Beginning Aug. 1, all Chinook fishing is completely closed from Dodge Bridge to Cole Rivers Hatchery, this includes hatchery Chinook and jacks. Anglers may still fish for summer steelhead and trout.

The emergency closure from Cole Rivers Hatchery blocker dam to 1200 feet downstream expires on July 31, but anglers may only target hatchery summer steelhead and hatchery trout here once the “hatchery hole” reopens. 

Very good trout fishing can still be had from Rogue Elk upstream to Cole Rivers Hatchery. Check out some of the local fly shops and their websites for good tactics. Trout anglers are especially encouraged to harvest adipose-fin clipped trout in this reach of river. Summer steelhead should be picking up in this area.

For week of July 29, 89 new summer steelhead entered the hatchery, bringing the total to 497 fish for the year, down a bit from past years. A recycling of these fish is not scheduled for another few weeks, as early broodstock is still being met.

For spring Chinook salmon, the run continues to be dismally low, with 84 new fish last week, bringing the total to 1,427 fish for the year. The collection pond is typically sorted on Wednesdays, and new numbers are typically available to the public by Thursday or Friday. Call into the Lost Creek Reservoir hotline or check the MyODFW.com fish counts page.

For the most current releases of water out of Lost Creek Reservoir, call 1-800-472-2434. For real time streamflow from USGS gauges on the Rogue click here.