The hardest fighting fish in the Pacific Northwest

The McKenzie River is one of Oregon’s premier steelhead destinations, when you experience your first steelhead here, it’s easy to understand why it is an obsession for so many anglers. Summer steelhead arrive to the McKenzie in late spring through fall, and these chrome-bright silver bullets are as willing a fish as you’ll find — eager to crush a swung fly, slam a spinner, or crush a plug. After the bite you will experience the most explosive runs, acrobatic leaps, and a bulldogging of any fish in the Pacific Northwest. The river’s clean, fast-moving water and deep slow runs provide the perfect environment to fight these special fish to the net. Whether you’re swinging a fly with a two-handed Spey rod through a classic tailout or throwing a spinner into a riffle, the McKenzie rewards persistence with some of the most memorable steelhead fishing in the Pacific Northwest.