Central Oregon
Deschutes River
The lower Deschutes runs through a deep basalt canyon and holds wild native redband trout, summer steelhead, a strong wild run of fall Chinook salmon, and some of the West's best stonefly and caddis hatches. Tap any fish or insect to see the best flies, its life cycle, and how to fish it.
River conditions right now
What do these mean?LiveWhat it means for fishing
- Cool water. Expect the best activity in the warmest part of the day, with BWOs and midges likely.
Rules of thumb, based on the Near Madras gauge.
Near Madras · Top of the lower river, below the dams
USGS gauge ↗Tap a tile to see its 7-day trend.
Up 0% in the last 24 hours · gauge height 2.80 ft
Updated Nov 14, 11:30 PM (Pacific). Provisional USGS data.
At Moody · Near the mouth, above the Columbia
USGS gauge ↗Tap a tile to see its 7-day trend.
Down 1% in the last 24 hours · gauge height 2.89 ft
Updated Nov 14, 10:45 PM (Pacific). Provisional USGS data.
Tap a fish or insect
Pick a month to see what's hatching
Trout & other fish of the Deschutes River
Salmon & steelhead
Much of the lower Deschutes has special rules, including no fishing from a floating device. Check current ODFW regulations for the section you fish.