Columbia Gorge Fishing Report - July 3, 2025

Deshutes Steelhead

Here we are again.  The front end of Summer Steelhead Season!!!!  It's a truly magical time of year for its devotees, but per usual, fraught with a bit of uncertainty.  Most of this is related to warm water in the lower river again.  The Moody gauge at the mouth has already hit 70.  Sadly, not an uncommon situation for this time of year.  The lower Deschutes was once a coldwater sanctuary for its native fish and for salmon and steelhead headed to other locales further east.  Now, it's not terribly uncommon for the lower river to be warmer than the Columbia, making it unappealing for any migrating fish.  Not to be all doom and gloom here as this all can change with the flip of a switch, more or less.  There was a breif yet notable drop in temp out of the dam in early July last year.  Hopefully this will happen again.

So what's going on with the front end of the run?  Early numbers of fish moving through the Columbia are a fair bit below where they were at this time last year, but that could easily be weather-related.  We've had some heat, but it's been fleeting.  Certainly not enough heat to bring up the Columbia temps enough to make steelhead move quickly upriver.  Recent counts over Bonneville are starting to go up.  As are numbers over the Dalles.  Hopefully this is the tip of the spear!

If you're ready to give it a shot for the first time, go early.  Fish for a few hours starting at first light when the water temps are at their coolest.  This is a dry line game.  Fish heavy tippet and stout hooks.  If you are lucky enough to come in contact in the next few weeks, be prepared for a serious battle.  Early summer fish are truly about as good as they get in every conceivable fashion!  They can be borderline unlandable in a lot of situations....and that's a risk worth taking!

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Deschutes Trout

As we slide into steelhead season, Deschutes trout tend to take a back seat.  The beloved anadromous cousins steal the limelight, but don't forget how good the trout fishing can be!  We're settling into the standard summer trout program which largely entails dead caddis early in the morning and swarms of mating bugs in the evening.  Look for the best dry fly fishing of the day to be in low light.  The last hour of fishable light often has the river very alive with trout looking for caddis.  Dead drift it...skate it...sink it and swing it.  Lots of techniques can be effective when they're into them.  

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Mount Hood Lakes

The stillwater fishing continues to be steady.  Callibaetis are present area-wide and the warmer weather is starting to spur more damsel activity.  The last few days have presented some interesting conditions.  Lighter winds with sporadic bug activity.  Fish were rising here and there.  Blind-casting a Callibaetis dry and letting it aimlessly drift was drawing the most attention.  Random small terrestrials were working, too.  Below the surface, fish were definitely looking for Callibaetis nymphs both under an indicator and creeped along on a midge tip line.  

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Fishing Reports - May 24th, 2024

Mount Hood Lakes

The stillwater season is off to a great start!  The fishing has been very good....the weather has not been.  Strong winds and below average temperatures have been keeping the insect activity to a minimum, but that hasn't slowed the bite down.  Trolling leeches on intermediate lines has been fast and furious.  Though there haven't been a ton of bugs around, chironomid droppers are getting quite a bit of attention.  Nobody loves the high winds on a lake, but this can be used to your advantage.  Anchor up on the wind-swept end of the lake.  The wave action will push food that direction.  Rig up a slip-strike indicator with a balaced leech/chironomid dropper and cast it up wind.  This will get you a nice wind drift and provide plenty of action on your flies.  Keep a close eye on your indicator.  Sometimes the bite on a small chironomid just makes the indicator wiggle a bit as opposed to going all the way under. If anything looks funny, set the hook.  You'll be surprised at how many of those "maybes" turn into fish.  

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Deschutes Trout

Most of the local fishing buzz has been out on the Deschutes.  The stonefly fishing kicked off a couple weeks ago when the warmer weather was here.  Bug activity slowed a bit in the past week, but the fish have still been very interested in big dry flies.  They definitely have stoneflies on the brain.  Make sure you're fishing a dropper nymph below your dry, especially early in the day when it's cool.  This can really pad the numbers in the morning.  Aside from the stones, be prepared to see a smattering of mayfly activity.  This could come in the form of olives, pmd's, ped's or even Green Drakes if you get really lucky.  Also worth mentioning, the caddis will continue to become increasingly important as we work into early summer.  Once the big bugs fade, caddis become a daily staple on the menu.  

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Summer Steelhead

It seems a bit early, but there are already some summer fish on the move.  It's going to be a bit before the Deschutes becomes a viable option, but many of the Columbia River tribs further west already have fishable numbers of summers prestent.  If you find yourself in the greater Portland area, it would definitely be worth a shot.  These early fish tend to be super hot.  Certainly worth the effort!

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports - 10-14-2022

Greg's Trip Report: Brook Trout with Polar Bears

Trout - Deschutes River:

Lower Deschutes River 

The day stretch from Warm Springs to Trout Creek has been good. It has been an unusually warm and dry start to fall this year, with temps still hitting the 80s during the heat of the day. This has kept the caddis active on the Lower river, so keep some small elk hair and x caddis in the box. October caddis and pmds have also been popping off at times, so be ready with these in your box as well. Nymphing and trout spey continue to be highly productive as well.

Don't forget to purchase a boaters pass if you are floating any part of the Lower Deschutes. They can be purchased at recreation.gov and are required to have when floating.

Middle Deschutes River 

The middle is a great option in October. BWO’s and pmds are the main bugs hatching here at the moment and fishing is good. Throwing larger articulated streamers in here is a good bet to try and find a big brown.

Upper Deschutes

The upper Deschutes is now closed until the spring.

Metolius River 

Still plenty of good dry fly fishing to be had on the Met. There are still a few Green Drakes and Flavs around the middle to upper river. BWO’s and pmds are also important this time of year so be ready with nymphs, emergers, cripples, duns and spinners to cover the entire life cycle of these insects. Some days they want to eat the dun, other days they want an emerger just under the surface film. Nymphing both euro and traditional is effective. October caddis nymphs and golden stone nymphs are good bets, followed by a two bit hooker or a small frenchie.

The bull trout have finished up their spawn for the most part and will now just hang in the river for the next 3 months or so and gorge on the Kokanee. The kokanee seem to be a little late this year, though there definitely are some around still. Tying flies that imitate dead or dying kokanee and stripping them around log jams or dead drifting them in longer runs is a great way to go. The Met is a beautiful place to spend a fall day, the great fishing is just a bonus.

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Mount Hood Lakes:

Lake Update

Lake season around Mt. Hood is in full swing. Float tubes are the best tool for the job up there and can be a ton of fun. Slow stripping wooly buggers, damsel nymphs and leeches is a great method. Nymphing with a set of chironomids or a pheasant tail nymph is a good bet too. If fishing this method, giving the indicator a few pops and strips here and there help bring those bugs to life and will trigger more takes.

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Steelhead - 

Steelhead fishing has been rewarding to those putting in the time and effort. This is a fishery where you can’t expect success if you don’t put in the time. It requires early mornings, long days of searching, switching up your gear and tactics, and a little bit of luck. Both dry lines and small flies, as well as sink tips and intruders are finding fish. These fish are spread out now the entire length of the river from the mouth all the way to Warm Springs.

https://www.fpc.org/currentdaily/HistFishTwo_7day-ytd_Adults.htm This is a quick resource to check fish counts over the dams in the Columbia.

For the latest on fishing regulations in your angling zone visit https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/

Smallmouth Bass / Carp:

Carp fishing is about done for the year. If we get any last warm sunny days, it'll be good if you can find and see them.

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports - 8/19/2022

Super rare Metolius brown that ate a #18 purple peridigon nymph under an indicator

Lower Deschutes River

The lower Deschutes is still a good option to beat the heat this week. Caddis are still going strong fishing pupas, adults and dead caddis. Nymphing in the oxygenated fast riffles will also pick up fish. Reminder to focus your efforts early in the morning and wrap it up early afternoon before the water temps get too warm. Depending on where you are fishing, water temps will stay good throughout the entire day. Down closer to the mouth, water temps are upwards of the 70 degree mark with this heat wave rolling through Central Oregon at the moment.

Middle Deschutes River

Middle Deschutes has been productive in the mornings. This is great dry dropper water, so using a golden stone or small chubby dropped down to a euro style frenchie is a fun way to target the rainbows and browns that live here.

Upper Deschutes

The upper Deschutes is holding on during the dog days of summer. Dry dropper rigs continue to produce in the deeper pools and undercut banks. Streamers are a good bet around structure to target the larger brookies and browns up there. Caddis and pmds are the main bugs happening up there. Go have some fun!

Metolius River

The Met continues to be a great option with it's consistent 46 degree water where the trout thrive. Caddis, pmds and various golden stones are the main bugs hatching the Met right now. Rusty spinner's at dusk is picking up some good fish and caddis are happening in the afternoons and into the evenings. Nymphing with rubber leg stoneflies, peridigons, rainbow warriors, frenchies and zebra midges are all great patterns.

Lots of lake run bull trout are in the Metolius getting ready to spawn in the tribs. Streamer action is strong both dead drifted and stripped when targeting these fish. These lake run fish will hang around after spawning all fall and into the winter so the time is now to string up the 8 and 9 weights with your favorite articulated streamer pattern.

Mt Hood Lakes

Lake season around Mt. Hood is in full swing. Float tubes are the best tool for the job up there and can be a ton of fun. Slow stripping wooly buggers, damsel nymphs and leeches is a great method. Nymphing with a set of chironomids or a pheasant tail nymph is a good bet too. If fishing this method, giving the indicator a few pops and strips here and there help bring those bugs to life and will trigger more takes.

Steelhead

The Lower Deschutes opened on Monday the 15th and will be open for a month then ODFW will re-evaluate wild steelhead numbers to see if the season will remain open the rest of the year. It is looking good for the season being open all year!

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports - 8/2/2022

Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports - August 2nd 2022 for Hood River and surrounding waters.

[Found Here]

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports - 7/28/2022

Laurence Lake

Laurance Lake Rd. (Forest Road 2840) on Hood River Ranger District opens Friday, July 8, following emergency repairs. Laurance Lake Rd. provides access to Kinnikinnick Campground, Laurance Lake Day Use Area, and several trails on the Hood River Ranger District. While the Eliot Creek washout has been repaired, Laurance Lake Rd. is still extremely rough and narrow. Forest engineers recommend travel by high clearance vehicles only, and highly discourage trailers. Laurance Lake Rd. has been closed for public safety due to a road washout at Eliot Creek. Crews recently completed work, which included installation of two culverts at the creek crossing. Campsites at Kinnikinnick Campground are now open and available for reservation at Recreation.gov. The crossing over Eliot Creek is a flood-prone area, primarily due to melted water and erosion from Eliot Glacier on Mount Hood’s north side. In spring the fast-moving water carries rock, silt, and other debris down the mountain and into streams. Erosion from the snowmelt creates unstable ground and stream washouts, specifically at this section of Eliot Creek.

Trout - Deschutes River:

Lower Deschutes River 

The lower continues to produce good fishing with caddis being the main bug on the trout’s menu. The epic swarming evening caddis hatches are well underway throughout the entirety of the Lower Deschutes. These caddis are typically a size 16 or 18 so having a wide range of different patterns in that size range is a must if you are planning a trip. My favorite pattern would be a tan x-caddis. Fish will be tight up next to grassy banks, under trees and in back eddies when they are looking for these bugs. 

Nymphing both traditional and euro style in the mornings is producing good action too. Rubber legs down to a caddis pupa or mayfly nymph is a good bet. There are stoneflies in the Deschutes year round and even though that hatch is well over, the trout still eat them. 

Swinging small leeches or sculpins on a 3-4 weight trout spey is producing some fish too. This is typically not a numbers game (though it definitely can be) but you will usually hook into some larger fish with this method and its loads of fun.

Don’t forget to purchase a boaters pass if you are floating any part of the Lower Deschutes. They can be purchased at recreation.gov and are required to have when floating.

Middle Deschutes River 

The middle D from Bend down to Bill Chinook has been productive for those venturing down into the beautiful canyon. Quite a few caddis and pmds hatching down there with fish looking up in the later parts of the day. Nymphing two flies is by far the most productive method right now. The middle D is great hopper dropper water too and is more fun than staring at a bobber all day. Foam body hoppers, chubby chernobyls, stimulators, renegades, and yellow humpies are all great attractor dries that can hold up a bead head nymph well.   

Upper Deschutes

The very upper river from Little Lava Lake down to Crane Prairie Res is fishing quite good. This is a fun 7 mile stretch of water full of log jams and undercut banks where good size brook and rainbow trout live. Dry dropper rigs with a hopper or small chubby and a euro style pheasant tail or red lightning bug is getting consistent action. Stripping small buggers and sculpins around the log jams is your best bet at finding brook trout. 

Pmds are still hanging around from Benham Falls upriver to Wikiup Dam. This is a fun section to hunt heads. Fish are still looking for a well presented pmd dry whether its a rusty spinner or a comparadun. They typically hatch pretty large up here, size #16s and even some #14s mainly from what I’ve experienced recently. Stripping big black streamers around the log jams early in the morning is a good way to find some of the larger browns that live up there.

Metolius River 

There have been some really good hatches and dry fly opportunities on the Metolius as of late. There was a strong pmd hatch a few days ago in the late afternoon and the trout were keyed on them good. Caddis and little yellow sally stoneflies are hatching on any given day as well so have a few patterns of each in your box. I also have been seeing a few golden stones crawling around the banks of the Met so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a few of these patterns on hand as well. These are a good searching pattern to use in non hatch times with a dropper nymph below. Euro nymphing still remains the most productive way to get into some fish right now. Euro frenchies and pheasant tails are some of my favorite sub surface patterns to use on the Metolius but don’t overlook a standard zebra midge as this is a staple pattern for this stretch of water. 

Bull trout fishing has been fair to good above bridge 99 for resident bull trout. A common misconception is that the fall and winter are the only times there are bull trout in the Met. There is actually a pretty healthy number of local fish that live here year round but the late summer/early fall is when even more bullies migrate up the Metolius from Lake Billy Chinook to spawn and follow the Kokanee upriver. There are already a few lake run fish that are nosing their way into the lower river and those numbers will continue to increase over the course of the next few months]]. Bull trout's main diet once they’re in the river are whitefish so using large white/grey articulated streamers is the best way to “match the hatch”.

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Mount Hood Lakes:

Lake Update

Lake season around Mt. Hood is in full swing. Float tubes are the best tool for the job up there and can be a ton of fun. Slow stripping wooly buggers, damsel nymphs and leeches is a great method. Nymphing with a set of chironomids or a pheasant tail nymph is a good bet too. If fishing this method, giving the indicator a few pops and strips here and there help bring those bugs to life and will trigger more takes.

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Steelhead - 

As of Sunday July 24, over 9,900 unclipped steelhead had been counted at Bonneville Dam. This means the lower Deschutes will reopen on August 15 and be open until at least September 15. Another 12,122 need to cross before August 31 for the river to be open until May 31. Runs so far this year have been strong. We're hopeful it will surpass the numbers to remain open.

https://www.fpc.org/currentdaily/HistFishTwo_7day-ytd_Adults.htm This is a quick resource to check fish counts over the dams in the Columbia.

For the latest on fishing regulations in your angling zone visit https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/

Smallmouth Bass / Carp:

Smallmouth are residing deeper these hot sunny days but good topwater action can be found in early morning and late evening. fish the shady drop offs and for this summer topwater bite bigger is better.  

Carp are actively cruising the shallow flats. Carp fishing will humble you up really quick. Great practice if you have a saltwater trip coming up. These fish require accuracy and stealth to have success. Focus with site fishing them in mid day on shallow flats. 

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports - 7/13/2022

Nice lake run bull caught on a white and grey articulated streamer tied with bucktail. 

Trout - Deschutes River:

Lower Deschutes River 

The lower continues to produce good fishing with caddis being the main bug on the trout’s menu. The epic swarming evening caddis hatches are well underway throughout the entirety of the Lower Deschutes. These caddis are typically a size 16 or 18 so having a wide range of different patterns in that size range is a must if you are planning a trip. My favorite pattern would be a tan x-caddis. Fish will be tight up next to grassy banks, under trees and in back eddies when they are looking for these bugs. 

Nymphing both traditional and euro style in the mornings is producing good action too. Rubber legs down to a caddis pupa or mayfly nymph is a good bet. There are stoneflies in the Deschutes year round and even though that hatch is well over, the trout still eat them. 

Swinging small leeches or sculpins on a 3-4 weight trout spey is producing some fish too. This is typically not a numbers game (though it definitely can be) but you will usually hook into some larger fish with this method and its loads of fun.

Don’t forget to purchase a boaters pass if you are floating any part of the Lower Deschutes. They can be purchased at recreation.gov and are required to have when floating.

Middle Deschutes River 

The middle D from Bend down to Bill Chinook has been productive for those venturing down into the beautiful canyon. Quite a few caddis and pmds hatching down there with fish looking up in the later parts of the day. Nymphing two flies is by far the most productive method right now. The middle D is great hopper dropper water too and is more fun than staring at a bobber all day. Foam body hoppers, chubby chernobyls, stimulators, renegades, and yellow humpies are all great attractor dries that can hold up a bead head nymph well.   

Upper Deschutes

The upper Deschutes is okay. The very upper river from Little Lava Lake down to Crane Prairie Res is fishing quite good. This is a fun 7 mile stretch of water full of log james and undercut banks where good size brook and rainbow trout live. Dry dropper rigs with a hopper or small chubby and a euro style pheasant tail or red lightning bug is getting consistent action. Stripping small buggers and sculpins around the log jams is your best bet at finding brook trout. 

Pmds are still hanging around from Benham Falls upriver to Wikiup Dam. This is a fun section to hunt heads. Fish are still looking for a well presented pmd dry whether its a rusty spinner or a comparadun. They typically hatch pretty large up here, size #16s and even some #14s mainly from what I’ve experienced recently. Stripping big black streamers around the log jams early in the morning is a good way to find some of the larger browns that live up there.

Metolius River 

There have been some really good hatches and dry fly opportunities on the Metolius as of late. There was a strong pmd hatch a few days ago in the late afternoon and the trout were keyed on them good. Caddis and little yellow sally stoneflies are hatching on any given day as well so have a few patterns of each in your box. I also have been seeing a few golden stones crawling around the banks of the Met so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a few of these patterns on hand as well. These are a good searching pattern to use in non hatch times with a dropper nymph below. Euro nymphing still remains the most productive way to get into some fish right now. Euro frenchies and pheasant tails are some of my favorite sub surface patterns to use on the Metolius but don’t overlook a standard zebra midge as this is a staple pattern for this stretch of water. 

Bull trout fishing has been fair to good above bridge 99 for resident bull trout. A common misconception is that the fall and winter are the only times there are bull trout in the Met. There is actually a pretty healthy number of local fish that live here year round but the late summer/early fall is when even more bullies migrate up the Metolius from Lake Billy Chinook to spawn and follow the Kokanee upriver. There are already a few lake run fish that are nosing their way into the lower river and those numbers will continue to increase over the course of the next few months]]. Bull trout's main diet once they’re in the river are whitefish so using large white/grey articulated streamers is the best way to “match the hatch”.

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Mount Hood Lakes:

Lawrence Lake - 

Laurance Lake Rd. (Forest Road 2840) on Hood River Ranger District opens Friday, July 8, following emergency repairs. Laurance Lake Rd. provides access to Kinnikinnick Campground, Laurance Lake Day Use Area, and several trails on the Hood River Ranger District. While the Eliot Creek washout has been repaired, Laurance Lake Rd. is still extremely rough and narrow. Forest engineers recommend travel by high clearance vehicles only, and highly discourage trailers.Laurance Lake Rd. has been closed for public safety due to a road washout at Eliot Creek. Crews recently completed work, which included installation of two culverts at the creek crossing. Campsites at Kinnikinnick Campground are now open and available for reservation at Recreation.gov.The crossing over Eliot Creek is a flood-prone area, primarily due to melted water and erosion from Eliot Glacier on Mount Hood’s north side. In spring the fast-moving water carries rock, silt, and other debris down the mountain and into streams. Erosion from the snowmelt creates unstable ground and stream washouts, specifically at this section of Eliot Creek.

Lake Update

Lake season around Mt. Hood is in full swing. Float tubes are the best tool for the job up there and can be a ton of fun. Slow stripping wooly buggers, damsel nymphs and leeches is a great method. Nymphing with a set of chironomids or a pheasant tail nymph is a good bet too. If fishing this method, giving the indicator a few pops and strips here and there help bring those bugs to life and will trigger more takes.

Shop Stillwater Flies

Steelhead - 

Wild summer steelhead numbers are looking very promising over Bonneville Dam this year. As of right now there are 18,848 total steelhead that have passed over Bonneville and 7583 of those are wild fish. Steelhead fishing on the Lower Deschutes remains closed until ODFW reassesses at the end of the month for a possible August 15th opener depending on wild fish counts.

https://www.fpc.org/currentdaily/HistFishTwo_7day-ytd_Adults.htm This is a quick resource to check fish counts over the dams in the Columbia.

For the latest on fishing regulations in your angling zone visit https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/

Smallmouth Bass / Carp:

Smally fishing has been pretty solid recently! Good catches have been reported slow stripping streamers. The RIO meat sweats is a great pattern that can imitate a lot of different things. Olive and tan are my favorite colors for smallies. I use an intermediate sinking line with a weighted bug and slow strip and twitch my fly in. This is a super fun fishery right in our backyards. Smallmouth put up a heck of a fight and are another great fish to challenge yourself to learn. 

Won’t be too long before we’ll be stalking the flats of the Columbia looking for 20lb goldfish cruising the shallow flats. Carp fishing will humble you up really quick. Great practice if you have a saltwater trip coming up. These fish require accuracy and stealth to have success.

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports - 6/6/2022

Trout - Deschutes River:

Lower Deschutes River 

The salmonflies and golden stones are still going strong. The number of bugs in the grass is starting to die down, but the fish are still keyed on top. At this stage of the hatch using a smaller Clark’s Stone or Orange Stimulator pattern will get more eats than a big chubby. Fish have seen plenty of those by now. 

There has been a lot of recent rain, clouds and thunderstorms throughout Central Oregon. This means…Green Drakes!! I have been hearing reports of electric green drake hatches where they begin popping like crazy out of nowhere. If I was hitting the Lower right now I’d definitely have some of these in my dry fly box. Caddis and pale morning duns are the other two bugs to have on your radar going forward. Look to fish these small flies in back eddies where trout will line up right off the shoreline. Some good pmd patterns include: film critics, parachute pmds, hackle stackers and comparaduns in size #16-18. 

Nymphing is getting it done in the mornings as well before the hatches get going. Euro and traditional indicator rigs with two flies, a stonefly and a small caddis or mayfly imitation, is the ticket.

Don’t forget to purchase a boaters pass if you are floating any part of the Lower Deschutes. They can be purchased at recreation.gov and are required to have when floating.

Middle Deschutes River 

The big bugs are few and far between now on the middle but fish are still occasionally eating them on top. Pale morning duns, caddis, and yellow sallies are all important on this section in between Bend and Lake Billy Chinook. Attractor dries like renegades, parachute adams, stimulators and yellow humpies are all good searching patterns too.  

Upper Deschutes

The upper Deschutes has been pretty good the past few days. There have been consistent pale morning dun hatches happening between 12-3pm most every day the past few weeks. Fish are keyed in and looking up for sure. They have been hatching in a #16 and hackle stackers, comparaduns and film critics have all been productive patterns. Lots of good brown and rainbows to be had in this section above Benham falls. In between Crane Prairie and Little Lava Lake has been really hit or miss since the opener. I don't think there are a ton of fish in there right now as the water level seems a little low. Fishing closer to Lava and Crane will likely have more fish. Little streamers around the cut banks are super productive when there are fish present. Dry dropper fishing in the pools will get it done as well.

Metolius River 

The Met green drake hatch has yet to really take off. There have been some sporadic hatches on cloudy humid days the past few weeks but the consistent hatches everyday is still to come. This weekend with the wet and warm weather it could really start to happen. 

I’d definitely bring the nymph and streamer sticks. Nymphing will be your most productive method, particularly euro nymphing as it gets down in front of the fish in such an effective way that indicator rigs can’t replicate. Lots of caddis and pale morning dun activity too so have a good arsenal of dries as these hatches can start to happen at any time. 

Bull trout reports are good. Streamers in the mornings and nymphing in the afternoons. The biggest thing I’ve learned over my years of fishing the Met for bulls is to use flies that are unique with a lot of movement that those bulls have likely never seen. We are well past the days where you can show up to the Met and expect to catch a pile of bulls by tying on a simple dolly llama. Think outside the box with streamer selection. All black, and white & olive are some of my favorite color combos.

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Mount Hood Lakes:

Lake Update.

The lakes up around the mountain are in full swing! Fishing intermediate lines with small balanced leeches and wooly buggers never fails. In certain parts of certain lakes you can get away with a floating stripping these same flies but generally you’ll want a slow sinking line to help get down. Still water indicator fishing with chironomids, pheasant tail nymphs, dark assassins and balanced leeches is another method that can be really fun. Seeing a bobber drain never gets old!

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Steelhead - 

For the latest on fishing regulations in your angling zone visit https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/

Smallmouth Bass / Carp:

Smally fishing has been pretty solid recently! Good catches have been reported slow stripping streamers. The RIO meat sweats is a great pattern that can imitate a lot of different things. Olive and tan are my favorite colors for smallies. I use an intermediate sinking line with a weighted bug and slow strip and twitch my fly in. This is a super fun fishery right in our backyards. Smallmouth put up a heck of a fight and are another great fish to challenge yourself to learn. 

Won’t be too long before we’ll be stalking the flats of the Columbia looking for 20lb goldfish cruising the shallow flats. Carp fishing will humble you up really quick. Great practice if you have a saltwater trip coming up. These fish require accuracy and stealth to have success.

Shop Carp Flies

Shop Bass Flies

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