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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 27, 2005 FISHING AND HUNTING REPORT River Outlook ROGUE — These latest rains should do wonders to jump-start early winter steelhead catches in the middle Rogue, while also sparking some interest in late-run summer steelhead as well as a few winter steelhead in the upper Rogue. The lower Rogue is a mixed bag for winter steelhead anglers who are battling clear water conditions. The best bet is the middle Rogue, which could turn on for early winter steelhead around the Galice area as well as the riffles downstream from the mouth of the Applegate River. Roe is the offering of choice, with plug fishing improving daily as water temperatures continue to climb. Flows were a skimpy 2,150 cubic feet per second Wednesday at Grants Pass, but the temperature has risen from around 42 degrees to 46 degrees. That’s close to perfect for a winter steelhead bite. Upstream of Hog Creek, anglers can begin keeping up to one wild winter steelhead 24 inches or greater as part of their five-fish annual wild steelhead limit. Downstream of Hog Creek, the wild-steelhead harvest began Jan. 1. In the upper Rogue, out-flows from Lost Creek Lake are down to a hair under 800 cfs of 43.6-degree water. That’s low. But Wednesday’s rains should trigger a minor snowmelt and some added runoff that should raise the upper Rogue and draw wild summer steelhead into spawning tributaries. To focus on the hatchery summer steelhead that are legal for harvest, head farther upstream and avoid waters near tributaries. In the upper Rogue, bait-fishing has returned to the entire stretch upstream of Gold Ray Dam, and that has spread anglers out from TouVelle State Park upstream to the Hatchery Hole. Small clusters of roe are good offerings for late-run summer steelhead. Wild fish are starting to stage off creekmouths, and they all must be released unharmed. The Hatchery Hole remains fair for late-run summer steelhead on bait or egg flies. Cole Rivers Hatchery workers have concluded their recycling program for excess summer steelhead for the year. The remainder of excess steelhead now will go to Emigrant Lake to reduce the straying of hatchery steelhead onto wild steelhead spawning grounds. Advertisement In the lower Rogue, water levels are dropping and clearing daily, and that has generated a shift in who are catching the winter steelhead and where to go. Plunking off gravel bars has dropped off, with plunkers still finding a few fish in slightly deeper water. No. 4 Pearl-Pink Spin-Glo’s are the plunkers’ main weapon now. Boat anglers using the "Cop Car" and prism Hot Shots are doing well along most inside turns and atops of gravel bars. From Quosatana Creek downstream to Huntley Park. In the Agness area, fishing is fair to good for winter steelhead side-casting roe from driftboats. For daily flow reports out of Lost Creek Lake, call 800-472-2434. APPLEGATE — Fresh winter steelhead are present in the lower river, and fishing has been fair to good at times with roe, single-egg flies and spoons. Flows out of Applegate Lake are at 600 cubic feet per second. No fishing from a floating device is allowed, and anglers should get permission before entering private property. CHETCO — Water levels were low and clear Wednesday, causing a drop-off in winter steelhead catches and effort. Look for plenty of fresh steelhead when the water rises and greens during the next rains. Most of the fish are in the 10-pound class, and roe is out-fishing plugs. Anglers may keep one wild winter steelhead a day as part of their two-fish daily limit, and no more than five wild steelhead per year. ELK/SIXES — Both rivers were back to low and clear for poor winter steelhead fishing conditions. Look for more fresh fish when river levels rise. Lake Outlook HOWARD PRAIRIE — The lake is closed for the season. HYATT — The lake is closed for the season. DIAMOND — The lake is closed for the season. LOST CREEK — Trout fishing remains slow, with very little effort as the reservoir remains on its filling curve. The lake is at its winter low for flood control. The lake’s surface temperature has warmed slightly to 42 degrees, leaving fishing still very slow for smallmouth bass. Trolling for trout during the afternoons can be good on sunny days, which draws the trout toward the surface. 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 stocked chinook and rainbow trout around 12 inches long is fair during mid-day, especially on warmer days. Bass fishing is very slow. No recycled winter steelhead have been stocked yet this season. Boat access at French Gulch is poor. 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. Ocean Outlook Crabbing has slacked off in most Southern Oregon bays, mainly because of increased fresh-water flows. The crabs move lower in the bays during freshets. Places like lower Coos Bay around Charleston remain good for crabbing. The ocean has re-opened for the recreational rockfish and lingcod catches, and effort has been light so far. Ocean conditions have been rough since the season re-opened Jan. 1, but look for effort and catches to improve once steelhead fishing slows down and choppy seas ease. Anglers can keep up to eight marine rockfish a day, and up to two lingcod over 24 inches a day. Beaches around Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings remain closed for razor clam. To check for updates on the closure, telephone the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Shellfish Hotline at 800-448-2474. Hunting Outlook ROGUE — Grouse and quail hunting seasons are now over. Local duck and goose hunting is fair, with the best waterfowl shooting along uninhabited stretches of the Rogue River. Duck and goose hunting in western Oregon closes Sunday, except for hunts in the Northwest Oregon Permit Zone. Bear season is over. Cougar hunters can expect an average year. Cougars are abundant throughout with indicators pointing to stable or increasing numbers and distribution. Hunting cougar is a challenge because these animals are very secretive, but harvest success is greatest adjacent to private land with high deer populations using a predator call. DOUGLAS — Grouse and quail hunting has closed. Local duck and goose hunting remains slow. The seasons end Sunday evening. KLAMATH — Duck season has closed, but goose hunting remains open through Sunday evening. Late-season hunting has been fair to good. BAKER — Counts were well above average for chukars and quail this year throughout the county except for the upper Powder River, where chukar counts were low. Numbers of Hungarian partridges also appear low. The birds remain scattered. Quail season closes Monday evening throughout the rest of eastern Oregon counties where it is currently open. Duck seasons are closed throughout eastern Oregon, but goose hunting remains open. OCHOCO — Chukar populations are scattered with best opportunities on public lands along the canyon areas of the Crooked and John Day River Rivers. 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. SUMMER LAKE WILDLIFE AREA — The Schoolhouse Lake Wildlife Viewing Station continues to provide excellent opportunities for observing migrant and wintering waterbirds. Wintering raptors can be found scattered throughout the Area as well as on private lands along Highway 31. Northern harriers are especially numerous over march and meadow areas. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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