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49-529: Whychus Creek is a tributary of the Deschutes River in Deschutes and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Oregon . Formerly named Squaw Creek , considered derogatory in the 21st century, it was renamed in 2006. Explorer John C. Frémont camped along the stream in 1843 but did not identify it by name. Robert S. Williamson , a surveyor who camped there in 1855, said its Indian (Native American) name

98-614: A 611-acre (247 ha) reservoir impounded by Pelton Dam . The river is world-renowned for its fly fishing . It is home to Columbia River redband trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri ) known locally as "redsides". The redsides grow larger than most and also have a distinct darker red stripe than most wild rainbow trout. They are abundant in this stretch of the river, which has counts of 1,700 fish of 7 inches in size per mile (1,100 fish of 18 centimeters in size per kilometer) above Sherar's Falls , and they are noticeably stronger than trout who do not have to cope with life in such

147-417: A big, powerful river. The average catch for these fish is 8 to 15 inches (20 to 38 cm), and some are much larger. These redside or redband trouts are found throughout the river. Fishing for them is most popular from Warm Springs down to Macks Canyon (Warm Springs Reservation owns the entire Deschutes west bank from 16 miles (26 km) south of Maupin to Lake Billy Chinook and on up to Jefferson Creek on

196-446: A rugged canyon setting. The ancestral Crooked River helped create the crags and pinnacles in this park by eroding the interior of a volcanic vent over millions of years. In addition to the climbing routes, many of which are highly challenging, the park is open to swimming, fishing, photography, picnicking, and wildlife viewing. Amenities include restrooms with showers. The park covers more than 600 acres (240 ha) among large bends in

245-566: Is 15 miles (24 km) long and covers 3,000 acres (1,200 ha), supports populations of rainbow trout , smallmouth bass , largemouth bass , catfish, crappie , and crayfish . It is open to fishing year-round from boats or from the shore. The situation below Bowman Dam, which creates the reservoir, is quite different. According to Fishing in Oregon , the Crooked River is "one of the most productive trout streams in Oregon." Most productive are

294-535: Is a tributary , 125 miles (201 km) long, of the Deschutes River in the U.S. state of Oregon . The river begins at the confluence of the South Fork Crooked River and Beaver Creek in southeastern Crook County . Of the two tributaries, the South Fork Crooked River is the larger and is sometimes considered part of the Crooked River proper. A variant name of the South Fork Crooked River

343-473: Is a complex of day-use areas, campgrounds, cabins, and a marina and restaurant along the lake arms that include the Crooked and Deschutes rivers. The park, which covers more than 4,000 acres (1,600 ha), has a wide variety of amenities such as houseboat rentals, an amphitheater, basketball hoops, and a camp store. The Crooked River Campground within the park opens in spring and closes at the end of September, while

392-573: Is next, followed by Oak Springs Creek and the White River . Below that are Winterwater and Elder creeks. Prior to 80,000 years ago, the river ran along the east side of Pilot Butte and a lava flow from Lava Top Butte filled in this ancient channel. Previously, the basalt of the Bend lava flow, associated with the Lava River Cave , had diverted the river westward to its present-day location. The river

441-609: Is open for dispersed camping as well as water activities, hiking, and wildlife viewing. The Lower Crooked Wild and Scenic River flows through 2,300 acres (930 ha) of public lands overseen by the Bureau of Land Management and 220 acres (89 ha) overseen by the Bureau of Reclamation . The Chimney Rock segment below Bowman Dam has nine developed campsites, seven of which are meant for single-family camping, and two that are multi-family or group sites. All are fee sites; all have toilets; only one, Chimney Rock, has drinking water. Opposite

490-523: Is open for tenting and day use year-round. Prineville Reservoir and its state park are used for boating and related activities including kayaking, paddle boating, waterskiing, wakeboarding , and windsurfing . The state park has 32 boat moorages available during summer. An 8-mile (13 km) stretch of the river below Bowman Dam is suitable for canoeing when the river is not too crowded with anglers. Downstream of Prineville, expert kayakers sometimes run an 18-mile (29 km) segment rated class 4 to 5 on

539-694: Is simply "Crooked River". The Deschutes River flows north into the Columbia River . The South Fork Crooked River originates in an area called Misery Flat, along the Deschutes County , Lake County and Harney County boundaries, north of Glass Buttes. The South Fork's tributaries drain Hampton Buttes to the west and Mackey Butte to the east. The South Fork Crooked River flows north for 76 miles (122 km), collecting tributaries including Buck Creek and Twelvemile Creek before joining Beaver Creek to form

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588-710: The Fall River , the Little Deschutes River , and the Spring River followed by Tumalo Creek and Whychus Creek . The Metolius River and the Crooked River are next, both entering at Lake Billy Chinook. Then come Seekseequa Creek and Willow Creek followed by Dry Hollow and Campbell, Shitike and Trout creeks, after which comes the Warm Springs River . Further downstream are Swamp, Skookum, Oak, Antoken, Cove, Eagle, Nena, Wapinitia and Bakeoven creeks. Spring Creek

637-602: The International Scale of River Difficulty and below that another stretch of 9 miles (14 km) rated class 4. Ochoco State Scenic Viewpoint , on a butte overlooking Prineville, has views of the Crooked River and the Ochoco Mountains. The 251-acre (102 ha) park includes an area with rare plants. Smith Rock State Park, off U.S. Route 97 about 3 miles (5 km) east of Terrebonne, has thousands of rock climbing routes as well as hiking and biking trails in

686-556: The Metolius River arm) below Pelton Dam . Fishing from Tribal lands requires special permits. From Pelton Dam to the mouth the Deschutes is one of America's most productive trout waters and a top producer of summer steelhead, managed primarily for wild trout. This 100-mile (160 km) stretch of river drops 1,233 feet (376 m), carving a volcanic rock canyon 700 to 2,200 feet (213 to 671 m) deep. Fly fishermen come from around

735-524: The 19th century. Two large reservoirs were built to supply irrigation water during the summer growing season: Prineville Reservoir on the Crooked River and Ochoco Reservoir on Ochoco Creek. Today, irrigation diversions during the summer remove most of the Crooked River's flow below Prineville. Fishing along the main stem above Prineville Reservoir is generally poor. Fish populations there have been adversely affected by irrigation withdrawals, drought, and degraded riparian zones . The reservoir, which

784-607: The 43-mile (69 km) shore of the lake created by Bowman Dam. Choices range from tent sites to hookup sites for recreational vehicles (RVs) to log cabins "with full amenities". The park is open for camping and day use year-round. Adjacent to the state park and its camping areas is the Prineville Reservoir Wildlife Area , managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Bureau of Reclamation, which

833-571: The 7 miles (11 km) of easily accessible stream below the dam. This stretch of water, kept cool by water releases from the reservoir, supports large populations of redband trout . Open all year to fly fishing , this "classic tail-water fishery" is about an hour's drive from Bend . Another stretch of good fishing can be found in the Crooked River Gorge further downstream, but access is more difficult. Prineville Reservoir State Park has two developed campgrounds as well primitive sites along

882-686: The Chimney Rock Campground is the trailhead for Chimney Rock Trail, which winds up a side canyon for 1.3 miles (2.1 km) to higher-elevation views of the main canyon and the Cascade Range. The BLM also oversees two day-use sites along this stretch of the river. All of these installations are connected by Oregon Route 27 , which follows the river between the dam and Prineville. Near Terrebonne , downstream of Prineville, Smith Rock State Park has an open area for tent camping. RV camping, open fires, and sleeping in cars are not allowed. The park

931-645: The Columbia River, including the Willamette and John Day . The headwaters of the Deschutes River are at Little Lava Lake , a natural lake in the Cascade Range approximately 26 miles (42 km) northwest of the city of La Pine . The river flows south into Crane Prairie Reservoir , then into Wickiup Reservoir , from where it heads in a northeasterly direction past the resort community of Sunriver and into

980-576: The Crooked River proper near Paulina in Crook County . Beaver Creek arises in two forks, North Fork and South Fork Beaver Creek, in Grant County . South Fork Beaver Creek drains the slopes of Snow Mountain and Funny Butte before joining the North Fork. Beaver Creek then flows west through Paulina Valley and is joined by Grindstone Creek just upstream from Paulina. Downstream of Paulina, Beaver Creek joins

1029-659: The Deschutes Railroad and the Oregon Trunk Railway , raced to build a line from the mouth of the river to Bend. The Deschutes Railroad, a Union Pacific subsidiary, was owned by Edward H. Harriman and the Oregon Trunk was owned by James J. Hill . In 1964, on the Deschutes River, Portland General Electric (PGE) built, what was at the time, the largest hydroelectric dam in Oregon. This dam, named Round Butte Dam , stands 440 feet (130 m) above Lake Simtustus,

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1078-623: The Native American name Towarnehiooks ; on their return journey they gave it the new name Clarks River . Variant names include Clarks River, River of the Falls, Riviere des Chutes, Chutes River, and Falls River. During the middle 19th century, the river was a major obstacle for immigrants on the Oregon Trail . The major crossing point on the river was near its mouth in present-day Deschutes River State Recreation Area . Many immigrants camped on

1127-841: The North Fork Crooked River is also part of the wild and scenic system. Bridges over the Crooked River include the Crooked River Railroad Bridge owned by BNSF Railway , the Rex T. Barber Veterans Memorial Bridge that carries U.S. Route 97 , and a second railroad bridge that carries the city of Prineville railway. The Crooked River and its tributaries were once a major spawning ground for anadromous fish such as spring Chinook salmon , steelhead trout , and Pacific lamprey . Non-migratory fish such as Columbia River redband trout and bull trout , as well as various non-game fish were also abundant. Fish populations began to drop in

1176-457: The Ochoco Mountains to the north and the Maury Mountains to the south. The river passes Post , the geographic center of Oregon. Then, at about river mile  87 (river kilometer 140), the river flows into Prineville Reservoir , created by Bowman Dam (also called Prineville Dam). Below the dam, the river bends northward to Prineville, Oregon , where it is joined by Ochoco Creek from

1225-686: The South Fork Crooked River to form the Crooked River proper. From the confluence of the South Fork and Beaver Creek, the Crooked River flows west, collecting the tributary Camp Creek from the south and then the North Fork Crooked River from the north. The North Fork Crooked River arises in Big Summit Prairie on the southern side of the Ochoco Mountains . Below the North Fork confluence, the Crooked River continues flowing west, between

1274-619: The bluff on the west side of the river after making the crossing. The remains of the trail leading up to the top of the bluff are still visible. In 1910, Mirror Pond was created by the construction of the Bend Water, Light & Power Company dam on the river in Bend . The dam provided the city with its initial source of electricity. The dam has been owned by Pacific Power since 1930 and still produces electricity that supplies approximately 400 Bend households. In 1908, two competing railroad companies,

1323-477: The channels can be wide and deep. Located roughly seven miles southeast of Crane Prairie Reservoir, you will find Wickiup Reservoir. Wickiup Reservoir holds a wide variety of species open to angling. Wickiup holds a reputable amount of both kokanee and Coho salmon . It is not uncommon to catch rainbow trout, brook trout, whitefish and chub. However, most anglers whether they know it or not, are targeting large brown trout. Wickiup Reservoir holds many brown trout in

1372-525: The city of Bend , about 170 miles (270 km) from the river mouth on the Columbia. In central Bend, the river enters Mirror Pond , an impoundment behind Newport hydroelectric dam . The pond extends upstream to the Galveston Bridge and is a feature of Drake Park as well as Harmon, Pageant, and Brooks parks. From April through October, diversions to Central Oregon Irrigation District canals reduce

1421-606: The city of Warm Springs and the Kah-Nee-Ta resort. The river ends at its confluence with the Columbia River , 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Biggs Junction and 204 miles (328 km) from the Columbia's mouth on the Pacific Ocean. Named tributaries of the Deschutes River from source to mouth include Snow Creek then the Cultus River , Cultus Creek and Deer Creek, which enter at Crane Prairie Reservoir. Further downstream come

1470-532: The creek receives South Fork and North Fork from the left and Snow Creek from the right . Turning northeast, the creek intersects Whychus Creek Canal, which diverts water to McKenzie Canyon Reservoir and other parts of the Three Sisters Irrigation District. Flowing by the southeast side of the city of Sisters , Whychus Creek passes under U.S. Route 20 and Oregon Route 126 , which overlap in this vicinity, before receiving Indian Ford Creek from

1519-403: The early 19th century due to irrigation withdrawals. Early explorers described the lower Crooked River's floodplain as large and filled with waist-high grasses and willow trees ("Ochoco" is a Paiute word for "willow"). Beaver were also plentiful, especially on the upper river and tributaries, thus fur trappers frequented the region until the beaver were depleted. The Cove Power Plant on

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1568-477: The five to eight pound range, and has also been known to produce brown trout in the mid-twenty pound range. This reservoir is most easily fished from a boat due to its depth. Most people find success in trolling lures horizontally through the depths of the reservoir. Vertical jigging in an aggressive manner can be an effective method of targeting the salmon species of the reservoir. Bank fishing offers dry fly-fishing enthusiasts an opportunity to catch fish hiding under

1617-596: The larger river's confluence with the Columbia River, to the north. Some of the Crooked River's drainage basin lies within the Ochoco National Forest and the Crooked River National Grassland . A 17.8-mile (28.6 km) stretch of the river, from the national grassland boundary to Dry Creek, was classified as a recreational part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1988. Most of

1666-446: The late 1960s, thus blocking migratory fish, such as salmon, from historic spawning and rearing habitat in the Crooked River basin. Redband trout are the only native game fish left in the Crooked River basin. There are efforts currently underway to reestablish fish passage at the dam. Some hatchery fish have been introduced in an attempt to mitigate the losses. Water diversion in the Crooked River basin for irrigation agriculture began in

1715-435: The left. Continuing northeast, the creek leaves Deschutes County and enters Jefferson County and the Crooked River National Grassland . The creek empties into the Deschutes River downstream of the city of Redmond and about 123 miles (198 km) from the larger stream's confluence with the Columbia River . Deschutes River (Oregon) The Deschutes flows generally north, as do several other large Oregon tributaries of

1764-407: The lower Crooked River, built around 1910, effectively blocked upriver migration of spring Chinook Salmon during low streamflow conditions. In addition, Ochoco Dam , built in 1920 on Ochoco Creek, blocked fish passage completely. Round Butte Dam, built in the 1950s on the Deschutes River below the Crooked River confluence, included fish passage facilities. But attempts to pass anadromous fish failed by

1813-466: The nickname "cranebows". Other fish found in Crane Prairie are brook trout , kokanee salmon , largemouth bass , black crappie , tui chub , three-spined stickleback , and whitefish . Fly, lure, and bait fishing are popular methods, with the majority of trout fisherman casting or trolling in the channels. For the best chance of catching large fish, a boat or other flotation device is recommended as

1862-451: The northeast. Like the North Fork, Ochoco Creek drains the Ochoco Mountains. After Prineville, the Crooked River flows northwest, collecting McKay Creek and several other minor tributaries before emptying into Lake Billy Chinook , an impoundment of the Deschutes River created by Round Butte Dam . The dam also impounds the lower reach of the Crooked River. The Crooked River enters the Deschutes River about 114 miles (183 km) upstream from

1911-400: The obstructions of the shallows. In Lake Billy Chinook, there are fisheries for kokanee , bull trout , rainbow trout , brown trout , and several warm-water species such as large mouth bass and a very large population of small mouth bass. There are also periodic commercial fisheries for crayfish . The bull trout that are caught in this reservoir are some of the largest bull trout caught on

1960-404: The river flow between Bend and Pelton Reregulating Dam , at river mile (RM) 100 (river kilometer (RK) 160). The river continues north from Bend, and just west of Redmond, Oregon . Here it passes by Eagle Crest Resort and Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint . As it heads north through the central Oregon high desert , the river carves a gorge bordered by large basalt cliffs. By

2009-482: The river from the mouth to Round Butte Dam . Sport fishing for spring and fall Chinook salmon occurs from the mouth to Sherars Falls. Tribal fishing for Chinook and steelhead occurs at Sherars Falls. Crane Prairie Reservoir, the first major lake/reservoir the Deschutes flows into, offers some of the best rainbow trout fishing in Oregon, with a large number of rainbows in the 4-10 pound range and some reaching 20 pounds. These trout are renowned for their size and are given

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2058-534: The river popular for whitewater rafting and kayaking. The upstream section known as the Big Eddy is a short segment upriver from the city of Bend between Dillon and Lava Island falls. The lower and more heavily used section is from the town of Warm Springs downstream to just above Sherars Falls . The densest use is from RM 56—about 4 miles (6.4 km) above Maupin —to RM 44, just above Sherars Falls. Crooked River (Oregon) The Crooked River

2107-525: The river's flow in the summer months. The growth of cities like Bend and Redmond also increased demand on the river's water, which is over-allocated. Because the existing canals lose about half of their water due to seepage, there is pressure to convert these canals into pipelines, a move that is resisted by many locals for historic and aesthetic reasons. Golf courses have also been an issue with water allocation. There are 13 golf courses throughout Bend, Redmond, and Sunriver. There are primarily two sections of

2156-552: The river, and its trail system totals more than 7 miles (11 km). Along Route 97, about 9 miles (14 km) north of Redmond and downstream of Smith Rock is the Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint overlooking the Crooked River Gorge. The gorge at this point is about 300 feet (90 m) deep and 400 feet (120 m) wide. Amenities at this day-use park include picnic tables and restrooms. The Cove Palisades State Park along Lake Billy Chinook

2205-632: The time it reaches Lake Billy Chinook , a reservoir west of Madras , the river is approximately 300 feet (91 m) below the surrounding plateau, the Little Agency Plains and Agency Plains . At Lake Billy Chinook the river is joined by the Crooked and Metolius rivers. Beyond the dam, the river continues north in a gorge well below the surrounding countryside. It passes through the Warm Springs Indian Reservation , which includes

2254-418: The west coast. The numbers are scarce because the bulls are threatened; however, numbers have risen every year since they became protected. The lake allows an individual to keep a bull trout that measures more than 24 inches (61 cm). (This is included for a daily bag limit.) Much of the flow of the upper Deschutes River is diverted into canals to irrigate farmland; irrigation districts take nearly 98% of

2303-534: The world in the last two weeks in May through the first two weeks in June to take advantage of the hatching stoneflies , both salmonflies and golden stoneflies ( Hesperoperla pacifica ). These insects are in the river year-round; however their large adults are a major food source for the fish: artificial weighted stonefly nymph patterned tied flies are a staple for Deschutes anglers year round. Sport fishing for Steelhead occurs in

2352-476: Was Why-chus . Whychus Creek begins about 7,600 feet (2,300 m) above sea level at the base of Bend Glacier on Broken Top in the Cascade Range . Flowing generally north through the Three Sisters Wilderness , the stream plunges over 200-foot (61 m) Upper Chush Falls before receiving Park Creek from the left and plunging over 50-foot (15 m) Chush Falls . Downstream of the waterfalls,

2401-479: Was named Rivière des Chutes or Rivière aux Chutes , French for River of the Falls , during the period of fur trading. The waterfall it referred to was the Celilo Falls on the Columbia River , near where the Deschutes flowed into it. (These falls no longer exist, having been inundated by the lake behind The Dalles Dam ). Lewis and Clark encountered the river on October 22, 1805, and referred to it by

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