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CLOUDY Temp: 45 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Wednesday, February 19, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 23, 2003 Fishing and Hunting Report River Outlook ROGUE — Winter steelhead fishing was picking up again in the middle and lower Rogue, where high but clear water made for some decent catches of fish that were clearly on the move. The upper Rogue however, remained slim for fresh steelhead, but look for that to change as higher water and new rains draw more steelhead upriver. For now, the Merlin area is the best spot for steelhead fishing, with success based largely on the weather conditions. Water levels are high, but there is good clarity to the water. That makes fishing the canyon areas near Merlin a great bet. Use roe. From the city of Grants Pass on downstream, catches of fresh winter steelhead have come to anglers using roe, worms and corkies or plug lures. Bait is out-fishing plugs, and there are lots of spawned-out summer steelhead getting caught as well. From the mouth of the Applegate River on down, catches are better because anglers can target not only the Rogue fish but also those headed into the lower Applegate. Water flows from the Applegate River have dropped and cleared, making conditions a bit high but good for driftboaters fishing plugs or bait. In the lower Rogue, catches were very good for winter steelhead throughout most of the system. Best catches were on roe and corkies from boats, while bank anglers using Spin-Glo’s were faring well at plunking hot-spots like Lobster Bar, Quosatana Creek and Dunkelberger Bar. Anglers are allowed to keep one wild steelhead over 24 inches a day, and up to five a year, now on the lower Rogue from the river mouth to Whiskey Creek near Rainie Falls. The wild-fish rule kicks in for the rest of the Rogue on Feb. 1. In the upper Rogue, a mixture of late-run summer steelhead and old coho salmon are still available for catching, but most of these fish are dark and should be released unharmed. Bait-fishing is allowed again in the upper Rogue, and will remain open until fall. The Hatchery Hole is only fair for late-run summer steelhead and coho, but most of the fish are dark. No more hatchery summer steelhead will be recycled in the upper Rogue this season. Flows out of Lost Creek Lake crept up Wednesday to 1,387 cubic feet per second. That’s nice and low for angling conditions. For daily flow reports out of Lost Creek Lake, telephone 1-800- 472-2434. The coho salmon/steelhead limit remains two adult fin-clipped fish a day. APPLEGATE — The river was still high and tough to fish for winter steelhead, but fresh fish were present Wednesday throughout most of the lower stretch. When the Applegate gets winter steelhead in early January, it usually indicates that the run will be very good to excellent. Catches for winter steelhead were best from the Highway 199 hole and the Tavern Hole, with spoons very effective. Worms and corkies or roe and puffballs also are good. Look for fresh steelhead to continue entering the river. All wild steelhead must be released unharmed. No fishing from floating devices is allowed. CHETCO — The river was rising but keeping good color Wednesday for winter steelhead fishing, and the extra water will do nothing but good for the river and its anglers. The sniff of warmer, higher water will draw fresh steelhead into the river and spread them out throughout the system. Fishing is best with roe and puffballs, with sandshrimp also working well. Plug fishermen are doing fair. The winter steelhead run is strong this year, and the fish are well-scattered from the forks all the way down to tidewater. However, the best successes remain from Loeb Park down to tidewater. No 20-pounders have been reported so far this year. Anglers may keep one wild winter steelhead a day, and up to five wild steelhead a year, under new bag limits. ILLINOIS — Winter steelhead fishing is fair, but not too many people are fishing right now. Fish are spread out but available more on the lower stretches now. If more rains materialize, look for fresh and large winter steelhead throughout the system. The Illinois is open only to catch-and-release fishing, with only artificial flies and lures allowed. No bait is allowed. COOS/COQUILLE — Winter steelhead are running now in the South Coos and Millicoma rivers. The Millicoma, Nesika Park (east fork) and the Millicoma fish hatchery (west fork) are seeing decent catches. The best fishing is when the river levels are down and water color is green. Due to recent high flows, the best fishing is in the higher reaches of the rivers. Adipose fin-clipped coho in the bay up to Chandler Bridge closed Dec. 31. Isthmus Slough is open year-round for adipose-clipped coho. In the Coquille, winter steelhead are getting caught in the North and South forks, but water conditions are high in the South Fork. Steelhead fishing is expected to pick up in the next couple of weeks, especially if there are a few days without rain. All coho fishing is closed. ELK/SIXES — Both streams were high but clear enough for decent fishing for early winter steelhead, mostly with roe or plugs from driftboats. Anglers can now keep one wild winter steelhead a day, and up to five a year, from the Elk and Sixes. UMPQUA — Winter steelhead fishing is slow in the all-angling section and the fly-only section, but catches are fair for fresh winter steelhead in the main-stem river from the forks downstream to Scottsburg. In the South Umpqua, winter steelhead fishing is good in the lower stretch, and just fair in the Tiller area. Lake Outlook LOST CREEK — Fishing for rainbow trout is fair near the dam, with trolling a good bet now that the water levels have steadied around 43 degrees on the lake’s surface. No adult steelhead will be released into the lake this year over concerns about possibly contaminating lake water with viruses that could get into Cole Rivers Hatchery just downstream of the dam. The daily limit is five trout at least 8 inches long, but only one trout over 20 inches. For bass, the limit is five a day with no more than three over 15 inches long, but most bass fishing is catch and release. Angling is open year-round. APPLEGATE — Trout fishing is fair for those trolling points and coves, while the smallmouth bass bite remains fair near the dam’s face. Bass anglers are reminded that they cannot keep any bass between 12 inches and 15 inches, and just one bass longer than 15 inches can be part of the five-bass daily limit. The lake is open year-round. EMIGRANT — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has planted 3,500 adult summer steelhead in the reservoir over the past week. Catches so far have been light, but look for these steelhead to congregate in the lower section of Emigrant Creek, which is open to fishing year-round. All adult steelhead stocked into the lake are legally considered trout and can be kept as part of the regular trout bag limit of five a day, but only one of those can be over 20 inches long. Ocean Outlook Crabbing was very good at Coos Bay and Winchester Bay, where dropping river levels and improved salinity are drawing more crabs into the estuaries every day. The daily limit is 12 male crabs. The entire Oregon Coast is closed to the harvest of razor clams due to domoic acid. Call the shellfish hotline at 1-503-986-4728 for updates. Clams can be found in shoreline rocky areas on minus tides. The best clamming on the south coast is for butter clams (steamers). Butter/steamer clams can be found at Rocky Point (just south of Port Orford), Macklin Cove (Chetco River) and Lone Ranch Beach. Razor clams are not as abundant on the south coast but can sometimes be found on Myers Creek Beach (five miles south of Gold Beach). Always check for Public Health Advisories by calling the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s shellfish hotline at 1-503-986-4728. Check "Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations" (Marine Zone) for harvest methods and other specifications. Bottomfishing has been poor because rough surf has kept boats in the bays. Hunting Outlook GENERAL — Waterfowl hunting continues statewide though Sunday in most areas of the state. Duck season is open; however, harvest of pintails and canvasbacks is not allowed. Goose hunting is allowed through Sunday in southwestern, northeastern and southeastern Oregon. Northwestern Oregon goose hunters should check the regulations for open areas and take note that goose hunting on Sauvie Island is closed for the season. Chukar, Hungarian partridge and California quail seasons remain open in Eastern Oregon (except Morrow and Umatilla counties) through Jan. 31. Most of western Oregon is gearing up for winter steelhead fishing, which should be good for the next few months. ODFW biologists expect above-average returns in many river systems. The 2003 general cougar season is open statewide for those hunters with a 2003 hunting license and cougar tag. ODFW reminds hunters and anglers to buy their 2003 license and tags before making plans to go afield. ROGUE — Duck hunting has improved somewhat slowly for locally hatched birds, with better weather conditions scattering the ducks. Some decent shooting days have occurred recently along uninhabited stretches of the Rogue River and at the Denman Wildlife Area. Water levels on the wildlife area are filling rapidly from the recent rains. UMPQUA — Duck and goose hunting has been fair. KLAMATH — Duck and goose hunting remains fair throughout the Klamath basin, which is drawing lower than average numbers of all species. SUMMER LAKE — All of Lake, Harney and Malheur counties are now open for duck and goose hunting. Success should improve as better weather conditions have hit the region. 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 located on Whetstone Pond, just north of the ODFW office. KLAMATH — Viewing opportunities remain good throughout the Klamath Basin. Fall migration is well under way with good numbers of migratory waterfowl staging in the basin. On Upper Klamath Lake, look for many species of ducks including lesser scaup, canvasback, mallard, and northern shoveler. Other species have already moved south including white pelicans, great egrets, and black-crowned night herons. Now is a good time to get your bird feeders out. Be sure to periodically clean your feeders to reduce the spread of diseases. SUMMER LAKE — Viewing opportunities are only fair at this time due to game bird hunting seasons. Large numbers of migrant waterfowl are concentrated on the wildlife area, but most are restricted to refuge portions of the wildlife area that are closed to all entry. The Schoolhouse Lake viewing blind affords excellent opportunities to view large numbers of waterbirds. Most passerine species have departed, but fair numbers of migrants, especially sparrows can be found at the wildlife area office, the rest area and at homestead sites where they are attracted to the tree and shrub cover found at those locations. NORTH COAST — Elk are on Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area consistently during daylight hours, especially morning and evening. Several different herds occupy the various parts of the area, with the herd of larger bulls generally in the western-most portion. Gray whales are migrating south along the Oregon Coast from their summering grounds off Alaska to Baja, California, where they winter. Whales can be seen from prominent coastal heads such as Cascade Head, Cape Lookout, Cape Meares and Neah-Kah-Nie Mountain. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S