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Crooked River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The high-desert tailwater: absurd trout density in a canyon you can drive.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Lake level
1944.85 ft
Air / High
65 / 69 F
Wind
S 7 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 14087520, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Crooked River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The gauge reads 1944.85 ft, up 0.17 over the week. Today brings cloud cover, wind S around 7 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 69. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 72 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from LAKE BILLY CHINOOK NEAR CULVER, OR.

Water level, last 30 days

USGS gauge 14087520.

1944.431944.631944.841944.85 ft08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp65 F
High / Low69 / 46 F
WindS 7-10 mph
Pressure1012.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 31%
Sunrise / Sunset06:31 / 19:35
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 69/46 F, wind 14 mph, rain 31%

Fair or better. A 14 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Crooked River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Crooked River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Crooked River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 65 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 66 F, wind to 17 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 82 F, wind to 18 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Oregon requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

5 trout under 20 inches (redband rules); check whitefish liberalization. Confirm with ODFW.

Access

SR-27 canyon pullouts below Bowman Dam; camping at Chimney Rock and neighbors.

About this water

High-desert tailwater of Prineville Reservoir, Crook County, OR: 3,000+ redbands per mile.

Fishing Crooked River: the full guide

Small water, big numbers

The Crooked below Bowman Dam packs thousands of redband rainbows per mile into a modest desert canyon: scuds and midges under a bobber produce all day, every day. It is Oregon's best beginner river and a numbers reset for jaded experts: with whitefish gluttony as the bonus.

Winter's reliable dozen

When Central Oregon freezes, the Crooked keeps giving: mid-30s water, midging redbands, and the region's most consistent winter nymphing. Size 16-20 under an indicator, mud edges at midday: dozens-per-day remains realistic.

Small water etiquette

Eight miles below Bowman Dam concentrate the fishery and the anglers: rotate pools, give risers room, and walk the extra bend: densities hold everywhere, company doesn't. Scuds, worms and baetis cover the year's fly needs in one small box.

Canyon pocket water, mile by mile

The Crooked's nine tailwater miles below Bowman Dam pack more trout per bend than rivers five times its size: redband rainbows stack the basalt pocket water at densities past 5,000 fish per mile in good flow years. Every pullout along the canyon road opens another run: nymph the soft edges (scuds, zebra midges) and let the whitefish keep you reliable between trout. Winter flows drop skinny: fish midday warmth and tread lightly around staging fish.

Common questions

How technical is the Crooked?

Forgiving by tailwater standards: fish density covers imperfect drifts. It is Central Oregon's confidence-builder: and its winter salvation.

How do flows change the Crooked?

Everything rides on Bowman releases: 50-100 CFS concentrates fish but stresses them (summer closures possible); 200-300 is prime; runoff spikes muddy it briefly. Check the Ochoco Irrigation District schedule before the drive from Bend.

Is fishing good at Crooked River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Metolius River18 miPrineville Reservoir39 miDetroit Lake49 miEast Lake59 miCrane Prairie Reservoir60 miColumbia River72 mi
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