The Applegate River closes to steelhead and trout fishing on March 31. Trout season will again reopen on May 22, with only hatchery trout allowed for retention. All other fishing is closed while steelhead/trout season is closed. This includes catch-and-release fishing.  Smolts are out-migrating and there are mainstem spawning adults present. 

Access on the Applegate can be difficult. It’s up to you to know landownership and not trespass. There is good public access around the Hwy 199 bridge, Fish Hatchery Park, Cantrall Buckley Park, upstream of Murphy, and near McKee Bridge. There are also scatterings of BLM lands in the upper river around McKee Bridge. You can check the flows on the Applegate for the most current water conditions