Trout Source

Introduction

The McKenzie is a beautiful, mid-sized river in northwest Oregon loaded with 8-14 inch redside rainbows, cutthroat, occasional cutt-bows and 6-10 pound steelhead to boot.  Surrounded by forests, it is home to the renowned McKenzie drift boat, designed with this river and its occasional class III rapids in mind.  The emerald green McKenzie flows roughly 70 miles from its source at Trail Bridge Reservoir Dam and is floatable for the entire distance.   Floating is the preferred approach, since wading can be treacherous.  The lower 30 miles are open year-round, though winter can be unpleasant owing to water conditions and weather.   The cities of Eugene and Springfield are not far.

River Character and Access

Highway 126 parallels the river from its source at Trail Bridge Dam downstream for 55 miles to around Hendricks Bridge State Wayside.  In the remaining 15 miles, there are some smaller side roads, and, closer to Springfield, interstates 105 and 5. 

With a few exceptions, wade fishing is confined to the lower stretch (the 30 miles below Leaburg Dam).  Both the lower and upper stretches can be floated, with the lower stretch being more gentle.  There are a number of put-in and take-out spots in the lower section, including (going upstream to downstream), Leaburg Dam, Deerhorn, Hendricks Wayside, Hayden Bridge (below which the water flattens noticeably), Deadmond Ferry and Armitage State Park (a few miles above the confluence with the Willamette River).

The uppermost stretch, the 20+ miles above Blue River, offers a wild fishery, but floating is more difficult and a local expert is advised.  Bank access from the occasional pulloff from Highway 126 or from boat ramps provides little maneuverabilty.  More wadeable water can be found via the McKenzie River Trail, which can be accessed just above the McKenzie Bridge boat ramp.  Put-ins and take-outs above Blue River include (upstream to down): Trail Bridge Dam, Ollalie CampgroundBelknap Springs, McKenzie Bridge and Rainbow Mile. 

From Blue River downstream 20 miles to Leaburg Dam, the floating is not as rough.   Popular boat access points in this stretch (from upstream to downstream) include Forest Glen, Finn Rock and Ben & Kay Dorris State Park (above Marten Rapids).

There are also numerous other boat ramps not named here.

When and How to Fish

The McKenzie flows through a quasi-rain forest, and there is plenty of rain for at least half the year.  In winter, heavy rains can make the river unfishable for several days.  If you do fish in winter, when the water gets down into the low 40's, you may encounter some small Blue Winged Olives or Winter Stoneflies.  Come late February, the March Browns signal the first hint of spring fishing and continue their activity through June.  An occasional Skwala can be found from Feburary through mid-April.  March brings golden stones and salmonflies, which linger through early August.  April heralds a nice green caddis hatch (also called the "McKenzie Caddis"), which lasts through June.  A number of other hatches run from April through mid-September, including PMD's, little yellow stones, various caddis and big yellow mayflies.  Summer also provides an opportunity for the occasional green drake hatch -- perhaps the mother of all flies, due to its size and ability to bring up the lunkers.  In the fall (September-November), the BWO's return, and the size 8 October caddis appears (a nice, juicy fly that also entices the larger fish to abandon their senses).  Steelhead are present year-round and range up to 8 pounds.  Rods for 5-6 weight lines are recommended.  The McKenzie is open all year from the mouth up to Leaburg Dam (about 30 miles).  The upper stretch is closed November 1 to April 24 from Leaburg Dam up to Trail Bridge Dam (about 40 miles). 

 

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%.