Grande Ronde River Fishing Guides
GRANDE RONDE RIVER SMALLMOUTH BASS
Come explore the wild and remote Grande Ronde River with us!
We fish for Smallmouth Bass from the Washington/Oregon border to Heller Bar. Our guides use a drift boat to guide you to the remote hot spots.
The Grande Ronde is a very remote limited access river with a class III or IV rapid near the end of the float requiring extreme skills that our Grande Ronde River Fishing Guides have spent years learning and mastering – you won’t find another set of guides who have floated this section more than us.
The fishing and scenery are unbelievable. We often see 100 fish days with great action in almost every hole along the way. While most of these fish average 14″ it isn’t uncommon to see fish over 18″ on this float. For some years we have seen fish in the low 20″ range. If you are looking for a peaceful, relaxing float with lots of action, this is your trip.
Steelhead Fishing on the Grande Ronde River
Reel Time fishing offers Steelhead fishing on the Grande Ronde October through March. We begin our trips on the lower 10 – 12 miles of river. On this trip we launch at the bottom of Shumaker Grade and float to the county bridge.
This section is our most remote float we offer. This section is quite often deserted by other boats. On good run years this river can easily produce double digit catch days. This is a fairly easy float where we mix in side drifting beads or yarn as well as bobber dogging or backtrolling plugs.
Most of these fish are classified as A-run fish, meaning they are the smaller of the species of Steelhead averaging 6 to 8 pounds. Steelhead are scrappy fighters that like to make reel screaming runs and acrobatic shows during their fight. Our Grande Ronde River Steelhead fishing guides know exactly what to use and when to use it.
The Grande Ronde River is a mesmerizing natural wonder of the West
Our experienced guides will show you all of this river’s best hot spots from their drift boats.
In December we follow the bulk of the run up to the next section. Here we launch at Bogan’s Oasis and float to Shumaker Grade. This is a shorter float than the lower section, but still nearly as remote with limited access. We fish the same as we do in the lower section and with just as much success.
If this section isn’t going off, we move up river. The last section we float is from Cougar Creek to Bogan’s Oasis. This is the shortest section we float, yet can be the most productive with the presence of the Cottonwood Creek hatchery.
Since this section is so short we are able to slow down our presentations. There are a few hot spots that provide some excellent fishing. By the time February and March rolls around we will be hitting this section every trip.
Get the best of both worlds!
When waterfowl is open we do offer cast and blast trips on the lower two sections. The best times are December and January when the birds are flocking to the river during cold weather. Adding this to your trip puts the icing on the cake on an already killer day. There is nothing better than hearing your captain yell “birds! birds! Rods down guns up!”
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Frequently Asked Questions about our fishing trips
HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I BRING ON MY TRIP?
The legal max boatload is six anglers, but with six full time guides available we are able to accommodate large groups of more than six people.
IS LUNCH/DRINKS PROVIDED ON MY TRIPS?
We do provide a BBQ lunch and drinks on all Clearwater, Snake, and Dworshak trips. Lunch and drinks ARE NOT provided on any of our Columbia River or Grande Ronde river trips.
HOW MANY HOURS ARE WE ON THE WATER?
Look forward to at least 8 hours of fishing unless you book a half day trip, then look forward to 4 hours of fishing
DO YOU PROVIDE ALL THE GEAR WE NEED TO FISH?
Yes, each guide is fully equipped with top-notch rods, reels and bait to ensure success on your trip.
DO I NEED TO PRE-PAY OR PLACE A DEPOSIT DOWN TO HOLD MY SPOT?
We require a 50% deposit at the time of booking, final payment must be made in full 10 days prior to your trip. We do not offer refunds for cancellations or head-count changes made inside 10 days of your trip.
DO YOU CLEAN AND FILLET OUR CATCH?
Yes, all of our guides will clean and fillet your catch unless otherwise specified.