Photo: Gavin Hoban / Bureau of Land Management Opens in a new tab. · Public domain U.S. Bureau of Land Management work; historical photograph, not today's conditions. Opens in a new tab.
Fishable with caution. Flow is extremely low.
Fish from the bank. Fish a short early or late bank session for smallmouth at a confirmed public access. This gauge does not measure water temperature. Do not plan a float at this reading.
Check first: USGS 14046500 and the NWS forecast are current, but they do not measure water temperature, clarity, bank footing, boat-ramp condition, or fishing quality at the chosen access.
Rating updatedRiver local time:
USGS shows 26 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1930-2025, 96 readings) show a median near 109 cfs and a low-water marker near 41 cfs; today's flow is unusually low for the date. USGS 14046500 measures discharge and stage on the John Day River at Service Creek. It does not measure water temperature, turbidity, clarity, local depth at Donnelly, bank footing, ramp condition, fishing quality, or safe wading. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.
NWS air forecast near
This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.
RiverReports gauge
Showing the available RiverReports chart while the current structured flow series loads. Check the chart on RiverReports Opens in a new tab.
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
RiverReports gauge: John Day River at Service Creek
Seasonal starting points, not a live hatch report. Match what you see on the water.
Choose the legal target and time of year first. Smallmouth are the primary warm-season fish; salmonid seasons and water temperature need a separate check.
Every listed recommendation below links to a reviewed Fly Box guide with a matching eligible picture.
Use the current flow to choose the mode, not to infer water temperature or fishing quality. At very low flow, fish a short early or late bank session for smallmouth and do not float. Wade only where entry is legal, footing is visible, and no crossing is required. Rising or muddy water, strong wind, extreme heat, smoke, or an unresolved access order should stop or shorten the trip.
Use a short bank or edge session for smallmouth. Wade only on visible stable footing and do not plan a float.
BLM recommends at least 300 cfs for canoes or inflatable kayaks when Clarno Rapid is lined or portaged, 1,000 cfs for inflatable rafts, and 1,200 cfs for drift boats. These are planning minimums, not safety guarantees.
Do not launch. Recheck the gauge, weather, signed access order, and fire restrictions before changing the plan.
Confirm the legal season and measure local water temperature before targeting trout or steelhead. The gauge does not measure it.
These scores compare the risks of wading, bank fishing, and floating.
Wade only a visible protected edge after checking legal entry, depth, current, footing, and an easy exit. Avoid forced crossings.
Use a confirmed public bank or protected edge with stable footing. Check posted access, weather, clarity, current, and water temperature before fishing.
Float not recommended. USGS 14046500 reports 26 cfs, below BLM John Day River Know Before You Go's lowest planning minimum of 300 cfs. BLM's John Day guidance lists craft-specific planning minimums, not safety guarantees. A threshold does not prove that a float is safe, practical, permitted, or appropriate.
This report covers the John Day at USGS 14046500 and the Donnelly Service Creek access. Check the live flow, BLM permit and fire status, weather, and exact launch conditions before choosing a bank, wade, or float plan.
USGS 14046500 measures discharge and stage for this reach, not water temperature, clarity, footing, ramp condition, safe wading, or fishing quality. Smallmouth are the primary warm-season target. Trout and hatchery steelhead require their own legal-season and temperature checks.
USGS shows 26 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1930-2025, 96 readings) show a median near 109 cfs and a low-water marker near 41 cfs; today's flow is unusually low for the date. USGS 14046500 measures discharge and stage on the John Day River at Service Creek. It does not measure water temperature, turbidity, clarity, local depth at Donnelly, bank footing, ramp condition, fishing quality, or safe wading. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.
The forecast has storm or heavy-precipitation risk, so timing and access matter more than the score alone.
Bank / edge: Use a confirmed public bank or protected edge with stable footing. Check posted access, weather, clarity, current, and water temperature before fishing.
Fall: Smallmouth remain available as water cools.
The current NWS air forecast is about 68F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 69F. Chance Showers And Thunderstorms.
For bank fishing, use a stable readable flow and verify the exact edge on site. For boating, apply BLM's craft-specific planning minimums: 300 cfs for canoes or inflatable kayaks when Clarno Rapid is lined or portaged, 1,000 cfs for inflatable rafts, and 1,200 cfs for drift boats.
Skip or shorten the trip for rising or muddy water, dangerous heat, strong wind, smoke, a newer closure, unverified legal access, or any missing float requirement.
For most warm-season days, fish a short early or late smallmouth session from the confirmed Donnelly bank. Treat the 48-mile Service Creek-to-Clarno float as a separate multi-day trip.
Use the broader John Day report for another main river reach, or compare the Deschutes and Crooked after checking each river's current flow, access, rules, and temperature.
When: Open year-round; strongest warm-season plan
Fish low-light banks and current breaks, then handle fish quickly in warm, low water.
When: May 22 through October 31
Confirm the trip-date rules and measure local water temperature. The Service Creek gauge does not provide it.
When: January 1 through April 30 and September 1 through December 31
Check in-season updates, carry the required Columbia River Basin Endorsement, and release wild steelhead unharmed.
Donnelly is the confirmed public anchor. A legal boating permit does not make low flow, a missing shuttle, or an unsuitable craft safe.
Under the reviewed 2026 Northeast Zone rules, smallmouth bass and other warmwater fish are open year-round, and stream bass have no daily limit. Trout is open May 22 through October 31 with a two-fish daily limit and eight-inch minimum. Hatchery steelhead is open January 1 through April 30 and September 1 through December 31. Release wild steelhead unharmed and carry the Columbia River Basin Endorsement when fishing for steelhead. Check ODFW in-season updates for the trip date before fishing.
| Reach and season | Fishing rules |
|---|---|
| Donnelly accessbank, edge, or launch | Use the confirmed BLM site for a short bank session or as the launch only after the boating checklist passes. Official rule |
| Service Creek to Clarno48-mile Class II–III float | BLM describes a three- to five-day trip. It requires route, permit, suitable craft, takeout, shuttle, PFD, safety equipment, drinking water, weather, fire, and flow checks. Official rule |
Confirmed BLM public anchor with a primitive launch, trailer parking and turnaround, four first-come walk-to campsites, and two accessible vault toilets. There is no potable water or garbage service.
Site detailsUse the newest signed order when older agency notices conflict, and recheck every time-sensitive source before the trip.
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What was checked: This report starts with official regulation, access, flow, weather, and public-land sources, then adds practical planning guidance for fly anglers.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Check USGS 14046500, then the newest signed BLM access and fire orders, weather, and the ODFW rules for the species you intend to target. The gauge reports discharge and stage, not water temperature, clarity, safe wading, or fishing quality.
Start with a bank or edge session at Donnelly when flow is very low. Wade only on visible stable footing without a forced crossing. Float only when the permit, craft-specific flow, launch, route, takeout, shuttle, PFD, safety gear, drinking water, weather, and fire status all pass.
Smallmouth bass are the primary warm-season target and are open year-round. Trout and hatchery steelhead have separate seasons. Verify current ODFW updates and measure local water temperature before targeting coldwater fish.
BLM recommends at least 300 cfs for canoes or inflatable kayaks when Clarno Rapid is lined or portaged, 1,000 cfs for inflatable rafts, and 1,200 cfs for drift boats. These are planning minimums, not guarantees. A float also needs the correct permit, craft, route, takeout, shuttle, PFD, safety equipment, drinking water, and current weather.
