Mount Hood just picked up a fresh dusting of snow, and the annual late fall protein feast is officially wide open in the Deschutes River canyon.
On Wednesday, November 4, 2026, I took a solo road trip on foot into the lower Deschutes River canyon below Sherars Falls to fish for native Redside rainbow trout and whitefish, and to scout fresh water for our upcoming guide trips. While I focused on the lower canyon, Fall Chinook salmon make it all the way up to the Warm Springs area. If you locate active spawning redds anywhere from Warm Springs down through the lower river, you can find incredible trout fishing right now.
Lower Deschutes River Trip Report At a Glance (November 4, 2026):
- Location & Access: Walk and wade road trip below Sherars Falls (spawning salmon are also active up to Warm Springs)
- Target Species: Redside Rainbow Trout and Mountain Whitefish
- Weather Conditions: Cold and foggy early morning; fog lifted by 10:00 AM to partly cloudy skies with almost zero wind. Morning was 37°, but the afternoon warmed
- Water Flows & Clarity: Low flows (consistent with conditions all year) and great visibility
- The Results: Well over two dozen quality trout and whitefish landed between 10:00 AM and 2:30 PM with zero angling pressure
River Conditions and a 4.5 Hour Fishing Clinic
The morning started out brisk and socked in with heavy canyon fog, so there was no need to rush into the water at daybreak. Around 10:00 AM, the fog lifted to reveal partly cloudy skies and dead-calm conditions with almost no wind.
I stepped into the river at 10:00 AM and fished until 2:30 PM. In that 4.5-hour window, I brought well over two dozen rainbow trout and mountain whitefish to the net, highlighted by some truly large, thick shouldered redsides.
Honestly, I could have stayed in those runs all afternoon and easily turned it into a 50 plus fish day, but there is no need for that as far as I am concerned. Once I had my fill of bent rods, I spent the rest of the afternoon hiking the bank to scout new holding water for our upcoming guided trips. Best of all, there was hardly another angler in sight. Fishing pressure is practically nonexistent right now.
Spotting Record Numbers of Salmon Redds in Low Water
Because the Deschutes has been running low and super clear all year long, visibility into the riverbed is extraordinary right now. Walking the banks at these lower water levels allowed me to spot more Chinook salmon spawning redds than I have ever seen before.
As we always preach at the shop, this makes ethical angling and redd awareness even more important. Stay on the bank or wade carefully well below the cleared gravel mounds, and focus your casts strictly on the deeper buckets and riffles downstream where opportunistic trout are stacked up waiting for loose eggs to wash downriver.
If you are planning to head out on your own, read our companion guide on the October and November Deschutes River Cheat Code and watch our full on the water breakdown right below so you know exactly what spawning gravel looks like and how to set up downstream:
Winning Tactics: Why the End of Drift Lift Triggers Strikes
One of the best parts about fishing behind spawning salmon is that you can succeed with a wide variety of methods. Throughout the day, I rotated between swinging lightly weighted egg patterns on both single-hand and two-handed Trout Spey rods through the riffles below the redds, and dead drifting a double nymph rig under an Oros strike indicator.
For the double nymph setup, I ran a heavy stonefly or Egg Sucking Stonefly as my point fly with an egg pattern dropped off the bottom. If you are not fishing tungsten beaded eggs (like our hand-tied Eethy Eggs) and are using standard yarn-style eggs instead, be sure to pinch on some tin split shot so your flies drop quickly into the 3 to 4 foot deep buckets between and behind the redds.
Pro Presentation Tip: While most of the holding water was 3 to 4 feet deep, I picked up several quality fish much closer to the surface on the swing. Even when you are fishing a dead drift under an indicator, do not worry if your rig drags and lifts at the very end of the drift! When spawning Chinook kick up the gravel, real eggs tumble and suspend throughout the entire water column. Letting your egg pattern swing and rise toward the surface at the tail end of your drift mimics a suspended egg and led to multiple hard grabs for me.
Gear Used on This Trip (Shop the Setup)
Here is the exact lineup of waders, Trout Spey gear, single-hand rods, lines, and terminal tackle that got the job done on the Deschutes:
| Category | Gear / Product | Role on the River | Shop Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Waders | Simms Men's G3 Guide Stockingfoot | Bombproof GoreTex warmth and durability for cold canyon mornings. | Shop Waders |
| Women's Waders | Simms Women's G3 Guide Z Stockingfoot | Breathable waterproof protection with a convenient waterproof front zipper. | Shop Waders |
| Trout Spey Rod | G. Loomis IMX PRO V2 Short Spey | Effortless two-handed swings through broad riffles below spawning flats. | Shop Rod |
| Spey Reel | Redington Classic Spey Reel | Full frame design that balances two-handed rods and prevents thin running line slip. | Shop Reel |
| Single Hand Rod | Redington Classic Trout Fly Rod | Smooth, forgiving action for indicator nymphing, single-hand swings, and light tippet. | Shop Rod |
| Trout Reel | Ross Reels Animas Fly Reel | Ultra reliable drag system when big fall Redsides bolt into heavy Deschutes current. | Shop Reel |
| Fly Line | RIO Premier Gold Fly Line | Versatile taper for turning over double nymph rigs and mending cleanly at range. | Shop Line |
| Indicators | Oros Strike Indicators | Zero kink screw on design for instant depth adjustments in 3 to 4 foot buckets. | Shop Oros |
| Leaders | RIO Powerflex Trout Leaders (3 Pack) | Strong butt sections to turn over heavy stoneflies and split shot in clear water. | Shop Leaders |
| Split Shot | Loon Outdoors Tin Drops (8 Division) | Non toxic weight to get unweighted yarn eggs down fast into the buckets behind redds. | Shop Weight |
Canyon Wildlife: Bighorn Sheep and a 30 Year First on the Deschutes
Standout days in the Deschutes canyon are never just about the fish count. Late fall is one of the absolute best times of year to spot Bighorn Sheep along the western side of the canyon. Early in the morning, you will often find them low near the river where they have come down to graze and drink water. As the morning moves on, they work their way back up the steep canyon walls, sometimes returning down toward the water again in the evening.
Later in the day, I came across something I have never seen in 30 years of fly fishing the Deschutes River: a wild swan resting on the water. I snapped a clear photo, used Google to run an initial identification, and reached out to state wildlife biologists to verify what I was looking at.
Sure enough, biologists confirmed it was a Trumpeter Swan, a species that has been reintroduced in Oregon and was undoubtedly using the Deschutes corridor on its fall migration. I shared the photo and dropped an exact GPS pin of the sighting with both the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the Trumpeter Swan Society. If you ever come across something unusual on the river, take a quick photo and send it to your local state biologists. You will help their conservation research and might just learn something awesome in the process!
About the Author
David Golobay and his wife are co-owners of Northwest Fly Fishing Outfitters, Portland's oldest and friendliest fly shop. Their sons, Gabe and Ethan, are also active in the family business that proudly employs 8 full-time guides at their shop, targeting every species in the Pacific Northwest. David founded and created our YouTube Channel, "Fly Fishing Unfiltered," and holds the shop's permit through the Bureau of Land Management for the Crooked and Deschutes Rivers, as well as the Mt. Hood National Forest. David has been fly fishing for 30 years and is passionate about sharing his knowledge and building community.
Frequently Asked Questions: November Deschutes Trout Fishing
How deep are trout holding behind spawning Chinook on the Deschutes?
Most feeding Redsides and mountain whitefish are holding in 3 to 4 feet of water in the buckets and riffles immediately downstream of active salmon redds. However, because kicked up eggs suspend throughout the water column, trout will also rise toward the surface to grab a swinging or lifting egg pattern at the end of your drift.
How long does the fall egg bite last on the Lower Deschutes?
The peak Fall Chinook egg bite runs strong for the next couple of weeks through November across both the Warm Springs section and the lower canyon below Sherars Falls. Even after the salmon finish spawning, winter trout fishing remains fantastic all season long with zero crowds on the river.
Book a Guided Trip for the Annual Deschutes Feast!
Right now and over the next couple of weeks, you can cash in on the biggest protein meal of the year for Deschutes Redsides. And once the egg hatch wraps up, we catch healthy trout all winter long with the entire canyon to ourselves! Click below to book your guided trip today.
Northwest Fly Fishing Outfitters: 10910 NE Halsey St, Portland, OR 97220
Have Questions? Call us at (503) 252-1529 or email nwffo@flyshopnw.com