Fall Chinook Salmon

Best flies for fall chinook salmon on this river

When they're in the river

Orange is peak. Green is active.

Life cycle

1. 1
   ReturnJul–Sep

   Climb the Columbia over Bonneville and The Dalles dams, then turn up the Deschutes. Early fish pass Sherars Falls by early July.
2. 2
   SpawningOct–Nov

   Females dig redds in mainstem gravel between Pelton Dam and the Columbia. Adults die after spawning.
3. 3
   Eggs & alevinWinter

   Eggs incubate in the gravel through winter.
4. 4
   JuvenileSpring

   Fall Chinook head for the ocean young, usually within their first year.
5. 5
   Ocean2–5 yrs

   Grow large at sea before returning to the river where they hatched.
6. 6
   CarcassesLate fall

   Spent salmon feed the whole river. Their nutrients grow insects, and loose eggs feed trout.

   Fish it: Egg patterns for trout below spawning areas

How to fish it

Typical size

Often 15–30 lb

Identify

Black gums, black spots on the back and on both lobes of the tail

Fishing area

Mouth (I-84 bridge) up to Sherars Falls, when open

Origin

Wild run that spawns in the lower river