Whether you like bank fishing or have to do it because you don’t have a boat, Central Oregon has many options to explore, and water levels are healthier than they’ve been in recent years courtesy of a snowy winter and cool, damp spring.

Three destinations offering plenty of bank fishing are Prineville Reservoir, Ochoco Reservoir and Lake Billy Chinook. Just remember to check the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for updated licenses and regulations.

Prineville Reservoir

Prineville Reservoir is located 14 miles southeast of Prineville and 29 miles east of Bend. This large reservoir is a 3,000-acre canyon connected by the notable Crooked River and Bowman Dam. It is home to Prineville Reservoir

Powder House Cove is located at the lower southwest end of the reservoir, and Prineville Reservoir State Park is in the upper northeastern part. Both have parking near advantageous fishing spots. Just be prepared to walk down steep dirt trails through sometimes dense forests. You will find drop-offs, peninsulas, weed beds, shoals and rock piles off the shorelines.

Rainbow trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, catfish and crappie are present and biting. Did I mention smallmouth? The chances of catching a smallmouth here might be higher than catching a roundabout in Bend. The reservoir’s smallmouth bass can be relentless during the peak of summer while fattening up just before fall. Using lures such as rooster tails, minnow lures and even a simple Carolina rig will work well for the bass.

Ochoco Reservoir

Ochoco Reservoir is in Crook County seven miles east of Prineville along Highway 26. Mill Creek and Ochoco Creek input to the reservoir and the output is also Ochoco Creek. Unfortunately, much of the reservoir’s 8-mile shoreline is on private property. So anglers, be aware of any signs when you decide to get creative in finding a fishing spot off the highway.

To avoid accidental trespassing, you can go to the Ochoco Lake Campground and Day Use Area, open to the public.

Though this is one of the smaller reservoirs, it offers a diverse range of open-fishing terrain along the banks. You can find a range of steep rocky or grassy hills to flat marsh beach areas. Off the shore are a range of rockpiles, weedy mud flats and sandy sloping underwater terrain.

Rainbow Trout, black crappies and smallmouth bass are the fish usually caught. Trout fishing is very popular here and can be surprisingly good. Power bait, wet flies and suspended salmon eggs work well for trout here.

Crappie fishing using nightcrawlers or small jigs can be excellent near the underwater structures of rocks, debris and docks. Once again, this is another place you’ll find smallmouth bass active.

Lake Billy Chinook

Lake Billy Chinook is part of The Cove Palisades State Park recreation area. This scenic lake is within a canyon located in Jefferson County near the town of Culver. The Deschutes, Crooked and Metolius Rivers form the lake. Along the banks are 72 miles of shoreline surrounded by 3,997 acres. The only part of the Lake that’s not open year-round is the Metolius arm which opens from March 1, to Oct 31, Also, the Metolius arm requires a tribal angling permit.

In a location this large, it’s easy for an angler to discover rarely fished spots along the shore.

The day use areas along the Crooked River, Upper & Lower Deschutes rivers have many wide-open clearings for bank fishing. The day use areas have asphalt and dirt trails leading to water access. The shoreline terrain varies from grass to beach and steep and low, rocky shelves. Around the boat docks, anglers can find a quick drop-off to deep water over 30 feet, so exercise caution.

It’s probably not a shock at this point, but the small-mouth bass are frequently caught here, though this large body of water hosts a variety of fish like sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, black crappie and mountain whitefish. The lake is also popular for its bull trout fishery, along with its crawfishing. Though they’re more spread out, the fish here can sometimes be larger than those at other reservoirs.

Lastly, whether you’re a catch-eat or catch-and-release angler, please never release trash and carry out any that you find, because the most important angler rule is to leave an area better than you found it. Bringing an extra bag to collect left-behind trash, even a few pieces, can go a long way.

Besides, anglers can always use cleaning up trash as a noble excuse for not catching the big one that got away.