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69 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, May 24, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Biz Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 19, 2005 FISHING AND HUNTING REPORT River Outlook ROGUE — The Rogue is so high and dirty from the recent rains that most of the river is either already out of shape for spring chinook fishing or likely will be soon. That leaves the best bet as the only bet along the Rogue — the Hatchery Hole and waters directly beneath it. While more than 4,200 cubic feet of cold water is spilling out of Lost Creek Lake, even that area can be a bit tough to fish. Anglers have been faring well for spring chinook when windows in the weather allow for decent fishing conditions. A good bite in the lower Rogue near Gold Beach and in the Grants Pass area occurred earlier this week and anglers caught fresh springers as recently as Wednesday morning before the water muddied and filled with debris from recent Rogue Valley storms. When flows subside, focus spring chinook fishing downstream of Savage Rapids Dam. Passage likely will remain blocked there for a few more days while the Grants Pass Irrigation District begins preparing for its irrigation season. Spring chinook counts at Gold Ray Dam remain low, but they jumped over 3,000 as of Monday. Cold water flows at the dam, however, have retarded migration. When the waters drop, clear and warm, look for another surge of fish over the dam. Much of the river may not be fishable until the weekend, and more rainstorms likely will extend that timetable as well. Advertisement The riverwide limit for spring chinook now is up to two adults a day, but only one of those adults can be a non-fin-clipped wild fish. Only three wild spring chinook are allowed per angler per season. For daily flow reports out of Lost Creek Lake, call 800-472-2434. The upper Rogue reaches upstream of Lost Creek Lake are now open to angling, with catches poor amid heavy stream flows. APPLEGATE — The river remains closed to all angling until May 28. CHETCO — The river is closed to all angling. UMPQUA — The Umpqua has been erratic for spring chinook salmon because of high and turbid waters. Shad fishing is slow. Sturgeon fishing has improved near the Smith River mouth and should remain good during turbid flows. COOS/COQUILLE — Sturgeon fishing is good in the lower Coos Bay near the Highway 101 bridge. Shad fishing is slow, but catches should improve when the river drops and warms. Lake Outlook HOWARD PRAIRIE — The continued spate of storms has kept the bite a bit inconsistent, but anglers are still doing well targeting rainbow trout in the 15-to 20-foot depths. Trollers are doing best on the east side of the lake, with night crawlers working well behind flashers and Tasmanian Devils also a productive choice. Bait fishermen are doing best around Buck Island and the Cheese Hole, focusing on waters 18 feet or less. Chartreuse PowerBait remains a lake favorite. The daily limit remains five trout per day, with an 8-inch minimum length. Only one of those trout per day can be more than 20 inches. HYATT — Trout fishing is holding on despite fluctuating weather patterns. The larger trout are cruising the shallows in the morning and evening, allowing for good bait-fishing near snags and weed lines. Trollers can do well, provided they troll large Needlefish or Tasmanian Devil lures slowly in search of the bigger, predatory trout. The daily limit remains five trout per day, with an 8-inch minimum length. Only one of those trout per day can be more than 20 inches. DIAMOND — The lake is open and early fishing has been good for stocked rainbow trout. Limits have been taken in front of the Diamond Lake Lodge in 10 feet of water. Rainbow and pink PowerBait are top colors. Trollers working the east shoreline near Diamond Lake Campground "M" Loop boat ramp had good success recently using No. 2 red Needlefish lures. Trout to 22 inches have been caught. The daily limit remains five trout per day, with an 8-inch minimum length. Only one of those trout per day can be more than 20 inches. LOST CREEK — The lake is full and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now spilling more water than the lake is capturing. The surface temperature remains a hair under 60 degrees, but the stormfronts have made fishing success variable. Bass fishing is fair to good but should improve when the weather systems subside. Trolling for trout is good near the dam and the marina, and fair to good upstream of Peyton Bridge in the no-wake zone. The lake is open year-round for trout and bass fishing, with trout anglers out-numbering bass anglers throughout the cold-weather months. EMIGRANT — Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass has been erratic during the recent stormfronts, which have caused the midday bite to slow at times. The shallow lake warms faster than most area waterways. Fishing for trout has improved. Crappie fishing remains poor, but the yellow perch are getting very active. No excess adult winter steelhead will be stocked into the lake this year. ALL-SPORTS POND — The pond at Grants Pass will be stocked this week with trout for a Youth Angling Enhancement Program event Saturday. The event is designed to help get kids a good chance to catch nice rainbows, and adults are encouraged to refrain from fishing there until Sunday. Catches have been good with PowerBait and nightcrawlers. APPLEGATE — The lake is at full pool today. Trout fishing is fair off the bank at Seattle Bar, and smallmouth bass fishing is good near the dam. A mix of trout and stocked spring chinook salmon are available year-round, and the Hart- Tish Park boat ramp is operational. No excess hatchery winter steelhead will be recycled into the lake this season. 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 winter steelhead will be from the Applegate River to the reservoir this year. No bass between 12 and 15 inches can be kept, and only one bass larger than 15 inches can be kept. EXPO POND — The pond has been stocked with rainbow trout. FISH — The lake is fishing fair to good for rainbow trout. Ocean Outlook Surf perch have moved out of the Rogue River estuary because of the high, turbid flows. The ocean was rough and out of shape for fishing after 50 mph winds recorded Wednesday along the South Coast . The beaches coastwide are now closed to razor clam digging. To check for updates on the closure, call the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Shellfish Hotline at 800-448-2474. Hunting Outlook ROGUE — Turkey hunters are battling bad weather and call-wary birds, so success for Rio Grandes has been slow. The birds are scattered throughout Jackson County, with most turkeys hanging around the fringes of rural developed lands around forests. The season runs through May 31, and tags are available throughout the season. 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. 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. 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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