- Overview of the Owyhee River
- Owyhee River Fly Fishing
- What Trout Are In the Owyhee River?
- Where Are the Best Places to Fish the Owyhee River?
- Stream Flow and Current Conditions
- What’s the Best Time to Fish the Owyhee River?
- What Gear to Use?
- What Are the Best Flies for the Owyhee River?
- Where to Get an Oregon Fishing License?
- Where to Stay When Fishing the Owyhee River?
- Owyhee River Guides Fly Fishing Guides
- Tips For Fishing the Owyhee River
- Add Owyhee River Fly Fishing to Your Bucket List
The Owyhee River:
The Owyhee River’s headwaters are in the Owyhee Mountains of northeastern Nevada. The river weaves its way through the high desert landscape of Nevada, cutting deep canyons through Idaho, before passing through southeastern Oregon and into the Snake River.
It was named for a group of Hawaiian trappers who were sent to explore the then uncharted river. That team never returned and were not heard from again. Because of this the Northwest Company named the river and the region “Owyhee”, which comes from an older spelling of Hawaii.
While the upper river above the Owyhee Reservoir is known for its smallmouth bass, channel cat and redband trout fishing. It’s tail water section below Owyhee Reservoir stands as hallowed ground for fly fisherman from across the west.
The Owyhee River renowned for its productive waters, dramatic desert canyons, trophy browns and rainbow trout.
Towering basalt cliffs and sagebrush-dotted banks are your angling backdrop. The rugged terrain and desert waters make for a pristine wilderness sanctuary.
Below we will dive deep into fly fishing the Owyhee River. Let’s head out on a journey to the heart of Oregon’s trophy brown trout fishery.
Owyhee River Fly Fishing:
Many rivers in the west are known for their trophy fish and some of them are known for the quantity of fish you can catch. A select few are known for both and the Owyhee River is one such river. Owyhee River fly fishing is superb.
Fishing Overview:
It is not unusual to have 40+ fish days but what makes it a unique fishery is that many of those fish could be twenty-inch brown trout. The majority of the brown trout you will catch will be between 17 and 21 inches. These fish are strong, fat, healthy and the hatches on the water are plentiful.
We are talking about a very productive river here and trout are caught in all types of water, from slow moving runs, to riffles, to deep pools. You see water give it a go, there is a good chance you will pull decent fish out and with the crowds you might just have to fish water you wouldn’t usually.
One thing to keep in mind is while the fish are numerous and big, they face heavy pressure. These aren’t brookies or redband trout in some unknown freestone creek that hit anything that floats by. When you are fly fishing the Owyhee River you will need to match the hatch and your presentation needs to be on. A drag free drift is essential to tempt these big browns.
Early morning and early evening are the best times to fish the Owyhee especially in the warmer months. I have found that fishing was best from about 5:30 AM to around 10 AM. I recommend taking a long lunch break and heading back out around 3 PM when the fishing picks back up until dark.
If you are fishing in the winter then you will want hit the water during the warmest parts of the day.
Owyhee River Hatch Chart:
The Owyhee will have several hatches throughout the day depending on the time of year. There are a lot of bugs on and in that river, but my favorite (and it seems like everyone else’s these days) is the Skwala hatch.
The Skwala fly is an olive-colored stonefly. Like most stoneflies it lives a multi-year life cycle. They reach adulthood after 2 or 3 years as a nymph. The Skwala hatch starts in March and it’s some great fun if you don’t mind sharing the water with other anglers.
See the Owyhee River Hatch Chart Below.
Owyhee River Fishing Regulations:
- 5 rainbow trout per day, 8-inch minimum length
- Catch-and-release for brown trout
- Use of bait allowed
What Trout Are in the Owyhee River:
The main game fish species in the lower Owyhee are brown and rainbow trout. It’s also said to have mountain whitefish but I haven’t hooked one yet.
Brown Trout:
Trophy brown trout (salmo trutta) are why people come from all over the country to fish the Owyhee. It’s not unheard of to land an eight or nine pounder. The largest brown I have heard caught in the Owyhee was 12 pounds.
Rainbow Trout:
Although brown trout are everyone’s target, there is a very healthy rainbow trout population in the Owyhee. These rainbows are legit hogs too. The term “football rainbow” gets thrown around a lot but the ‘bows in the Owyhee live up to the moniker. I have heard of guys pulling out rainbows that as big around as they are long and up to 6lb.
Now let’s look at the best places to fish.
Best Places to Fish the Owyhee River:
The Owyhee River is 280 miles long. However, the reason why everyone complains about its popularity is that the best fishing can be found in a 12 mile stretch from the Owyhee Lake Dam to Snively Hot Spring. Some would argue that it’s actually a 10 mile stretch from the dam and another group would say the only good fishing is above the tunnel (6-mile stretch).
You get the picture there are a lot of fish, fly fisherman, and people heading up the reservoir to a small area. The highest concentrations of fish are from the dam downstream about six miles to the tunnel.
Fishing might be better in the stretch above the tunnel, but I haven’t noticed a significant drop off further downstream and you might have a little bit more breathing room.
Wade or Float?
The Owyhee River is a very wadable river. Most sections are 2 to 4 feet deep. It also has a nice gentle gradient.
It’s not a river you are going to be bringing the drift boat to. In fact, if you do you are going to be dealing with a lot of angry anglers.
Some holes are close to a quarter mile long, and there is plenty of water for a couple of anglers to fish, but other areas are smaller.
You will have competition on this river. It’s not unusual for people to stake there spots out way ahead of time.
Where Are the Rainbow Trout in the Owyhee River?
Up closer to Owyhee Lake Dam is where you can find the big rainbows. As I noted above these rainbows are some of the fattest fish I have seen in person.
Owyhee River Fly Fishing Access:
Owyhee Lake Road runs along the river from the dam almost to where the Owyhee empties into the Snake River. A good 13 miles of that along public land. Downstream it begins flowing through private farmland all the way to the Snake.
There are many pull offs and dispersed camping spots in the canyon section. The convenience of the access is nice but it’s also a driver of the crowding. Downstream of Snively Hot Springs is where public access starts drying up.
Stream Flow and Current Conditions:
The lower Owyhee River is tail water which means that river flows are controlled via the Owyhee Lake Dam. This gives anglers year-round fly-fishing access and it seems all of Boise takes advantage of it. Boise being the closest major metro to the area.
Large snow pack years can increase flows in the spring and for a short time make the river un-fishable, but that doesn’t happen all that often. One thing to note is that the river is managed by the government for irrigation not as a fishery.
Next let’s look at the best times of year to fly fish the Owyhee River.
Best Time of Year to Fish the Owyhee River:
As it’s a tail water the Owyhee fishes well all year long so you have a lot of options if you are looking to make the trip.
Summer:
Like most of us, I love summer fly fishing but, on the Owyhee, summers can be hot hot hot. If you come at this time, it wouldn’t be unusual to deal with a 100-degree day or three.
The water will be productive but as noted above you will need to siesta during the hottest parts of the day. If that’s your thing have at it.
Fall:
The fall is my personal favorite time to fly fish the Owyhee. Cooler temps, more bugs, and fewer crowds especially once school is into full swing. Having said that the brown trout spawn in the fall so you need to be careful of redds and not to disturb spawning trout.
Winter:
Since the Owyhee River is a tail water the fly fishing can be quite good in the winter. A good midge hatch will still get the water bubbling. You will also have a bit more of the water to yourself.
I recommend checking reports ahead of time as the river has frozen over before and flows can be low this time of year.
Spring:
It’s a close thing whether Spring of Fall is better. Fly fishing the Owyhee River in the spring makes for a more relaxing experience and in the spring the fishing is some of the best all year.
As I talked about above the Skwala hatch in March and April is truly something to behold and makes for some great fun.
Weekdays:
If you have the flexibility plan your trip for a weekday. In the summer on the weekend, I have seen around 90 cars just by the Owyhee Lake Dam.
During the week things calm down a good amount even in the summer. I have actually seen it almost completely empty on weekdays in the fall and early spring.
Gear Recommendations:
As far as gear goes you will want to bring all your standard fly fishing essentials, waders, a wide brim hat, net, and a good pair of polarized sunglasses.
Fly Fishing Rod and Reel for the Owyhee River:
I like a 9-foot 4 weight rod for the Owyhee but I also like fighting big fish on smaller outfits. Rods from 4 to 6 weight are ideal for this river.
If you are planning on fishing a bunch of streamers than I would opt for the heavier rod to swing them.
Fly Line for the Owyhee River:
Use a weight forward floating line that matches your rod size. If you are using a 4-weight rod, get 4-weight line.
I usually fish a 9-foot 5X tapered leader with some additional 5X tippet tied on. Unless you are fishing really small flies, I don’t recommend going below 5X. Browns are known for their barracuda-esque teeth, plan accordingly.
If you are fishing a streamer then you should obviously go with a shorter leader and thicker tippet. I usually fish 2X with streamers. Remember you are going to need to turn the fly over when casting and the threat of wind is always present.
Now let’s look at the flies that will be most productive on the water. If you are going in the spring check out our list of best spring flies.
Best Flies for the Owyhee River:
Small flies are generally the way to go when fly fishing the Owyhee. Hopper dropper setups catch a ton of fish in the summer. Midges fish all year long. If I was to bring one fly anytime of the year it would be a Blood Midge.
I have outlined some of my favorite flies for each season below.
Spring:
- #20-22 Blood Midge
- #22 Zebra Midge
- #20 Blue Winged Olive (BWO) Comparadun
- #20 Blue Winged Olive (BWO) Emerger
- #10-12 Rogue River Stone
Summer:
- #18-22 Blood Midge
- #20-24 Pale Morning Duns (PMD)
- #18-20 Pale Morning Dun (PMD) Emerger
- #10-12 Fat Albert
- #10-12 Bullet Head Hopper
- #16 Black Flying Ant
Fall:
- #18 Pale Morning Dun (PMD) Comparadun
- #20-22 Miracle Midge
- #18-22 Ian’s Brass Ass
Winter:
- #20-22 Blue Winged Olive (BWO) Emerger
- #20-22 Blood Midge
- #20 Blue Winged Olive (BWO) Comparadun
Where to Get an Oregon Fishing License:
You can get your Oregon state fishing license online or at one of the Boise fly shops.
Campgrounds and Lodging Near the Owyhee River:
There are many spots for dispersed camping right along the river. If you are looking for more amenities you can check out McCormack Campground or Indian Creek Campground in Lake Owyhee State Park south of the tailwater section of the river.
If you want to get a little bit off the beaten path (though no less crowded) you can check out Succor Creek Campground east of the reservoir and Slocum Creek Campground at the southern end of the reservoir. Both are beautiful but like everything else the word is out and they can be crowded.
If you are willing to drive a bit Boise Idaho is a great option as a base camp. It’s approximately 1.5-hour drive from Boise to the Owyhee Lake Dam. So not too bad for a trip out west.
Boise also provides great access to some of central Idaho’s great rivers like the South Fork of the Boise and the Salmon River. If you decide to stay near Boise check out our list of best places to fish near Boise.
The Boise fly shops are all very familiar with the water and will be a great place to talk strategy and gear up pre-trip.
Now let’s look at the best ways to there.
Flying In:
If you are traveling cross country the only realistic major airport is Boise Airport (BOI). Otherwise, you are going to drive a long way.
Owyhee River Fly Fishing Guides:
I don’t believe you will need a guide as noted above pretty much all the water is good fishing. If you like the added service a fishing guide provides then check out one these options.
- Idaho Angler – Boise, ID – (208) 389-9957
- TRR Outfitters – Eagle, ID – (208) 939-6065
- Dreams on the Fly – Meridian, ID – (208) 861-2853
- Owyhee Fly Fisher Middleton, Idaho – (208) 899-9860
Owyhee River Trip Planning Tips:
- If you are targeting a specific pool or section of water then I recommend camping near it the night before. If you don’t someone else will.
- Don’t be afraid to bring your older children. It’s decent water for teaching them etiquette and the craft.
- Check in on current conditions with a Boise area fly shop before heading out so you don’t waste a drive.
- Lots of primitive camping spots are available along the river.
- Leave the drift boat at home. The Owyhee is a wading river.
- Brown trout spawn in the fall. If you are going to fish the river at this time avoid the redds and spawning trout.
- If you enjoy hot springs check out Snively Hot Spring.
- Cell service is spotty to non-existent in the area so be prepared.
Add Owyhee River Fly Fishing To Your Bucket List:
The Owyhee River beckons with its unique blend of untouched wilderness, diverse trout species, and spectacular scenery. For those who seek to hook up with a trophy brown trout against a backdrop of natural grandeur, adding Owyhee River fly fishing to their bucket list is a must.
The river’s slow-moving waters demand finesse and precision, offering a rewarding challenge for those who looking to hone their skills.
Whether you are a seasoned fly fishing veteran or a novice angler, you will have a good time on the Owyhee River. It is one of those unique destinations that is ideal for both learning and perfecting the art of fly fishing.
See you out there.
Tight lines and happy fishing!
-Alpine Angler