John Day River

February 19, 2023February 18, 2023

Fishing for Small Mouth Bass

I may have mentioned adding a streamer box to our fishing sling pack. To fill that box, part of this week was spent at the tying bench working on streamer patterns. The other part was spent doing some on-river testing.

As this will require a laboratory we chose a small stretch of the John Day River.

River access to the John Day is a problem. There’s no shortage of fishable water if you have a boat … well, and a permit.

Winter water levels expose gravel and rock.

To gain wadeable access (a stream bank within walking distance of a safe parking space) we chose a spot 40 river miles upstream from the Columbia . . . a place called Cottonwood Canyon.

Cottonwood bridge and J.S Burres SP are more than just boat take-outs. Where OR 206 crosses the John Day River there is a fairly new state park. In it you’ll find walking paths paralleling a wide gravel bank positioned opposite perfect holding water for Small Mouth Bass.

As a bonus, picnic tables sit under shade trees on a grass lawn right next to day-use parking. Only downside … it’s a long drive.

Throwing streamers to the far bank in search of Small Mouth Bass

Bass are warm water lovers, be mindful that warm is a relative term. There are plenty of reservoirs and lakes in Central Oregon with good bass fishing. Unlike their large mouth cousins, Small Mouth Bass take to moving water.

As the John Day’s water temperature rose the small mouth moved in. At roughly the same time there was a notable drop in seasonal Steelhead run. To some, bass in the John Day is an invasion, but it’s not unlike the introduction of German Brown Trout to western waters.

Willows define a space between water and sage.

Like Brown Trout, Bass are hunters thus streamer patterns are effective. Presentation requires stripping line over holding fish.

I was successful this summer in bringing them to the surface and trust me, the hook up is a kick. However, as the water temperature drops so do the feeding lanes, which is pretty much river fishing in the winter; regardless of species. For this, instead of tiny bead head patterns on dual rigs, you swing weighted minnow patterns about the size of your thumb.

Winter on the Deschutes has Redside trout using folds in the current to hang out, while the river brings dinner.

Small Mouth Bass hold near the bottom waiting on small fish, their meal includes a chase.

Sunny days are as abundant as wind in this part of the state. Our visit was on a sunny day, perfect for a winter outing.

The trip didn’t include any catching, but there was a lot of casting. More trips have been added to our calendar, as well as more time at the tying vice.

November 20, 2022November 18, 2022

A Journey Through Time

The upper John Day River Valley, home to The Sheep Rock Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

We spent the last few weeks of fall exploring the John Day River. With its headwaters near Baker City, the John Day flows unobstructed for 250 plus miles across the state, eventually spilling into the Columbia River, just east of Biggs.

Over the centuries the John Day River has carved open the land to expose ancient history.

Ironically, it’s namesake, an unlucky fur trapper, didn’t travel the river, but rather was robbed at its confluence with the Columbia.

The middle section winds through worldrenowned paleontology sites. The state has branded these routes “The Journey Through Time Scenic Byway”. Perfect for a daytrip.

These blue-grey badlands are an incredibly cool place called The Blue Basin

Trail leading from the Thomas Condon Visitor Center

Our day starts by heading north and east on US-26, about 25 miles past Mitchell, where the road meets up with the John Day River at OR 19.

From here, we follow the river north through the Sheep Rock Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds . . . . with a mandatory stop at the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center.

We are on the John Day Hwy, headed north through the eastern section of the fossil beds. It quickly becomes apparent the Painted Hills aren’t the only uniquely colored earth mounds in Central Oregon. Along the length of this drive cliffwalls shine in hues of blue, green, and red.

We’ll be back to try smallmouth bass and steelhead fishing on the John Day River

At Kimberly, we turn west. For 20 miles the road follows the river, offering numerous public access points along the route.

At Service Creek, the river continues to the west, across mostly private land. We turn south on OR 207, skirting around the eastern edge of Sutton Mountain, to the east of the Painted Hills unit, dropping into the town of Mitchell. At this point we’re back on US-26 and headed home. The day has been spent exploring uniquely colored cliffs and stopping to enjoy rare public access to one of Oregon’s wild rivers.

October 23, 2022October 22, 2022

Desert Oasis

Between the Cascade range and the Wallowas, basically the northwest corner of the great basin, we wound through swaths of grainfields criss-crossed with two lane roads and dotted with wind turbines.

This flat expanse of Oregon is sliced by a canyon cut by the John Day River.

This portion of Central Oregon was once ranchland, a “… continuous expanse of native shrub-steppe habitat.” While the wind and wheat farms have transformed the land, the river continues, free flowing.

A Wild and Scenic Waterway status helped conservation groups give protection to stretches of the river and aided their attempt to re-invigorate a wild Steelhead run.

You can see the lush canyons of the John Day from many vantage points along it’s two hundred mile plus length, but access to the river is difficult without a boat.

Forty miles upriver from the Columbia OR 206 crosses the John Day where the Murtha Ranch used to sit.

In 2013, sixteen miles of that ranch along the north bank became Cottonwood Canyon State Park. A handful of this 16 thousand acre parcel holds camping, cabins and day use sites.

It’s nearly a three hour drive from Bend, almost to the Columbia River.

But the park offers excellent river access and small mouth bass fishing. In the fall there are few visitors, so we took advantage of an empty picnic site.

Then spent the afternoon catching bass and enjoying this beautiful and quiet stretch of the John Day River.

October 9, 2022October 9, 2022

Bass Fishing the John Day River

Priest Hole is a primitive site along the John Day Wild and Scenic River. The nearest town is 45 minutes away … so you are on your own here.

If you exclude the Deschutes River bridge at Shears Falls, the John Day River is likely the river we have crossed the most. It is also least fished. This week we fixed that.

The John Day River travels, undammed 280+ miles from it’s headwaters. It’s summer steelhead run has dwindled because like most Central Oregon rivers, dry years and irrigation pressure has taken a toll.

The flip side of increased average water temperatures is an abundance of Smallmouth Bass. When the climate gives you lemons … go bass fishin’.

Perfect conditions for reeling in smallmouth bass.

I always thought of bass fishing as a subsurface pursuit. Streamers on heavy lines and lots of weed beds to deal with.

Come to find out that is more about Largemouth Bass. On the John Day, Smallmouth repeatedly hit Chubby Chernobyl and Foam Hopper patterns tossed near the river’s grassy edge.

The road to Priest Hole is steep and narrow … it is especially challenging if you meet another vehicle. Beyond the risks, this is an incredible area with amazing river access and stunning views.

Previous encounters with the John Day involved bridge crossings or looking at the bottom of a canyon. JQ made note of a potential access point during a previous crossing. Seemed like a good destination for some warm water fishing. If you’re interested, downstream from Kimberly to Service Creek, about 25 miles, has lots of wadeable access.

Surrounded by the sweet scent of cottonwood trees, it was an idyllic day. The temps were in the low 80’s and both Jack and Tip spent most of their time wading and swimming.

Small Mouth in the John Day can be five pounds though more often they are under a foot in length. Bass aggressively surface feed and put up more fight than their size suggests.

The John Day carves its way though old volcanic flows, creating canyons and exposing geologic layers.

This was the first time I’d actively cast for bass. It won’t be the last, in fact we are are planning a couple more fall excursions in the Clarno and Kimber stretch of the river.