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Deschutes River Fishing Report

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

Oregon's desert artery: native redside rainbows and a summer steelhead swing.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
3,940 cfs
Air / High
72 / 75 F
Wind
N 0 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 14103000, 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.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Deschutes River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 3,940 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings a mixed sky, wind N around 0 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 75. 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 78 F with a rain chance. 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 DESCHUTES RIVER AT MOODY, NEAR BIGGS, OR.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 14103000.

3,8303,8853,9403,940 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp72 F
High / Low75 / 53 F
WindN 0-6 mph
Pressure1013.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain28% cloud, 15%
Sunrise / Sunset06:29 / 19:36
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 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 75/53 F, wind 9 mph, rain 15%

Fair or better. A 9 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Deschutes 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 Deschutes 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 Deschutes 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 71 F, wind to 16 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 73 F, wind to 14 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 81 F, wind to 17 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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

Trout: 2/day outside wild-release zones: most anglers release all. No fishing from a floating device. Check ODFW.

Access

Warm Springs, Trout Creek, Maupin city, Macks Canyon accesses; Heritage Landing at the mouth.

About this water

100 miles of blue-ribbon canyon water, central OR, Columbia tributary. Tribal boundary waters mid-river.

Fishing Deschutes River: the full guide

The Deschutes deal

The lower Deschutes cuts a basalt canyon to the Columbia: home of the redside (a native rainbow that fights above its class) and a summer steelhead run that draws spey rods from everywhere. Salmonfly madness in late May, caddis evenings all summer, swung flies from August. Boats move anglers: fishing from them is illegal: this is a wading river.

Redsides on the swing

The lower Deschutes' native redside rainbows eat dries with violence: salmonfly hatch (late May) is the carnival, but caddis evenings all summer sustain the faith. Nymph the seams deep in the canyon heat; the fish average 14-16 inches of muscle built in heavy current.

Steelhead tributary time

Summer steelhead enter from the Columbia by July, stacking the lower 40 miles: swung flies on floating lines in the low light, jigs under floats midday. The mouth-to-Macks Canyon reach fishes from boats (but you must anchor or bank to cast): know the boat-fishing rule before launching.

Common questions

What is the no-fishing-from-boats rule?

Unique Deschutes law: boats transport, feet fish. Anchor or beach, then wade: it spreads pressure and preserves the drift-boat culture without turning runs into trolling lanes.

Etiquette of the canyon

The Deschutes runs on codes: rotate through steelhead runs (step-down-and-swing, never camp a pool), respect the tribal-side closures (the west bank is Warm Springs water on much of the river), and mind the rattlesnakes on every scramble. The reward for citizenship: uncrowded swings through world-class water. The river culture polices itself: learn it before your first cast.

Is fishing good at Deschutes River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Columbia River13 miKlickitat River18 miDrano Lake35 miSandy River66 miCrooked River75 miLake Merwin76 mi
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