Bend
Oregon Fishing
Trout Fishing
Bend Oregon is home to several different species
of trout. Rainbow Trout, German Brown Trout, Lake Trout, Bull Trout
and Brook Trout are the primary species caught within a short drive
from Bend.
Almost all lakes and streams in Central Oregon contain Rainbow Trout.
The Deschutes River is world famous for it trout fishing. It begins
in the Cascade Mountains Southwest of Bend. It is the source of water
for Crane Prairie Reservoir and Wickiup Reservoir. It runs through
the middle of Bend and eventually flows into the mighty Columbia
River.
Crane Prairie Reservoir is known for its large
trout ("Cranebows").
It is about a one hour drive from Bend. It was flooded in 1928 with
most of the timber left standing. It is a relatively shallow lake
with the deepest sections about 15-20 feet deep near the channels
in the spring. The water level drops steadily all summer during the
irrigation season.
The Cranebows spawn in the upper Deschutes in early spring and then
return to the reservoir and are scattered around the shallower water.
As the water warms in early summer the fish start congregating around
the channels. Twenty to thirty inch rainbows are common.
All methods of lake fishing work on this strong fighting fish. Fly
fishing is very popular once the fish move into the channels. Trolling
flies, spoons or spinners is a popular method early in the season.
Early summer brings on weed growth which makes it difficult to troll
without fowling you lure.
There are numerous campgrounds and one resort on Crane Prairie.
The resort provides rental boats, licenses and anything you might
need for trout fishing. The owners are always helpful in pointing
new anglers to where the fish are biting the best. It is difficult
to fish here without a boat.
The Deschutes flows out of Crane Prairie and a few short miles into
Wickiup Reservoir. Wickiup has large Rainbow and German Brown Trout
as well as a large population of Kokanee Salmon. The Kokanee and
Browns are the primary targeted fish.
Early spring brings out the die hard Brown Trout fisherman. They
concentrate near the dam and generally troll Rapalas or similar minnow
type lures. Ten pound fish are common in the early spring. Since
Brown trout are nocturnal you'll find the serious fisherman on the
water at first light. Wickiup is best fished by boat but some large
browns are caught from shore along the dam in the spring.
During the summer the Kokanee start congregating along the river
channel. Jigging, bait fishing or trolling are the preferred methods
for catching the Wickiup Kokanee. The Kokanee spawn in the fall with
the Browns following them up the Deschutes channel.
Early morning and late evening is the best time to target the large
Browns.
Wickiup only has one improved boat ramp which is located at Gull
Point. There is not a boat dock so it makes it somewhat difficult
for launching and boarding your boat. There are a couple of improved
camp grounds as well as many unimproved places to camp.
The Deschutes River continues below Wickiup dam and flows through
Bend. This section contains some smaller Rainbows and some nice sized
German Browns. It runs through the Deschutes National forest. There
is a good drift from the dam down to the Pringle Falls area.
Pringle Falls is dangerous and cannot be drifted. Watch for signs
and be prepared to take out above the falls. This is a beautiful
drift. The river from Pringle Falls to Bend has several different
water falls that cannot be drifted. Check the numerous books available
that discuss this section of river in detail.
The section of river that runs through Bend does not produce many
fish as it is not stocked with hatchery fish and receives substantial
fishing pressure.
The Deschutes flows from Bend into Lake Billy
Chinook which is located between Redmond and Madras. Lake Billy
Chinook is actually a reservoir
that is backed up by Round Butte dam. "Round Butte" reservoir
is filled by the Deschutes River, Crooked River and the Metolius
River.
Lake Billy Chinook is known for its native Bull Trout population.
Bull Trout are close to extinction in many parts of Oregon but not
in Lake Billy Chinook. The state record Bull Trout was caught here
in 1989. It weighed 23 pounds and 2 ounces. Ten to fifteen pound
fish are still common with several being caught every year.
The best time to catch a large Bull Trout is in March and April.
The Metolius arm of the reservoir boarders the Warm Springs Indian
reservation and is closed from the end of October to March 1st every
year. Early in the season the larger trout come into the shallows
(10-20 feet) to feed on the abundant Kokanee salmon.
If you find the Kokanee you will find the Bull Trout. A boat is
necessary to catch these fish. They are caught by casting the shore
line with silver minnow plugs, trolling plugs, fly fishing with a
sink tip line or jigging the deeper water if the fish have not moved
up into the shallows yet.
If you are interested in pursuing Bull Trout check the authors'
web site for more helpful information, links and pictures.
The trout fishing in this article is all located within a one hour
drive from Bend. There are many other lakes, reservoirs and streams
within an hour of Bend that are not mentioned in this article.
Bend Oregon is a great place to live if you like the outdoors. There
are many good trout fishing spots close by. The lower Deschutes below
Bend is world famous for its Salmon Fly hatch but that is the subject
of another article.
Bass Fishing
Bend Oregon is better known for its trout fishing
but it also supports a few lakes that have good populations of Largemouth
and Smallmouth Bass. The bodies of water within a one hour drive
from Bend that hold bass are Crane Prairie Reservoir, Wickiup Reservoir,
Davis Lake, Prineville Reservoir, Haystack Reservoir and Lake Billy
Chinook (Round Butte Reservoir).
Crane Prairie Reservoir is better known for its large Rainbow and
Brook Trout. However it is full of stumps, standing and downed trees.
It is a Largemouth Bass heaven. It is a relatively shallow body of
water with reeds and lily pads as well as lots of wood cover.
The deepest part near the dam is 16 to 20 feet deep depending on
how much water is in the reservoir at any given time.
The reservoir sits in the Cascade Mountains southwest of Bend. It
is surrounded by pine trees and supports a healthy wild life population.
You can always count on seeing countless Ospreys, a few Bald Eagles
and numerous water fowl. Osprey and Great Blue Herons both nest at
Crane Prairie.
Crane Prairie is not a year round lake and it often freezes over
in the winter. Since it is a trout lake the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife closes it to fishing at the end of October and
opens it back up on the third Saturday in April. There are years
where it is partially ice covered on opening day.
The belief is that Largemouth Bass no not bite
until June or July," when
the water warms." However, some of the best bass fishing on
Crane is in May. The author has caught many bass over five pounds
in late April and May. The place to fish is the shallow North side
of the reservoir where the water temperatures can be in the low to
mid fifties in 2 to 6 feet of water.
Early mornings in April and May are not the time to fish for bass.
Early afternoon is the best time to start. The water in Crane is
crystal clear this time of year and it is hard to get a bite if the
sun is out and the wind is calm. The silt and mud bottom with plentiful
amounts of wood cover soak up the heat on these cool spring days.
If it is calm and sunny you are better off to put your rod down,
your trolling motor on high and start looking for fish. Often times
they will be laying on top of fallen logs sunning. There are also
many root balls from blown over trees that will hold fish. You will
not see any small fish this time of year. It will be strictly pre-spawn
females.
Once you start seeing fish slow down and start looking more closely.
You will find several fish in the same area and do not want to spook
them too much. Once you have found a few areas that hold fish be
sure and mark them so you can come back when the wind picks up and
puts a little chop on the water.
It is not necessary to mark every fish. Just keep track of the general
area where you saw concentrations of fish. Go back to those areas
and fish the lay down logs and the root balls. Black weedless jigs
with a trailer or 6 inch black worms are the ticket this time of
year. The author's favorite jig trailer is a 5 inch black with blue
flake twin tail grub.
Crane Prairie bass are big for Oregon standards. The largest bass
caught by the author was 6.5 pounds. He has seen Largemouth caught
and released in excess of 8 pounds in some local bass tournaments.
These are not your normal run and gun bass tournaments however because
there is a 10 mile an hour speed limit on Crane Prairie Reservoir.
In the early 1990s the average spring time
bass was in the 3 to 5 pound range. Now the average is 2 to 4 pounds
with a few 5 pounders
thrown in. Crane Prairie Largemouth usually spawn around the full
moon in late June. Spawn and post spawn is usually when the fish "start
to bite" for the general public and anyone can catch several
small males that bite aggressively.
After the spawn the large female bass drop back to deeper water
around the channels and become harder to catch. Crank baits and spinner
baits come into play at this time of year. The water also starts
to take on some color and is not as clear. Aquatic weeds and moss
also start to grow making it more difficult to fish jigs and worms.
Fall and late fall are a difficult time to catch fish
as the water is low from irrigation use and it starts to clear up
again. Spring
is definitely the best time to catch Large Mouth Bass on Crane Prairie
Reservoir.
Jim Johnson is a Certified Residential Specialist and has been selling
quality homes in Bend Oregon since 1981. Call 541-389-4511 or see his
web site to search the MLS - Bend
Oregon Real Estate. Jim is licensed
by the State of Oregon as the Principal Broker for Bend Oregon Real
Estate Expert.
BendOregonRealEstateExpert.com!
