The Owyhee River is a spectacular 346-mile river system that flows through three states—Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon—before joining the Snake River. Beginning in the northern mountains of Nevada, the river winds through remote high desert landscapes, carving deep canyons with dramatic basalt cliffs and steep-walled gorges. The tailwater section below Owyhee Dam in Oregon is renowned as one of the finest trout fisheries in the Western United States, drawing anglers seeking trophy brown trout and rainbows in a stunning desert canyon setting. The river's name derives from an early 19th-century expedition when three Hawaiian trappers (Owyhee being an old spelling of Hawaii) were sent to explore the area and never returned. Today, the Owyhee offers diverse fishing opportunities throughout its course, from the challenging whitewater sections of the upper river to the productive tailwater fishery below the dam.