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• GENERAL TIPS
• Best Time of Day for Fishing
  • Spring - In the springtime, the best time of day for most fish tends to mid-morning and late afternoon in early spring and early morning and late afternoon towards the end of spring.
  • Summer - In summer, the best times of day to fish by far are early morning from dawn until 2 hours past sunrise and late afternoon from 3 hours before sunset until dusk.
  • Fall - During the fall, the best times of day to catch most species of fish is early morning and late afternoon.
  • Winter - In the winter, wait until mid-morning to start fishing for the best results. Fishing in the mid-to-late afternoon is usually very good as well.
• Rain, Snow, Clouds - Rain and clouds can bring about great trout fishing and some of the best fly fishing for trout occurs right before and during a steady rain event.

• Fall River Info & Tips
• Click here to check latest Fishing Reports above
• OPEN ALL YEAR, ONLY fly fishing & barbless hooks
  Best fishing often evenings June through August, many prefer fishing in winter months
• From Google (6/11/2016)
• To successfully fish the Fall River (whether targeting the spring-fed waters in Central Oregon or fishing during the autumn season), focus on light tippet, stealthy presentations, and subsurface imitations. Because the crystal-clear waters and pressured trout demand a precise approach, scaling down your tackle is the key to hooking up.Fall River (Central Oregon) TacticsIf you are fishing the famous spring creek in Central Oregon near Bend/Sunriver, the water remains remarkably clear and cold year-round.The Right Tackle: Stick to a 4-weight or 5-weight fly rod. You will need a long leader (10 to 15 feet) tapered down to 6X or 7X tippet.Flies: Rely heavily on small, tungsten bead-head nymphs (like Pheasant Tails or Zebra Midges) or slowly swung streamers. When dry fly fishing, match the prolific hatches with Blue Winged Olives (BWOs) or Pale Morning Duns (PMDs).Presentation: Trout often hide beneath the lava ledges along the banks. Cast close to the structure, dead-drift your flies perfectly, and use fluorocarbon tippet for sub-surface presentations so the fish don't spot your line.Autumn/Fall Season Fishing TipsIf you are targeting rivers during the fall season (typically late September through November), fish become aggressive as they prepare for winter and often move into different parts of the water column.Fish Moving Water: Look for fish transitioning into deeper mid-river holes, eddies, and tailouts. Use a sliding sinker rig with bait or a jig to get through the current and track deep.Switch to Lures: As water temps cool, active fish chase larger baits. Throw 3 to 5-inch swimbaits, spinners, or suspending jerkbaits.Target the Sun: In late fall, fish the northern shorelines or shallow bays that receive the most direct sunlight during the day, as these areas warm up and hold the most active baitfish.
• From Google AI (7/21/2016)
• The Fall River (near Bend, OR) features year-round, technical spring-creek fishing for wild rainbows and browns. Success relies on matching specific, highly predictable hatches—including Blue-Winged Olives, Pale Morning Duns, and caddis—throughout the spring, summer, and fall. A seasonal hatch breakdown and strategies for the Fall River: • Spring (March–May): ◦ Hatches: Early season features Blue-Winged Olives (BWO) and Midges. ◦ Tactics: Nymphing with small patterns (size 18-22) is highly effective before the hatches. Sight fishing with dry flies becomes excellent by May. • Summer (June–August): ◦ Hatches: Pale Morning Duns (PMD), Green Drakes, and Yellow Sallies. ◦ Tactics: PMDs offer fantastic mid-morning dry fly action. Evening caddis hatches are incredibly reliable as temperatures drop. • Fall (September–October): ◦ Hatches: Mahogany Duns, BWOs, and October Caddis. ◦ Tactics: Considered the prime time for dry fly fishing as trophy browns and rainbows become highly active. • Winter (November–February): ◦ Hatches: Steady hatches of Midges and small BWOs. ◦ Tactics: Target slower spring-fed flats with emergers and light nymphs; dry fly action is still possible on warmer days.
• From Fly Fishers Place (July 2026): A year-round fishery heavily dependent on seasonal hatches. [1] • Key Hatches: BWO and Midge hatches in the winter, followed by the massive Mother's Day Caddis hatch, PMDs, and Mahogany Duns in the fall.

• Deschutes River Info & Tips
  • OPEN ALL YEAR, O2 Rainbow/day - 10" min, 13" max
    Best time to fish from mid-April to the end of October, most fun to fly fish during the winter (non-irrigation period)
  • GREAT Deschutes River fishing report, up-to-date and with LOTS of tips from Fly Fish Food>
  • Click here to check latest Fishing Reports above
  • Click here to check latest Fishing Reports above
  • Click here to check latest Fishing Reports above
• GREAT resource from FlyFishFinder: Deschutes River Hatch Info
• From Google (July 2026): The Deschutes River offers year-round fly fishing, with key windows centering around Skwalas in early spring, the legendary Salmonfly hatch in late May to early June, summer caddis, and fall steelhead runs. Timing and target species vary significantly by season. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Spring (March - May) • Skwala & March Browns: Fishing starts early with Skwala and Blue Winged Olive (BWO) hatches in March. March Browns emerge in April. • • Salmonfly Hatch: Starting near Warm Springs, this famous hatch peaks in late May to early June, triggering aggressive surface feeding with giant dry flies (sizes 4-8). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] • Summer (June - August) • Golden Stones & Caddis: After the Salmonflies, Golden Stones take over, followed by prolific Tan and Green Caddis hatches in June and July. • • Pale Evening Dun (PMD): Great dry fly action happens during early mornings and evenings. • • Summer Steelhead: Early arrivals enter the lower river (Mack's Canyon to the Columbia) in July. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] • Fall (September - November) • October Caddis: A signature event where giant orange caddisflies bring big trout to the surface in September and October. • • Steelhead Peak: The summer/fall steelhead run peaks in September and October, with fish spreading throughout the entire lower 100 miles. [1, 2] • Winter (December - February) • Nymphing & BWOs: Primarily a subsurface game. Nymphing with stoneflies or using small BWO dries on warmer, overcast afternoons remains productive.

• Crooked River Info & Tips
• Click here to check latest Fishing Reports above
• OPEN ALL YEAR, NO Rainbow trout >20 inches
  Best fishing evenings June through August, Nymphs popular - ORANGE good fly color due to cloudy water
• From Fly Fishers Place (July 2026): A year-round fishery heavily dependent on seasonal hatches. [1] • Key Hatches: BWO and Midge hatches in the winter, followed by the massive Mother's Day Caddis hatch, PMDs, and Mahogany Duns in the fall.
• The Fly Fishers Place (July 2026): The Crooked River is a year-round tailwater fishery located 45 minutes east of Bend, Oregon, just below Bowman Dam. Peak fishing runs from March through October. The river is known for prolific midge, BWO (Blue Wing Olive), and PMD hatches, as well as hopper action in the fall.  Seasonal Hatch & Activity Calendar • Winter (December – February): Midges and scuds dominate. Target slow, deep pools with small Zebra Midges (sizes 18–24) and egg patterns, as whitefish spawn. Mid-morning and early afternoon offer the best midge hatches.  • Spring (March – May): Spring brings strong Blue Wing Olive (BWO) hatches and increasing PMD (Pale Morning Dun) activity. Nymphing is highly productive, but look for fish rising to BWOs in the slower, glassy sections.  • Summer (June – August): PMDs and caddis hatches take over. Early mornings feature excellent dry-dropper fishing, while late mornings and afternoons see reliable PMD activity. Terrestrials, particularly Yellow Sallies and hoppers, begin producing fish by late summer.  • Fall (September – November): This is prime time for hopper droppers and Cranefly hatches. As temperatures drop later in the fall, Blue Wing Olives return as the primary hatch, providing excellent dry fly fishing through the late afternoon.  Techniques & Tips • Rigs: Dry-dropper setups, Euro-nymphing, and standard strike indicators are most effective, as the Crooked River is highly technical and demands a perfectly dead-drifted fly. • Tippet: The water is notoriously clear and the fish are easily spooked. Use light 5X to 7X tippet to ensure a natural drift.  • Location: The primary 8-mile tailwater section from Bowman Dam down through the Chimney Rock/Smith Rock areas provides the best and most accessible year-round water. 

• Metolius River Info & Tips
• Click here to check latest Fishing Reports above
• ONLY fly fishing & barbless hooks, ONLY catch & release, NO fishing headwaters to Allingham Bridge (.9 miles north of Camp Sherman Store) EVERY YEAR Nov 1 through May 21, NO fishing within 100 feet of Camp Sherman Bridge
  Drifting a nymph is most consisten method
• 'Great Fly Fisherman' magazine article on the Metolius (PDF download)
• Fly Fishing Guide to the Metolius River: The fish are wild and difficult to fool. When the fish see a fly, they see it with only the lighting conditions affecting it. Use long, light leaders and tippets. You will need to use 6x and 7x tippets that are three and four foot long often.
• When you can see the trout, they can most likely see you. Now that said, understand the best, most effective way to catch a trout from the Metolius River or any other spring creek that flows smooth, is to first spot the fish. You have to do that in such a way as not to alert the fish of your presence, either by sound or sight. In other words, the key is to stalk the trout. This must be done very carefully. Remember that trout cannot see objects low to the horizon due to the refraction of light. The lower you stay, the better off you are. Get down and move along on your knees if you have to. The best way is to hide behind something.
• The other big key is to fish the hatches. When trout are feeding on hatching insects they are occupied with that. Catching them is much easier than just offering them something when they are resting. Knowing what is about to hatch is very important. If nothing is hatching, then you want to be fishing imitations of what is going to hatch next and what is most plentiful and available for the trout to eat.
• The last key I will mention is that when the water is flowing smooth and undisturbed on the surface, it allows the trout to see your fly much better.
• If you concentrate on fishing the current seams and the riffles and runs when you can find any, you will increase your odds. Anything in the water large enough to change the speed and flow of the water will create these current seams such as tree tops, grass lines, etc. The smoothest, slickest places on the river are the most difficult to fish. However, if the trout are feeding in such places, you need to fish there. That is where the long, light leaders and tippets come in. The best situation is to find a feeding trout or one that is rising to sip insects near or on the surface. If they are not rising and they are feeding on something near the bottom, watch for their white mouths to flash. That tells you they are eating something. Needless to say, when you do find a feeding trout, you must make drag free presentations. That does not only apply to fish on the surface, it applies to feed feeding beneath the surface also. A nymph coming down the stream on the bottom at a speed faster than the current is flowing on the bottom will only spook the trout.
• The most important mayflies to hatch on the Metolius River are the Blue-winged Olives. They start as early a January and last through most of June.
• Caddisflies are very plentiful on the Metolius River. The Spotted Sedge is probably the most plentiful with its several species. The most important stage of life of the Green Sedge is the larva stage. They are imitated with what is usually called 'Green Rock Worms'. These can be very effective on the Metolius.
• Golden Stoneflies can hatch from the middle of June until the middle of September. Imitations of their nymphs work year-round. The Little Yellow Stoneflies - called Yellow Sallies - hatch from the middle of June to the middle of August.
• Terrestrial insects are on the Metolius River available for the trout to eat from the middle of June through September. Imitations of beetles, ants and grasshoppers all three work great during this time period. Midges hatch throughout the year and trout can be taken on imitations of their larvae, pupae and adults most anytime of the year, but the most important times are when no other large insects are hatching.

The Metolius River is a technical, year-round fishery featuring year-round caddis and midge hatches. The upper river (above Bridge 99) is fly-fishing-only and strictly catch-and-release, with the upper-most section closed from November to late May to protect spawning reds. Prime dry fly fishing peaks in the summer, followed by huge streamer fishing for Bull Trout in the fall and winter. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] Spring (March – May) • Hatches: Blue-winged Olives (BWO) emerge on cloudy days, and March Browns and early Green Drakes begin hatching towards May. Midges are active throughout the day. • • Techniques: Nymphing with small stoneflies, caddis pupae, and midge larvae is highly productive. • • Regulation Note: The upper river opens for trout and native redband fishing on May 22. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] • Summer (June – August) • Hatches: This is the prime dry fly window. The famous Green Drake hatch happens from late May into early July. Pale Morning Duns (PMDs) and Yellow Sallies emerge consistently through August. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] • • Techniques: Match the hatch with exact dry patterns (e.g., #8-12 Drakes, #16-18 PMDs). The fish are notoriously wary, so use long leaders (9-12 feet) and light tippets. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] • Fall (September – November) • Hatches: The October Caddis hatch is the main event here, starting in September and fishing well through October. Mahogany Duns and Blue-winged Olives are also prevalent. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] • • Techniques: Use large, buoyant dry flies (like size 6-10 October Caddis patterns) and droppers. Bull trout begin migrating upstream to spawn, making fall an excellent time to target them with articulated streamers on sinking lines. [1, 2, 3, 4] • Winter (December – February) • Hatches: Primarily midges and Blue-winged Olives on warmer, overcast days. • • Techniques: Winter fishing is all about targeting migratory Bull Trout migrating up from Lake Billy Chinook. Dead-drift large streamers or fish sculpin patterns. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

From Fly Fishers Place (July 2026): The Metolius River is a technical, year-round fishery featuring year-round caddis and midge hatches. The upper river (above Bridge 99) is fly-fishing-only and strictly catch-and-release, with the upper-most section closed from November to late May to protect spawning reds. Prime dry fly fishing peaks in the summer, followed by huge streamer fishing for Bull Trout in the fall and winter. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] Spring (March – May) • Hatches: Blue-winged Olives (BWO) emerge on cloudy days, and March Browns and early Green Drakes begin hatching towards May. Midges are active throughout the day. • • Techniques: Nymphing with small stoneflies, caddis pupae, and midge larvae is highly productive. • • Regulation Note: The upper river opens for trout and native redband fishing on May 22. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] • Summer (June – August) • Hatches: This is the prime dry fly window. The famous Green Drake hatch happens from late May into early July. Pale Morning Duns (PMDs) and Yellow Sallies emerge consistently through August. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] • • Techniques: Match the hatch with exact dry patterns (e.g., #8-12 Drakes, #16-18 PMDs). The fish are notoriously wary, so use long leaders (9-12 feet) and light tippets. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] • Fall (September – November) • Hatches: The October Caddis hatch is the main event here, starting in September and fishing well through October. Mahogany Duns and Blue-winged Olives are also prevalent. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] • • Techniques: Use large, buoyant dry flies (like size 6-10 October Caddis patterns) and droppers. Bull trout begin migrating upstream to spawn, making fall an excellent time to target them with articulated streamers on sinking lines. [1, 2, 3, 4] • Winter (December – February) • Hatches: Primarily midges and Blue-winged Olives on warmer, overcast days. • • Techniques: Winter fishing is all about targeting migratory Bull Trout migrating up from Lake Billy Chinook. Dead-drift large streamers or fish sculpin patterns. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]