McKenzie River Trout Fishing

McKenzie River Guided Fly Fishing

Our trout fishing season starts with the highly anticipated March Brown Hatch.  These mayflies start to hatch as the air temperature approaches 65 degrees and they are the first consistent hatch the trout see.  Every year the hatch begins at a different time but once it starts we usually enjoy a few weeks of the best dry fly action of the year.  Our guide knows when and where to be to hit this hatch exactly right.  Call for scheduling and Ferris will let you know the best time to get in his boat for the best trout fly fishing in the Willamette Valley.  

As the spring progresses we follow the hatches including Mother's Day Caddis and Green Drakes upriver.  The dry fly fishing remains consistent and the wild fish are always "looking up" to eat a bug on the surface of the water.

We continue to fly fish for trout until the weather turns cold.  One of our best months for nymphing is October.  While the trout are feasting on spring salmon eggs they readily eat any egg pattern and you have a good chance at picking up a steelhead that is opportunistically feeding behind the salmon redds along with the trout.  This is an experience not to be missed.  Everyone enjoys seeing spawning salmon in the river with steelhead hanging out behind them and trout aggressively hitting any fly that resembles a salmon egg.

Trout Fishing with Traditional Gear

In April, the McKenzie River starts to be planted with hatchery trout and over the course of the season, tens of thousands of trout are put into the river.  These trout are fun to target with spinners and bait.  Our guide loves to accommodate all skill levels and gear preferences.  If you want to have the option of gear and flies, Ferris will make that happen for you.  Hatchery fish can be kept and make great table fare.  Limits are typically 5 trout per angler and it is common for anglers to catch limits of trout.