Trout Source

Introduction

The Lower Deschutes is a brawling river that flows through a rugged desert canyon for 100 miles.   It begins in the tailwater of Pelton Dam in central Oregon, heads north and terminates in the massive Columbia River.   It is an impressive fishery in both numbers and size of fish and the insect life, which runs the gamut of the trout menu.   Native redside rainbows average 12" - 16" and a healthy steelhead run boasts fish in the 4-8 lb. range.  Equally impressive is the scenery: awe-inspiring canyons, whitewater and abundant wildlife will leave you wanting more.  The Deschutes can be waded or floated.  Regulations prohibit fishing from the boat itself, so the boat is merely a means of moving from one wading section to another.  

River Character and Access

The first 50 miles from Pelton Dam downstream to Sherar's Falls are the most popular for fly fishing.   Wading and floating are both popular, and the river can be accessed by parking lot or hiking in.  Floating this section can be difficult (class III and IV rapids) and a guide is recommended.  Sherar's Falls is impassible by boat (you can actually make out some of the rapids on Google maps, right where highway 216 crosses, upstream from Maupin).  The hub city for this area is Maupin, which is also a rafting hub. 

Most access is from the east side of the river.  The lower section from the Columbia River to Mack's Canyon is accessible by a trail the entire way on the east side, but not by road.  From Mack's Canyon upstream, the Deschutes River Road parallels the river, and is accessed via Highway 216 where it crosses the river just below Sherar's Falls (about 20 miles up from Mack's Canyon).  From the Highway 216 crossing, it is another 8 miles upstream via the Deschutes River Road to the hub town of Maupin.  From Maupin, a rough road leads another 8 miles to a gate.  From the gate, one can hike all the way to the town of North Junction, 13 miles upriver.  The next road access is South Junction via South Junction Road.  Next stop is a 10-mile trail from Trout Creek to Mecca Flat / Warm Springs Bridge.   The trail is accessed by taking side roads from Highway 97, either going north from Madras or going south from above Madras.  Mecca flat is just below Pelton Dam, and is therefore the upstream most part of the river accessible from the east side.  At the dam, a trail follows the river on the west side for two miles.  The remaining west bank access is at Oak Springs Hatchery, 5 miles north of Maupin, and Dry Creek Campground via Warm Springs Indian Reservation (a few miles downstream from Oak Springs Hatchery).  Areas in between these access points can only be reached by boat.  Where Warm Springs Indian Reservation borders the river (on the west bank), fishing is only permitted on the east bank.  Supply towns are rather sparse: Maupin, Warm Springs and The Dalles only.

When and How to Fish

The Lower Deschutes is open to fishing year-round from Warm Springs Reservation down to the mouth at the Columbia River.  The remainder (upstream from Warm Springs Hatchery) opens for trout and steelhead on April 25, and closes on October 31 for trout and December 31 for steelhead.   Check out the regulations here.  The river sees heavy fishing and rafting pressure in the summer.  To avoid the crowds, fish in late fall and early winter.   Windy conditions are not uncommon in this canyon fishery (especially in the fall), so be prepared to shorten leaders if necessary.  The variety of fishable water ranges from riffles to back eddies to bank-side stretches where the trout prey on grasshoppers, dry salmonflies and other tasty morsels.  Due to the size of the river, you may find yourself casting long distances, and a long 8-weight with floating line is recommended.   The Deschutes is fishable below 5,000 CFS, but flows can go much higher. 

Trout

The fabled salmonfly hatch occurs in late May and early June (along with golden stones), and success can be had with both nymphs and dries.   When fishing dries, cast along the bank and get ready for the big boys to lose control of themselves as they erupt for your fly.  July and August bring caddis hatches that last all day (and the days are long at this latitude).   At this time of year, Pale Morning / Evening Duns provide bookend hatches.  Hoppers work well in summer and BWO's can come off any time of year.  Standard nymph fishing techniques work -- both swinging and indicator dead-drifting.   Native to the Deschutes are the redside rainbow, which are known as tough fighters, and beefy at that.  An occasional bull trout can be had as well.  

Steelhead

Steelhead fishing is primarily between August and December, with action peaking in October (though chromers can be found year-round).  The season winds down progressively as you work your way up river, basically following the fish as they migrate upstream.  The most common steelhead technique is down-and-across swinging with a dry line and sinking head.  Sink tips are employed more often in the cooler months and in the middle of the day. During the course of a day, when sunlight puts the steelies down, one approach is to switch over to trout fishing until the sun recedes (due to clouds or sunset).    Deschutes steelhead are 70% hatchery and 30% wild and fishing for them is quite slow when water temperatures are above 66 degrees.  Owing to the size of the river (and the fish), you should consider using a spey rod when pursuing steelhead on the Deschutes.

 

Troutsource highly recommends the services of a local fly fishing guide.  We've listed the best ones below, and you can contact all of them at once using our e-mail form.  A guide can be the difference between getting skunked and catching 20 fish.   Remember, getting the right fly is only half the battle.  You need to know exactly where to put it, and how -- and this is where guides earn their money.   A customary tip is 15%