Good morning from HQ, it’s going to be an incredible day to get outside in Central Oregon today, with temps climbing to the high 60’s and maybe hitting 70. A great day to go fishing, and I just looked at the Weather Channel forecast for Sisters and other than Monday it looks pretty good next week around here too.

Fishing has been quite good on the Metolius River lately. There have been fish rising to smaller tan caddis #16, blue wing olives #18-20, PMD and cinygmula #16-18, midges #22 (or smaller…..if you dare) and a lot of productive times with nymphs! Eggs, micro mayfly nymphs, 2 bit hookers, tan caddis pupa (often the #1 nymph last week), october caddis pupa, golden stone nymphs, jig style 20 incher, and a wide variety of euro nymphs with olive, brown and purple perdigons being top picks.
Remember the upper river from the headwaters down to Allingham Bridge is closed until 5/22/27 so stick to the waters from Allingham to Gorge, the Canyon to the Hatchery, Wizard Falls to Bridge 99 and down to about Candle Creek CG. Tons of open and public waters here to explore and enjoy.
It has been fun for me to be in the fly shop more since guide season ended, and help customers with flies and listen to stories from some of them who had successes. My favorite success story was a young guy who always showed up in the store wearing his waders and boots. Mattias set him on the right path to his 1st ever bull trout, and he was stoked for that. I got a text last sunday from my friend Jason who landed a beast of a bull on the upper river near his family’s cabin on a perdigon.
Bull Trout are a great draw to the Metolius, and for good reason. They can be a mythical creature of the deep in what is already a mysterious river system to fish and learn. I’ve seen bull’s eat all kinds of things including a hummingbird one evening. Chipmunnks, ducklings and the 14 inch whitefish you’re reeling in. All of these things will leave you wide eyed and mouth agape. If you are headed to the river this week, add your streamer rod to the quiver and grab some of our trim-colored triple articulated streamers, white dolly llama’s, black headbangers and euro jig streamers.
Dry fly fishing is starting as early as 10:30 AM but is more likely to hit its stride from 11:30 to maybe 3, with mayflies getting the most attention. I say that, but do not overlook the caddis and midges. Trout are selective and can change their feeding from day to day, and even from one area of the river to a really specific run or eddy.

The Crooked River is fishing really well now and the bump in water level is a welcome site, and good for the fish. It is running 47 today, I think it should hit 50 cfs again as that is the target level for conservation flows. The really good news to see is there is a 35 cfs inflow to the reservoir already, so the rains we did get have begun to slowly rejuvenate the reservoir. More please!
Scuds, Ray Charles, 2 Bit, Skinny Nelson, Micro BWO, small Perdigons, Fire Starter, Purple Haze and Purple Comparaduns, Blue Wing Olive dries for emergers and duns and Griffiths Gnats. It will be a good week to be on the Crooked.
We are offering the November Guide Trip Special for $400 for the day for 1 to 3 people on the Crooked and the Fall River.

The Fall River is also doing quite well, and is seeing some really nice afternoon mayfly hatches with BWO’s being the #1 hatch, some smaller Amber Caddis #14-16 and black Midges #22 too. Make sure to bring KD Duns, it is the one wing cripple BWO, and the fish in the Fall love this profile. On the caddis end, use Corn Fed or CDC Caddis, Edible Emerger and Orange Missing Link all in #14 or 16 and for midges the black winker looks like a pupa in transition at the film, Bucky’s Midge (from the fellas at my 2nd favorite fly shop in the world called Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone), Griffiths Gnats and Century Drive Midges in Black and Red.
Leeches and Streamers are always great.
Eggs, Zebra Midges, Walt’s Worms, PCP nymphs, Perdigons, tungsten Micro May for BWO’s and 2 Bit Hookers also to imitate BWO nymphs.
Fishing has been productive all over the river from the Headwaters to the Falls, and remember that below the falls is closed for the winter until 5/22/27 We are offering the November Guide Trip Special for $400 for the day for 1 to 3 people on the Crooked and the Fall River.

We’ve been getting some damn good reports from the Lower Deschutes! Nymphing for trout has been on fire this past week. Perdigons, PCP, Walt’s, Eggs, 2 Bit Hookers, October Caddis Pupa, Golden Stones and Salmonfly nymphs, especially Girdle Bugs have been great. Think about adding some Leeches, Sculpins and smaller Streamers to the mix, which could be nymphed on a euro line set up, under an indicator or swung with a sink tip on any rod, including playing with your Trout Spey stuff in the absence of Steelhead season being closed. We are offering the November Guide Trip Special for $500 for the day for 1 to 3 people on the Lower Deschutes River.

This may be the last LAKES REPORT for 2026

the County and USFS will close the gates to Little Lava and up to East & Paulina 11/17/26. Weather may dictate that closing time before gates are locked… or Deschutes County may decide to close it sooner for safety reasons. You can access this info on the Deschutes County website, and might be a good idea to check daily starting next week if you plan to go to Little Lava, Hosmer, East or Paulina.

Little Lava Lake had some action this week. My friend Rob was getting some fish on an Ant and on Callibaetis nymphs. Leeches and Chironomids are also strong choices.

East Lake shore access is good for some nice browns and rainbows stripping streamers. Wind and snow are a real possibility. The paid weather site I use to access good forecast details show maximum winds hitting hard from the south most of the week. Consider that element in your plans. I would not boat now if I was going, just walk and wade the shoreline and strip leeches and streamers on a hover line.

Paulina Lake was slow this week for the folks I talked to that went up. Some browns were chasing and refusing streamers but not a lot of catching going on.

North Twin would be a top choice this week as it has some protection from the wind that is in the forecast and fish should be near the banks in the shallow zones and at the drop off. Leeches and Chironomids are simple choices and top picks.

Hosmer I do not have any current reports.

SHOP STUFF

Remember our weekend hours are 9-4 Saturday and 9-3 on Sunday. Weekdays remain 9-5:30.

Lamson Guru S Reels and Spools are 40% off. Average price is $189 for a 3+ or 5+ reel and we have them in Green and Black in both sizes.

TRAVEL

Belize with me in May. Looking to fill the last open spots for the Blue Bonefish trip May 1-7, 2027. This is a very good trip for couples, and with the Couples Package being a slam dunk:
6 NIGHTS – COUPLES PACKAGE (2 ANGLERS)

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x3 Full days Guide Flats Fishing (Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday), Half day Reef Fishing or Snorkeling, x2 massages (60 Min Each)

Lodge room = $7,195

Villa = $7,795

In Argentina one spot remains for January 9-16th at $5500 for the week.

Baja with Mattias at the end of May in La Ventana. The week we have reserved with Angling Baja is prime for Roosters and Dorado.

As always, thanks for reading the report! I appreciate the comments and feedback and also you sharing your fishing experiences with me.

I’ll be in the shop most of the week before I head south for the 1st month in Argentina. I hope to see you there. (in argentina or in the shop)
I’m looking forward to being home and in the shop for the holidays!

Go fish!

Jeff