Gorge Fly Shop Blog: Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (8/19/18)

Important Closure Information via ODFW & WDFW:

Deschutes River-

The Columbia River around the mouth of the Deschutes River closed to all fishing, including catch-and-release. The closed areas are:

All waters south of a strait line projecting from the flashing red USCG light #2 upstream to the lower South Channel Range B marker located approximately 3/4-mile upstream of the mouth of the Deschutes;
The lower Deschutes River from the mouth upstream to markers placed on the downstream end of Moody Rapids.
This area will be closed to all fishing until river temperatures have stabilized below 68 F. ODFW staff will continue to monitor river temperatures and run sizes throughout the fall to determine when the area can be reopened. This is unlikely to occur prior to late-September.

Steelhead fishery closure in the Wind River and Drano Lake-
Action: Release all steelhead. Night closure for salmon/steelhead fishing.
Effective date: August 18th, 2018 until further notice.
Species affected: Salmon and steelhead.
Location: Drano Lake and Wind River from mouth to 400' below Shipherd Falls fish ladder.
Reason for action: Precautionary action is being taken to reduce steelhead impacts as cumulative steelhead passage over Bonneville is behind expectations, particularly during a time with elevated water temperatures.
Additional information: When a night closure is in effect, fishing is closed from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise. Official sunrise and sunset times can be found here.
The steelhead run will continue to be monitored as the season progresses.

Steelhead fishery restrictions in the Columbia River-
Action: Night closure for salmon/steelhead fishing.
Effective date: August 18, 2018 until further notice.
Species affected: Salmon and steelhead.
Location: Columbia River from Buoy 10 upstream to Hwy. 396 at Pasco, WA.
Reason for action: Precautionary action is being taken to reduce steelhead impacts as cumulative steelhead passage over Bonneville is behind expectations, particularly during a time with elevated water temperatures.
The steelhead run will continue to be monitored as the season progresses. Anglers are permitted to fish within joint state waters with either a Washington or Oregon fishing license, but must follow regulations of the waters being fished.
Anglers are reminded that you may not continue to fish for salmon once the daily adult limit for salmon has been retained.

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Steelhead: Considering the above information it looks as though these warm water temps are hindering the run right now. I myself have been wondering why ODFW hasn't implemented a Hoot Owl closure on the Deschutes with the high river temps from the last two months, but it shouldn't stop angers from self-regulating their fishing. I always keep a thermometer close and monitor throughout the day.

Chelsey still swinging dryline while the sun is up.

However on the Deschutes we did see a slight touch of cooler water last week. Partly due to some slightly longer nights and a bit of smoke in the air from fires along the West Coast from California to B.C. While the smokey skies aren't desired, it has made for better dryline fishing on the Deschutes. Typically most anglers switch to sink tips when the sun is on the water, though I continue to fish dryline as long as I'm swinging away from the sun and not towards it. The Deschutes is a world class dryline river, and that's just the way I've always fished it. Typically I hang up the rods when I can't escape the sun and end up taking a siesta until I can either swing my fly away from the sun again or the canyon shadows return later in the day- Though I have yet to fish late afternoon/evening this year with water temps as they are.

The Klickitat came into shape briefly last week and then quickly blew out again. I heard a rumor of 2ft of visibility on Tuesday/Wednesday and upon arrival Thursday morning I saw 6 inches to a foot max. But as they say, c'est la vie, and I went home early...

Trout: I keep saying it but man, the caddis hatches have been pretty phenomenal this year on the Deschutes. There's literally swarms of them at times! Because the Deschutes is so low right now, most the fish are off the banks further than usual. I've seen fish rising farther off the banks than normal but the good news is the wading is more manageable in spots to reach them right. My best tip is to head out early and fish those dry flies heavily until late morning. Afterwards you'll still find some surface feeders, but more of the action will be subsurface with nymphs.

The smaller creeks up higher are at low flows too, but there are still plenty of fish found in the deeper pools. The lake fishing has also remained consistently good with mornings and evenings being your best bet. Personally, I haven't seen a strong Hexagenia hatch yet but maybe they're still to come as Hex hatches along the west coast can last as little as a few weeks, to a couple months in duration.

Warmwater: The Columbia River recently rose a little from some dam release. Often times this disperses fish briefly before they settle back into their comfort zones. The bass have been hitting all sorts of goodies, but typically the big boys (and girls) are found near structure, whereas the smaller ones are more widely dispersed and if off the carp flats. This has been Jacob's summer of carp, as Carpe Diem has has left him in pursuit for much of his free time. I don't blame him either as they are a challenging species and readily available.

Speaking of carp and warmer waters, I am reminded of a book I the other year- The Dog Stars. This post-apocalyptic story follows Hig on his journey of searching for what else (if anything) is out there after a flu epidemic wiped out 99% of the Earth's population. Accompanied with his dog, a Cessna airplane with a stockpile of AvGas that doesn't expire like traditional gasoline, and a gun-toting misanthrope, their adventure ensues after Hig hears a muffled radio transmission alluding to other survivors in need out there... A bit of a love story, a bit of adventure, Hig had a passion for trout fishing in Colorado until all the cold and clean waters became too warm. What once were prime trout waters, are now filled with carp. Though he claims to despise carp, he can't help but pursue them with a fly rod and eat them too in such troubled times. If you enjoy fictional reads, this is one I would highly recommend exploring.

As always, we are happy to talk fishing anytime. Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.