Smallmouth Headed Up Deschutes

[GAT]

Great. Word in the bass world is that the lower Deschutes temps have gone up to a point smallmouth are starting to extend their population up the river. I'm sure the warmer temps can't have a positive effect on the salmon,trout, steelhead .

Figures.

I like fishing for smallmouth but not at the expense of Oregon's only blue ribbon trout river.

 

[Evan B]

Pretty sure that's been going on for years

 

[mcswny]

Pretty sure that's been going on for years

I thought this as well.

 

[GAT]

There's been an uptick in the distance they are populating. They've always been lower in the river but now that the temps have gone up as much as they have, the bass are on the move upstream. The modifications the power company made to the dam somehow has caused the temps of the lower river to rise to a point that the bass are thriving and the trout ... not so much.

 

[mcswny]

It was roughly 72* at Moody at 6pm on wednesday. The lows somewhere around 65* at night.

 

[GAT]

In case you're new to the subject, here's a recent article about the problem on the lower Deschutes, it's more than just the bass:

Giving voice to an ailing Oregon river

World-class fisheries on the lower Deschutes River are struggling as water quality declines. Fishing guide Amy Hazel won't go down without a fight.

www.opb.org

 

[FinLuver]

At one time, the N Umpqua was too cold for them to go above the forks…then it was the dam…

That boat has sailed… (sigh)