Grande Ronde River, Oregon Fishing
Report – 04/28/24 (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
Freestone
Species
Steelhead
Rainbow Trout (wild)
Bull Trout (native)
Smallmouth bass
Size
Medium
Location
Northeast Oregon
Nearest Towns
La Grande
Rondowa
Season
Year-round but species specific
Access:
Easy to very remote
Special Regulations
Yes, but species specific. Check the
current regulations
USGS Real-time Stream Level:
At Troy
Non-Resident License
State of Oregon
Weather
National Weather Service
Season:
The season for steelhead runs from September 1 through April 15.
Summer:
Fly fishing the Grande Ronde for rainbow trout is best from June to the middle of September.
Fall:
Steelhead fishing can be great during the fall season from about mid October through November.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
For Steelhead and Salmon
Fly Line:
7, 8 , 9 or 10 weight for appropriate typerod, sinking, sinking tip and floating
Leaders:
10#, 12# in 9 to 15 feet lengths
Tippets:
10# and 12#
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly 7, 8, 9 and 10 ft. single hand rods
Fly Reels:
For 7 to 10 weight lines
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
KISS Strike Indicators, Lanyards, etc.
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
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.
Copyright 2016 James Marsh
Fly Fishing On The Grande Ronde River In Oregon
The Grande Ronde River is a 200 mile long river that flows from the Blue Mountains to the Snake River. It is one of Oregon’s better steelhead rivers. Forty-four miles of it is designated Wild and Scenic. Fly fishing the Grande Ronde River can be done in busy areas of the stream, or in total seclusion. Keep checking back with us. We update the Grande Ronde River fishing report often.
Much of the Grande Ronde River flows through very remote country where long sections of it are inaccessible except by a drift boat or similar vessel. There are floats trips available that can range for up to five days in the wilderness section of the stream that runs from Minam on the Wallowa River downstream to Wildcat Creek.
The best of the steelhead fishing takes place from the Wallowa River confluence, a tributary, that’s a fine steelhead river itself, downstream to the Grande Ronde’s confluence with the Snake River in Washington.
The lower section from Troy to the Snake River is accessible by road. It is a very popular stretch of the river that can be crowded during the fall run of steelhead. Parts of the river are accessible from both Oregon and Washington.
The steelhead average about 4 or 5 pounds. The upper section of the Grande Ronde has a good population of wild rainbow trout. They probably average about 12 inches but go up to 18. In addition there are some Bull Trout, which of course, should be immediately released
unharmed.
Steelhead begin entering the river from the last part of January through Febuary. These fish spawn during the months of March through May mostly in the tributaries of the Grande Ronde – the Wenaha River, Wallowa River and Minam River.
The steelhead of the Grande Ronde gets serious steelhead angler’s attention during the fall. By October, the Ronde’s sea-run rainbow have negotiated the Columbia and the Snake to begin their run up to their home waters. Both wild and hatchery steelhead will take a dry fly as well as any in the nation.
The Grande Ronde’s fish, scenic beauty, and remoteness makes a great setting for a steelhead or rainbow trout fishing trip. Most anglers fishing from a drift boat stop and anchor to get out and wade where steelhead are known to hold.
There are a total of three float trips possible from Boggans. Two are between Boggans and the Oregon/Washington state line and the other from Boggans to Schumacher. Each one is considered a day’s float and range from six to eleven miles in length.
Flies:
We have a complete line of flies for steelhead and salmon. We have selected them as the most popular flies from thousands of patterns that have been developed over the years. We have some of our own Perfect Fly steelhead and salmon patterns. They imitate the hexigenia mayfly nymph, certain caddisfly nymphs, stonefly nymphs and fish roe or eggs that are found in the river throughout the year. We also have a full line of popular wet flies, egg flies, Spey flies that are very popular. We hope you will give our flies a try.
Trout Flies:
We definitely recommend our “Perfect Fly” trout flies. They are by far the best flies for the Grande Ronde River because they are the most realistic flies you can purchase. We have imitations of every insect and other trout food that is present in this stream. If you haven’t done so already, we ask you to give them a try. We know you will not be disappointed.
Fishing Report Headlines Archive:
Current Grande Ronde River Fishing Report
01/27/2020 This week should be a good one with great weather. Trout are becoming more active and Smallmouth Bass and Steelheads are biting.
02/23/20 Trout are being caught in good numbers with the warmer water. Steelhead fishing is varying but some are being caught. Few anglers are fishing and we think that is the reason for the lack of good reports.
03/15/20 This coming week should be good for both trout and steelhead. Stream levels have been a little high and fishing tough but it should be better this week.
05/02/20 The stream levels are currently high but the water warm and good hatches are taking place. It should be very good when the levels fall back down.
06/02/20 The river is blown out with very high stream levels and muddy water. Fish when it clears and drops.
06/18/20 Stream levels are still too high to fish. Fish as soon as it drops. Trout fishing should be very good.
06/26/20 The stream levels are down some but still too high to wade safely or fish well. It can be fished using a drift boat.
07/04/20 The stream levels are a good bit above normal but okay. There are trout being caught by our customers. Good hatches are taking place.
07/20/20 Conditions remain pretty good. The stream levels are are above normal levels and it is tough to wade in most places. There are still hatches taking place and terrestrials are working good.
08/28/20 Stream levels are a little below normal. Smallmouth bass fishing is very good. They are taking our crayfish patterns and poppers. It is too warm for trout fishing.
08/16/20 The river is still low and warm. Smallmouth bass fishing is still good. Fish Perfect fly bass poppers during the early mornings and late in the day, and our Crayfish patterns during the day.
10/22/20 The river is turning out good numbers of trout and steelhead. We continue to get good reports from customers. Smallmouth bass are also being caught.
11/06/20 Steelhead and coho are still in the river and being caught. It has slowed down some. Rainbow trout fishing continues to be good.
11/20/21 The river level is up and in good shape. We should be getting some good steelhead reports very soon.
04/25/21 Steelhead are up stream a good ways and more were coming in due to the recent high water levels. We didn’t receive and reports from anyone catching them but they certainly can be caught.
05/11/21 There are a lot of steelhead in the water and the levels are down more near normal. Many of them are in the lower section in Washington but you should be able to catch plenty in Oregon.
05/20/21 We didn’t receive any reports from anyone fishing this past week. Let us hear from you.
05/28/21 The river is flowing lower than normal. We did receive two good fishing reports from customers this past week. There are some very good hatches taking place. Call or write us for a recommended fly list.
06/06/21 Trout fishing has been fair but should get better soon with more hatches taking place.
06/17/21 The river is flowing just a little below normal level and clear. We are still getting good reports on trout. 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 We have been getting good reports from customers fishing for trout. There are good hatches taking place.
7/14/21 Our customers are reporting good bass fishing exist. Popping bugs and crayfish patterns are working good. Check out our bass flies: https://perfectflystore.com/product-category/flies/perfect-fly-other-freshwater-flies/bass/
07/20/21 More good reports have come in from customers fishing for smallmouth bass.
08/05/21 Access to most of the river is closed due to a recent fire.
08/15/21 Due to the recent Elbow Creek Fire, access to fishing on the Grande Ronde is closed throughout most of the river downstream of the city of Elgin.
08/23/21 We received two good reports from customers fishing for smallmouth bass. Our poppers and crayfish patterns worked for them.
08/31/21 The smallmouth bass fishing is still good and there were reports of some trout being caught as well. Trout fishing should improve as the water cools some in the near future.
09/10/21 We received one good report from a customer fishing for trout this past week. Reported good hatches and okay water conditions. Smallmouth bass fishing should also still be good.
09/18/21 Good catches of smallmouth continue to come in. There is rain in the forecast today and levels should come up and that should help a lot.
09/27/21 Smallmouth and trout continue to be caught in good number. Steelhead normally come in this month but not yet. It is expected to be a small run.
10/10/21 We are getting good reports from customers catching Coho, steelhead and trout. As my dad used to say, you better get it while the getting is good.
10/20/21 The river is producing decent catches of trout, salmon and steelhead, each depending on the particular section being fished. Send us an email for a recommended fly list.
10/31/21 The river is still turning out trout, salmon and steelhead. Conditions are good and we are receiving good reports from customers.
11/07/21 Stream levels are normal. More good reports are coming in. Good numbers of steelhead, coho and trout are being reported. Good hatches continue to take place.
11/15/21 We received several good reports from customers catching Coho and steelhead. Our steelhead/salmon nymphs and swinging our egg sucking leech and Spey fly patterns are working.
11/23/21 More good reports came in from customers fishing for trout, steelhead and coho. Our steelhead nymphs are working good in the deeper pools.
12/01/21 Our customers are catching some nice steelhead below Troy. Now is the time to be there.
12/10/21 The weather has turned colder so you may need to slow down the presentations. We received three good reports this past week from customers.
12/18/21 The cold water has slowed the “catching” down. There are still plenty steelhead in the river. Just slow down and use cold water tactics.
12/26/21 We received one good report this past week. Few anglers are fishing. There are plenty steelhead in the river.
01/03/22 The river is still capable of turning out steelhead but we didn’t receive any reports this past week from anyone fishing.
01/11/22 We received one good report from a customer fishing for steelhead. Our steelhead nymphs like the Giant black are working. Fish the deeper pools at the tailouts near the bottom.
01/19/22 We received another good report from a customer catching steelhead. Fish the deeper pools slowly and near the bottom.
01/27/22 Stream levels are normal and in good shape. We received another good report from a customer fishing for steelhead this past week.
02/04/22 We received two good reports from customers fishing for steelhead this past week. Stream levels are just a little below normal. Both swinging and nymphs work.
02/12/22 We didn’t receive any reports from anyone fishing this past week. Flows are a little below normal.
02/20/22 We received one good reports from a customer fishing for steelhead. The low levels are making it tough but hatchery steelhead are still there.
02/28/22 We didn’t receive any reports from the past week. Conditions remain about the same.
03/08/22 There was still no fishing reports from anyone for the past week. The stream levels are low and that is hurting the steelhead fishing opportunity.
03/16/22 Conditions are okay but we still didn’t receive any reports from anyone fishing the past week.
03/24/22 The stream is still turning out a few summer steelhead. Stream conditions are okay.
04/01/22 The steam level is a little below normal but okay. We didn’t receive any reports from anyone this past week.
04/09/22 Still no reports from anyone. There are summer steelhead in the river.
04/18/22 Still no reports from anyone but you should be able to catch summer steelhead.
04/26/22 Steelhead season is over for all practical purposes. You can catch trout. There are some good hatches starting to take place.
05/04/22 Trout fishing is okay. We received one good report from a customer this past week. Good hatches are taking place.
05/12/22 We didn’t receive any reports this past week but conditions remain good and you should be able to catch trout. Good hatches are taking place.
05/28/22 Trout fishing is pretty good as we received two good reports from customers fishing this past week. Excellent stonefly, caddisfly and mayfly hatches are taking place.
06/11/22 The stream is high and badly stained due to the recent rain. Give it some time to drop and clear.
06/18/22 The stream is still high and stained. We didn’t receive any reports from anyone fishing this past week. It should be better this coming week.
06/25/22 Stream levels are down some and conditions improved. We are getting some good reports on trout being caught between the Wallowa River and Troy.
07/09/22 We received two good reports from customers fishing for trout this past week. Good hatches are taking place and our terrestrials like the Japanese beetle, Carpenter ants and our sandwich hoppers are also working,
07/16/22 Trout are being caught between the Wallowa River and Troy. Stream levels are down in okay shape and there are very good hatches taking place.
07/23/22 We received one good report from a customer fishing for trout this past week. Good hatches continue to take place and our terrestrial patterns are also working.
07/30/22 We are getting good reports on trout being caught between Wallowa River confluence and Troy. Good hatches are still taking place.
08/13/22 The stream is turning out some good trout catches thanks to good hatches taking place. Fish between Troy and Wallowa river confluence.
08/20/22 The stream is still in okay shape and turning out some nice trout. Good hatches are still taking place.
08/27/22 The stream is still in okay shape. We received one good report from a customer catching trout. Good late summer hatches are taking place.
09/11/22 Trout are being caught in good numbers. There are very good bwo, cinnamon caddis and mahogany dun hatches taking place.
09/18/22 Add October caddis to the fly list. Another good report on trout came in this past week.
10/08/22 Coho salmon and steelhead are being caught. Conditions are good.
10/27/22 Trout fishing is good in the Troy area. Good hatches are BWOs, spotted sedge, October caddis and others.
11/17/22 The streak of colder weather is slowing things down. Light green and cream midge larva and pupa rigged in tandem is working good. Small size 20 BWO nymphs are working.
01/02/23 Stream levels are falling, but are still above normal. Good winter hatches are taking place.
02/08/22 The stream is in okay shape with good numbers of trout being caught.
02/25/22 The stream is producing some good catches of steelhead for our customers. All methods are working but swinging our steelhead streamers is probably the top method.
03/14/23 We are still getting good reports from customers of steelhead being caught. Both swinging and nymphing methods are working.
03/26/23 The stream is still turning out some steelhead for our customers.
04/07/23 We are still getting some good reports from customers catching steelhead.
04/21/23 Steelhead season is over for the time being. You can catch trout. There are good hatches taking place.
04/28/21 The season for steelhead ends April 30. We didn’t receive any reports from anyone this past week.
05/14/23 We received one good report from a customer fishing for trout. Good hatches are taking place.
05/25/23 The stream has been high the past few days but back down to near a normal level, clear and in good shape.
06/07/23 The stream is flowing just a little below normal level and clear. Good hatches continue to take place. We are getting good reports from customers fishing for trout.
06/14/23 Conditions are still good – good stream levels and good hatches.
06/24/23 It doesn’t get much better than this in the summer months.
07/02/23 The stream is still turning out some good catches of trout for our customers. Good hatches are taking place.
07/12/23 We received two more good reports fro customers catching trout.
07/20/23 The stream is still turning out some good catches of trout. Good hatches continue to take place.
07/31/23 We are still getting reports of trout being caught. There are still hatches taking place and terrestrials are working good.
08/05/23 We didn’t receive any reports from anyone fishing this past week but conditions are still good for trout.
08/17/233 The stream is still in good shape. We received one good report from a customer catching trout. Good late summer hatches are taking place.
08/21/23 Conditions remain very good. Good hatches and good stream level. You should be able to catch good numbers of trout.
08/28/23 We received two good reports from anglers fishing it this past week.
09/05/23 Conditions remain good. We didn’t receive any reports from last week but it should still be good.
09/12/23 The river is still in good shape but we still don’t have any catch reports.
09/26/23 Coho and steelhead have begin to show up in the river. It should get better each day.
10/03/23 The river is producing some catches of trout and salmon. Steelhead should start coming in soon.
10/12/23 We received our first report of steelhead being caught. It should continue to get better throughout rest of the month. Check our our steelhead flies.
10/27/23 Steelhead are being caught in decent numbers as well as trout.
11/10/23 We received more good reports on both steelhead and trout.
11/17/23 More good reports on steelhead and trout came in this past week. Stream levels are okay and there are still some good hatches. Steelhead are taking our steelhead egg sucking leeches and steelhead nymphs.
11/27/23 Sorry for missing last week’s report. The stream is turning out okay numbers of steelhead. Swinging and nymphing methods are both working.
12/09/23 Steelhead are still being caught by our customers. Our Perfect Fly Hexigenia steelhead nymphs are one thing that is working very good.
12/26/23 Steelhead are still being caught in decent numbers.
01/10/24 We received another good report on steelhead from the past week.
01/23/24 Steelhead fishing has slowed down but they can still be caught.
02/19/24 The river has plenty steelhead and we get good reports when the stream levels are okay. Currently, the stream is very high and highly stained. Give it some time to drop and clear.
02/26/24 The stream is flowing a little above normal and on the way up. You should be able to catch steelhead when the levels are okay.
03/08/24 The stream is still above a normal level and lightly stained. Both trout and steelhead are being caught in decent numbers.
03/14/24 The stream is still a little high and lightly stained. We received one good report from a customer catching steelhead this past week.
03/21/24 The stream is still flowing near a normal level and mostly clear. Both trout and steelhead are being caught.
03/28/24 The stream is flowing a little above normal level and lightly stained. Most of the steelhead have moved on through the river. Trout fishing should be good with March Browns, Blue-winged olives, Skwala stoneflies and Little Black Caddis are hatching.
04/04/24 The stream is still high and stained. Trout are being caught in good numbers. Good hatches continue to take place.
04/14/24 The river is still high and stained. Good hatches including March Browns, Little Black Caddis, Skwala stoneflies, and Blue-winged olives are hatching.
04/21/24 The stream is turning out some good catches of trout. Good hatches are taking place.
04/28/24 The stream is a little high and stained but still turning out some nice catches of trout. Good hatches are coming off.
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations.