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12/23/2016 - Fishing Report
Winter steelhead run on Rogue slow (Fishing report)The Rogue River has calmed considerably since reaching record discharge levels a week ago.The United States Geological Survey measured flow in Grants Pass below 5,000 cubic feet per second Thursday, as well as a gauge height near 4 feet.Local fishing guide Troy Whitaker of U-Save Gas and Tackle said there's been reports of summer steelhead near Valley of the Rogue State Park, but not much sign of the winter steelhead."They've got to be coming," Whitaker said. "Small ones are being caught below us, which is good because the bigger ones usually follow. It might not be until January until we start to see good numbers of the winter steelhead. They'll get pushed up here in time, though, and we'll all be happy."Those fishing near Valley of the Rogue and also between Baker Park and Whitehorse Park are using side planers and plugs.Whitaker recommends using metallic color combinations such as black and silver, red and gold or pink and silver. Back-trolling the plugs at about 50 feet has been the most successful.• APPLEGATE RESERVOIR. Fishing for trout should start picking back up with the decreasing reservoir temperatures.Trout anglers will want to try trolling. A good bet will be a Wedding Ring and bait combination. One angler reported a flasher tipped with a worm had produced good results during daytime hours. Fishing with bait from shore in the upper reservoir should also produce results.The lake is 25 percent full. French Gulch is the only boat ramp that is currently useable.• APPLEGATE RIVER. The Applegate River is open for trout angling, but closed to chinook and steelhead angling.Wild trout must be released unharmed. Rainbow trout over 16 inches are considered steelhead and must be released through Dec. 31.• ILLINOIS RIVER. The Illinois River is open for trout and steelhead angling. Since only hatchery trout may be retained, and hatchery trout are not likely to be found in the Illinois River at this time of year, fishing will be primarily catch-and-release of the native cutthroat trout.• LAKE SELMAC. Trout fishing should be improving with decreasing water temperatures, however there are a lot of aquatic weeds.The lake was stocked with 600 pounders this fall and fishing should be good.• LOST CREEK RESERVOIR. Trout fishing is still good at Lost Creek. The reservoir was recently stocked with legal and trophy-sized fish.Recent reports have been encouraging. One angler caught seven trout in about six hours fishing a green Wedding Ring and a worm behind an oval egg sinker and dodger.Surface water temperatures have dropped to 44 degrees and the winter months are shaping up to continue the good trout fishing here. Bank anglers are catching fish near the Takelma ramp and near the marina and spillway using PowerBait or threading a nightcrawler below a bobber.
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