Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass on the fly rod are one of the Pacific Northwest’s best kept secrets. Hard-fighting, aggressive, and willing to crush surface flies, smallmouth offer world-class warmwater fly fishing in some of Oregon and Washington’s most scenic river canyons. The John Day and Deschutes rivers in particular hold exceptional populations of wild smallmouth that rival anything found in the Midwest or East Coast — and the scenery is unmatched.
Seasons & Prime Waters
Smallmouth bass fishing peaks in late spring through early fall (May through September) when water temperatures warm and fish become most active. Surface fishing with poppers and deer hair bugs is best from June through August. Key PNW waters include:
- John Day River — Oregon’s premier smallmouth bass river; remote canyon fishing with large, wild fish
- Deschutes River (lower) — excellent smallmouth below Maupin in the lower canyon
- Snake River — big water smallmouth on the Oregon/Idaho border
- Columbia River — warmwater sections hold strong smallmouth populations
- Umpqua River — North and South Umpqua hold good smallmouth in warmer stretches
- Willamette River — accessible smallmouth fishing throughout the valley
- Hagg Lake — popular warmwater fishery in Washington County; great for bass close to Portland
- Vancouver Lake (WA) — accessible warmwater fishing just across the Columbia in Southwest Washington
Recommended Gear
Smallmouth bass are tough fish that require slightly heavier gear than trout.
Rods
A 9-foot 7 or 8-weight is the ideal smallmouth rod for what we like to do — enough power to cast large flies and hard-fighting fish. For the smaller water and smaller bass using surface fishing with poppers, a 6-weight with a weight-forward line is perfect.
Reels & Lines
A weight-forward floating line handles most smallmouth situations. For deeper water or swinging streamers in current, a sink-tip line gets flies down to where fish are holding. A large-arbor reel with a solid drag handles the runs of bigger fish.
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Leaders & Tippet
A 7.5 to 9-foot leader in 8-12 lb is standard for smallmouth. Fluorocarbon is preferred for subsurface fishing; monofilament works fine for surface presentations. Smallmouth aren’t leader-shy — keep it simple.
Waders & Boots
Breathable waders work well for wade fishing smallmouth rivers. Many PNW smallmouth rivers are also excellent float fishing destinations — a drift boat or raft opens up miles of prime water on the John Day and Deschutes.
Flies That Work
Smallmouth bass are aggressive predators that respond to a wide range of fly patterns.
Surface & Topwater
Deer Hair Popper, Gurgler, Dahlberg Diver, Foam Popper — surface fishing for smallmouth is explosive and addictive
Streamers
Woolly Bugger (olive, black, brown), Clouser Minnow, Sculpin patterns, Crayfish imitations
Nymphs & Soft Hackles
Hare’s Ear, Prince Nymph, Stonefly nymphs — effective when fish are holding deep in slower water
Book a Guided Smallmouth Bass Trip
A guided float trip on the John Day or lower Deschutes for smallmouth bass is one of the most underrated fly fishing experiences in the Pacific Northwest. Our guides know these rivers and can put you on fish from a drift boat or on foot.
Learn to Fly Fish for Warmwater Species
Smallmouth bass are an excellent species for anglers looking to expand their fly fishing beyond trout. Our classes cover warmwater techniques including popper fishing, streamer presentation, and reading warmwater habitat.