Crane Prairie Reservoir

Crane Prairie Reservoir in the Deschutes National Forest is one of Oregon's most unique and productive stillwater fisheries — a shallow, warmwater-influenced reservoir famous for its trophy Largemouth Bass fly fishing alongside an exceptional Rainbow Trout population. The lake's distinctive drowned timber (standing dead trees remaining from the original forest flooded when the reservoir was created) creates a habitat mosaic of extraordinary richness for both warm and cold water species. The Largemouth Bass fishery at Crane Prairie is one of the finest in Oregon for fly gear — the combination of abundant dead timber providing ambush cover and the lake's warm, weedy shallows creates perfect bass habitat. Fish averaging 2–4 pounds with exceptional specimens over 6 pounds inhabit the timber structure, and topwater popper fishing around the drowned trees is one of Oregon's most exciting fly fishing experiences. Rainbow Trout averaging 16–22 inches provide the lake's other exceptional fly fishing opportunity — large, wild rainbows that have grown fat on the reservoir's abundant chironomids, Callibaetis, and damselflies. The combination of trophy bass and large rainbows in the same water is genuinely unusual and makes Crane Prairie a destination unlike any other in the Pacific Northwest. The drowned timber is both the lake's greatest fishing asset and its primary navigation hazard — proceed slowly by boat and always have a float tube option for accessing the most timber-dense areas.