General Info:
The Lostine River is a local treasure for anglers, horse packers, and hikers alike. Folded into a deep mountain canyon with the Eagle Caps soaring upward on either side, if this river lacks anything, it more than makes up for it in unsurpassed solitude and beauty. Evenings spent fishing the Lostine are an example of the purity of mind, body, and soul that we can find when fishing. If you are willing to scramble down the canyon, and trek up the boulder strewn river bed you might have one of the better fishing days you have had in recent memory; bringing several dozen beautifully colored natives to hand, spotting huge summer Chinook moving upstream to spawn, and sight fishing the impossibly clear and deep pools for aggressive Bull-trout. Bring a pack, water, camera, sturdy wading shoes, and your favorite three weight and get lost, or found, on this beautiful river.
Some of our favorite Lostine River fly patterns:
Dries: Turks Power Ant sz 12 - 16 , Beetles sz 10 -14 , Red + Yellow Humpies sz 14 - 16 , Royal Choachmen sz 12 - 16 , Kaufman Stimulator sz. 10 -16 , Parachute Adams sz. 12- 16 , Purple Haze sz 12 -16, Foamulator sz. 10-12 , Caddis sz 10-16, Hoppers sz 6 - 12 , Yellow Sallies sz. 12 - 16 ,
Nymphs: Princes sz. 6 - 14, Rubber Leg Squirrel sz. 8 - 14, Copper John sz. 12 - 18 , Lightning Bug sz. 14 - 18, Bead Head Hare's Ear sz 8 - 16, Wooly Bugger sz. 8 - 12, Kaufman Stone Nymph sz. 6 -12
Stream Flow Data: Lostine River at Baker Road
Current Weather: Forecast
Lostine River Report:
10/9/24: poor - 26 cfs
10/6/24: very low, but smaller trout being caught. Fishing season ends October 31.
9/3/24: cooler weather is helping
8/31/24” new report of fisher who broke off 5 grasshopper flies (5x tippet) near the “s” curves above pole bridge. He bought some heavier leaders.
8/31/24: Drive to the Lostine trailhead “Two Pan” then drop back down stream a hair to “Shady” campground. Cross the bridge and hike to Maxwell Lake (4.5 miles - 2500’ elevation gain. Recent report of good flyfishing.
8/5/24: the prior report was confirmed by a second fisher who walked upstream from Shady Campground near the trailhead - variety of dries.
8/3/24: Had a good report today on fishing upstream near the campgrounds. Normally this area would produce a few smaller trout - but the area/river is so beautiful/peaceful that its a joy. However this fisher reported catching 15 bows (one over 12”) - all on small, dry “yellow sallies”. Checkit out - then let me know.
7/6/24: no new reports.
6/24/24: Still running high from snow melt, but camping still beautiful as always.
9/17/23: Hot tip. Camp and fish at “Turkey Flat” campground. Don’t be surprised when a huge salmon sneaks into your hole.
8/27/23: STILL FISHING BETTER THAN NORMAL - AROUND THE USFS CAMPGROUNDS. MOSTLY SMALLER, AND A FEW MEDIUM SIZE TROUT. A BEAUTIFUL, PEACEFUL STREAM.
8/7/23: THE LOSTINE IS FISHING BETTER FOR SMALL TROUT UP RIVER NEAR THE CAMPGROUNDS THIS YEAR - BETTER THAN NORMAL. SMALL DRIES, ANTS, ETC. FISH UNDER OVERHANGS OR SMALL SHOOTS, RIFLES.
7/1/23: One of our local rivers that is cool enough to fish. Fish between the upper river camp grounds for small native brook, bull and rainbows. Use small drys or ant patterns - but you may be startled by a large salmon swimming upstream to spawn.
8/1/22: Good fishing for smaller brooke and bull trout. Dry flies in pocket water.
7/20/22: Dropping, but need reports.
7/7/22: Still pretty high kids - but dropping. Should be good for small trout starting over the next month.
9/6/21: Cool, but low, people are enjoying this beautiful little stream - catching small bows, brooke, and bull trout (away from campgrounds).
8/4/21: NO ONLINE REPORTS FOR A WHILE (Rob will be out of the shop until Aug. 20th). PLEASE CALL THE SHOP AT: 541-432-4343. THANKS
7/30/21: Still a good cool stream for smaller trout
7/11/21: Perhaps our best cool water fishery at this time - despite there being fewer and smaller fish. Had a pretty good report two days ago - three fishers caught a number of 7”- 9” trout (rainbow and bulls) in addition to smaller fish.
6/9/21: Still very high flows.
4/15/21: Will open for trout on May 22nd. Will probably run high from snowmelt through June (?).
9/28/20: Same as 9/7 report, but low enough to fish the deep canyon from Pole Bridge to Williamson Campground - if you are physically up to it.
9/7/20: Very low, but what a beautiful river. You will work pretty hard for the small rainbows you do catch.
8/15/20: Lower now (perhaps low enough to wade the canyon downstream from Willamson Campground if your fit). Samo samo nice small native fish.
7/14: Still high and challenging, but beautiful and peaceful and fun for small trout.
6/27/20: still somewhat high, but fish the meadows between campground for smaller trout.
6/1/20: Snow melting rapidly, so unless you find a pocket as it flows through a meadow - pretty tough.
8/16/19: Beautiful river - a little difficult to fish. Fish away from campgrounds - for mostly smaller trout.
7/29/19: Finally low enough to fish. Fish areas away from camp grounds or in the deep canyon near entry to the National Forest.
7/10/19: Still running high. Try the meandering areas between camp grounds for small bows.
6/24/19: Dropping fast, but still high. This glacial-melt river mostly produces small, colorful, native rainbows. You will have to work for your fish - try to hike away from campgrounds. Need reports.
7/26/18 You will work hard for small native trout - unless you drop into deep canyons or areas away from campgrounds - but worth it.
7/12/18: Time to wade and fish the secluded sections for beautiful native trout.
7/4/18: Starting to drop. Look for small trout in the areas between campgrounds.
6/29/18: Still too high for good fishing.
10/10/17: Season closes on 10/31.
8/16/17: A beautiful, but difficult fishery for small native trout. Try fishing in hard to reach areas away from campgrounds.
8/5/17: 110 CFS - about normal. Small fish.
7/25/17. 200 cfs - still a bit high. Tough fishing along the road to Two Pan. Try ant patters or small dries/nymphs. Some smaller bull trout are being caught on streamers.
7/17/17: 391 cfs and clear. Beautiful river, but you will work for your trout. Fish away from campgrounds.
7/5/17: Still high, but like all of our streams the flows are dropping daily.
6/25/16: Like all Eagle Cap watersheds the river is running high and fast - difficult fishing.
9/29/16: A beautiful river to spend time on - but you have to work for the colorful little rainbows. Try to find areas between camp grounds or away from the road. Use ant patterns, or small attractor dries/standard nymphs. Questions - call us.
August 12: Fishing well. Because of the new fishing regs,we are seeing an increase of fish around the camp sight already. Reports are saying that the fish are hammering drys all day long. The best patterns right now are Orange Crystal stemulators and Ants patterns. Your best opportunity is to run a single dry, the fish do not seem to be interested in dry droppers. The river is maintaining its height of right around (120cfs), this is a very fish able level. At the same time tho,the fish will be under more stress so we are trying to encourage releasing as fast as possible to help keep the population healthy. Stop by the shop for additional information. Good Luck!
August 1: Anglers report fish in the system! The river has finally lowered too a very fish able (117cfs). Your still going to put in some hiking and time into your fish. However because this river is mainly run off the fish get less lethargic and you can fish for most off the day. Maybe you will even get lucky and hook into a bull trout. Some good patterns to try are: Red Hummpies, Yellow Hummpies, Grass Hoppers, and small Stemulators. Feel free to stop by the shop for additional information. Good luck out there.
July 9/16: High and rough. The new moister a drain storms have cause the river to spike to (1060) a very hard level to fish at. The Lostine should drop fairly quickly to expose some fishing holes. Until then I would recommend the Wallowa to you, our bread and butter less than 15 minutes away.
July 4/16: The Lostine river flows have dropped to a optimal (311cfs). Anglers have had to wok hard for their fish but have found luck in patterns such as: Beatles, Ants, Humpies and Stimulators. Fishing holes can be hard to come by and because of that may fishers find the best luck weaving threw camps to locate runs. Beautiful Native trout can be caught and if your lucky you may stumble across a Monster bull trout.
May 11/16, sunny +70: The Lostine will be out of commission probably until mid July or so, depending on temperatures and rain. Usually we start venturing into the canyon with a flyrod when the stream gauge (check the link above) is measuring below 200 CFS. Until then we can only look forward great fishing on this little stream later in the summer.
September 6/15, Sunny + 65: Recent rains have been great. The fires are out and the smoke is gone. At 35 cfs the river is at a nice level for fishing for small native trout.
August 24/15: The Lostine is a great stream for dry-fly angling for smaller native bows' (with the possibility of larger Bull trout too). Recently we recommend fishing the canyon section (above Pole Bridge) to a patron and he landed 24 fish in a morning of fishing, and two Bulls on small surface dries! The wading and creek walking is bouldery and challenging but the deep pools and gin-clear water, and native trout are more than enough reward.