Fly Fishing Private Oregon Lakes
Fishing a low pressure water is a special experience, and Fly Fisher’s Place is fortunate enough to have unique private lakes nearby.
We’ve partnered with the Justesen Ranch in Grass Valley, Oregon as our main source for private lake offerings. The daily rate per angler is $150.
If you choose to use us guides, our rates are $500 per day including lunch, tackle, boating access and flies.
Most of our Justesen Ranch Guests go fish on their own, and do not need the services of a guide if they have their own float tube, pontoon boat or fishing kayak.
Of the 7 ranch lakes, Davis Lake, Thousand Acre Lake and Big Lake are also suitable for launching a drift boat or a pram if you’d like.
On every fishing day you will be the only group assigned to a particular lake which gives you the best private fishing experience we can offer. Imagine being in the Oregon High Desert, with vistas of snow capped Mt Hood in the background, and you’re catching huge rainbows that are all just for you!
All the hatches you’d expect on an Oregon lake will occur here too, with Chironomids, Callibaetis, Damsels, Dragonflies, Scuds, Waterboatman and Leeches being important on any given day.
The Justesen Ranch is about an hour and a half north of Madras and has 7 lakes on the main ranch, plus a few others on the Highway 97 corridor going back towards Kent and Shaniko.
The seven main Ranch Lakes include:
- Upper Twin (7 acres)
- Lower Twin (5.5 acres)
- Davis Lake (7.5 acres) – 45°17’22.7″N 120°51’24.9″W
- Thousand Acre Lake (5 acres) – 45°16’31.1″N 120°51’03.8″W
- Granary Lake (3.5 acres) – 45°17’46.7″N 120°49’17.8″W
- Pig Pen (2 acres)
- Big Lake (18 acres) – 45°17’53.1″N 120°49’05.7″W
Out near Kent, Oregon you’ll find Bull Pen Lakes:
- Bull Pen Lakes (Kent) (1.5-2 acres each) – 45°11’04.5″N 120°37’38.9″W
Near Shaniko you’ll find even more lakes for an easy day trip from Central Oregon.
- Shaniko 97 reservoirs (1-2 acres each)
The Kent and Shaniko waters are described as high desert ponds, and the ranch lakes are long established bodies of water with beautiful riparian zones and wonderful scenery. All are full of nice trout.
While many of our guests make a day trip out of this from Central Oregon (or from the Portland area), if you choose to stay and fish multiple days there are 3 overnight accommodation options at the Justesen Ranch.
They are all great places for anglers to stay and relax and make the trip even more special. These accommodations are all booked on Airbnb. Our favorite cabin is the Grass Valley Guest House for larger groups. The Granary Cabin is amazing for a rustic ranch experience and Granary is also really close to a couple of the lakes in the middle of the ranch and provides the easiest access to the fishing. The Bunkhouse is just down the driveway from the owners house and is near the Pig Pen and Big Lake for easy access to those lakes. Any place you stay is no more than 10 or 15 minutes to drive the whole ranch for complete coverage of the fishing.
Check out the Justesen Ranch Cabins here:
We’ve been involved with a lot of private lakes in Central Oregon over the years and it is very apparent how much love goes in to the property and how much the Justesen family ties to Oregon influence how good this property is for all of us to share.
Fishing season begins in March at ice out (varies year to year but mid-March is always a solid target) and goes until early June when they start watching water temperatures to protect the fish. It opens again in the Fall and can be excellent fishing in October and November when the high mountain lakes have already shut down, Justesen Lakes are back in their prime.
Need more inspiration, watch this video and see for yourself why this property is a great place with a lot of value for spring and fall fishing.
If you haven’t tried Justesen Ranch yet, please keep it in mind for 2024 and let’s get you booked for a day or more this season. Call (541)549-3474 and we will get you the day you’ve been dreaming about.
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