Where to Fish - Lower Deschutes River

Part of our series on fishing locally in the Hood River/Columbia Gorge area. Species:  Rainbow trout, summer steelhead.  Seasons:  Check reg...

Part of our series on fishing locally in the Hood River/Columbia Gorge area.

Species:  Rainbow trout, summer steelhead. 

Seasons:  Check regulations.  Brief description below

Links:  Deschutes Recreation Area, Deschutes Boaters Passes

Fish on!  

There is not much I can say about the Deschutes that has not been said by better writers than I. Dozens of books have been written about the Deschutes River.  It is infamous.  This is the only world-class trout fishery that we have access to within a reasonable drive, and what a fishery it is! 

The 100 miles or so between Pelton Dam and the confluence with the Columbia make up one of the best places to fish in the US.  Redband (or redside) trout are a unique strain of rainbow trout native to the area.  They are smart and they fight better than most other trout in most other rivers.  I can promise that.

Plenty of easy road access exists near the town of Maupin.  10+ miles upstream and 20+ miles of downstream roadside access make this a superb place to start fishing the Deschutes.  There is no fishing allowed from a boat, so everyone is on a level playing field on that aspect.  

Big fish on big dry flies!

The big draw is the spring stonefly hatch.  Salmonflies and golden stoneflies hatch in May and June, and the big bugs bring in anglers from across the US.  Most of the rest of the year is pretty quiet on the river, if you are trout fishing.  There is a large contingency of rafters in the summer, but the fishing side of things is far less busy than more famous rivers.  It is still a busy river, especially around the town of Maupin, but it sees far less pressure than most big trout fisheries.

Speaking of big trout fisheries, I would put this river up against anything in Montana, Idaho or Colorado any day.  Anglers on those rivers can boast 60 fish per day because, no offense, but fishing out of a drift boat is easier.  A good angler on the Deschutes can still catch plenty of nice, big trout, but it takes more skill and time to wade for your fish, especially big water like the Deschutes.  It is a bit harder to get it dialed in than other rivers, but once you have the D figured out, the trout fishing cannot get any better, anywhere.

Near Pelton Dam (100 miles upstream of the confluence), there is access around the Warm Springs area. A boat ramp along with a couple miles of road access downstream to Mecca Flats makes this a popular area when open.  It is close to the town of Madras and attracts plenty of folks from Bend, so it can be quite busy.  There are several camping areas and the access is easy to get in and out.  There is some solid road access, but nowhere near what is available downstream near Maupin.

A few miles below Mecca Flats is a large campground called Trout Creek.  This campground has a boat ramp as well as a nice trail that follows the river up to Mecca Flats.  Trout creek is a very popular boat ramp.  It is a takeout for an easy overnighter or day float from Warm Springs.  It is also the put-in for most multi-day trout trips in the spring.  32 miles in between boat ramps makes for an awesome 2 or 3 night adventure.  The takeout is upstream of Maupin. 

That section does typically close from Jan 1-mid April, but please check the regulations.  The section between Warm Springs and Maupin does include the Warm Springs Reservation, which is on river left for most of that section.  An access pass may be purchased from the Warm Springs Tribe which will allow anglers to fish on river left along some (but not all) of the reservation.  

Steelhead in the Lower Deschutes

Around Maupin, there is a road upstream of town that has about 10 miles of good access up to the famous "locked gate".  You can walk past the gate for a few miles, but dozens of pullouts should keep you busy before you get to the locked gate.

There is also plenty of access downstream of Maupin, along the road that ends at Mack's Canyon, about 20 miles from the mouth and 30 miles from Maupin.  This section is open year-round for trout fishing.

The section between Mack's Canyon and the confluence with the Columbia is considered the best section of river for summer steelhead fishing in the lower 48.  Tons of great water, and an easy bike or hike trail follows the river the whole way.  Many folks bike in a few miles and fish.  Some bring a little bike trailer loaded with gear and camp out for a few nights.  Steelhead season peaks in September as well as the angling traffic on the lower river. You will not find much solitude on the river during a typical September. The river was not closed to steelhead fishing in 2021, so please check the regulations before heading out for a steelhead trip.

The Deschutes river is also very popular for multi-day rafting trips.  The upper section (Trout Creek to Maupin) is very wild and scenic.  There are houses by the river, but no public road access.  There are a couple of big rapids, plenty of scenery and great trout fishing.  Most of the trout angling pressure done by people with rafts is done in this section.  Very popular in the spring.  

The lower section from Mack's Canyon to Heritage (the mouth) is also very popular for multi-day rafting trips.  The river is more wide open and the rapids are not as technical.  Bigger, yes; harder to row, no. Trout fishing on the lower is still great, but the lower part of the river does not have as many fish per mile. The lower river is not fished much at all for trout.  While it has fewer fish, those fish are much more eager to eat flies as they do not see much pressure. 

Big Bugs in the Spring

The section that flows trough Maupin is also popular with whitewater rafters.  Several boat ramps in the Maupin area allow for a variety of floating options.  There are some big rapids in this section, so be aware.  This is what folks in the industry call "splash and giggle" rafting, where boats filled with tourists in wetsuits take a short ride down some big rapids, get their picture taken going over a waterfall, fun family stuff.  Fishing is great in this section because most anglers do not want to deal with the boaters and the whitewater. 

All boaters need a permit which can be purchased in advance following this link:  https://www.recreation.gov/permits/251980

Camping is available at almost all access points.  There are a good dozen campgrounds in the areas around Maupin, Mack's Canyon, Trout Creek and Mecca Flats.  The state park at the confluence also has a nice campground.  

There is not much more I can say about the Deschutes.  We are so lucky to have such a fantastic river so close to us.  9 times out of 10, this is the best choice for someone looking to have that all-around blue-ribbon trout fishing experience in the area.