Deschutes vs. Cascade Lakes

[orapaho]

I have a fishhunter raft and I am wondering what my options are for a better chance of bringing in some trout. I have heard that the more productive fishing in the cascade lakes is during earlier summer months- tapering off in june. Would deschutes be abetter bet? Any good campgrounds you might suggest in close proximity?

 

[halibuthitman]

well, I would not recommend putting a fishhunter raft in the deschutes... if its the raft im thinking of...

 

[Markcanby]

Come on HH I take my toon over Sherars Falls all teh time it will be fine

 

[halibuthitman]

Come on HH I take my toon over Sherars Falls all teh time it will be fine

well..... then I stand corrected, if this forum has taught me anything... its that I know nothing..:think: a couple more highballs of the old Jameson, and Im sure this will sound like a sweet idea.

 

[orapaho]

I hear there are some stretches of calm waters around benham falls campground, but if it is still too risky, I could could fish from the bank. So how about it. Bank fishing on deschutes vs. Some of these central oregon cascade lakes, which would typically be more productive around this time of year?

 

[Markcanby]

I would stick with the lakes most of them are prime right now.

 

[Irishrover]

If you are going to fish around Sunriver /LaPine/Big River Camp ground/ Hwy 42 area you will be fine. There is a lot of private property in that area to be aware of. That part of the river has a lot of folks that float it in all kinds of craft even those blow up kayaks. Just stay away from Pringle Falls and Benham Falls. Also don't give up on those lakes. I've fished them in August and caught fish. July used to be a good month at Crane Prairie with a fantastic damselfly hatch. People fish those lakes all summer I think some sports writer just came up with that line!

As far as the lower Deschutes goes H-man is right on. Leave that raft at home, no place to fool around. There has only been one fellow known to run Sherars Falls and that was Mark Angel from Tygy Vallley. Note his last name, I figure that how he made it. I wouldn't try it even after a whole bottle of 18 year old Jameson!

If you visit that upper Deschutes Cascade Lakes area you'll find pleanty of places to wet a line. Don't forget the Fall River and Metolius.

 

[fisherwilly]

I hear there are some stretches of calm waters around benham falls campground, but if it is still too risky, I could could fish from the bank. So how about it. Bank fishing on deschutes vs. Some of these central oregon cascade lakes, which would typically be more productive around this time of year?

From Wickiup dam down to Benham is really calm flat water. There are just two spots that you have to be careful at. Pringle falls and Tetherow log jam. Both of these are in between hwy 43 and Lapine state park. A good float is from the Sunriver marina to the Benham boat ramp by lava butte. I don't know about a campground at Benham? I have floated above pringle falls with my friend and he was in a fishhunter as well. Good Luck.

 

[orapaho]

Taking my two girls 12 and 14 fishing. Which lakes do you recommend for the bigger trout? enjoyed timothy lake and will try olallie soon. Also any resource online for a map of the upper and lower deschutes to look at all the fishing holes and/or "put in" spots?

 

[GDBrown]

Taking my two girls 12 and 14 fishing. Which lakes do you recommend for the bigger trout? enjoyed timothy lake and will try olallie soon. Also any resource online for a map of the upper and lower deschutes to look at all the fishing holes and/or "put in" spots?

Use Google Earth or Google map with satalite view.

 

[steelheadstalker31]

Wickiup has some very large browns, but it can be a long time between fish, and with 2 girls in the boat, that might not work. You could try fishing Wickiup until the girls got to bored and then move over to twin lakes and catch some planters for entertainment. There is a nice campground on the Deschutes near Sunriver. I believe it's called Bull Bend camp ground. You could float from there to the Behnam falls take out without any worries. It would probably take all day to go that far though. There are a few other take outs in that stretch. Get yourself some rapala type lures in rainbow, fire tiger, or black and gold, use a sporadic retrieve, you should catch some fish. We've done some videos fishing that stretch of water on the Deschutes if you want to see what it looks like.

 

[orapaho]

Thanks for the advice. I think that is a good plan of attack. Any particular locations on wickiup or twin that I should know about. I have one of those portable fish finders that might help. Any particulars on holes in the deschutes, where you mentioned?

 

[steelheadstalker31]

The stretch of the Deschutes between Bull Bend and Behnam Falls has been pretty good for us. I haven't fished Wickiup this year and the trout have a tendency to move from year to year, so maybe someone who has fished it recently could give you a better idea than me. If I were in a raft I would probably stick close to the shore and throw plugs towards the bank.