🎣 Fishing Reports
Daily conditions, flows, and hatch reports for Central Oregon fly fishing waters.
Crooked River Fishing Report – June 6, 2026 | High Irrigation Flows, Nymph Deep
The Crooked River is running high at 1,160 CFS with off-color water due to peak irrigation season releases from Bowman Dam. Water temp is a healthy 55.6°F. Don't let the flows keep you off the water — fish are stacked in eddy lines and undercut banks, and deep nymphing with a Zebra Midge or Pheasant Tail will produce.
Crooked River Fishing Report — High Irrigation Flows, Nymph the Edges | June 5, 2026
The Crooked River below Bowman Dam is running high at 1,240 cfs due to peak irrigation releases from Prineville Reservoir, with off-color clarity and challenging wading conditions. Nymphing slow edges and eddies with Zebra Midges and Pheasant Tails is the play — water temps are a solid 55°F and the fish are there.
Crooked River Fishing Report – June 4, 2026: High Irrigation Flows — Fish the Edges
The Crooked River tailwater is running high at 1,280 CFS due to elevated Bowman Dam irrigation releases — wading is not safe and water clarity is off-color. Fish the slack edges and deep eddies with a Woolly Bugger, Copper John, or Zebra Midge for the best action; the upper section near the dam offers the cleanest water and best fly fishing.
Crooked River Fishing Report – June 3, 2026: Irrigation Flows Elevated, Upper Tailwater Producing on Midges
The Crooked River is running at 1,200 CFS at the Opal Springs gauge with 56°F water temps — elevated irrigation flows are here for June, but the upper tailwater below Bowman Dam remains the top bet. Midge hatches are reliable; fish small nymphs in soft pockets and eddies away from the main current.
Crooked River Fishing Report – June 2, 2026 | High Flows, Bank-Tight Nymphing
The Crooked River is running high at 1,270 CFS and off-color below Bowman Dam, but the 55°F water temp is prime and fish are stacking in protected bank water. Target calm edges with Zebra Midges and Copper Johns tight to structure — this tailwater holds 4,000+ trout per mile and they need to eat.
Crooked River Fishing Report — June 1, 2026: High Irrigation Flows, Adapt Your Approach
The Crooked River below Bowman Dam is running at 1,260 cfs due to heavy irrigation releases — well above typical fishing flows. Wading is not recommended, but fish are still catchable in slack water and back-eddies with Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tail Nymphs, and small Woolly Buggers. Water temp is a cool 55°F.
Crooked River Fishing Report — May 31, 2026: High Irrigation Flows, Difficult Conditions
The Crooked River tailwater below Bowman Dam is running high at 1,240 CFS due to heavy irrigation releases — conditions are tough with turbid water and dangerous wading. Water temp is 55°F. Focus on nymphing the inside bends with Pheasant Tails, Zebra Midges, and Copper Johns; streamer fishing with a Woolly Bugger is your best bet for covering water safely from the bank.
Crooked River Report – May 30, 2026: Between Hatches, Nymphs Rule the Day
The Crooked River tailwater is in solid nymphing shape — flows running ~235 CFS below Bowman Dam with crystal-clear 55°F water. The Mother's Day Caddis has tapered off, but Zebra Midges, Copper Johns, and Woolly Buggers are moving fish consistently. PMDs are just beginning to emerge in the afternoons.
Crooked River Fishing Report — May 29, 2026: Elevated Flows, But PMDs and Midges Still Delivering
The Crooked River tailwater is carrying elevated flows at 1,260 CFS with off-color clarity from late-May snowmelt runoff. Water temp holds at a healthy 55°F. PMDs and midges are the tickets — small nymphs tight to structure and Zebra Midges in protected eddies are the winning approach today.
Crooked River Fishing Report — May 28, 2026: Elevated Flows, PMDs Emerging, Midges Holding Strong
The Crooked River below Bowman Dam is running elevated at 1,120 CFS with off-color water — challenging but fishable if you target soft-water pockets, back eddies, and boulder seams. Midges and Pheasant Tail nymphs are the go-to patterns, with PMDs beginning to emerge midday. Wading is limited; fish from stable gravel bars and bank positions only.
Crooked River Fishing Report — May 27, 2026: High Irrigation Flows, Nymphing Productive in Slower Water
The Crooked River is running high at 1,100 cfs due to irrigation releases from Bowman Dam, with water temps at 54.7°F. Wading is dangerous at current flows — target slow back-eddies and protected pockets with Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tails, and Woolly Buggers. Evening caddis activity is occurring in slack water despite the high flows.
Crooked River Tailwater Report — Clear Water, Midges & Redband Action | May 26, 2026
The Crooked River tailwater below Bowman Dam is fishing well with clear 55°F water and excellent redband trout action per ODFW. Midges and BWOs are the primary hatches in the prime Wild and Scenic section — technical nymphing with Zebra Midges and Pheasant Tails is the ticket right now.
Crooked River Report — May 25, 2026: Irrigation Flows Running High, Nymphing Carries the Day
The Crooked River tailwater below Bowman Dam is running at elevated irrigation flows (~200–250 CFS in the fishing zone, 1,160 CFS at the USGS Opal Springs gauge) with water temps at a healthy 55°F. Nymphing with Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tails, and Copper Johns is the play, with afternoon PMD and caddis rises offering dry-fly windows for patient anglers.
Crooked River Fishing Report – May 24, 2026: High Irrigation Flows — Fish the Deep Nymph Game
The Crooked River below Bowman Dam is running 1,170 CFS — well above the normal 200–400 CFS range due to irrigation releases. Water temps are excellent at 54.9°F, but nymphing is the move today: Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tail Nymphs, and Copper Johns fished in eddy pockets and seam lines.
Crooked River Fishing Report – May 23, 2026: High Flows, Stonefly & Caddis Action
The Crooked River below Bowman Dam is running at 1,240 CFS with water temperature at 55°F — higher than ideal for wading, but stonefly, caddis, and baetis hatches are active. Focus on deep nymphing with Zebra Midges and Copper Johns in slower eddies and back channels while flows are elevated.