Deschutes River Day and Multi Day Drift Boat, Steelhead Trips!

[River Borne]

River Borne Outfitter's runs day and multi day drift boat trips for steelhead from Warm Springs to Maupin Now through October.


As the steelhead run progresses up river through September the fishing improves dramatically on the upper reaches of the Deschutes. By the end of September, fish are spread through out the system. At this point we start running day and multi day drift boat trips on the upper river. This is a much different experience than the lower river fisheries. The pace is a bit slower, the crowds tend to thin out a bit (especially on the multi day stretch), and the fishing is usually very good as the fish start to stack up in the upper section.

Day Trips:

Late September through October is prime time for a day float from Warm Springs to Trout Creek. This is the upper most float on the river, and is a ten mile boat in only stretch. We find steelhead using a variety of techniques from swinging to nymphing. This is a good stretch for the neophyte steelheader or the single handed caster who is not adverse to nymphing for steelhead. The steelhead are very susceptible to a girdle bug, rock worm combo in this section of river!
For the purest two handed spey caster, don't despair as this float is loaded with many classic Deschutes swinging runs to easily fill a day!



Multi Day Trips:

From Trout Creek to Maupin we run 2-4 day overnight float trips over thirty miles of river. This part of the river provides scenery, solitude, and mile after mile of great fishing. This is where you come to get away from the hustle and bustle of life, leave the cell phones at home, and relax. O' dark thirty starts aren't necessarily required to catch fish, and the pace is a bit slower than most other steelhead trips on the Deschutes. From our mobile camps we can provided luxury accommodations, including deluxe tents and cots, dinning shelters and gourmet meals. Along with being strategically located in prime fishing locations. Throw in some class III whitewater, some good company and commradery and you have the making of an epic adventure!





If you would like to book a day or multi day drift boat trip for September or October please call or email us soon to get it on the books!

[River Borne]

The steelhead run is about average this year. It seems a cooler Columbia River has kept some of the strays from entering the Deschutes. That being said there have been some good days of fishing. Fish are spread throughout the whole river at this point. A good number of steelhead are in the Warm Springs to Trout Creek stretch. Though fish have been a little slow getting up river this year. I expect October and November to be great on the upper river. On a side note, we have been hooking some very large trout this year during some combo steelhead/trout trips on the upper river. Fish to 21" have been boated, these fish have impressive girths (up to 6") and weigh close five pounds!

The river will start to thin out with the start of hunting season. The irrigation canals are turned off on the 15th and will affect the fishing for a couple of days. The lower river can expect a push of B-Run fish (12-15lb. steelhead bound for Idaho!) this month. If you are after the steelhead of a lifetime this is the time to be on the lower river! From Warm Springs to Trout Creek the reservation side is open until the end of the month. We traditionally experience some of our best fishing of the season on this stretch during October and November.

The season is drawing to a close but we still have some availability for upper river, day and multi day drift boat floats for October and November. If you haven't gotten your fill yet give us a call. I predict some of the best fishing of the season is going to be had in the next month!

[River Borne]

Less than two weeks left to fish the reservation side of the river Between Warm Springs and Trout Creek!

Fishing has only been getting better! And you can't ask for much better weather!

Book now to take advantage of the Indian Summer, the late push of fish and an open river!