Best month to fish the Deschutes River

Month-by-month fishing quality

Why these months?

Two things decide your odds on the Deschutes River: flow and season. You need the river in its fishable-flow band — so a freestone in spring runoff is out no matter how good the hatch would be, while a dam-fed tailwater holds shape year-round. On top of that, the hatches and water temperatures line up best in September and October and June and August, which is why those months edge out the rest. The Deschutes River's season runs year-round regulated tailwater; prime june salmonfly & september–october steelhead/redside.

The lower Deschutes below the Pelton-Round Butte dam complex is one of the most famous tailwaters in the West — a big, powerful, canyon-bound river that runs cold, clear, and remarkably stable through Warm Springs, Trout Creek, and the Maupin whitewater stretch. Its native redside rainbows are legendary fighters, the June salmonfly hatch draws anglers from across the country, and a strong fall steelhead run stacks on top of the resident trout fishery from September into November.

Where to fish the Deschutes River

The Maupin-area runs and the Warm Springs-to-Trout Creek stretch give wade access to productive redside water; much of the canyon below is big, technical wading best fished from a guided drift boat. Because the river is dam-regulated it rarely blows out the way a freestone does — the real variable is the steelhead push each fall, not the flow.

Guided trips & lodges to book