Deschutes River

The bottom 44 miles to the Columbia, with gravel-road access down to Macks Canyon and then roadless wilderness to the mouth at Heritage Landing near Biggs. This is prime summer steelhead water — long, even swinging runs through the deep canyon. Wild redband trout fish well here too, but most anglers come for the steelhead from late summer into November. A Combined Angling Tag is required to fish for steelhead.

Best for: Summer steelhead on swung flies and waking dries August-November; wild redband trout on caddis. Lower-canyon float or jet-boat access from the mouth.

The day-trip water around Maupin, the hub town, with road access along the east bank for wade anglers and a popular float to the Sandy Beach take-out above Sherars Falls. Big riffles and famous runs hold wild redband trout and the river's strongest concentration of summer steelhead staging below the falls. Sherars Falls itself is a hard barrier — take out above it.

Best for: Wild redband trout on caddis and stonefly dries; summer steelhead swung on the lower runs. Easiest access on the river, so expect company on the good runs.

The classic multi-day float through the roadless canyon, with no road access between Trout Creek and Maupin. Continuous riffles, ledges, and boulder gardens holding wild redband trout that average 12-16 inches and eat dries with abandon during the May stonefly hatch. Whitewater builds toward the bottom — Whitehorse Rapid is Class III-IV. The summer steelhead swing fishery hits its stride here from August into October.

Best for: Wild redband trout on salmonflies, golden stones, and caddis; summer steelhead on swung flies August-October. Multi-day camp float; wade to fish each run.

The top of the marquee Lower Deschutes, below the Pelton Reregulating Dam at Warm Springs. Big, cold, dam-stabilized tailwater flowing near 4,000 cfs through a wide basalt canyon. This is the heart of the wild redband trout fishery and the first water to light up for the salmonfly and golden stone hatch in mid-to-late May. Drift the boat to access, then wade — you cannot legally fish from a floating craft.

Best for: Wild redband trout on salmonfly and golden stone dries in May, caddis and PMDs through summer. Summer steelhead push through from July. Float to access, wade to fish.

Below Bend the river drops into a basalt canyon through Tumalo, Cline Falls, and Steelhead Falls on its way to Lake Billy Chinook. This stretch runs low and warm in summer when irrigation strips the flow, then comes alive in the cooler months. Rugged, rattlesnake country with wild redband trout and a few brown trout in the deeper canyon runs.

Best for: Wild redband trout and brown trout on nymphs, streamers, and October caddis dries. Best in spring and fall; skip the low, warm flows of mid-summer.

The upper river above Bend, fed by Wickiup and Crane Prairie reservoirs and tumbling over Benham, Dillon, and Lava Island falls. Pocket water and pine-shaded runs holding small wild redband trout and stocked rainbow trout, plus the occasional brown trout. Flows here swing hard with irrigation releases, so the fishing is best in fall after the canals shut off.

Best for: Wild redband trout and rainbow trout on attractor dries, hopper-droppers, and nymphs. Best September through October when irrigation draws end and flows stabilize.