Columbia Gorge Fishing Report - August 10, 2026

Deschutes Steelhead

As many have heard, the Deschutes Steelhead and Salmon fishery will officially be closed starting August 15th.  Wild steelhead over Bonneville did not meet the minimum number to keep the season going under the current framework.  There is a chance that the season could re-open September 15th if the numbers eclipse the next numerical threshold.  Here's to hoping, but we're going to need to see some big numbers soon for that dream to come true.

If you try to get a last outing in before the closure, be kind to your neighbor.  The early ending of the season has significantly increased the angling pressure.  To put it mildly, you're not going to be alone out there.  Be respectful of other people's water, and that respect goes both ways.  The best rule of thumb is, "just ask" if you even question where you're jumping in around other folks already fishing.  The flip side of that coin is do not assume you can hold multiple runs to yourself if it's busy.  

Deschutes Trout

The great news on the Deschutes is that the trout fishery will remain open. And the trout have been snappy!  Caddis and aquatic moths are making up the bulk of the insect activity these days.  Water temps this summer have definitely been helping the trout activity.  It would be a looooong stretch to call the water temps good, but they have been notably better than in the last few years.  Moody is not routinely hitting 70 degrees late in the day.  We've had some heat, but the nights have been cooling off enough.  All good things!

As for approach, first and last light have been very good.  There's definitely been some solid surface activity right away in the morning.  Whatever dead caddis that happen to be on the water are getting gobbled immediately.  As soon as the sun starts poking over the canyon wall, the adult caddis start bouncing around.  Prospecting pocket water with a trusty Elk Hair Caddis has been a lot of fun.  Evenings have been great, too, with big clouds of caddis doing their thing.  

The subsurface fishing has been pretty good, too.  If you're nymph fishing, just make sure you have some type of caddis larva in the mix.  As for streamer folks, the trout spey bite has been periodically spectacular!  It can be a little hot/cold on all these days without a cloud in sight, but when it's good, it's REALLY good!  The bites twitching scuplins and leeches are so good!  Hard to believe, but the violent grabs from bigger trout make a lot of the steelhead grabs seem very gentle.          

"The Gorge"

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Report - July 7, 2026

Deschutes Trout

It's the time of year again where Deschutes trout take the backseat.  Understandable for ardent steelheaders, but kind of a cryin' shame for dedicated trout anglers.  Yes, it gets hot out there and the best fishing windows are a little more limited....but they're really good!  Morning and evening shade are key on the hot sunny days.  Look for fish to be actively searching for whatever's available right at first light.  This could be dead caddis swirling in back eddies, actively bouncing caddis adults, sparse crane flies or even your tiny chubby fished as a searching pattern!  One thing worth noting is that the adult caddis hanging around in the grass start to fly in good numbers right when the first hint of sun is in the canyon. This rapid onset of insect activity provides a great morning window to work a deeper bank with a dry fly. 

And then there's the evening.  If you enjoy Deschutes trout fishing, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not fishing evening caddis a few times in the summer.  It can look like a bit of a dead sea during the heat of the day in the high sun, but the trout sure come to life in the hour or two before dark.  Some nights it seems to happen almost immediately when shade hits.  Other nights, it's more like the last hour leading up to total darkness.  Sometimes the rises are very obvious and sometimes they're not....but you can bet your bottom dollar that there are some sizable fish eating caddis right before dark.  It's definitely worth trying!

Deschutes Steelhead

We've had plenty of inquiries about steelhead in the last week.  To answer the question, yes, there are a few fish in the lower river.  The cooler weather that recently came through was a nice reprieve and did temporarily slow the soaring water temperatures. Unfortunately, that weather has come and gone.  Nothing but heat and sun in the foreseeable future. This means, barring a release of cooler water from the dam, temps are going to be getting very warm on the lower river in the later half of the day.  Cross all your fingers and toes, but some years they release some cold bottom-fed water in the second or third week of July.  Hopefully this will happen again as the fish response tends to be very noticeable!  The fish that are already there are much happier and the temp drop sucks in a lot more of them from the Columbia.  

Per usual in the heat, morning shade is key.  The cool-ish morning temps are comfortable to fish in and your odds are the best.  As for fly choice, it's a dry line show with brighter colors working very well.  Purple Green Butts, Purple Muddlers, Pink and Purple Sno Cones.....you get the idea!  If you're fortunate enough to encounter one of these early fish, hang on tight!  They're as good as summer steelhead get.  

Mount Hood Lakes

Stillwater fishing has been good as of late.  Most of the local lakes are seeing Callibaetis with regularity.  If you can get out on a day with relatively light wind (rather hard to come by lately!), make sure you're prepared for some dry fly fishing.  On the breezy days, wind drifting slip strike indicators with balance leeches has been deadly.  If you want to increase your odds a bit, drop your balance leech a couple feet below a chironomid pupa.  This is a deadly combo most of the time.  

If none of the above is happening, don't be afraid to try an attractor or terrestrial dry fly.  Add a dropper below the dry if you're inclined.  Sometimes when times are tough, a relatively generic "bug" type dry will draw a surprising amount of attention.  Small chubbies, foam beetles, ants, and the like. If there's not enough of a hatch going on to make the trout key in on something, they can get pretty opportunistic and grab whatever hapless bug hits the water.      

"The Gorge"

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Report - June 15, 2026

Deschutes Trout

What a great time to trout fish the Deschutes!  June can be so good.....and so quiet on the lower river.  The stonefly chasers are long gone.  Not that the fish won't occasionally still gobble a big dry.  They definitely do.  Generally speaking, their minds have started to fixate on other bugs.  For the most part, this means caddis, caddis and more caddis.  And be prepared to imitate all stages of the caddis life cycle from larva to dead adult.  

If you're running nymphs, make sure you have something caddis-esque going.  It doesn't have to be particularly elaborate, either.  Something along the lines of the old Green Rock Worm typically does the trick quite well.  Try caddis pupae on the swing or dropped of a dry.  Then there's all the fun surface fishing, and the evenings will provide plenty of opportunities.  Mornings, too.  You may see a smattering of mayflies if you luck into some clouds, but be prepared for lots of caddis for the foreseeable future. 

Bugs aside, there has been some pretty sporty Trout Spey fishing going on, as well.  Lots of traditional steelhead spots have been fishing well. Some of the most productive spots have been the faster heads of runs that have a very abrupt/distinct drop off.  Streamers jigged across that transition seem to cause very aggressive reaction bites.  Hang on tight!

Mt. Hood Lakes

The lake fishing around Hood has been solid.  Lots of good reports of Callibaetis and chironomid bites happening.  June is just a darn good month to stillwater fish around the neighborhood.  All methods apply and just about anything could happen!  Something to keep an eye on is an increase in damsel and dragon activity.  We have some warmer on the horizon and this should get the various Odonates hatching in good numbers.  Though there can be some dry fly fishing with damsels and dragons, it's mostly a nymph show.  Slow crawling a nymph on a Midge Tip line can be extremely productive.  Especially if you can fish the fly over the top of weed beds.  Combing banks with the same rig can also work well.  Damsel and dragon nymphs swim to shore and crawl out before the adults break through the nymphal shuck.  If you happen to be lucky enough to experience a substantial migration of nymphs, you're going to be in for a dynamite day!

"The Gorge"

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Report - May 28, 2026

Deschutes Trout

The fishing pressure will be on the fade as we head into June.  It can be downright amazing how many anglers give up on Deschutes trout when the stonefly hatch fades.  Truthfully, some of the best dry fly fishing with stonefly patterns is at the end of the hatch.  The selectivity you often see when there is an abundance of bugs goes away to some degree.  They know that food source is fading fast and they're happy to gobble up what few bigger bugs remain.  Scaling down the size of your dry is a great move at this point in the season.  Smaller chubbies can draw a ton of attention.  Could be a small golden.  Could be a Sally.  Could be a big caddis. Could be a terrestrial.  Definitely works!

Beyond the stones, caddis are present in great numbers.  Though there will be some mayfly activity under the right conditions, caddis will be the daily staple from here on out.  Not to be missed, the evening caddis fishing can be just spectacular at this time of year.  And it's a pretty angler-friendly program.  The bulk of the activity happens when the sun dips below the canyon walls.  Focus your efforts on the last couple hours of light.  Bring plenty of Elk Hairs, floatant and dry shake.  It usually doesn't have to be much more complicated than that.  The fish are so tuned in to caddis in the evening that you should not be discouraged if there aren't piles of fish rising.  Poke your way up a deeper grass bank and fire away.  They'll be looking for it!

Mt. Hood Lakes

Things have changed for the better on the local lakes around the mountain.  Many people reported slower-than-normal fishing the first few weeks after the opener, but that's improved.  Callibaetis and Chironomids are starting to crank along yielding some great dry fly opportunities.  Slip-strike indicator rigs with a Chironomid as the point fly and a Balance Leech below have been extremely productive, especially on the windier days.  The lake fishing should be great for the foreseeable future.  

Early Summer Steelhead

There have been a few folks out looking for a shot at the title in the last week.  And there are a few around!  Options are fairly limited this early on with some of the bigger Portland Metro rivers and the Klickitat being the best bets.  Notable factor thus far is that water levels remain very low/clear for this time of year.  The good  news is that this makes the fish incredibly receptive to a floating line.  Early summers tend to be great biters as is, and coaxing a fish to grab a skater or wet fly is not a big ask in the generally shallow water.  Morning and evening shade will present the best opportunities with fish feeling a little more comfortable under the cover of darkness.  In high sun, focus your efforts on water with some depth and chop.  Try to fish as many spots as you can in the time you have.  There aren't a ton of fish around yet, and getting one to bite isn't the hard part.  The challenge at hand is finding one.  Don't worry about baby-stepping down a likely run.  Fish it fast and move on to the next to up your odds.          

"The Gorge"

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The Next Chapter for SteelheadBum.com

SteelheadBum.com has been relaunched with a cleaner site, better navigation, smoother checkout, and a renewed focus on the gear, flies, and resources that matter to steelhead anglers.

This is just the start. More products, articles, seasonal tips, fly selections, and steelhead-focused content are on the way.

:"SteelheadBum" has always been about the chase: the swing, the grab, the long days, the cold water, and the belief that the next cast could be the one.

We’re excited to keep building the next chapter.

SteelheadBum.com is live
Come take a look around

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SteelheadBum.com Is Back

A redesigned SteelheadBum.com from Gorge Fly Shop, rebuilt with curated gear, practical resources, and a stronger, easier ecommerce experience for steelhead anglers.

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We’ve been working on something behind the scenes for a while, and we’re excited to finally share it.

Steelhead fishing has always been a big part of who we are at Gorge Fly Shop. The rods, reels, lines, flies, river seasons, and small details that come with chasing these fish have always deserved their own space.

That’s why we rebuilt SteelheadBum.com with a sharper focus on the swing and the gear systems behind it.

The updated site is geared around how steelhead anglers actually fish—from fly rods and reels to lines, flies, sink tips, and setup resources.

Whether you’re new to two-hand casting, working through a winter sink-tip setup, or looking for proven flies for summer water, the goal is simple: make the process easier and help you spend more time fishing.

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Why We Built It

Steelhead setups can get complex fast. Every part of the system needs to work together, from the way a rod loads to how the line, tip, leader, and fly move through the run. When one piece is off, the whole setup can feel harder than it should.

SteelheadBum.com was rebuilt to simplify that.

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Built Around the Swing

At the center of the site is swung-fly steelhead fishing built around Spey casting and gear.

That means thinking about presentation, speed, depth, angle, fly choice, and line control. It means choosing a setup that helps you fish the run in front of you—not just selecting gear from a spec sheet.

You’ll find sections for Skagit systems, Scandi lines, running lines, tips, dry line flies, sink-tip flies, intruders, leeches, traditional patterns, and more. As the site grows, we’ll continue adding guides and articles that connect gear choices to real days on the river—not just from us, but from the guides, friends, and industry partners we work with who are spending time on the water too.

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More Than a Place to Shop

Think of SteelheadBum.com as another tool in your kit: a place to check before your next trip, your next setup, or your next fly box refill.

Along with gear collections, you’ll find staff picks, featured flies, sale and closeout items, seasonal notes, fly selection help, and practical setup information. Some of it is product-focused, and some of it is simply there to help make sense of a fishery that rewards patience, timing, and the right setup.

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Powered by Gorge Fly Shop

SteelheadBum.com is owned and operated by Gorge Fly Shop, Inc.. The site has been around for over a decade, but it has now been rebuilt with a new ecommerce experience and the same knowledgeable team behind it.

You can expect the same service, product knowledge, and care that Gorge Fly Shop has provided anglers since 1992. This rebuilt site simply gives steelhead fishing its own dedicated space.

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Take a Look

We’ll keep building from here with more gear, articles, seasonal recommendations, and shop insight for steelhead anglers.

Visit SteelheadBum.com, take a look around, and check back often as we continue building it out.

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Report - May 11, 2026

Deschutes Trout

Well, the gang's all here....Salmonflies, Golden Stones and Yellow Sallies are all present.  The stoneflies, per usual, are offering some excellent windows of opportunity.  The trout's willingness to eat bigger dries certainly has some variability to it from day to day.  Sometimes they'll happily come up and grab it in high sun out in the open.  Sometimes you can't get one to commit on the huge surface fly anywhere other than in the full-on Rambo water....the tough wades and tiny spots with good flow, structure and shade.  It's fairly safe to assume that a good shaded spot with the right characteristics will have a bigger trout that's willing to eat the dry.  Needless to say, it's been really fun!

With the ebb and flow of the big dry fly bite, it's important to mention all the other insect activity going on out there.  Golden Stones and Salmonflies get most of the attention, but there are tons of Yellow Sallies around, too.  Sometimes they really key in on Sallies and that can make for some outstanding dry fly fishing.  There are also a ton of different caddis around making for some great dry fly fishing in shallower water.

The really pleasant surprise has been all the different mayfly activity.  There have still been some March Browns out and about.  PMD's are starting to come on strong.  There are also some stray Mahoganies and B.W.O.'s.  There's been a shocking amount of mayfly activity on all these beautiful sunny days.  That often doesn't equate to mayfly surface fishing, but the nymphs are extremely important to mix into your dropper program.  Heavy jigged PMD and March Brown droppers have been working well along with more standard Perdigon-style bugs.  

Mt. Hood Lakes

The lake fishing around Hood has been a little on the slow side thus far.  It's seemed like the early dose of extreme heat spurred some early algae blooms, and the hatches have been a bit sporadic thus far.  Looks like we're in for a more standard weather pattern for this time of year, which will definitely help get things going.  Leech fishing with intermediate lines or indicators has been most productive thus far with a little dry fly fishing in the mix.  Things should heat up soon with good Callibaetis right around the corner.  

"The Gorge"

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