Thank you for those of you who wrote me to correct my mistake on the Upper Deschutes. Please refer to the ODFW regs, but just to clarify I said the section from Sheeps Bridge to the Dam at Crane Prairie was closed, but it is open until Sept 30th. Sorry for the mistake.
This is the final few days to get up and fish the upper river until May 22nd. There’s some good water up there and it looks like a really nice week to be on the upper river. I would choose the section from Crane Prairie up to Little Lava. Hit is with a dry/dropper, euro nymph, swing or strip small streamers, find a hatch or fish a terrestrial.
Drifting is still possible at 900 cfs from the dam, and LaPine State Park to Big Bend CG is a good one. Watch the levels though, if it drops more getting over some of the shallow bars can be tough to get a drift boat over. Wickiup is at 14% (!) and that is so low I imagine they are going to shut off irrigation season any day now.