ODFW has lifted the 2 p.m. fishing closure between Lobster and Hog creeks.

From Sept. 1 through Oct. 31, within the wild and scenic section from Foster Creek upstream to Whiskey Creek, only artificial flies and lures are allowed. No bait is allowed in that reach.

There is less than one month left for Chinook fishing between Hog Creek boat ramp and Fishers Ferry, with the Chinook season closing Oct. 1. Anglers are picking up Chinook from Gold Hill to Galice. 

Steelhead fishing has been pretty good from Rogue River down to Pierce Riffle for those anglers getting out early. Steelhead have also been being caught downstream of Grants Pass. The waters around Galice can be a great fishing destination this time of year. There is much public land and open water in this area, and riffles are looking nice. Only hatchery steelhead and hatchery trout may be harvested. Up to 2 hatchery steelhead as part of the daily combined salmon/steelhead bag limit and 5 hatchery trout may be retained.

Locally-owned and operated tackle and fly shops in Grants Pass have excellent gear and very fresh bait, local flies and knowledge that is specific to the Rogue and to your particular technique. Go check them out and offer them support during this time.

It is illegal to snag and keep a snagged fish, whether it’s wild or hatchery! Report violations to Oregon State Police by calling *OSP.

Flows have been dropping and should be leveled out for the week. However there is some significant rain in forecast for the weekend. On Wednesday morning, the flow was 824 cfs and 60 degrees, with a forecast high of 64-65 degrees. Temperatures have dropped pretty significantly in the last few weeks and should be very conducive to salmon and steelhead fishing, though water remains extremely low. The turbidity was 1 NTU at the Grants Pass water treatment’s river monitoring station. If this weekend’s rain forecast comes to fruition, it should bump up the Rogue a few hundred cfs and will have fish moving.

For those interested in checking conditions before getting on the river, the City of Grants Pass Water Division’s website offers information on river conditions at Grants Pass as well as a link to a river camera. Anglers can check all the USGS gaging stations, which have the most current temperatures and river flows here.