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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 2, 2005 FISHING AND HUNTING REPORT River Outlook ROGUE — The Rogue has pulled itself into good fishing conditions and spring chinook salmon catches as well as effort are starting to shift more toward the upper Rogue, where most of the action typically is during June. That shifts the best bet to the upper Rogue, where boat anglers are doing well at both extremes of the stretch and bank anglers are starting to see consistent action in their main haunts. The Hatchery Hole has been solid of late for spring chinook angling, as good numbers of fish are finally moving into the hole. Effort has subsequently grown. Early in the morning, catches are best with glow-in-the-dark corkies, with mixtures of green, red or orange common choices when the sun hits the water. Through May 28, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has counted 5,884 spring chinook over Gold Ray Dam. That’s low for late May, but a surge of fish moving upstream could get the counts back on track by the end of June. For boat anglers, ambushing fish on the move is the tactic du jour. Plugs are out-producing bait in a late-May fishery that’s acting more like an early-May fishery. Flows out of Lost Creek Lake were a tad under 2,000 cubic feet per second of 48-degree water. By the time that water reaches Gold Ray Dam, the flows are about 2,640 cfs of 53-degree water. Advertisement The lower Rogue has slowed dramatically for late-run spring chinook, which are blasting past anglers in the warmer weather. Bank angling in Agness also has been slow. Fishing has slowed in the Grants Pass area, where the most success has come to bank anglers downstream of Savage Rapids Dam and at Hayes Falls. Flows at Grants Pass were all right for spring chinook fishing Wednesday, despite the slow catches. The flows were about 2,390 cfs of water that was 59 degrees — right at the limit for a chinook bite. 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-finclipped wild fish. Only three wild spring chinook are allowed per angler per season. A few summer steelhead have trickled over Gold Ray Dam, but not enough to generate a fishery for them. 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 is open to angling. A few late-run and spawned-out winter steelhead may be in the lower river, but these fish should be released unharmed. A mix of steelhead smolts are also present. Effort should be light. CHETCO — The river is open to fishing, but the absence of adult fish should make for light effort. UMPQUA — The Umpqua has been pulled into good shape for chinook fishing, which remains fair in the main-stem river. Sturgeon fishing has eased as the water has dropped and cleared, while shad fishing has picked up in the main- stem river. COOS/COQUILLE — Sturgeon fishing is fair to 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 — With this latest succession of storms, the trout bite remains erratic and overall, fishing remains pretty good. Anglers are still doing well targeting rainbow trout in the 15-20 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 has again become erratic from the recent storms and unstable weather patterns. Catches, therefore, have been good at times and poor at others. The larger trout continue to cruise 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 continues to fish well 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 pool and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now spilling slightly more water than the lake is capturing. The surface temperature has climbed higher than 63 degrees, helping trigger an improved bass bite. Trollers are doing well for trout near the dam and the marina, while wind-drifting for trout is good near the lake water sources upstream of Peyton Bridge. 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 bass has been good early in the morning and late evenings around rock outcrops and brush. The yellow perch remain dominant in the willow along the lake’s upper reaches. Trolling for trout is fair, while bank-fishing for trout has been good near the dam’s face. Crappie fishing remains poor. No excess adult winter steelhead will be stocked into the lake this year. The lake is full. ALL-SPORTS POND — The pond at Grants Pass was stocked for the recent Youth Angling Enhancement Program event. The event is over, so adults can target these fish guilt-free as well as kids. Worms and PowerBait have worked best. APPLEGATE — The lake remains at full pool. Trout fishing is improving 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. WILLOW — The lake is fishing well for stocked rainbow trout, bass and bluegill. EXPO POND — The pond has been stocked with rainbow trout. FISH — The lake is fishing fair to good for rainbow trout. Ocean Outlook Chinook fishing off Southern Oregon was good at times when weather permitted, but the seas have been rough. 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 coast-wide 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 hunting is over until the fall 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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