Deschutes River Steelhead Closure

August 4, 2026

Unfortunately, the Deschutes River will be closed to steelhead angling from August 15 through December 31, 2026.

The closure comes in response to poor summer steelhead returns. Those low returns are largely the result of unfavorable ocean conditions in the Pacific over the past two to three years. While we all hope to see stronger returns to the Columbia River and its tributaries in the coming seasons, we understand the decision and support efforts to protect wild steelhead.

Other Steelhead Opportunities

The good news is that this closure does not affect several other outstanding summer steelhead fisheries, including:

• Hood River
• Klickitat River
• Cowlitz River
• Lewis River
• Grande Ronde River

There will still be plenty of opportunities to swing flies for steelhead throughout the region this fall.

Looking Beyond Steelhead

While this closure is certainly disappointing, late summer and fall remain some of the best times of the year to fish in the Pacific Northwest. Whether it's trout, warmwater species, or other local opportunities, there are still plenty of excellent fisheries to explore while we wait for steelhead numbers to rebound.

We appreciate everyone's understanding and support in helping protect this incredible fishery for future generations.