Chinook salmon fishing is closed through remainder of year. Be aware of salmon nests (redds) in the gravel on tailouts and margins and avoid wading on these mounds and depressions.  

Nov. 1 through the end of the year, fishing from Fishers Ferry upstream to the Shady Cove Boat Ramp is artificial flies and lures only, no bait allowed. From Shady Cove upstream to Cole Rivers Hatchery, bait can again be used. Anti-snagging gear restrictions are in place for the Hatchery Hole (Cole Rivers Hatchery Blocker Dam to 1200 feet downstream): no more than 1 hook and a leader length less than 6 feet.

Anglers are catching summer steelhead regularly from Fishers Ferry all the way up to Cole Rivers Hatchery. Anglers can only retain hatchery trout (5 per day) and hatchery steelhead (2 per day as part of daily zone regulations bag limit for salmon/steelhead).

Coho salmon have been making a large push into the upper river, with a very good hatchery run this year, in additional to the wild fish. Look for these fish hanging out near the mouths of large tributaries, waiting to run up them when rains come. Hatchery fish should be on the move toward the hatchery.

Cole Rivers Hatchery recycled 1,022 summer steelhead to the Modoc Access at the Denman Wildlife Area in mid-October, and anglers are still reporting catching this fish. They should be throughout the upper river, and fishing should be good.  

As of Nov. 10, 121 re-run steelhead had made their way back to the hatchery, as well as 218 new fish. The total summer steelhead for the year is 1803 fish, roughly 54 percent of the likely total run for the year. There’s still a lot of summer steelhead fishing to be had over the next month.  

A huge push of 622 coho also entered the hatchery ladder, bringing this year’s coho total to 920 fish.  The 10-year average is 260 to date. Looking at long term averages, this should be around 25 percent to a third of the run.  The next 2-3 weeks would be the time to target this year’s Coho run as by early December usually at least 80 percent of the run is to the hatchery, and by mid December it’s over.

Flows coming out of William L. Jess Dam are at 895 cfs and nearly 48 degrees. Anglers fishing the upper river will have to drift their lures/bait/flys pretty much over fish to get them interested in a strike. Temperatures further down river warm up a bit.  

Locally-owned and operated tackle and fly shops in Medford, Shady Cove, and Ashland 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 your support. 

For the latest fish counts, 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.