2026 KFNW / OKBF Spring Open

August 8 | Crane Prairie Reservoir, La Pine, OR

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Crane Prairie Reservoir

Crane Prairie Reservoir sits high in the Cascade Mountains about 42 miles southwest of Bend, at roughly 4,450 feet of elevation. The reservoir takes its name from the sandhill cranes that frequent the area and from the upper Deschutes River prairie it now covers — flat, forested river bottom before it was flooded.

The reservoir was first dammed in 1922 to store irrigation water for the Central Oregon Irrigation District, then rebuilt by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1940 as part of the larger Deschutes Project. Much of the standing timber that lined the original river bottom was left in place when the valley flooded, and it remains today.

Crane Prairie covers approximately 3,400 surface acres but runs shallow throughout — average depth is only about 15 feet, and much of the reservoir is 10 feet or less.

That shallow, flooded-forest character defines the fishing: fields of standing dead snags, fallen logs, and shallow coves, concentrated most heavily along the southeast side of the lake, give bass abundant cover in warm, skinny water.

The reservoir carries a mixed fishery — largemouth bass alongside rainbow trout, brook trout, kokanee salmon, and whitefish, and it ranks among Oregon’s better-known rainbow trout waters.

Tournament boundaries cover the full reservoir, approximately 3,400 acres bounded by about 22 miles of shoreline.

Focus on Fun

The Summer Opens promise to be a blast. Come on out to fish and meet other kayak anglers (experienced and newbie alike are encouraged to attend).

Kayak Bass Fishing Tournament

This bass fishing tournament is focused on fun and teamwork. If you’ve been thinking about getting involved in competitive kayak fishing, the Summer Opens are a great place to start. We will randomly pair one less-experienced tournament angler with one more-experienced tournament angler, to compete as a two-person team for the tournament. We will be fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. We score fish by length, using the smartphone app TourneyX Pro. We practice CPR (catch, photo, release) to tabulate our scores. A certified bump board must be used: YakAttack Leaderboard, Ketch Karbonate, Ketch X Aluminum Board, and Original Ketch Board are the ONLY boards that will be accepted. There’s a six fish limit per team (three fish limit per angler). Catches between you and your teammate are combined to tabulate your team score. This means that you and your teammate each need to catch three fish for the best chance of winning. We also have an optional Big Bass Buy-In side pot, in which the competitor who catches the largest bass of the day gets the pot (minus fees).

Flying Kayak Open

Don’t forget, the Flying Kayak Open is also happening on nearby Davis Lake on Sunday, August 9, so book your lodging through Sunday for this one-of-a-kind fly fishing only, kayak bass tournament.

https://kayakfishingnorthwest.com/flying-kayak-open/

Tournament Schedule

All times are Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)

Thursday, August 6, 2026

  • 11:59 AM – Registration Deadline

Friday – August 7, 2026

  • No Prefishing Restrictions
  • 10:00 PM – Identifier Code Released

Saturday – August 8, 2026

  • 5:52 AM – Sunrise
  • 6:00 AM – Pre-Event Briefing and Team Assignments | Quinn River Boating Site
    Anglers MUST check-in by this time. Failure to check-in on-time will result in disqualification. When possible, we recommend all anglers prep their gear before check-in. After unloading, kayaks and gear may be stored on the bank, or near the launch. Be sure to leave room for other people to use the ramp.
  • 7:00 AM – Launch (Shotgun Start) | All Competitors
  • 7:00 AM – Lines In
  • 1:00:00 PM – Lines Out
  • 2:00:00 PM – Upload Deadline / Off the Water
    Cell Service on Water: Poor
    Cellular service may not be available on the water. It is the competitor’s responsibility to find service and upload their fish before the deadline.
  • 3:00 PM – Awards Ceremony and Gear Drawing | Frontier Heritage Park
    Competitors MUST be present at Awards ceremony location by this time. Competitors who are not present by this time will be disqualified.

Location Details

Oregon Regulations and Links

  • An Oregon fishing license is required (temporary or annual) – Visit ODFW
    • Columbia River Basin Endorsement is not needed for bass in Oregon
    • Salmon/Steelhead Harvest Card is not needed for bass in Oregon
  • Watercraft registration is required for motorized watercraft (residents only) – Visit OSMB
  • Waterway Access Permit is required for non-motorized watercraft 10 feet or longer (residents and non-residents) – Visit OSMB
  • For motorized watercraft (residents), AIS Permit is included in your watercraft registration.
  • For motorized watercraft (non-residents), Out-of-State Motorized AIS Permit is required – Visit OSMB

Eligible Water Boundaries

  • Main water body
  • Connected creeks, rivers, sloughs and tributaries accessible via kayak from the main body of water are in-bounds (conditions permitting for safety and accessibility)
  • Disconnected sloughs and ponds are out-of-bounds
  • Portaging is not permitted
  • Only public waters are allowed

Pre-Event Briefing Location and Designated Launch Location

Pre-Event Briefing Details

  • Before the Pre-Event Briefing, a video will be published to go over specific details for this Tour Event. Certain rules may be discussed, but we will not review all the rules. It is the competitor’s responsibility to read and know all rules as published in the Rules Standard.
  • A signed hard copy of the Liability Release is required by all competitors for each Event. You can download the Liability Release in advance and bring the completed form (download below).
  • Electric Motor Inspection form is required for all competitors with a motor (download below). Once the form is completed, KFNW staff will determine if an inspection is necessary.
  • Certified bump board is required and board check will be performed. Boards should be clean and dry.
  • Competitors will have the opportunity to ask any questions before the meeting is adjourned.
  • Attendance at the Pre-Event Briefing is mandatory. If you can’t attend the meeting due to work or an unavoidable obligation, another angler can bring your Liability Release and bump board on your behalf. This solely the responsibility of the two competitors and no exceptions will be given.

Awards Location

Special Rules

  • This is an open tournament, no KFNW membership is required.
  • No AOY points will be recorded.
  • This is a team tournament. Angler may NOT compete alone. The Tournament Director will assign teammates at random, pairing more-experienced tournament anglers with less experienced tournament anglers. Anglers will fish as a team, and scores will be calculated on the best team score (three longest fish per angler, six fish total). If one of the two teammates does not catch three fish, culled fish from the other teammate can not be counted.
  • There will be a shotgun start for this tournament, so all competitors may launch at the same time.
  • Teammates are expected to fish near each other. We also expect experienced anglers to offer assistance to their less-experienced teammates.
  • For these Season Kickoff Team events ONLY, we waive some assistance-related rules. You can assist your teammate, or other anglers, by holding on to their kayak, and reaching in to their kayak to help them take their submission photos.

Safety Notes

  • An overhead 360° light is required in low light conditions. A high-visibility flag, vest-type PFD, and sound signaling device (whistle) are required on the water at all times. Failure to utilize any of this safety equipment may result in disqualification.

Downloads

Tournament Director

Links

Liability Release
Rules Standard
Identifier Card