Deschutes River Report August

This month so far has been a series of ups and downs; water clarity has been good, bad and everything inbetween lately.  White River, a tributary to the lower Deschutes River has been dumping in cement like water that makes the best DQ  Blizzard look thin.  This combines with the Deschutes to create off colored water for the lower 50 miles or so.  This clarity has made steelhead fishing difficult at times.  Predicting when it will clear is anybody's best guess.  With out more thundershowers on the glacier or extreme heat the river will usually drop and clear a bit in two days.

Each day is a new test wading into the river this year as severe drought has brought the White River glacier to tears everytime it get very hot or a thundershower blasts through.

There are still lots of steelhead to be found on the lower Deschutes.  Get your fly down with a sink-tip and fish in full sun for best visibility when the water has only 20" of clarity.  Using bigger flies with lots of flash like Crandall's Wedding Dress in Cerise or Blue have worked well for us or the Devil's Candy Pattern (both available at www.spiritriver.com ).  #flyfishthedeschutes   #perfectingperformance @sageflyfish

This year's weather and water conditions have made it a year of adaption.  Try these strategies and good luck on the water!

Rob

www.watertimeoutfitters.com

Big Surprise on the Small Rod

Mike O. lands a salmon on a 5 weight fly rod!

While fishing with Water Time Outfitters guide Gil Muhleman client Mike O. didn't expect to become a legend in one morning.  After working through a run with good success nymph fishing for rainbow trout on Oregon's Deschutes River Mike hooked what was noticeablly bigger than the average trout.  After a lengthy battle he landed a dandy - Chinook Salmon on his #5 weight fly rod!!

Congrats to Mike!

www.watertimeoutfitters.com

July Trout Fishing on the Deschutes- Oregon's Best Trout Water

Trout fishing the Deschutes River in July has been up and down but recently the up's have been way up! Water temperatures released out of the "selective water withdrawl" system at Pelton dam on the Deschutes river are now selecting to cooler waters and that is great news for trout and the bugs they feast on.  Caddis action has reached a new ferver with a spade of cooler flows and the trout are feisty and fat.

A double on strong Deschutes Rainbows!

Water Time Outfitters guides favorite stretch for rainbows on the Deschutes is the most remote part of the canyon floating from Trout Creek down.  These waters have great riffles, legendary back eddies and big rapids.  We've been guiding this section for over 20 years and love to share our favorite strategies for working productive riffles, sudsy back eddies and stalking big bows under the shade of our favorite trees.

Camp time on the river is about making memories!

Caddis patterns this time of year are generally size 16 or 18 and the most common color is tan.  A smattering of mayflies are found this time of year with the magany dun the most common.

The Deschutes River flows north towards the Columbia River.  It is near the towns of Madras, Maupin and the Dalles, OR.  It's not a bad drive from Portland (about 2 hours), Salem and Eugene.

For more information about fishing the Deschutes River in July visit our website or give us a call!  www.watertimeoutfitters.com

Drought Desparaged Columbia Basin- Deschutes River July 2015

The lower Deschutes River continues to see a cooling trend with cooler weather in Central Oregon.   Water released from Pelton Dam near Madras, Oregon is much cooler than during the deadly heatwave we saw in the last several weeks.  Wild salmon and steelhead are now breathing a sigh of releif and are flooding into the lower Deschutes for rest in the cooler waters.  The Columbia river is still at near leathal temperatures creating a strong vacuum-like pull for these fish to enter the lower Deschutes River.

This is good news for the Deschutes River fishery.  With the selective water with-drawl system in place at the dam on the Deschutes near the 100 mile mark PGE (who manages the complex) should take note of how adjusting their mix to the cooler water deep in the reservior has possibly saved untold wild fish in the Deschutes and Columbia basin.

Note the difference in water temperature from the Deschutes compared to the Columbia River.

The Columbia River Water Temps near the mouth of the Deschutes

The Lower Deschutes River water Temp near the Columbia

Deschutes River water Temp near the Dam

www.watertimeoutfitters.com 

Oregon Fishing Opportunities

Fly fishing for shad near Portland Oregon

Oregon is known for it's salmon, trout and steelhead fishing but other fishing opportunities abound.  What about other fish?  For anglers new to the region there are a vast amount of under utilized fisheries in this state. Here are a few photos from a couple hours of fishing in July with Water Time Outfitters guides Rob Crandall and Kenny Kiley.

Definitely not our favorite species- like steelhead and trout but today's regulation change by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife which will essentially closes all Oregon streams and rivers to fishing after 2 pm because of drought conditions harsh impacts to our wild fish makes us think about other fishing options.

Smallmouth bass 

"Golden Bonefish" aka the Carp

Deschutes River Water Temperatures- Fishing in August

Here in Oregon we are in our second year of a drought.  In much of the west many of our rivers are missing the much needed snow pack reserves to keep waters cool through the summer.  Record warm flows are changing things for wild fish at they attempt to ascend NW rivers.  The Deschutes River is no exception and we have seen extreme warm conditions already this year.  A recent cooling trend has helped knock the edge off the heat and has dropped water temps back to a survivable range but many of our rivers like the Clackamas, Willamette and lower Deschutes fish have been stressed.  

On the Deschutes River water temps are coolest towards the dam.  For trout fishing focus on Warm Springs area for coolest water.  In addition expect that water temps from the dam will be cooler starting Aug 1. The new selective water withdrawl system in place now mandates cooler water reserves to be used in August.  With very low snow pack in the region the Columbia river is running much warmer than normal.  This creates an incredible draw to the cooler waters of the Deschutes for the entire Columbia river run of steelhead passing the mouth of the Deschutes.  

(Compare the two charts above- the top chart is the Deschutes water temp at the mouth of the Deschutes.  The bottom chart is the Columbia River water temp near the mouth of the Deschutes. This difference in temperature will draw a lot of fish into the Deschutes.)

We recommend fishing with a thermometer and limit your fishing when water temps soar to around 68 or more.  This range is extreme danger for our wild trout and steelhead.  Fish mornings for coolest water temps and be sure to crush the barb for a quick release.

Feel free to give us a call for an up to date report on water conditions.  www.watertimeoutfitters.com 

Deschutes River - After the Hatch - Top Tips

Fishing pressure on the Deschutes during the world famous salmon fly hatch is as busy as it gets on this amazing river.  Trout feel the pressure and respond accordingly.  Here are a few tricks to increase your success "after the hatch".

1.  Fish smaller flies.  The big bugs crashing on the surface are gone- consider smaller Pheasant tail nymphs in sz 16 & 18.  Midge larvae are also productive in sizes 18-20.  

2.  Get your fly down.  Some of the biggest fish of the season are fooled on the big dries of salmon fly time- fool my once...These big guys are often reluctant to head to the surface after the hatch.

3. Dial in your emergers.  This can be a challenge as these are the most elusive bug to capture.  Try adjusting size and colors to find the best imitation of pmd and caddis emergers for success. 

4.  Fish deep in back-eddies.  As hatches wane, more food piles up in eddies.  Fish deep here for the big fish of the river.  Try a sunk mayfly spinner pattern. 

Good luck out there on the water!