Deschutes River · hatch chart
The stonefly hatch runs mid-May to early June; steelhead arrive late August and hold through winter
By month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
| Month | Insect | Stage | Size | Time | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar | Blue-Winged Olive (Baetis) | Dun | #18 | 12:00-16:00 | |
| May | Salmonfly (Pteronarcys) | Nymph migration and adult | #4-6 | 10:00-17:00 | |
| May | Golden Stone (Calineuria) | Adult | #8-10 | All day | |
| Jun | Green Rock Worm (Rhyacophila) | Larva | #12-14 | All day | |
| Jul | Caddis (Hydropsyche) | Adult, evening | #14-16 | 19:00-22:00 | |
| Sep | October Caddis (Dicosmoecus) | Adult, evening | #8-10 | 18:30-21:30 | |
| Oct | Blue-Winged Olive (Baetis) | Dun | #18-20 | 13:00-16:00 |
Flow and visibility
The Deschutes is fed by springs in the lower canyon and snowmelt in the upper, so the two reaches behave differently. In the Warm Springs stretch the flow is relatively steady and wadeable; above Trout Creek the river can rise hard after rain on the Cascades. Summer water temperatures in the lower canyon push past 20°C on hot afternoons, which is when fish move to the riffles and the oxygenated water.
The insect plate
