Idaho Fish Report

DESCHUTES RIVER, mouth to Pelton Dam:

These next few weeks will likely be the best steelhead fishing of the season on the lower Deschutes.

The Deschutes River below Moody Rapids reopened on Monday, Sep. 16. Permanent Deschutes regulations are in effect for those waters to the mouth of the Deschutes and the entire lower Deschutes River. There was a lot of pressure on the opening day for Moody, and the next few weeks will be a great time for easy access steelhead fishing on the Deschutes around Moody.

Steelhead fishing throughout the lower river is expected to be good through September and into early October. Many hatchery and wild steelhead are likely to be caught in the next few weeks; if you catch a wild steelhead, practice good catch-and-release technique, keep fish wet, and release all wild fish unharmed.

Salmon season at Sherars has been slow for sport anglers with mostly jacks reported so far in the creel. Coho have been starting to show up in bigger numbers at Sherars over the past week.

Not as many trout anglers this time of year, but nymphing has still been good up between Warm Springs and Maupin.

DESCHUTES RIVER, Benham Falls to Little Lava Lake:

The Deschutes River upstream of Benham Falls is schedule to close for the year Sept. 30, 2024. Angler reports of good fishing for brown trout below Wickiup Reservoir and whitefish, redband and brook trout from Crane Prairie Reservoir to Little Lava Lake. ODFW staff noticed evidence of bait fishing at many locations during spring fish surveys and remind anglers that the use of bait is prohibited on the Upper Deschutes River.