Portland Fishing Opportunities- August
Fishing in the dog days of summer has it’s ups and downs but there is a lot of guided fishing to be found near Portland, Oregon in August. While the world is preparing for an epic solar event here in Oregon on August 21, we at Water Time Outfitters are dialing in epic fishing choices for our guests and there are plenty of options. If you are new to the area, visiting or just want to try something new there are fishing options a plenty here in the great state of Oregon.
Clackamas Summer Steelhead:
During the summer these fish enter the Clackamas all season. These are feisty strong steelhead that average 8lbs and are often larger. These fish respond well to the swung fly and are found in the riffles and pools of the Clackamas from Jun-November.
Clackamas River Coho:
Fall coho runs on the Clackamas start showing up each day in the last week of August. These fish are chrome hard fighting fish that can aggressively attack a fly. Here strategy and timing are very important as warm water tends to slow the bite. Cool rains are a big bonus and these fish are generally available into early October.
Deschutes River Trout Fishing:
The most celebrated river in the state this tailwater fishery has some fantastic caddis hatches all summer long. These fish are wild trout called Redband trout and native to the waters of the Deschutes. This river only 1 hr 40 minutes from Portland provides good opportunities for trout angling year round. Don’t be surprised if fishing is slow during the heat of the day-just don’t miss the last few hours right up til dark can be epic!
Private Waters Fishing:
Water Time Outfitters has a unique fishing opportunity on a watershed draining into the Deschutes river that is almost entirely land locked with big ranches. We have secured access to float this river with rafts putting in on private land, floating through private land and taking out on private land. It truly is a remarkable fishing opportunity with piles of dandy rainbow trout available in the many riffles, pools, log jams and eddies of this special river. Average fish are 8-14″ with some up to 26″ found.
Smallmouth bass fishing:
In a state that has it all when it comes to fishing you might find it weird to hear seasoned Oregonians talking about bass fishing; yes, we have salmon, steelhead and great wild trout fishing but bass? Yes! Within one hour drive of Portland- Oregon has some unbelievable smallmouth bass fishing. In a setting you wouldn’t recognize, rural country gives way to the haunts of some of the biggest river bass in the state. A hidden oasis of fishing that is widely unknown; hardly a manmade structure is seen on this section of water where deer, bald eagles, blue heron and many other wildlife are found. For fishing we use fly rods or light spin rods for exciting action on hard fighting smallmouth bass. While other fisheries in the state like the John Day or the Umpqua rivers support great numbers of bass which average around 6” the fish here average much larger. 12-15” smallmouth are not uncommon and 20” fish are a possibility everyday with some lunkers larger.
Find out more about the guides and Oregon fishing options available with Water Time Outfitters
