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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 12, 2005 FISHING AND HUNTING REPORT River Outlook ROGUE — The Rogue is so high and dirty from the recent rains that there are only two places to fish — and one is very accessible, while the other really is not. The far upper Rogue from the Hatchery Hole to Casey State Park has about 4,000 cubic feet of water roaring through it, but the water is clean enough that anglers can cast for spring chinook salmon. The fast flow will make bank fishing difficult there, and there are not that many fish around. However, a few spring chinook have been hauled out of the Hatchery Hole. The pressure there is heavy because it’s the only Rogue fishing show this week in Jackson County. The only other opportunity for spring chinook fishing is a small stretch of the lower Rogue near Agness where the Illinois River dumps into the Rogue. The Illinois is running high but clear, and its water leaves a slick of clear water in the Rogue on the southern bank downstream of the mouth. Both spring chinook and anglers are stacked in thick there, and catches are good. If the river pulls into fishing shape this weekend, the spring chinook should be found throughout the Rogue. The trick will be to fish migration lanes and bottlenecks, not traditional holes, until the flows subside. Some good bottlenecks on the Middle Rogue include the waters below Savage Rapids Dam, Rainie Falls and Hayes Falls. Once flows make the upper Rogue fishable, focus on migration lanes farther downstream. As of May 10, 2,201 spring chinook had been counted over Gold Ray Dam. That is exceedingly low. Advertisement The river-wide 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 was starting to pull into shape for spring chinook fishing my mid-week, but flows remained too high and turbid for decent angling. COOS/COQUILLE — Both rivers are now closed to fishing. TENMILE — The creek is now closed to fishing. Lake Outlook HOWARD PRAIRIE — The lake is open to angling and catches have been very good recently after an inconsistent opener. The fish are starting to move into deeper waters after focusing their attention in the 10-15 foot depths. This week, more fish were caught in waters 20-plus feet deep than anytime so far this season. Trollers are doing best with Tasmanian Devils and lead-core line, while bank anglers are favoring chartreuse PowerBait. 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 — The lake is open to angling and catches have picked up after a slow beginning. Slow trolling or still-fishing remain the methods of choice. Still-fishing in the shallows with chartreuse or pink PowerBait is good, while slow trolling Tasmanian Devils or Needlefish can be good in late afternoons in about 6-10 feet of water. Troll far behind the boat. 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. Trollers are working the middle of the lake with Wedding Rings and worms, while boat anglers have done well with pink or rainbow PowerBait near the resort in about 10 feet of water. 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 almost a foot above the regular full pool and turbid water flowing into the lake has put the trout off the bite in the lake’s far upper reaches. Bass fishing has been slow, but it should get good again once in-flows and out-flows stabilize and the water’s surface temperatures warm back up. 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 small-mouth and large-mouth bass has slowed from recent storm fronts, but look for catches to improve again once runoff into the lake subsides. 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. ALL-SPORTS POND — The pond near Grants Pass recently was stocked with rainbow trout. Fishing is good with bait. APPLEGATE — The lake is expected to reach full pool today. Once in-flows subside and the lake calms down, look for good trout fishing off the points and in the Seattle Bar area, while very good small-mouth bass fishing should resume near the dam’s face. 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 ice-free and boat anglers are doing well 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. Beaches around Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings remain closed for razor clam. 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. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s