The Lower Deschutes from Warm Springs to Trout Creek is good. Below Trout Creek I don’t have much to report, except I did see one of the jet boat guides (Sam Sickles) at the mouth post on Facebook they were catching some trout on nymphs way down there. He also pointed out Walleye and Smallmouth Bass and neither species is a good thing to see in the Lower Deschutes and I think all of know that damn selective control tower at Round Butte Dam has allowed the lower river below Macks Canyon especially to warm up enough that it is inviting these Columbia River ODFW (invasives) to come up the Deschutes.
No matter where you are, over the lower 100 miles of what we call the Lower Deschutes from Warm Springs to the Columbia River, Mid Day Heat will be likely slowing the trout bite down, so mornings and evenings should be the focus for the most part.
Sometimes, a shady back eddy will collect enough mid day food that trout will poke their noses up for some good “tip & sip” action, even mid day. But you have to be in the right place at the right time to experience that little gift for sure.
Hot weather can spur on the caddis like crazy, so be prepared with pupa and adult and egg laying options, mostly tan, brown and olive in a 14-16-18
Pale Evening Duns towards evening are a key July hatch and one to keep an eye on from about 7 pm to 8 pm, with good possibilities of PMD’s mixing in too. You may see PMD’s and Caddis hatches in the morning as well. I’ve seen Rusty Spinner on the Deschutes morning, afternoon and at dusk. On a lot of rivers they are at dusk. But the Deschutes is special after all and always full of mystery.
Euro Nymphs are your best bet on most days now. Shop guys Mattias, Drew and Griffin smoked ’em on heavy bead 4.0 to 5.0 mm perdigons a few days ago. All of them said it was the best day of fishing they’ve ever had on the Lower D.
For our Trout Spey friends we recommend Swinging leeches, sculpins and crayfish, probably on a sink tip to get down and to slow it down.
Are you ready for some important news? Good News even….
THE GOOD NEWS is the Steelhead Run on the Columbia is above the 10 year average and ODFW made the announcement that the Lower Deschutes Steelhead fishing will indeed OPEN on August 15th. We are excited for a later summer/fall/early winter of getting the spey rods out and swinging for steelhead again in 2022. After missing 2021 I know a few of our guides at FFP who are going to be really happy to give the steelhead experience to some of their favorite clients again this fall.