The McKenzie River is synonymous with Oregon's beauty and fly-fishing heritage and it remains a premier place to hire a guide for a day. Expect cold, gin clear water and fish eager to eat a dry fly when you book a trip on the McKenzie. The river winds itself through the Williamette National Forest before joinging the Williamette River at Eugene and features classic, timeless characteristics of a freestone river.
The river moves quickly through its upper stretches, which makes for technical rowing and spot on fly presentation. But the river changes characteristics as it droips in elevations. The river slows down and deep runs, pools, and riffles become the norm rather than constant rock gardens and rapids.
The rowing still remains somewhat technical as it goes through some of the bigger named rapids on the river, from Blue River to Leaburg Dam. Trusting a guide to row you through the river takes the stress off yourself and allows you to focus on the beautiful scenery and fishing.
The Fishery
The McKenzie River has both wild and stocked fish in the system. The river is stocked from April to September for the recreational anglers that wish to catch and keep fish. No wild fish can be kept any time of the year on the McKenzie. The river is best fished by drift boat but a walk and wade is possible on the upper sections.
The Fish
The McKenzie River is blessed to have native redband trout that pull hard and punch way above their weight class when it comes to giving a good fight. In my opinion, they are the most beautiful trout in Oregon and they are a product of the clean, pure water that flows from the Cascades.
These fish do not grow to extreme sizes, so a 16-18 inch fish is considered a day maker and often they bend the rod so violently it feels like a fish of a larger caliber. Additionally, they are apt to take a fly off the surface due to the fast moving water, the fish need to make split second decisions on what to eat before it washes by, which means a larger attractor pattern with a nymph underneath can make a fantastic everyday rig from spring to fall. Other methods, such as double dry, euro nymphing, and indicator nymphing can be effective on the McKenzie as well.
Whitefish and bull trout share the upper McKenzie watershed with the native redsides and there is a good chance you'll have an encounter with one or both when taking a drift boat ride. These species set another example of how clean and cold the McKenzie remains even during the hottest months. Those species necessitate high water quality to survive.
The Float
Not only is the fishery impressive, the beautiful cliffs, hillsides, and river bottom provide ample scenery to view while taking a break at lunch or simply enjoying the ride down a rapid. The drift boat allows a (relatively) stable surface to fish off of while your guide back rows you behind a boulder or on a seam. This is one of the only floatable local river that allows anglers to fish out of the boat, unlike the Lower Deschutes River, which makes this a great places for kids or people that have trouble wading.
The guide can do a lot of work to help anglers reach productive water by positioning the boat and slowing it down. The river can also be as challenging or as laid back as you would like due to the varied water types and structure. Practice your casting by slinging dry flies into pocket water behind boulders and on the bank or get long drifts in riffles and tailouts. Beginners and expert anglers are all welcome.
The most popular float is from Blue River to Silver Creek which is roughly 8 miles of river but will feature many stops to fish and work productive stretches of water. This sections stays the best for floating as water levels drop in the mid to late summer.
Due to its swift current, larger size, and private property on the banks, the McKenzie is very hard to effectively fish from a wading perspective. It is very difficult to access some of the most productive sections of river unless you float to them in a raft or drift boat.
Expect to have a shore lunch in the cool shade on the banks of the river with the rest of your crew. Most days I put on the river around 8-9am and get to the take out around 4-5pm. The trip includes 8 hours of guided fishing, lunch, and all the gear and tackle needed. Feel free to bring your own equipment if you desire.
Book a Trip
Book a trip with me, Michael Dooley, at the Fly Fisher's Place and expereince the beautiful McKenzie River for yourself.
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