Gorge Fly Shop Blog: trout fishing reports

Aug 11, 2026

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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Feb 14, 2026

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report - 2/13/26

Winter Steelhead

Well, it finally rained! Not enough to blow out many systems, but plenty to motivate some fish movement. We're back in a little dry spell, but there is more precipitation coming in the near future. The forecast looks a little more normal for the next couple weeks which will certainly help the fishing.

Lots of rivers will be trending toward low/clear here for a few days, but that's not the end of the world. You can always go fishing when the water is low, and it can certainly make the fish a lot easier to find. They don't mind holding in shallow water when the river is steelhead green, but they definitely don't love to do that when the water is clear. Deeper buckets show up like a beacon and that's where you can expect to find the biters. In theoretically ideal conditions, they could be just about anywhere. Sometimes to the point that it gets in your head! That is a great thing about low/clear. The holding water is greatly reduced and it allows the angler to focus primarily on what deeper water with color is out there. It also reveals the details of spots you've caught fish before in higher water.

One other thing to keep in mind about winter fishing is that the window isn't that long compared to that of summer fish. Winters are on a rapid mission to get upriver and spawn. There isn't a long holding period. Hard to believe, but we only have a couple months left, give or take, of prime time. Go when you can and put the advantage of time with fly in the water in your favor. As things drop and clear, try some brighter flies. Pinks, reds and oranges can draw some pretty violent grabs in these conditions!

Deschutes Trout

There's some wintery weather coming soon. In the trout world, that means B.W.O.'s! Not sure why those bugs like crummy weather so much, but they really do. Some of the best B.W.O. fishing happens in the nastiest weather. Look for them to be rather active this coming week. Be prepared to imitate all stages of their life cycle. Nymph fishing will be the best option in the morning. Try a larger point fly with a small trailing fly to imitate the olive nymph. Tiny Pheasant Tails are a great choice. As you slide into the middle of the day, keep your eyes peeled for fish targeting bugs as they emerge. A few favorite patterns to match this stage are the Film Critic, Sparkle Flag and Sprout B.W.O. Look for the duns to be on the water sometime between noon and 2:00. Try a Double Vision or Parachute Extended Body B.W.O for this stage.