The best conditions for steelheading is gray overcast and clear water.

Directions: This trip we will be fishing for steelhead on the Deschutes River just above Heritage Landing (on the west side of the river at the mouth) near Biggs. We are not meeting at the Deschutes River State Park which is on the east side of the river.

Please click on this link for directions from Pendleton to Heritage Landing. We will gather in the parking lot due south of Heritage Landing (at the end of the pavement) at 9 a.m. We are also looking for folks wanting to arrange a carpool from Pendleton or Hermiston to Heritage Landing.

If you have never fished the Deschutes River or wonder where to throw a fly with that much water going by, here is a good chance to get some beginner's instruction. We will be fishing the lower 3 miles during the day (from Moody Rapids to Rattlesnake Rapids) with most time being spent in the cable area testing 8 weight fly lines. We strongly suggest anytime you are fishing the lower Deschutes that you consider wearing studded wading boots, and it is wise to have a wading staff but neither are necessary to catch nice steelhead.

John giving it one last shot

Mary and Paul giving us a great lunch break

On Friday December 10 the Deschutes was flowing at less than 5100 cfs over Moody Rapids, a great and easy flow to work in. Friday and Saturday it rained and the Chinook winds blew... all of eastern Oregon rivers out of shape. By the time we arrived at the Deschutes the cfs was over 5800' and the river was grayed out with runoff. We had a great morning, early afternoon for fishing, but can't say the same for catching.

*See your DeLorme (1996) Oregon Atlas & Gazetteer - page 84 for map illustration.
*Refer to Fishing in Oregon 9th Edition author: Madelynne Diness Sheehan - page 209-211

See Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Regulations for details.

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Last Update: December 2004