Hi Jcolin,
Adding to Andy's great info - There should be fish spread from top to bottom in October so you would have lots of options for setting up shop. That said, arguably most of the fish are going to be from Maupin down to the mouth for a couple reasons: 1) the fish are not in any real hurry to get upstream because they are still several months away from spawning and 2) there are stray fish from other rivers that routinely poke into the lower Deschutes.
You can access a ton of water from Maupin down to Macks Canyon by road. Its paved for a ways below Maupin but then pretty quickly turns into 25 miles of washboard gravel misery but is worth it. Several campgrounds along the way. You wont be alone. A little raft or inflatable kayak would open up the other side of the river. Just be very careful. The D is a beast of a river.
I would highly encourage making a trip. The Deschutes is a summer-run classic. I caught my first steelhead on the fly there. On a "Macks Canyon" down in Macks Canyon. The fish eat swung flies great and they really rip!
Church of Wild Steelhead!
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