10 Reasons to Fish the Deschutes in August

1) August is our favorite month to fish floating lines and Skaters.

2) Fishing in t - shirt weather is awesome.  I dream of it often in February and March.

3) We seem to catch mostly wild fish in August.

4)  Steelhead are present in good numbers throughout the lower 35 miles or so of river.

5) Fall Chinook salmon haven't arrived in the Deschutes yet (they make the steelhead sad).

6) Currently Mt. Hood's snowpack is roughly 110% of average (low snowpack is the primary cause of the White River blowing out).

7) Winter steelhead runs were good all over Oregon this year, and early summer runs seem to be good as well.  All indicators of a strong run on the Deschutes. 

8) It's a quick and easy trip up to the Deschutes, especially if you're from California.  No monster flights, passports, or expensive fishing licenses (you do need a license, its only $16.50 a day).

9) An August visit to the Deschutes will serve as a great spey warm up for your fall BC trip.

10) A Deschutes River steelhead trip costs a fraction of what a most BC steelhead trips cost.

Did I mention floating lines and skaters?!  Kurt Huegin photo