seemed less interested in dry flies the further we made it.
We saw many risers during our trip; just about all of which were rising to caddis and not salmonflies. While we all love the thought of a big Redband chomping a size #4 Chubby, you really can’t leave home without a plethora of caddis. Consider running a caddis pattern off your stonefly/salmonfly pattern to make a double-dry rig.
We saw plenty of drakes, but they only seemed to be eating them under the surface and not on top. I caught a fair few on RIO’s Point Drake but didn’t have any takers the short time I tried one out on the surface.
In terms of nymphing, they craved the stoneflies. However, anything with a hot orange bead was a no-go. They wanted them to look a bit more natural it seems. In addition, caddis nymphs like Galloup’s Jigged Hare’s Ear and the Frenchie did quite well.
Moral of the story: get out there and give it a go! I would start the day by nymphing, move to a dry-dropper by midday and then move to a dry fly setup in the evening.
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5/8/2026 – Ok, let’s get straight to the point. Are the big bugs out? The answer: kind of. They are definitely there and our guides are even reporting seeing an egg layer or two. One who fishes a stonefly or salmonfly imitation all day should see sporadic success. That being said, I would say next weekend should be pretty gosh darn prime for those looking to hit the hatch. The weather is looking hot, hot, hot, and the water is much warmer than usual on this date.
NOTE: CHECK THE WEATHER BEFORE GOING OUT! Those who remember last year will remember that two cold fronts severely halted the hatch and the 10-day forecast is not looking exactly ideal for dry flies. The fishing should be solid regardless.
For those going in the meantime, a dry-dropper rig is a great way to start. If they’re hitting the dry at all, I would stick with it. If they’re not eating the surface bug at all, I would put on an indicator and dredge a tandem nymph rig. Remember, there is a mass migration going on below the surface and a slow-moving salmonfly nymph is easy-pickings for a growing trout. It might take a second for them to turn their attention upward.
Other than salmon/stoneflies, the caddis have been pretty thick as the last couple days. While I wouldn’t recommend it right this moment, soon enough a tandem dry fly rig with a caddis behind a stonefly will do magic. This is the technique I used to catch my first ever Lower Deschutes rainbow years ago!
There are some PEDs and PMDs out, but they are not paying much attention. Though it will still pay to have their nymph forms at hand. In addition, don’t look past a drake nymph. While they aren’t always hitting them, a drake nymph has saved me on more than one slow spring day on the Deschutes.
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5/1/2026 – Fishing has been totally en fuego to start the season on the Lower Deschutes! The fish are fat, happy, and haven’t seen flies in 5 months. Catch rates are through the roof and we’re even seeing a lot more bull trout than usual!
The stoneflies will be/have been starting their mass migration to the banks of the river to hatch and are getting swallowed by chunky Redbands as they go. There are still some stragglers spawning in the upper portion of the Day Stretch near Warm Springs, so be careful wading in that zone. On a related note, the fish are still fairly keyed in on eggs, so anything with a hot orange bead or a straight egg pattern will find fish.
The river is EXTREMELY low for this time of year, sitting about 1000cfs lower than normal. While that shouldn’t affect the quality of the fishing, it’s pretty concerning to see this early in the year and could drastically affect the timing of the salmonfly hatch. We will have to wait to see.
Tan caddis nymphs, PMD patterns, Perdigons and larger soft-hackle flies have been putting in work for anglers over the course of the past week. Examples: Tasmanian Devils, Duracells, CDC France Flies, regular France Flies, Newbury’s Alt Rocker, Tungsten Diamond Jigs, RIO’s Rain Drop (purple and rusty), and Spanish Bullets.
Our guides have noticed a few Drakes flying around, which is awesome to see. Whether they are green or gray I’m not sure, but some bigger Drake nymphs will be good to have in the box just in case.
CAUTION: One of our guides, Caiman Jensen, has seen four rattlesnakes over the last two days on the Lower. They are out early and they are out in numbers. Maybe reconsider bringing the dog with you until it calms down a bit.
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4/22/2026 – Welcome back to another season the Lower Deschutes River! I’m so excited to see what the next months will bring us. The river is pretty packed today, but should be a bit more chill tomorrow and Friday. Flows are very low for this time of year, so we will see what kind of effect that has on the fishing in the coming days.
As it is the first day of the season, I haven’t heard any reports from the river, so I will just reference what I said in my first report last season. It should be Eggs n’ Legs season on the Lower River. The Redbands–especially in the top .25 miles–are still spawning and their eggs are a tempting treat. On the top of your tandem rig should be a stonefly. Their yearly migration to the banks of the river is maybe already beginning? Either way, the fish know that their time is coming and they are going to be amped up. Other nymphs to try: RIO’s Rain Drop, the PMD Panty Dropper, the Czech SOB, the Full Metal Jacket, Galloup’s Wood Duck Hare’s Ear Jig, Violet-Tail Jigs, Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ears and anything buggy looking will do just fine.
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1/1/2026 – The Lower Deschutes River is now closed from Pelton Dam to the northern boundary of the Warm Springs Reservation. It will reopen on April 22nd.
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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.
