12/18/25 – The fishing before this storm that is currently wreaking havoc on Central Oregon’s infrastructure was very solid, though I expect it to be pretty bad until the latter-half of the weekend when the weather calms down a bit. As we move into the portion of the year where such storms are rather commonplace, it is always worth a shot to hit the river on either end of the storm. As the atmospheric pressure swings one way or the other, it can drastically increase the bitey-ness of the fish.
Flies like the Daddy’s Money, Eric’s Jealousy, the S4 Sculpin, the Sculpzilla, and the various Sex Dungeon-patterns should do the trick. In terms of nymphing, I would always have a stonefly on and rotate between various confidence nymphs below that. For me, perdigons, Frenchies, Newbury’s Alt Rocker, and different types of hare’s ear flies. If you’re fishing after or during a storm, a Squirmy Wormy in purple, red, or tan will beat up on those Middle D trout.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
12/5/2025 – Fishing on the Middle Deschutes has been fairly miserable in the last few days as the egg-bite has slowed down and the temps have started running a little chillier. I have heard of a few people having some success below Steelhead Falls on nymphs, though the access north of town has been sketchy depending on the weather.
I have seen a few fish caught on large, articulated streamers, though this is never a numbers game on the Middle D.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
11/14/2025 – The Middle Deschutes has been fishing pretty darn well! Like just about everywhere else, eggs have been putting in work as the brown trout finish up (or begin) their spawning activities. Town-water has fished the best, though the Benham Falls to Lava Island stretch has fished decently well. You tend to find less fish up there, but they also tend to be a bit bigger.
Other flies to try: brown TJ Hookers, olive Twisted Mays (#14-18), Hot-collar Spanish Bullets, Hot-Bead Spanish Bullets, and most attractor style nymphs. Throw in a Sculpzilla, Micro Gamechanger, Sir Sticks-a-lot, and a Deceiver, and you’re well on your way towards catching a big brown!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
11/01/2025 – The inconsistent weather has made writing a report rather difficult, though I can tentatively say the fishing has been OK. I’ve witnessed a lot of fishing grabbing emergers below the surface, though I haven’t heard of much success actually catching these fish.
Streamers are always a decent bet this time of year. The streamer game is certainly not a numbers game, it’s more about finding that needle in a haystack. I’ve seen photographic evidence of two of these needles in the last week. One of which topping 25in!
My favorite patterns for streamers on the Middle Deschutes: olive Sculpzilla, Eric’s Jealousy, the Foxy Cleopatra, and a Gamechanger pattern (preferably black).
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
10/24/2025 – Despite what I said about the Benham Falls to Bend stretch in my last report, it’s actually fished pretty well. I take a walk on my lunch break here in the shop and have seen several rising fish here in the Old Mill every day for the last week. What are they rising to? That’s a good question, I can’t tell. I did see a fish eat a piece of grass though, that was weird. While egg patterns are not as prevalent as they are on the Lower D right now, there is a ton of crossover between food sources in the two sections. A fly box full of stoneflies, caddis, PMD nymphs, perdigons, baetis imitations and leeches will cover most scenarios. Of course, a streamer is also worthwhile, though it isn’t a numbers game. You’re only catching a few fish, but you have the chance of hooking into a river monster.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
10/10/2025 – The fall is the time of year where I leave the Benham to Bend stretch is the rear-view for a little while, and turn my attentions northward. The canyon stretch north of town until Lake Billy Chinook has less than ideal access, though a motivated angler will find a solid population of feisty brown trout preparing for their turn to spawn who may just be willing to nail a large, olive streamer. While nymphing similar bugs to what one might fish on the Lower Deschutes this time of year will absolutely elicit some strikes, it isn’t all the time in Oregon that one can target large, pre-spawn brown trout on streamers. Peanut Envies, Sculpzillas, Dungeons, and Gamechangers are a couple of great patterns.
I highly recommend fishing a floating line with a short sinking tip, as roll-casting is necessary due to the complete lack of backcasting room.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
10/3/2025 – Similar to many of the major waterways here in Central Oregon, there isn’t a whole lot popping off on the surface of the Middle Deschutes right now. In addition, water levels will begin to fluctuate as irrigation season ends. The river will become dirtied up and fish will find new spots to hide. I wouldn’t recommend fishing the Middle Deschutes until the water levels have stabilized.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
9/26/2025 – While the fishing is fine on the Middle Deschutes right now, I would pretty much go anywhere else. The Middle is open year-round, while many of our other bodies of water will soon be closed or inaccessible (Upper D, Crane Prairie, East Lake and Paulina Lake, Hosmer, etc…) The Middle Deschutes is not fishing well enough to forgo fishing one of these other awesome bodies of water.
That said, it is a great option close to town/in town, so those hoping to stay nearby will find the Middle to be a good option. The overcast weather in the forecast should bring some great BWO and PMD hatches, while their sub-surface counterparts should also be getting some eats. As always on the Middle Deschutes, stoneflies will be your best producers most likely.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
9/19/2025 – Overcast weather this past week has brought a killer BWO hatch with it. Caddis, PMDs, and PEDs have also been prevalent, but don’t seem to be getting the same attention as the BWOs.
We have a pattern here in the shop called the “purple Para Rooster”, which is basically a Parachute Adams with a pheasant tail body and purple hare’s ear collar that I think is killer. General attractors on the surface will do just fine, don’t stress matching the hatch too much.
Stoneflies and PMD nymphs are the main staples right now. I would also recommend the rust-colored Rain Drop from RIO, as well as Newbury’s Alt Rocker.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
9/12/2025 – I always take a lunchtime walk along the Middle Deschutes when I’m in the shop. Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot more rising fish–especially if its sprinkling and/or overcast. They seem to be rising to a brownish-tanish caddis (#14-16).
I really like fishing streamers starting right about now. I had good success with them last year in the Redmond-Culver area and near the different day use areas below Benham. As most of the Middle D isn’t too deep, a sinking line is not necessary, though I absolute love the Trout Express from Scientific Anglers in a 210gr for my 6wt and a 240gr for my 7wt. It is the best casting sinking line I have used and is easily mendable due to it’s floating rear taper and running line.
Streamers to try: S4 Sculpins, Mini Dungeons, smaller Sculpzillas, and Bankrobber Sculpins.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/29/2025 – As we approach another heat-wave here in Bend, I really would not recommend fishing the Middle Deschutes–especially north of town. The water temps are going to be positively cooking and the fish just don’t have enough cold water to access to oxygenate themselves if caught.
South of town should be OK–most likely sitting around 65 degrees in the mornings and evenings. For pattern recommendations, consider last weeks report.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/22/2025 – My report for the Middle Deschutes is very similar to last weeks: the water temps are far from ideal, though the areas with deeper pools and more shade are definitely fishing well. Riley Ranch/Tumalo State Park are certainly still good bets.
PMDs, caddis, and some BWOs in the mornings make up the vast majority of the bug activity on the Middle Deschutes right now. The late-evenings are really the time to be out there, though, with good action occurring on the top and below the surface.
Dries to try: E/C Caddis, Corn-Fed Caddis, Sedge Hammers, small Stimulators, and Goddard Caddis in sizes #14-16 are probably my favorites.
Nymphs to try: Girdle Bugs, Pat’s Rubber Legs. Newbury’s Golden Stone, Double Bead Peacock Stones, and Hot Head Stoneflies in sizes #6-8; Tasmanian Devils, Violet Tag Jigs, Goodspeed’s Caddis, Rockworms, and Gummy Caddis are some fun and productive nymphs.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/15/2025 – Water temps on the Middle Deschutes River have been fairly abysmal the last few days with the exorbitant heat, though it should be getting a greatly-needed respite from the suns brutal rays over the course of the next few days.
The pocket water and deep pools around the Riley Ranch and Tumalo State Park areas have been quite productive and are really good options right now. A dry-dropper with the dropper about 3ft below the dry should do well. It’s important that the dropper sinks quick in these types of spots, so sleek, tungsten-beaded nymphs are needed. I really like a Tungsten PMD Jig in cases such as this.
People have also been finding decent numbers of fish in the Benham Falls – Lava Island stretch, with the former being a bit more successful. The evenings in this stretch have been particularly good, whereas the midday hours can be pretty much skipped.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/7/2025 – The Middle Deschutes CAN be a good option right now, but one kind of needs be there early and leave before noon. Water temps have been consistently climbing into the upper-60’s and even the dreaded 70’s as of late–even in the evening.
For those catching the early-bite, the PMD hatch south of town has been solid, while caddis and PMDs both have been popping off north of town. Nymphing the sub-surface versions of these two bugs with a stonefly on top will do the trick, too.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/1/2025 – While fishing on the Middle Deschutes has been solid as of late, flows will start to vary greatly starting this morning due to an ongoing search by the Deschutes County Sheriffs around Dillon Falls. Depending on the change in flow, trout typically tend to take about 24-48hrs to adjust to their new surroundings before they begin feeding again.
The Middle Deschutes north of town has been good, though much warmer than is ideal. The morning temps are solid at about 64-65 degrees, while the midday and afternoon sun have been bringing increased temps of up to 70 degrees. Fishing in the morning, shaded areas, and sections of river where cold water dumps in are you best options for finding good temps and happy fish. Both Riley Ranch Nature Preserve and upstream of Tumalo State Park should fit these criteria and are options currently.
While it tends to be a bit cooler south of town (upstream), it remains to be seen how significantly the decrease in flows out of Wickiup will be.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
7/18/2025 – Much of last week’s report still rings true: fishing has been solid, water temps are less than ideal, and the dry fly fishing with caddis and PMDs has been good. I don’t think I’ve done as a good a job of recommending more general attractor patterns lately, so here are a few: Adams, Parachute Adams, smaller Stimulators, Big Boned Caddis, Bent Wing Cripples, Brooks Sprouts, Film Critics, Fat Angies, smaller Hippie Stompers, and Royal Coachman combine to make a pretty expansive list of attractors.
Small streamers have been a go as well: Fish Whackers, Sculpzilllas Foxy Celopatras, small Gamechangers, Skiddish Smolt, and bigger Woolly Buggers fished around boulders in the evenings could lead to a Middle Deschutes trophy!
For nymph suggestions, consult last weeks report.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
7/11/2025 – Similar to last week, I was able to make it out to the Middle D north of town after work twice in recent days! The fishing has been solid, but water temps have been less than ideal. Sitting between 65 and 67 degrees, this is the absolute max one would want to angle for trout in. Upping your tippet, keeping fight times short, and releasing fish in fast, oxygenated water will help minimize one’s impact.
Caddis and PMDs have been the main event on the Middle Deschutes most evenings, but the nymphing has been quite consistent. I found Thread Frenchies, baetis nymphs, stoneflies, eggs, and tan/orange perdigons to be the most productive. Thrasher jigs, Quill Bombs, and French nymphs also elicited strikes.
Those who venture south of town will find similar action, though with a higher density of rainbows (and mosquitoes).
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
7/4/2024 – I was able to make it out to the Middle Deschutes north of town twice after work this week and found a bunch of willing fish! I almost exclusively caught them on stonefly nymphs, while one of our guide–Caiman Jensen–had multiple grabs swinging small Fish Whackers. The water is a tiny bit off-color (as to be expected) and the surface temps are a little high, too. Small olive and brown caddis (size #16-18) were hatching with some very sporadic rising fish. While I didn’t see many adults flying around, PMD nymphs were also rather effective as a dropper off my stonefly of choice.
The Middle Deschutes is a great option this weekend as there is an abundance of water to choose from and plenty of elbow-room for everyone. This will also help relieve some pressure on other popular bodies of water (primarily the Metolius and Crooked) where fish will likely be seeing a lot of anglers and their flies.
With all this hot weather in the forecast, proper fish handling will be especially important. Have a safe and happy 4th of July weekend everyone!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
6/27/2025 – The Middle Deschutes has somewhat inconsistent upstream of town and above average north of town. I shall echo my mosquito sentiments from last week, as it doesn’t seem to have changed. The evenings have been especially hellacious in the greater-Benham Falls area.
There has been a solid caddis hatch pretty much every evening in the lower reaches of the Middle Deschutes. Regardless of the size of the hatch, anglers fishing the areas with less pressure will have the most success on dry flies: Parachutes, small Stimulators, Elk Hair Caddis, Tilt Wings, Front End Loaders, and perhaps some ants and beetles.
The nymphing game has been fairly standard for our area this time of year: caddis pupa, PMDs, baetis, stoneflies, and midges. To shout out a few individual patterns that have been putting in work lately, Possie Buggers, Mangy Caddis, Newbury’s Alt Rocker, and Croston’s Full Metal Jacket (FMJ).
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
6/20/2025 – Fishing on the Middle Deschutes just south of town has been good, but the mosquito situation is not exactly ideal. North of town has been quite good, however, with few-to-no mosquitoes.
The bug life has been pretty standard on the river: caddis, PMDs, a few midges and such. You don’t usually need to match the hatch super well on the Middle D to find fish, they tend to be pretty willing to eat any inoffensive fly that might float over the top of them when they are hungry.
Nymphing remains a consistent producer. Stoneflies, caddis pupa, PMD nymphs, and really any slim, heavier-weighted euronymph should do the trick.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
6/13/2025 – Similar to the Lower Deschutes, the Middle Deschutes has been a dry fly paradise recently. Lots of caddis and PMDs to be found, especially north of town where the brush is extremely thick and hangs over the river. Access can be difficult to find and navigation can be even MORE difficult, but anglers who fight through the long grass, trees, and shrubbery that crowds the Middle Deschutes will most likely be rewarded! I haven’t seen/heard of a ton of big fish being caught, but numbers are definitely solid!
South of town has also been fishing quite well, but with a bit less surface action it seems. The stretch of day-use areas beginning at Benham Falls and ending at Lava Island have been go-to spots for those with a smaller window to fish or for anglers looking to stay close to Bend.
For patterns and strategies, consult the Lower Deschutes report.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
6/6/2025 – The Middle Deschutes has remained steady, yet nothing crazy. If there is any time to be tossing dry flies on the Middle D, the upcoming weeks would be a strong candidate. Depending on time of day and ambient temperature, one can expect to see PMDs, Caddis, BWOs, or even drakes. I had several brown drakes land on my arms on a recent adventure south of town. A dry-dropper with a golden stone pattern on top is also an effective rig this time of year.
Dries to try: Chubby Yellow Sally (#14), caddis (olive/brown/tan in #14-18), Galloups Bent-wing (PMD) Cripple (#14-16), and Parachute patterns (yellow/olive/gray/purple in sizes #12-18).
Overzealous redbands will still hit stonefly patterns out of season every once in a while, with the dropper being the primary focus of the rig. Rainbow Warrior Perdigons (#14-18), Diabaetis Perdigons (olive or purple in #16-20), olive Quill Bombs (#14-16), and Walt’s Worms (tan w/ gold bead in #14-18 and olive w/ a black or copper bead in the same size range).
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
5/30/2025 – Anglers on the Middle Deschutes continue to find great success in recent days! At least 3 20+ inch fish have been caught on the Middle Deschutes by our guide staff alone! While the main part of the salmon/stonefly hatch has come to close on the Middle Deschutes, overeager trout throughout the length of the river seem to holding out hope for a chunky dry fly pass atop their heads.
In addition PMDs (#14-16) and caddis of all colors and sizes are important to have in your box. While maybe not the most consistent flies this time of year, consider chucking an ant or beetle fly where you see fit.
Similarly inconsistent (yet very fun), streamers can be an absolute hoot this time of year. Morrish’s Jig Sculpin (tan or olive), Sculpzilla’s, Foxy Cleopatra’s, and smaller Dungeon flies might net the fish of a lifetime on the Middle D!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
5/23/2025 – Fishing on the Middle Deschutes has been especially good as of late. I’ve seen photos of some pretty sizable fish coming out of the Riley Ranch-Tumalo State Park stretch. People have been having a lot of success on small streamers, which can be incredibly fun when productive. Target submerged boulders and the tailout of runs when looking for predatory browns looking for a large meal.
The salmonfly/stonefly action has been very sporadic on the Middle Deschutes. Certain areas closer to Bend/Tumalo seem to be a little bit better for dry flies, while stretches north don’t necessarily seem to be having the same success. That said, this weather next week should improve that in all sections of the river. For those running dry-dropper rigs, you really want to make sure you’re getting down deep enough in the water column. The Middle D is deceptively deep and quick, so heavily weighted nymphs and/or splitshot can be very useful. Action has been better in the evening for sure, so don’t count out an evening session even if you don’t think you’re the first person to fish a given stretch that day. The fish are moving around a lot and taking advantage of a massive increase in feeding opportunities and bug diversity.
Nymphs to try: RIO’s Rain Drop (rusty or purple, #14-16), Spanish Bullets, Czech Bombs,, Lightning Bugs, Mic Drops, and all sorts of stonefly nymphs (black/ginger, black, brown, golden, in sizes #6-12).
For dry fly recommendations, check out the Lower Deschutes River report.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
5/16/2025 – Similar to the Lower river, anglers should not stress about the hatch! Many anglers have come into the shop in recent days talking about how they had a couple of incredible dry fly days last week on salmon and stonefly adults and suddenly the fish seemed to stop caring for them. All is well! While it is true that there were a great number of sightings higher up in the river much earlier than usual, the main part of the hatch will not hit the stretch of the Middle Deschutes for another week at minimum. The main difference between the Lower and Middle Deschutes when it comes to the early days of the hatch is that the depth of the water in the Middle Deschutes is much more conducive to dry-dropper rigs. For those headed out on the stretch of the river between Bend and Lake Billy Chinook, a dry-dropper setup is a must! For those who may be wondering, a good setup for dry-droppers is as follows: A 3x or 4x, 7.5ft leader (as the river is quite narrow in this section) with a buoyant dry on top (see the Lower Deschutes fishing report for fly suggestions) and a 2.5-3ft section of fluorocarbon tippet tied off the bend of the top fly. At the end of the fluorocarbon tippet, consider using a heavily weighted attractor nymph, caddis pupa, or PMD pattern. If you find yourself standing in front of a deeper run, one can add another 18-24in of fluorocarbon off the dropper and tie on a second nymph. This strategy is not recommended for beginners as it may significantly increase the number of tangles you find yourself with.
Nymphs to try: Free Living Caddis (#14-18), Flagler’s Euro Stone (#12-14), a Hot Rib Hare’s Ear (#14-16), or any kind of pheasant tail variation in sizes #14-18 are some great options for a dropper!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
5/9/2025 – This is the time of year that the fishing on the Middle Deschutes really starts to pick up. Salmonfly adults have been found as far up as the Bend Wave Park right below the Old Mill. Flows are stabilizing and water-clarity is improving, so visibility for both the angler and the fish will be getting better. The smaller and more immature fish have started slapping at Chubby’s though you’ll have to size down a bit if you’re hoping to get a nice hookset.
Dry-droppers are the main tactic right now: March Brown (#14-16), Caddis (#14-18)and Baetis (#16-20) nymphs will be all throughout the water column, while the stones will continue to make their migration to the long grass, trees, and rocks on the banks to start their emergence. This next week should be really hot! If you want to avoid crowds on the Lower Deschutes, consider checking out Google Maps to find access points on the Middle!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
4/25/2025 – The Middle Deschutes is flowing a bit high and off-color currently, though the water north of town should be starting to really pop off. Stoneflies nymphs are everywhere and antsy to make their migration to the banks in May; Caddis should start showing up on the surface and below soon enough, as well; PMDs may show up here and there, though there most likely won’t be a lot of interest in the dries.
Caddis pupa (olive/chartreuse in sizes #14-18) will be very key: Newbury’s F2 Caddis, Caddis Poopahs, Keslar’s Iggy, Morrish’s Hotwire Caddis, and many others will do the trick.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
4/11/2025 – Fishing is starting to heat up a bit on the Middle Deschutes! The canal that runs through town is now full (as many of you have surely noticed), so flows have become less of an issue from just south of town all the way to Lake Billy Chinook. Flows north of Bend are becoming more stable and predictable, so access will start improving along with the fishing.
For those anglers eager to chuck dry flies his warm stretch coming up could turn on the March Brown fishing with a few caddis flying around as well. For the most part, fish have not begun keying in on surface bugs and are still happily munching on caddis larva (#14-18), leeches (#12-16), stoneflies (#6-12), and mayfly nymphs (#14-20).
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
3/28/2025 – The Middle Deschutes between Benham Falls and Bend is still fishing decently, with flows maintaining relative stability. March Browns are starting to appear sporadically, though fish don’t seem to care too much. #6-10 Hot Head Stoneflies, #10-16 leech patterns, #16-18 Two Bit hookers (red, black, or tan), as well as Baetis nymphs (#16-20) will produce fish.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
3/14/2025 – As mentioned in our last report, fishing north of Bend has been very spotty. Places like Cline Falls State Park have safer wading sections, while access points further downstream towards Lake Billy Chinook can only be described as “hit or miss”.
BWOs and midges have started showing up closer to town, with the occasional March Brown joining in the fun. However, rising fish have been few and far between, so nymphing is still the best bet right now on the Middle Deschutes. In addition to the patterns described in the last report from 2/28, #12-14 Hot-Head Leeches have been working well.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
2/28/2025 – The Middle Deschutes is fishing decently well considering the large amount of snowmelt and precipitation we have received during the last few weeks. The water upstream of Bend is a bit off-color, but still has a reasonable bit of visibility. The river downstream of town has been fairly inconsistent in terms of fishing and flows and it is unlikely that will change any time soon.
BWOs have been popping off around midday in great numbers, though rising fish are few and far between. Baetis nymphs (#16-20) like the Diabaetis Perdigon have proven their worth, while attractor patterns like Firestarter and Sunburst Jigs, (#16-18), Jig Napoleons (olive and red in sizes #16-18), and Caramel Jigs (#16-18) will do the trick, too.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
2/14/2025 – With a thaw approaching after this cold-spell, it might be a really good time to try out the Middle Deschutes. The warmer weather will most likely inspire the fish to move around a bit and feed. Classic winter nymph patterns will do the trick: small eggs (#14-18), stoneflies (#6-12), #14-18 Psycho Princes, Copper Johns, Pheasant Tails, and soft-hackle jig patterns.
For those primarily interested in the big brown trout the Middle Deschutes has to offer, Kreelex Minnows, Sparkle Minnows, Fish Whackers, Sculpzillas, and Make It Rainbows produce 20in+ fish fairly consistently.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
1/31/2025 – The Middle Deschutes has been producing a reasonable number of fish as of late! Many of the slower areas of the river are frozen solid, though the slight warm-spell we just had seemed to get the fish moving around and feeding. That said, there is a reasonable amount of snow in the forecast and a series of very cold days, which could push the fish down in the water column. Make sure you have splitshot or heavily weighted nymphs if you’re headed out to the river. Midge patterns will be important to have, as well as stoneflies and eggs.