Eastern Oregon doesn't get the bass fishing reputation it deserves, mostly because everyone's focused on the trout and steelhead that dominate the state's fishing culture. But if you're willing to explore a few reservoirs and impoundments that don't get written up in the fly fishing magazines, you'll find some legitimate largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing that can rival anything in the Pacific Northwest — and you'll rarely see another angler.
Owyhee Reservoir: Eastern Oregon's Bass Secret
If I had to pick one body of water for bass in Eastern Oregon, it would be Owyhee Reservoir in Malheur County. The upper arms of this deep impoundment hold smallmouth bass in the 2–4 pound range with regulars in the 5-pound class showing up each summer. The rocky, basalt shorelines and canyon structure are perfect smallmouth habitat.
Tube baits and drop-shot rigs worked tight to basalt ledges in 8–20 feet of water are deadly from late May through July. In the heat of summer, fish go deep — 25–40 feet on main-lake structure — and a finesse approach with a shaky head or Ned rig is the ticket. Early season topwater around creek arm structure gets aggressive strikes when smallmouth are in pre-spawn mode in April and May.
Lake Umatilla and McNary Pool (Columbia River)
The Columbia River impoundments along Oregon's northern border — particularly the McNary and John Day pools — hold substantial largemouth and smallmouth populations that most bass anglers from the Willamette Valley don't bother making the drive for. The combination of riprap banks, dredge material islands, and grass flats creates diverse habitat that supports big fish.
Largemouth in the Columbia impoundments average 2–3 pounds with quality fish running to 5+ pounds regularly. Target backwater sloughs and shallow bays with lily pads in spring, and transition to deeper timber-holding fish during the summer. Swimbaits, beaver-style soft plastics on a Texas rig, and chatterbaits all produce here.
Ochoco Reservoir
Just east of Prineville, Ochoco Reservoir is an underutilized largemouth bass fishery that produces well from April through October. The shallow, weedy structure in the upper reservoir arms holds good populations of fish that see very little pressure compared to the Willamette Valley lakes most bass anglers frequent. A crankbait worked along submerged brush piles or a surface lure at dawn during the spawn (late April to May) produces exciting fishing in a beautiful high desert setting.
Tactics That Work in Eastern Oregon Bass Water
Eastern Oregon bass waters tend to be clear, so presentation quality matters more than it does in murky Willamette Valley impoundments. Finesse approaches often outperform power fishing in these clear-water environments. Fluorocarbon line makes a genuine difference — the near-invisibility in clear water consistently produces more bites.
- Spring: Shallow crankbaits, swimbaits, soft plastics on light jig heads
- Summer: Drop-shot, Ned rig, finesse plastics at depth
- Fall: Jigs and swimbaits as fish feed up before winter
Eastern Oregon bass fishing is the kind of local knowledge that doesn't travel far from the people who've figured it out. Go explore, put in your time, and you might just find your new favorite fishery.
