The Lower Deschutes is now closed until the last Saturday in April along the boundary of the Warm Springs Reservation. This means if you want to chase rising redsides in back eddies or get a few more days of Steelhead fishing, you must float the 18 miles down from Trout Creek before fishing or head to Maupin and access the river there. The winter time is a good time to be on the river. You will have plenty of solitude and there is no need to get up early as the best fishing is usually during the warmest parts of the day. Watch for BWO hatches to dominate the scene. Look closely in soft waters and back eddies for rise forms, the fish are less likely to be in "faster" waters, like riffles, when the temps are cold. If you want to hit up a few more runs for steelhead, there is still a shot, but remember most fish have been in the river for a while and finding hot chrome fish is unlikely.
