Deschutes Steelhead Fishing Report!
The first powerboat opening just closed up. As you may know there is a jet boat closure every other week Thursday through Sunday June 15 until October. Three days were unbooked so I fished seven of ten, we hooked fish 6 of 7 days. I won’t lie, the fish counts over Bonneville and The Dalles dams are tragic. That said, fishing has been like most July’s of the past, not a lot of pressure, hot days and hot nights, and a steelhead here or there. I’m back up Monday through the next close and booked every day in August except the 29th.
The river is at a very fishable level, 4600 cfs as of today. With the warmer nights as of late and the warm release schedule out of Pelton/Round Butte the river is exceeding 70 degrees daily between 2 and three o’clock. This will change in the next week when they cool the river a few degrees at the dam and the days shorten up a bit.
Most of the fish we’ve hooked have been on dry lines and the fish have been hard to land. If you come to the Deschutes know that you are playing for one or two chances per day and maybe none if it’s busy. These fisheries kind of go through different cycles and right now we are two years maybe three into a down cycle. All that said, if you like summer steelhead the Deschutes continues to be the best place for it and I’d like to think I’m your best chance for success on the lower lower.
Tight lines,
SS
