Fall River Oregon Fishing Report Updated 11/15/24
(see below at bottom of page)
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Spring Creek
Species
Rainbow Trout (stocked)
Brown Trout
Brook Trout
Size
Large for a spring creek
Location
Central Oregon
Nearest Towns
Bend
Sun River
Season
Open to fly fishing year-round above
the falls
Access:
Fair to great, depending on the
location
Non-Resident License
State of Oregon
Weather
National Weather Service
Season:
Varies with the location – see above
Winter:
Wintertime fishing is good because the water stays about the same temperature all year
Spring:
Fly fishing the Fall River is great in the Spring because of the aquatic insect hatches
Summer:
The water stays cool all summer long and fishing is usually good.
Fall:
Fall is a great time to fish the Fall River because of the beautiful surrounding of Fall foliage.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Fly Fishing The Fall River Oregon
The Fall River is actually a large, beautiful spring creek that flows for eight miles into the Deschutes River in Oregon. The clear river flows around bends bordered by grass and willow trees. It’s located about 25 miles south of Bend Oregon.
The stream contains wild brown and brook trout and is stocked with rainbow trout. The wild brook trout are small, averaging about six inches. The wild brown trout grow rather large and average between eight to fifteen inches. The rainbows probably average about ten inches. This stream is stocked with Crane Prairie Reservoir stock which are called Crane-bows.
You can access the Fall River at the fish hatchery and on the National Forest land. Fly fishing the Fall River is good all the way from the headwaters downstream to the falls. The section of the river below the falls is open from Spring through the Fall but above the falls, it’s open year-round.
Probably the best thing about fly fishing the Fall River is it’s fly fishing only.
Fly Fishing Guide to the Fall River
Fly fishing the Fall River in Oregon can be challenging at times, maybe even most of the time
Fly fishing the Fall River in Oregon can be a challenge at times as we stated in the introduction. That’s because the stream is very clear and has a good supply of food for the trout. They can afford to be selective and still get all they need to eat. Your flies should be as imitative of the real insects as possible.
As with fishing any spring creek, its always a good idea to take your time stringing up your rod. You should spend some time watching the water before you begin to cast. Sight casting to trout, whether they are rising or just lying on the bottom feeding, is far more effective than blind casting. You can spook a lot of trout blind casting. If your fly doesn’t hit in the right place for a trout to take it, you have to consider the fish you may have spooked otherwise when the fly line landed on the ultra clear water.
Use polarized sunglasses and search the water carefully looking for trout before you begin to cast. You must not allow the trout to see you first. Keep a low profile and try to move as slowly as possible. Sudden movement gets their attention as quick as anything. Wear subdued colored clothing instead of bright colors.
You will need to use longer than normal leaders and tippets. The lighter you go the better. At times you may even need to use a 7X tippet. I recommend a nine foot leader at the shortest and in many cases you will need to use a 12 foot leader. This is covered in our gear page of the Fall River but I mention it again because of its importance.
There’s no such thing as a best spot to fish in the Fall River. Trout exist throughout its length. The more searching you do, the better chance your will have at catching a good many trout. This also helps you find larger trout. The current flows smoothly in the Fall River and the fly must drift drag free if you are to expect success. This is critical. Avoid blind casting as much as possible. If you make a bad cast, give the fly plenty of time to get away from the fish or area you cast to before picking up the line to make another cast.
Fall River Fishing Report:
03/16/2020 The river is in good shape with good numbers of trout being caught. There are midges, little BWOs, and Pale Evening duns hatching. Scuds and aquatic worms are also working. Sculpin streamers will catch the larger trout.
05/01/20 The river is in good shape in all respects. There are multiple hatches taking place and you should be able to catch good numbers of trout.
05/15/20 Excellent conditions exist. There are multiple hatches and dry fly fishing is good. Send us an email for a recommended fly list: sales@perfectflystore.com
06/14/20 The river is turning out some good catches. There are still lots of hatching insects and terrestrials are starting to work good.
07/09/20 Conditions are excellent and our customers are catching lots of trout. There are multiple hatches and lots of terrestrial insects getting in the water.
07/21/20 Good conditions continue. We are getting some very good reports from customers There are good hatches and terrestrials are working.
08/04/20 Excellent conditions. Good reports coming in from customers. Good hatches taking place. Send us an email for a recommended fly list.
08/20/20 The river is in great shape and staying cool with active trout. An excellent choice for this time of the year. Good hatches and good reports from customers.
09/12/20 The water is still cool even though the weather has been warm. There are still some good hatches taking place and our terrestrial patterns are also working good.
10/04/20 The river is turning out good catches for our customers. There are some hatches taking place and our terrestrial imitations are working as well as sculpin streamers.
10/22/20 We are still getting some very good reports from customers. Some nice trout are being taken on our sculpin streams, especially the articulated patterns.
11/08/20 We continue to get more good reports from customers. There are good BWO and midge hatches and our sculpin and leech streamer patterns are working good for the big trout.
11/28/20 The river is in very good shape and we continue to get some excellent reports from customers. BWOs and midges are hatching good.
12/14/20 The river remains in good shape. Our customers continue to report some good catches. The springs help keep the water temperature in good shape and the trout active.
12/26/20 We are receiving more good reports from customers. Good hatches are taking placee – midges, and little BWOs. Scuds and our sculpin and leech streamers are working.
01/10/21 The river is still in great shape and we continue to get some very good reports from customers. Scuds, aquatic worms, BWOs, spotted sedge caddis and Midges are working and/or hatching in the case of insects.
01/27/21 The stream is still in good shape. It is a spring creek with clear water and you have to stay hidden from the trout but the water is warm and the fish active with good hatches.
02/25/21 The conditions remain very good and we continue to get good reports from customers. There are some good dry fly action and some nice hatches taking place.
04/25/21 The stream is in very good shape with lots of trout being caught including some good ones. There are multiple hatches taking place. Give us a call or send us an email for a recommended fly and gear list.
05/11/21 The river is in great shape and turning out some good numbers and sizes of trout. We are getting great reports from customers on this normally, not so easy stream to fish. There are lots of insects hatching and dry fly fishing is very good.
05/20/20 The river is still in good shape in all respects. Great hatches is producing some excellent dry fly fishing opportunities. Send us an email or call us for a recommended fly and gear list.
05/28/21 The river is turning out good numbers of trout for our customers. We recommend our Perfect Flies because they are very realistic and the trout get a good look at the fly.
06/06/21 The river is still in great shape with lots of hatching insects. We received two good reports from customers this past week.
06/17/21 Good conditions continue. The stream levels are a little below normal but not affected by the drought like most of the freestone streams. Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations.
07/03/21 Another fine Oregon spring creek that kelp fishing for trout good during the recent hot weather. Good hatches and good dry fly fishing. We get good reports from customers.
07/14/21 The stream is in good shape thanks to the cool spring water. We are getting some very good reports from customers. Call or writing us for a recommended fly and gear list. 800 594 4726 or sales@perfectflystore.com
07/20/21 Good conditions still exist we uncrowded waters. Dry fly fishing is as good as it gets here. Our terrestrial patterns are working good.
07/20/21 This spring creek stays nice and cool in spite of the hot weather and continues to turn up some good catches for our customers. Good hatches continue to take place.
08/05/21 The stream continues to produce some good catches. It helps to use Perfect Flies in the clear water. They look like the real things.
08/15/21 More good reports from customer have come in. There are some good hatches and one good report came from using our scuds.
08/23/21 We didn’t get any reports this past week. It is really under fished.
09/10/21 We received two good reports from customers. There are lots of grass and lots of grasshoppers. Stay low and fish tight to the banks with our brown sandwich hoppers.
09/18/21 We continue to get good reports. Good hatches are taking place and our terrestrial patterns are working good.
09/27/21 Some are afraid of the clear spring creek water but those that aren’t catch some nice trout and good numbers of them. Terrestrial fishing (hoppers) along the banks is still working good.
10/10/21 More good reports came in during the past ten days. Good dry fly fishing is still taking place as well as BWO nymphs, scuds and others.
10/20/21 Some good size browns are being caught on our Sculpin streamers. There are still some good hatches taking place as well.
10/31/21 The stream continues to turn out some good catches for our customers. it is one of the most overlooked streams in Oregon. Good hatches continue to take place.
11/07/21 More good reports from customers come in this past week. Good hatches are taking place and our streamers and scuds are working good as well.
11/23/21 The stream is turning out some good catches for two of our customers. Our articulated sculpin and leech streamers are catching some nice ones.
12/01/21 Conditions remain good. In fact this is one of the best streams in the state for fly fishing during the winter months and it is fly fishing only. We received two good reports from this past week.
12/18/21 We received two good reports from customers fishing this past week. Conditions are good. The anglers may get cold but the fish don’t.
12/26/21 We didn’t receive any reports this past week but conditions are still good.
01/03/22 We received one good report from a customer fishing this past week. Good midge and BWO hatches are taking place.
01/11/22 We received another good report from a customer fishing this past week. Good midge hatches are taking place and our sculpin streamers and scuds are working good as well.
01/19/22 We didn’t receive any reports this past week but you should be able to catch trout. It is an excellent choice for the cold weather months because the water stays relatively warm.
02/04/22 We received two good reports from customers fishing this past week. Conditions are good. There are good midge and BWO hatches taking place.
02/12/22 We didn’t receive an catch reports from anyone fishing this past week but conditions remain very good.
02/20/22 The creek is still in good shape. We received two good reports from customers fishing it this past week. BWO are hatching at times. Scuds and Aquatic worms are also working.
02/28/22 The stream is still in good shape but we didn’t get any reports from anyone fishing this past week.
03/08/22 We received two good reports from customers fishing the stream this past week. Conditions are good.
03/26/22 The river is turning out some nice size trout. Blue-winged olives and midges are hatching good.
04/09/22 The river is in good shape. We are getting good reports from customers. Good hatches are taking place and our sculpin streamers and scuds are working.
04/18/22 Scuds are working very good. There are good Blue-winged olive hatches and Cream midge hatches taking place. We received one good report this past week.
04/25/22 We received another good report from a customer. Good hatches are taking place and dry fly fishing is good.
05/04/22 Pale Morning dun hatches should start soon. Good BWO hatches are taking place along with little Black Caddis.
05/12/22 The stream is still turning out some nice trout for one of our customers. Good hatches are taking place.
05/20/22 Good hatches continue to take place and Scuds, sowbugs, damselfly nymphs and dragon fly nymphs are also working.
05.28.22 We received one good report from a customer fishing this past week. Good hatches are still coming off.
06/11/22 We are still getting a few good reports from customers fishing this one. It is one of the few streams in Oregon without very high water levels.
06/18/22 Conditions remain good. Use Perfect Flies that look like the real things and watch your success increase.
06/25/22 We didn’t get any reports from anyone fishing this past week but conditions remain good. Good hatches continue to take place and you should be able to catch some nice trout. Let us hear from you.
07/02/22 The stream continues to be in good shape with good hatches taking place. We received more good reports from customers fishing this past week. Terrestrials – Japanese beetles, carpenter ants and sandwich hoppers are also working good.
07/16/22 This is a good choice with the hot weather conditions we are experiencing. There are good hatches taking place and our terrestrial and crustaceans patterns are working good.
07/23/22 We received one good report from a customer fishing it this past week. Good hatches are taking place and he caught some nice browns on our terrestrial patterns along the banks of the stream.
07/30/22 Conditions remain good but we didn’t receive any reports from anyone fishing this past week.
08/13/22 We continue to get good reports from customers. Good BWO and Trico hatches are taking place as well as Spotted sedge and Cinnamon Caddis.
08/27/22 Good conditions continue to exist. Good hatches and another good report from a customer.
09/04/22 Conditions remain good. Use scuds, sowbugs, damsel fly nymphs, BWO nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners and Spotted sedge caddis pupa and adults.
09/11/22 A most overlooked river that has cool water and in good shape with good hatches. Let us hear from you.
09/18/22 Local try to keep this one out of the spotlight. Conditions are good and good numbers and sizes of trout can be caught. Good hatches continue to take place.
10/08/22 The stream is in very good condition with good late season hatches. Terrestrials are still working good.
10/27/22 We are getting a few good reports from the few anglers fishing it. Conditions are very good. Good hatches are still taking place.
02/08/03 Conditions are good. There are good BWO and midge hatches taking place and scuds, sowbugs and damselfly nymphs are also working.
02/25/23 We received two good reports recently. Good hatches are still taking place.
3/14/23 We are still getting a few good reports. There are good hatches taking place and dry fly fishing has even been reported a being good.
04/07/23 We received another good report from a customer. Good hatches are taking place – cream midges, BWOs, and scuds are working.
04/21/23 Conditions are good. Lots of insects hatching. We didn’t receive any reports as locals are rightfully a little reluctant to want competition.’04/28/23 We received one good report this past week. There are lots of hatching insects. Conditions are good.
05/25/23 The stream is in great shape with good hatches taking place. We received one good report this past week.
06/14/23 The stream is still in good shape with clear, cool spring water and good hatches. Terrestrials are also starting to work good.
07/02/23 Conditions are good. Our Sandwich hoppers, Japanese beetles and Carpenter ant patterns are working. There is a good PMD hatch and well as Spotted sedge caddis.
07/20/23 The stream is in good shape turning out some very good catches. Good hatches are taking place and terrestrials are also working good.
07/31/23 We received a good report from a customer using dragon fly and damselfly nymphs.
08/05/23 Conditions remain very good. We received two good reports this past week. There are some very good size trout being caught.
08/17/23 The stream is in great shape and terrestrial fishing red hot.
08/21/23 Good conditions still exist. Let us hear from you. Send us your report.
08/28/23 We didn’t receive any reports from anyone this past week but it should be very good.
09/05/23 The stream is still in very good shape and turning out some nice catches for our customer. Good late season hatches are taking place and our terrestrial patterns are working good.
09/12/23 Good conditions still exist. We didn’t receive any reports but you should be able to catch good numbers of trout.
09/26/23 Good conditions continue to exist. Good hatches and good terrestrial insect fishing are both taking place.
10/03/23 We didn’t receive any catch reports from the past week, but conditions remain good.
10/27/23 The stream is always in good shape and currently there are good hatches of Blue-winged olives and Mahogany duns.
11/12/23 The stream is still in good shape with good fall hatches coming off.
11/17/23 The river remain in good shape with good midge and little BWO hatches. Our articulated sculpin streamers work good here.
11/27/23 A good choice during the cold weather because the water stays relatively warm. BWOs, midges and scuds.
12/26/23 A great little stream to fish during the cold weather. Good hatches are still taking place and we are still getting some good reports.
01/10/24 Conditions remain good. Good light green and red or blood midge hatches. Scuds are also working good.
01/23/24 This is one stream heavy rain doesn’t drastically affect the fly fishing opportunity. As long as it isn’t out of the banks, and it isn’t, you should be able to catch fish. Our sculpin streamers work good in the stained water.
02/19/24 The stream is high and stained from runoff but should be be a good option. We haven’t received any recent reports but you should be able to catch trout even though it is high and stained.
02/26/24 The stream is still high but should be in good shape very soon.
03/08/24 The stream is still a little high but that doesn’t hurt it very much. The lightly stained water can help the “catching”. We didn’t get any reports from anyone fishing it this past week but it should be okay.
03/14/24 Conditions are still good. We still didn’t receive any reports from anyone fishing but you should be able to catch trout on light green or cream midge larva and pupa, scuds and sculpin streamers.
03/21/24 The stream is still in good shape. We didn’t receive any reports but it should be a very good choice to fish. Good hatches are taking place.
03/28/24 The stream is a little high and off color but that should be an advantage. Good Blue-winged olive and Cream Midges hatches are taking place.
04/04/24 The stream is still a little high and lightly stained but that doesn’t really hurt it very much, if any. Good BWO and Midge hatches are taking place. Scuds should also work good.
04/14/24 The stream is high and lightly stained but still producing some good catches. Good hatches continue to take place.
04/28/24 Excellent conditions exist. We received two good reports from customers fishing it this past week. Good hatches are taking place.
05/06/24 The stream is still in good shape with good hatches. Let us hear from you.
05/13/24 We still haven’t received any reports from anyone fishing it recently. It is in good shape with good hatches taking place.
05/21/24 The stream remains in good shape with good hatches taking place. We received our first good report this past week. Good hatches are taking place.
06/03/24 Conditions are good. There are good hatches coming off and we received another good report from a customer.
06/10/24 Good conditions exist. Good hatches and our terrestrial patterns are starting to work good.
06/17/24 Conditions are still good. Our Carpenter ants, Japanese beetles and Sandwich hoppers are working as well as the PMDs, and Spotted sedge caddis.
07/08/24 We received a good report from a customer fishing it this past week. Good hatches continue to take place and our terrestrial patterns are also working good.
07/17/24 Conditions remain good. We received another good report from a customer fishing this past week.
07/23/24 We received another good report. Good hatches are taking place and our terrestrial patterns are also working good.
08/02/24 The stream is in good condition in all respects. Good hatches are taking place. Let us have your report.
08/16/24 The stream is still in very good shape with few anglers challenging its clear water. Good hatches continue to take place.
08/27/24 Good conditions exist. Hopper fishing is working good right now. Tip-Fish a shorter leader tippet so you can place the big hopper right where you want to and that’s close to the banks.
09/02/24 We received a good report from a customer fishing it this past week. Our terrestrial patterns are working good.
09/24/24 Conditions are good. The stream is flowing near a normal level with clear water. Good hatches continue to take place.
10/01/24 Conditions remain good. Flows are near normal and good hatches are still taking place. Our scuds, damselfly nymphs and dragonfly nymphs should work good here.
10/08/24 Conditions are still good.
10/17/24 Conditions remain good. There are good hatches taking place and our scud and leech patterns are working good as well.
11/01/24 We received a good report from a customer fishing yesterday. Conditions are very good.
11/05/24 Good conditions exist.
11/15/24 The stream is in good shape. It is a little high and stained from rain but that should make it easier to catch trout. Good hatches are taking place.
Perfect Flies are designed and tied to to imitate and behave like the natural foods the trout rely on to survive as much as possible. The more your fly looks like and moves through and on the surface of the water like the real things, the higher your odds of success.
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh