Lower Deschutes River Opens Monday – Book Your Trip Now!
Well folks, hard to believe that the opening day on the Lower Deschutes is upon us. April 22nd falls on a Monday this year, so plan on missing work and getting on the river anywhere between the dams and the northern boundary of the Warm Springs Reservation. The weather is supposed to be nice, the river should be in good shape and the fish will be eating. The Redbands haven’t seen anything with a hook in it for almost five months, so this is about as gullible as they’ll be all year.
For those of you who watch such things, the river flow gauges on the Lower D have been amazing over the last couple weeks. We saw as much as 11,500cfs at the dam and 26,500cfs at the mouth. While that would have been a crappy time to be fishing, a “flush” of that nature is what that river should get every year! A proper spring flood flow is such a healthy thing for tailwaters such the Deschutes.
The rocks should have a gotten scrubbed of loose algae and moved around in a way to spur a bunch of bug activity. The temps are still quite low, so the Salmonfly “hatch” will get moved back a week or so, which is also a good thing! I’ll be down there a few days next week and will report comprehensively.
As of now, the big question is how do Trout Creek and Warm Springs Rivers look? Those two can have a big effect on flows and clarity below Trout Creek Campground. Above Trout Creek, on the Day Stretch between Warm Springs boat ramp and the campground, conditions should be shaping up nicely for the opener. Flows have been stepping down and there’s not much in the way of tributaries to muck up clarity on that stretch. We have a few open slots with guides if you’re interested in the Day Stretch. Historically it fishes great the first couple weeks after it opens and before the “hatch”.
Give the shop a call to book your trip today!
Griff