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28 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, November 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 13, 2004 Fishing and Hunting Report River Outlook ROGUE — Spring chinook salmon are starting to run up-river en masse, with catches good and improving daily in the Grants Pass area, holding on in the lower Rogue and expected to pick up by next week in the upper Rogue. The best bet for springers, though, is the upper Rogue’s Hatchery Hole, where anglers continue to hook fish consistently despite relatively low numbers of springers in the upper Rogue so far. Through May 8, there were 1,192 springers over Gold Ray Dam, and that’s low for this time of year. But look for fish to continue migrating upstream consistently now through July. Upper Rogue catches are best with beads fished with long leaders while bank-fishing at the Hatchery Hole. In the middle Rogue, fishing has been fair to very good at times downstream of Savage Rapids Dam, Pierce Riffle and Rainie Falls. Bank angling with red, green and orange beads is good. In the lower Rogue, spring chinook catches were very good over the weekend and tailed off a bit as the week progressed, but anglers continued to catch decent numbers of fish. Small anchovies have been the bait of choice, but the water remains somewhat low, clear and warm. Most fish aren’t sticking around the lower Rogue and seem more intent to head upstream. Intercept them in migration lanes, usually in water less than 8 feet deep. With Lost Creek Lake now full, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is passing in-flow. On Wednesday, that meant 2,405 cubic feet per second of water, a drop over the past week. For daily flow reports out of Lost Creek Lake, call (800)472-2434. Advertisement Remember, all wild steelhead must be released unharmed for the remainder of the year. The upper Rogue is loaded with coho salmon and steelhead smolts, which are classified as trout at this time. There is no legal trout fishing on the Rogue until May 22. APPLEGATE RIVER — The river is closed to all angling until May 22. UMPQUA — Spring chinook salmon fishing remains good in the main stem near Scottsburg. The South Umpqua is closed to angling and will remain closed until May 22. Late-season winter steelhead fishing is slow in the North Umpqua. ELK/SIXES — Both rivers are closed and will re-open May 22. COOS — The main stem is open for striped bass fishing, and catches have been light. The South Fork from the head of tide up to the concrete bridge near Tioga Creek is closed to striped bass fishing. COQUILLE — The Coquille system is closed until May 22. Lake Outlook HOWARD PRAIRIE — Trout fishing remains good, despite the unseasonably warm weather. Most rainbow trout are getting caught in the top 15 feet of water, but fish seem to be moving deeper as the day progresses. Trolling with flashers remains best, with worms or natural-colored lures best. The limit remains five trout a day, with only one over 20 inches a day allowed. HYATT — The lake is sporting better-than-average trout fishing, with trolling and still-fishing generating excellent catches. The early-season water is warmer than it is most years, meaning the trout are far more active than is typical for late April. Still-fishing with PowerBait will be best, while worms and single salmon eggs are good back-ups. The limit remains five trout a day, with only one over 20 inches a day allowed. DIAMOND — The lake is fishing well for stocked rainbow trout and chinook salmon, with trolling Rapala and Needlefish lures excellent choices. Another 3,500 Desert Springs trout were released Wednesday into the lake at the resort, and these fish will be available immediately for anglers. Fish as large as 12½ -pounds have been taken during the first two weeks of the angling season there. Rainbow colored PowerBait and nightcrawlers also worked well along the south end. The limit remains five trout a day, with only one over 20 inches a day allowed. LOST CREEK — Trout and bass fishing are improving as water levels remain stable and the surface temperature remains around 60 degrees. Bank fishing remains good for trout with PowerBait near the Takelma ramp and off the intake tower. Trolling for trout is good near the base of the dam and off points near the Lost Creek Lake Marina. For smallmouth, focus on rocky points and the underwater rocks that will later become islands as the water level drops. The lake is open year-round for trout and bass fishing, with trout anglers out-numbering bass anglers throughout the cold-weather months. APPLEGATE — Fishing for trout is improving at Seattle Bar and around the rim at the far end of the lake. Trolling flies or worms is best. Bass fishing has improved around willows, submerged trees and rocky points. Anglers can keep up to five rainbow trout, stocked salmon or recycled winter steelhead a day, but only one fish can be more than 20 inches long. No bass between 12 inches and 15 inches can be kept, and only one bass larger than 15 inches can be kept. FISH — Trout fishing is picking up as the lake warms. Fish are primarily in the shallows during the morning, then moving into deeper water during the day. WILLOW — Fishing for trout and bass is improving as warmer weather comes in. Bass are hovering off points and along weedlines. LAKE of the WOODS — Fishing for rainbow and brown trout is starting to pick up. Trolling for brown trout has picked up as the water temperature has increased, but it’s still a tad slow. The resort and marina are open Thursday through Sunday. EMIGRANT — Smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing are starting to improve daily, with fishing best off rocky points and even within the willows. Bluegill and perch fishing have all improved as spring takes hold in the reservoir, which is dropping steadily each day. Trout fishing is better in the lower section of the lake, with PowerBait out-producing lures or worms for bank fishing. The lake is open year-round to angling. SELMAC — The lake was fishing fair for stocked trout and good for bass, with grubs and crankbaits best. Ocean Outlook The ocean out of Brookings and Gold Beach was excellent, with swells around two feet. Bottomfishing has been excellent, with good catches of lingcod still in the mix. The ocean recreational salmon season opens Saturday, and action could be decent for this time of year. With a late run of spring chinook into the Rogue, fresh springers likely are milling around between Bookings and the river mouth at Gold Beach. Also, commercial salmon fishermen have reported schools of salmon about 5 miles off House Rock. The limit is two chinook a day. The coho season does not start until June 19. Surf perch fishing at Winchuck Beach near the California border and at Nesika Beach just north of Gold Beach remains good, and catches should get better now through June. Clam necks and mussels are good baits, and the fish will aggressively attack bright streamer flies in calmer surf. Hunting Outlook ROGUE — Spring turkey hunting remains strong, with the warm and calm mornings getting the birds to gobble and be more active than earlier. The turkey season runs through May, and tags are available throughout the hunt. Up to three tags are allowed in Jackson and Josephine counties. Spring black bear hunting is open throughout most of the western hunting units that have black bear hunts, and that includes the Rogue and Applegate units. Bears are starting to get more active. Look for bears in calving and fawning areas. The season runs through June 15. KLAMATH — Turkey hunting has improved in the Keno area, chiefly because of improved weather. Watchable Wildlife ROGUE — A covered viewing station on the Denman Wildlife Area provides a good opportunity to view waterfowl, egrets, raptors and songbirds. The structure was built by the Oregon Hunters Association and is accessed by a paved, wheelchair-accessible pathway. It is on Whetstone Pond, just north of the ODFW office. NORTHWEST — Brown pelicans are common along the northern Oregon coast in the fall. They can be seen roosting along the south jetty of the Columbia River, and on many offshore rocks along the coast. They are also frequently seen feeding in estuaries. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities