” One person’s bucket list destination is another person’s homewater.”

The best trout water on the Crooked River is 35 miles east of Bend, Oregon and 15 miles south of Prineville. A few rattlesnakes venture out in May, almost too sluggish to strike.
The last snow flurries of spring surprise anglers in March and April, but reward them with heavy midge and BWO hatches.



A 16 inch ‘redside’ rainbow is a nice fish in the Crooked River. Their picky taste for tiny midges make up for their overall average size. A 16 inch ‘redside’ rainbow is a nice fish in the Crooked River. Their picky taste for tiny midges make up for their overall average size.
As irrigation season approaches, river levels are bumped up and fish become less concentrated. Pods of fish disperse but more rises are seen along the bank as caddis become active in the early summer. Scuds and whitefish eggs and fry add to the winter-long diet of ‘flake of dandruff’ sized midges.
– Brian O’Keefe
