Description: About Crooked River
Central Oregon's Crooked River offers exciting fly fishing action for rainbow trout and Whitefish. The Crooked is one of the region's best river to introduce anglers to the sport of fly fishing. The river flows from the base of Prineville Reservoir through a magnificent rim rock desert canyon to the town of Prineville.
From Prineville, the Crooked River continues to carve its way north, creating one of Central Oregon's greatest attractions, Smith Rock State Park. From Smith Rock the Crooked River finishes its journey, joining two other popular central Oregon fly fishing rivers, the Metolius River and the Deschutes River at Lake Billy Chinook. The Crooked River boasts spectacular canyon views, a healthy strain of rainbow trout, and ample fly fishing excitement.
With an average of 4000 trout per mile, it's easy to see why this river is such a great place for new anglers. Not just for beginners though, experts in fly fishing will enjoy casting dry flies during prolific caddis and mayfly hatches. Like the Deschutes River, the Crooked River is home to a unique desert rainbow trout, known as the "redside". Averaging 8-10 inches, these rainbow trout mimic the power and strength of their Deschutes River cousins.
The Crooked River is open to fly fishing all year long, with the best being in the spring, early summer, and fall. Like all rivers in the west, the Crooked River has prolific hatches of mayflies, midges, and caddis. Being a tailwater fishery, it is also home to a variety of scud species, and is also a breeding grounds for many sculpins. In the spring and again in the fall, and during the rainy days of the summer, you can expect to see great hatches of Blue Winged Olives, and Midges. As summer arrives, caddis begin to fly. Typically by Mother's Day, caddis have made their presence well known, earning the attention of both the rainbow trout and the Central Oregon fly fishing community.
Fly fisher's should concentrate their attention on the highest concentrations of fish in the first ten miles below Bowman dam. Fly fishing through runs, riffles, and pocket water will produce steady action. A popular way to fly fish the Crooked River is with nymphs. A small bead head (prince nymph, hare's ear, pheasant tail, or scud) with a smaller nymph as a dropper (zebra midge, midge pupa, or a mayfly emerger) will catch trout throughout the river. Swinging a Wooly Bugger is also a popular technique, and can reward the angler with the largest trout in the river.
Nearest Airport:
Roberts Field Airport (RDM), Redmond, Oregon
Hatches:
BWO, Midge, PMD, Caddis
Best Time to Fish:
All Day
Best Stretch:
7-8 mile stretch below Bowman Dam
Best Access:
There are many access points on the Crooked, as the Hwy parallels the river for over 15 miles
