CROOKED RIVER
The Crooked River begins high in the Ochoco Mountains. It flows west for 125 miles where it joins up with the Deschutes River at Lake Billy Chinook Reservoir. Along it’s journey the Crooked is impounded by Arthur A. Bowman Dam forming Prineville reservoir, about 20 miles south of the town of Prineville and 30 miles east of Bend. The waters below Bowman Dam have a balanced ecosystem, owing to it’s stable, nutrient rich water, with consistently cool temperatures. This supports a large population of fish, making this one of the best fisheries in all of Central Oregon. With it’s calm flows, high fish count, large hatches and easy access, the crooked makes for a great fishing environment for all anglers and skill levels. I like to refer to it as our “backyard playground”. This is a great place for beginners, fishing with family and kids, experienced anglers who like lots of action, or if you want to get out on a half day and still make an afternoon tee time!
The Fish
The Crooked River is home to Native Columbia Basin Redband Rainbow Trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri), a native subspecies of rainbow trout adapted to arid conditions in the Columbia River basin; as well as Mountain Whitefish(Prosopium williamsoni). On any given year the Crooked boasts a poulation of 2-5k fish per river mile. Both species live in the same waters, have the same diet and provide great sport on a fly rod. That being said, our primary target is the Redband trout. These fish fight really well and are a joy to catch with their aerobatics and speed. They are also beautiful! The redband trout of the Crooked River regularly feed on the surface during a decent hatch, which happens most days on the crooked, sometimes even in the dead of winter.
The Season
We offer trips on the Crooked River all year! November through March the river is subject to low flows and the fish tend to keg-up in slow deep pools, targeting midges, BWO’s and scuds. This is a great time to stretch your legs and test your skills on weary trout. April-June water levels and temps increase kicking off the Mothers day Caddis hatch. This hatch gets all the fish in the river feeding heavily and can be some of the best dry fly fishing of the year. June-October The days are warm and long, the River is in stable summer flows, consistent hatches of PMD, BWO, Midges and Caddis are coming off every day. This is the season for the best fishing of the year. Whether you are nymphing throughout the mid day or throwing dries in the evening shade, the trout are usually feeding sunup to sundown.
Half day walk & wade - $400 for 1 or 2 anglers, $75 per additional angler (up to 4 per guide)
Full day walk & wades - $525 for 1 or 2 anglers, $100 per additional angler (up to 4 per guide)
101 class – same price as walk and wade trips
Casting Class- $100 per hour, up to 6 guests
