With over 100 mountain lakes and the Deschutes River within an hour’s drive of Bend, your piscatorial pleasures will be satisfied in central Oregon. The high lakes offer rainbow, brown, and brook trout as well as landlocked Atlantic and coho salmon. The Deschutes River is famed for its red-sided rainbow trout and summer steelhead.

Not surprisingly, the best fishing is outside of the Bend metropolitan area near Sunriver, Cascade Lakes, and Prineville. If you’re stuck in town, head over to the Old Mill District, where the Orvis store (320 SW Powerhouse Dr., 541/312-8200) has constructed a clever 18-station fly-fishing course on the edge of the Deschutes (think putt-putt with a fly rod).

A full-service pro shop with everything for the fly fisher is The Patient Angler (822 SE 3rd St., 541/389-6208), where you can stock up on information as well as gear; a guide service is also part of this business. Just up the road, the Riffle Fly Shop (1255 NE 3rd St., 541/388-3330) is another fly shop with guide service.

Deschutes River Outfitters (541/760-0956, www.deschutesoutfitters.com) features float trips, lake walk-in trips, and steelhead fishing trips that can be customized into single-day or multiday excursions. They have so many different packages and rates that it’s best to refer to their outstanding website for specifics.

All of these outfitters require completion of a trip application form and a deposit. It’s always a good idea to make your reservations well in advance, especially during the fall fishing season.