The McKenzie River

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

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

The McKenzie  River is one of the most productive trout streams in Western Oregon.  Originating high in the Cascade Mountains, the McKenzie runs from just above Clear Lake for 85 miles to where it meets the Willamette River near Eugene.  Along its journey, the McKenzie River drops five-thousand feet in elevation as it flows through ancient forests, agricultural land, and small communities.  The McKenzie ranks as one of the areas best combination trout and steelhead rivers.  

The McKenzie is a large river that produces large native rainbow trout and cutthroat.  All native fish on the river must be released whether they are rainbow, cutthroat or even bull trout.   Much of the McKenzie River is open to fishing year-round, however, the very best months are May through October.  The McKenzie River was listed as one of America's "Wild and Scenic Rivers" in 1998 citing  its distinct recreational attractions, geologic formations and wildlife.  Access along the McKenzie River is good and a number of boat ramps and state parks allow excellent recreational opportunities.  The river it's self is beautiful with lush green forests, waterfalls, and wildlife. 

The McKenzie  is great for experienced fly fishers pursuing Oregon's elusive redside trout.  The beautiful wild rainbows that inhabit the river can reach 20 inches in length and fish in the 14-16 inch range are abundant.   The McKenzie has prolific hatches starting early in the season with the March Brown hatch.   The McKenzie  offers miles of great dry-fly water and as the season progresses stonefly and caddis hatches offer fun fishing opportunities.  A  lot of the lower McKenzie River runs through private property; but there is  some good public access points from the state parks located long the river such as Hendrick's Bridge and Armitage Park.    The best way to fish the lower McKenzie is from a drift boat. There are 29 established boat ramps on the river so access is convenient and most drifts are fairly easy to navigate.  For a map of the McKenzie River showing boat ramps and parks click here:

The McKenzie has something to offer any fisherman.  During the season, the river above Bellinger is heavily stocked with planter trout which makes it a good choice for those just learning to flyfish.  

Several anadromous fish species are found in the McKenzie including spring Chinook Salmon and Summer Steelhead.  The steelhead fishing peaks during July and continues through September.  Steelhead in the McKenzie run about six to nine pounds but larger fish are caught.  Dry fly fishing for trout is excellent from spring through late fall and this river offers great fishing opportunities for flyfisher's of all skill levels.  There is a strong population of wild rainbow, with more numbers of wild cutthroat in the lower river and a small population of bull trout.  The McKenzie trout average 8 to 14 inches, with some up to 18 inches or better. Many of the larger rainbows have the dark coloration with red stripe that identifies them as redside trout.   

Hatch Guide for the McKenzie River

Following is a summary of the most dominant hatches available monthly on Oregon's McKenzie River.  This listing is designed to give you a general idea of what to expect and plan for on your next McKenzie trip. 

For additional information, we recommend the book "Hatch Guide for Western Streams" by Jim Schollmeyer. 

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