THE LEGEND OF LOWER DESCHUTES RIVER STEELHEAD
THE ULTIMATE JEWEL IN YOUR CROWN
Summer-run Lower Deschutes River steelhead are a thing of legend in the fly-fishing world. For millennia this proud fish has fought its way up the mighty Columbia and then the Deschutes to ancestral spawning areas as high up as Bend, Oregon. While dams have made the last stretch of the journey impossible, the determined fish still find their way up the 100 miles of Lower Deschutes we call our “Home Water”. That they still come is a testament to their otherworldly will to proliferate. Few species on earth have provoked as much wonder and amazement as steelhead. Their life’s journey is one we can only scrape the surface of through our imagination. And few places have inspired more anglers to pursue this most demanding and illusive quarry as the Lower Deschutes River in the Central Oregon high desert. Here’s a Blog Post about chasing chrome on the Deschutes!
For many of us, our first book or video about fly fishing for steelhead was produced on the Lower Deschutes River. Some of the most illustrious fly-fishing personalities and authors focused on the summer-run fish, entertaining the rest of us along the way. Whether you prefer swinging flies with a Spey rod or dead-drifting stonefly nymph and egg imitations, there is prototypical holding water to probe. Knowing that water is key.
Griff Marshall Outdoors runs both Single-Day and Multi-Day Camp Trips on the Lower Deschutes River targeting steelhead. Click the links above to read more details about these options. As with all anadromous fisheries, the more time you have and water you can cover, the better your chances. So, whether you want to disappear for three or four days on a Camp Trip or only have a day to drift, no matter where you’ve been, this is place you must experience.
Although technically a summer-run fish, from July through December, steelhead can be found in the Lower Deschutes River. For a decade we have spent every free moment (and then some!) pursuing these remarkable fish. In July and August, we run trips on the lowest stretches of the river. Single-day trips run between numerous ramps near the town of Maupin. This area offers some of the best steelhead water in the world. Our Multi-Day trips from Mack’s Canyon to Heritage Landing put you on run after run of the most coveted, classic and productive swinging water anywhere. By mid-September, we start running the “Day Stretch” targeting steelhead. This is almost ten miles of pure steelhead water. We also begin running Multi-Day Camp Trips from Trout Creek to Harpham Flat. This is perhaps the most remote and epic stretch of the Lower Deschutes and includes the famed and feared Whitehorse Rapids.
Click this link to check out our Steelhead FAQ Page. And please contact Griff Marshall Outdoors with additional questions about steelheading on the Lower Deschutes River in Central Oregon. It is a subject we could talk about all day! Call 541-480-4280 or griff@griffmarshalloutdoors.com
2023 Price Sheet-Steelhead Trips
1 or 2 People $600
3 People $650
What is Included: Guide Rig Shuttle, Lunch, non-alcoholic beverages, Rods and Reels
What is not Included: Fishing License, Tribal Permit (if necessary), Boater’s Pass (price varies), Flies, Waders and Boots, Client Vehicle Shuttle
1 Person $825 per day
2 People $600 per person per day
4 to 8 People $550 per person per day
What is Included: All meals, non-alcoholic beverages, Rods and Reels, Guide Rig Shuttle, All Camp Equipment (except sleeping bag and pillow)
What is not Included: Flies, Fishing License, Tribal Permit (if necessary), Boater’s Pass (price varies), Waders and Boots, Alcoholic Beverages, Client Vehicle Shuttle