FISHING REPORTS
STEELHEAD | TROUT | SMALLMOUTH BASS
Our goal here is to give you active, current, and honest on the water video fishing reports. You will see live what is happening. There won’t be any archives or two year old reports here, just live action!
SPRING UPDATE | June 14th, 2025
SPRING REPORT
Hopper dropper fishing was as good as it could be!
GORGEOUS RAINBOW FROM SPRING 2025!
Trout fishing this spring has been pretty good. Due to good weather and stable stream flows we were able to fish every day on the schedule except the last one due to a wildfire. The fish were eating Golden Stones the first week in May which means they came off on time end of April. Dry fly fishing remained good until around memorial weekend. Record crowds showed up to float the lower lower for the Holiday, fishing turned down a couple notches for a week maybe ten days. Keep in mind my definition of a good day is 20 eats or better. Slow days are days when we pick them off one at a time, or step into to many spots with no fish to hands. This is a common condition post “stonefly hatch”, this year was no exception.
Fishing remains strong on the Deschutes until the summer heat kicks in and even then mornings and evenings can still be very production fishing caddis flies or small attractor patterns. Fun fact, the Lower Lower Deschutes trout, unmolested will eat dry flies at all times in the right conditions. I often fish a size 16 purple chubby Chernobyl or a 12-14 royal wolf in full sun and catch fish.
Hopper dropper fishing was just about as productive as it could be. I started fishing the McKenzie rig, courtesy of my buddy Ethan Nickel, a couple years ago and it’s the best. 2’ 20# maxima to a large tippet ring. Dropper rig to the tippet ring, I like 5X fluorocarbon to a size 16 anything with an oversized tungsten bead. The chubby should be soaked and cured in flyagra or your best floatant. Secure the chubby on a short leash to the 20# above the tippet ring. Ethan ties a loop and goes around the 20, I prefer a clinch knot, use 6# maxima or 0x. Of course when they start taking the dry over the dropper switch to a tapered leader and dry fly only. I prefer an 9’ leader 4x. I cut the fat end of the leader down to 5 or 6’. You could run a dropper off the shank if you like but you will catch 100% of your fish on dry flies if there is no dropper…pro tip 😉
We caught a lot of nice fish this year and had a lot of fun. I really appreciate everyone coming out and fishing the lower lower with me this year, truly the least crowded trout water on the Deschutes.
See you in July for the ones we hold with two hands!
Steelhead Outfitters
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW!
The fish were eating Golden Stones the first week in May which means they came off on time end of April.!
Give me a call to book your adventure.
Sam, making sure clients gear is rigged right! A major key to success!
WINTER STEELHEAD UPDATE | March 22nd, 2025
WINTER CLOSING REPORT "ALMOST"
"Choosing a swung fly for winter steelhead is courageous!"
GORGEOUS WINTER STEELHEAD FROM 2025!
Although we had great conditions, returns seemed low.
The current steelhead appetite for two handed anglers is high! Five weeks, 20 dates, we hooked 13, landed 9…comparatively, that would be a good day for a gear guide…“Choosing the swung fly for winter steelhead is courageous!”
Anglers had great conditions the last month and a half. Outcomes often didn’t meet expectations and it was busier this year with guide boats. That said two handed anglers continue to enthusiastically pursue these great fish.
Until this week we (Sandy River Guides) averaged one fish per four to five trips, just enough to believe in them. Winter Steelhead are special, they are resilient and they are hard to find…I appreciate every one of them as well as those who pursue them. Thank you to all the participants!
Tight lines!
Steelhead Outfitters
Beautiful winter steelhead from the Sandy River!
A few sweet shots from this winter steelhead campaign! The only thing that would make these pictures better…is if you were in one!
Give me a call to book your adventure.
DESCHUTES UPDATE | November 18th, 2024
DESCHUTES CLOSING REPORT
2024 was an intersting year on the Deschutes.
DANDY DESCHUTES STEELHEAD FROM 2024!
On one hand we had the best return over Bonneville since 2015, on the other hand, until well into September we had the worst return over The Dalles Dam in many years, far below the ten year average. The biggest change was the return of humans to the Deschutes. The human return was the best in at lease a decade. In a nutshell it was really busy and there weren’t many fish around until the middle of September.
Probably the most commonly asked question I get asked is “what’s the best time to come fish the Deschutes for Steelhead”? My answer is always the same, “July through November”. I’m well into my second decade of guiding the Deschutes and I can unequivocally claim the best month to fish the Deschutes depends on many factors and therefore does not exist. My favorite times to fish are when there are the fewest fish around, early July and Late October. When there are just a few or even no people around you can have one hell of a day.
This year, 2024, easily the best fishing was in October. The Deschutes was packed full of large two and three salt Steelhead that will eventually end up in Idaho. I bounce around a bit between rivers the last week of October (Deschutes, Klickitat, John Day). This year October 31, Halloween, it hung around as an open date way into the late summer, it was like a blackout day no one would take. Long story short Halloween got booked, I took some folks who were not new to the Deschutes but they hadn’t really been back since the big crash in 2016…and what a day we had.
That’s a wrap of the 2024 Deschutes River Steelhead Season!
It’s fitting that on my last trip to the Deschutes she gives me a day that makes me question my departure. The river stayed warmer longer this fall, low sun angles of late October, and rested steelhead provide the ultimate floating line opportunities for Steelhead. It was really hard to find a spot we couldn’t catch a steelhead, it really was but I did it finally. On the last day of the season for me I finally saw a double digit day and a fish that measured 39”. We also watched a fish completely breach on a skater mid day, it was truly a magical day.
The final run we fished just happened to be in my favorite spot and the perfect ending was a walkoff hen that tore the place up, very appropriate end to a great season.
I love the Deschutes, it is the best place on earth and I can’t wait to do it all over again next year.
Steelhead Outfitters
JOHN DAY UPDATE | September 5th, 2024
NOVEMBER STEELHEAD 24'
Fall Steelhead - Dry Lines & Sink Tips!
JOHN DAY STEELHEAD SEASON 2024!
This is just a quick reminder:
The John Day River is open again this year. That means I’ll be guiding the JDR, Klickitat or Deschutes, depending on what you want to do. We are having a better than average return this year and I expect both the John Day and the Klickitat to fish well this November. I am booked on the Deschutes through October.
I will fish the JDR, Klickitat or the Deschutes in November. Price is the same, $750 one or two anglers and I do lunch. If your first choice is the JDR please let me know as boater passes are limited. If I determine the JDR is too windy we will go to the Klickitat or the Deschutes; no cancellations, payment in full upon booking.
I am super busy right now on the Deschutes, if you’d like a report text me or check my website. If you want a fall date, text me @ 541-400-0855.
Steelhead Outfitters
A beautiful John Day River Steelhead couldn’t resist the swung fly. Added bonus, not another soul around!
