Tips for Oregon

[Deschutes]

The Deschutes is obviously my favorite. I was lucky to float from Warm Springs to Trout Creek a couple times a year for three or four years. Definitely worth it if you can work it out.

I have also had good luck at Milo McIver State Park on the Clackamas, pretty close to Portland. There might be the potential for steelhead. If memory serves me, you need a steelhead tag in addition to a trout stamp.

As KellyC said, lots of rattlers around the Deschutes. Only seen a couple, but heard more than that. Fall River in Sunriver (near Bend) is awesome, pretty technical in spots, but can be very rewarding.

Other places I had luck on was the Santiam River off Highway 22 east of Salem. And the McKenzie just east of Eugene.

[hook jaw]

You've gotten some great advice already. I lived up there for 8 years and would highly recommend both the Deschutes and the Metolius. In July you'll have Steelhead in the lower Deschutes and trout throughout. It can be hot over there that time of year but coming for AZ won't be a big deal. The Clackamas is good early morning but you get a fair number of "splash and gigglers" during the day on some of it. Near town, there's some great smallmouth fishing on clousers in the Willamette and on the Columbia if you go upriver towards the Dalles. For a longer adventure, there's also some great lake fishing towards Bend with Crane Prairie, East Lake, Paulina, Lava Lake, Davis Lake, and others. It's heaven on earth IMO so just try and pick a species / style of fishing you want to do and then hone in. Good luck.

HJ