The Deschutes River

Creekside Flyfishing offers guided fly fishing trips on the Deschutes River. 

To learn more, check out our Creekside Flyfishing home page or our Oregon guides page. 

In the early 1800's, The Deschutes River was known by French fur traders as the "Riviere des Chutes" - the "river of falls."  Today the Deschutes is known for its rugged scenery, and it it is a popular destination for whitewater rafting, hiking and fly fishing. Much of the Deschutes River is designated as a National Wild and Scenic River.  The Deschutes River is unique in that it provides great angling for both rainbow trout and steelhead. The Deschutes river flows for nearly 300 miles from it's headwaters in Central Oregon to the Columbia River.  100 miles upstream from it's confluence with the Columbia, the Pelton Dam creates Lake Billy Chinook.  This lower section of the Deschutes is one of the best trout fishing streams in the western USA. 

The trout in the Deschutes River are native, wild rainbow trout, a variant of the redband strain.  These fish are very active, often jumping and make long runs giving the angler an exciting experience.  While the "redsides" dominate the trout fishing in the Deschutes River, there are bull trout, whitefish and browns as well.  The Deschutes features a rich insect life and some of the hatches here are legendary.  Huge stoneflies start emerging in early May and provide some outstanding early season fishing opportunities.  The Stonefly hatch lures many trout fishermen to the Deschutes River in May and June each year, many claim this is the best time to be on the Deschutes, however these heavily weighted stonefly nymphs will produce trout year round.  In July, the caddis action can provide very exciting fishing if you're up to dealing with the 100+ temperatures.  The Deschutes is a big, swift river so wading can be dangerous.  Fishing is not allowed from a floating devise so wading is a necessity on this river. 

The Deschutes river also offers a wild run of steelhead starting at the mouth of the river in mid-July.  By September, steelhead can be found all through the river.  On the Deschutes, all trout over 20 inches are considered steelhead. 

"This is a tail water fishery that starts near the town of Madras and flows ninety miles to the Columbia River with little road access. The top thirty miles offer the best trout fishing from May through October - June and July being the best for dry fly fishing.  Steelhead usually arrive in the upper river by September and can be fished through the end of the year. September through October is the best time to combine trout and steelhead in this area. The steelhead average 6-7 pounds and the trout 14-15 inches, but can go as high as 20 inches. A strong, native Deschutes Redside Rainbow Trout over 16 inches will give any angler a challenge and fight to remember.

August through October, the Lower Deschutes, from the town of Maupin through it's forty miles to the Columbia River, offers the best fresh Steelhead fishing. Fish in this area can weigh up to 15 pounds, and will take "waking" dry flies. There is also trout fishing in the area, although fewer fish and running smaller than in the upper river ." Jim  Schollmeyer

Hatch Guide for the Lower Deschutes

Following is a summary of the most dominant hatches available monthly on the Deschutes River.  Some hatches occur all year round like the Blue Winged Olive and Midges.  Various nymphs are available all year round as well like the Salmonfly and the Golden Stonefly nymphs.   This listing is designed to give you a general idea of what to expect and plan for on your next Deschutes Trip. 

For current water flows and river data, River Levels