SW Oregon Fishing Report

[The Guides Forecast]

​ Grants Pass Pro-guide Troy Whitaker of Troy’s Guide Service (541-761-0015) Troy reports (while I'm on the phone and he's smoking salmon on the Traeger) that low water conditions has kept him mostly on the Rogue River targeting summer steelhead and some Coho. The Coho are really fun to catch twitching jigs but they're almost all wild (must be released) and very colored up. Best chances of a hatchery fish is up towards Shady Cove " but be very careful in a boat because it's very low and there's lots of rocks"! This "twitching" method is fairly new to me and I asked Troy to elaborate a little on it: basically it's like bass fishing with a jig but for salmon. Using a jig 3/8 - 1/2 oz tossed out in slack water and behind large boulders, you let it sink briefly and then "twitch" the rod tip so as to jerk/ twitch the jig and retrieve. Troy said that a lot of the time a fish will take the jig on the sink or on the 1st or 2nd twitch. Hummm, maybe I might have to try this out??? Troy said that there's still a fair amount of summers steelhead from the mid to upper Rogue, but as with all streams in Southern Oregon, we need rain! A few winter steelhead have been taken on the lower Rogue and should start arriving in numbers after the next big rain. Local Grants Pass guide Riley Wallace of Wallace Guide Service 541-761-2386

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​ Riley reported that due to very low water conditions in the Chetco, Elk and Sixes that future success of those systems will rely on the upcoming rain event -that being winter steelhead in the Chetco and Chinook in the Elk and Sixes. He expects it to be good early next week depending how much rain comes. He also reported that there are still lots of Coho and summer steelhead in the mid-Rogue. He netted 5 coho by 1pm fishing the mid Rogue on Thursday! Tossing spinners, side drifting worms, roe, soft beads, yarn balls and back trolling plugs (in a boat) are all good for catching these fish. Jeff's detailed report, multiple lake updates, and forecast in this week's version for Members!

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[The Guides Forecast]

SW Oregon Fishing Report - Contributor Jeff Rome reports


A white Christmas after a big rainstorm got all the Southern Oregon streams and rivers primed for winter steelheading. After a few blown out days, many of these are now into fishable shape or getting into prime conditions for the New Year. I suggest you get online now….. after reading my report of course, to get your 2022 angling license and tags so you don’t have the “oops, I forgot it” explanation to the game officer after you just caught a beautiful chromer! Into the New Year weekend look very good to try out the new tackle and gear you got for Christmas. Weather and river conditions are looking good and the winter steelhead are in!

The Chetco got back into shape and will be in prime shape through the weekend. Bank plunkers at Social Security bar and side drifters at Loeb Park are getting fair to good success. Boaters through mid-week have been averaging at least 1 fish per boat.

The Elk and Sixes are fishable but catches of steelhead have only been fair at best. Chinook seem to be a wrap for the year, but ya never know.

The upper Rogue has remained in fishable shape during the rain and snow. The fair to good catches of summer steelhead has slowed due to the cold water, but some nice winter fish are being reported.

Mid Rogue is and has seen some “winters” from Galice on up to Rogue River, though mostly from guides in boats. The river flow looks to be good for the weekend through mid-next week. Those without boats should try popular holes around Baker, Schroeder and Griffin Park.

Coos basin area streams including the Millicoma and Coquille finally got into fishable shape and provided fair to good steelhead action this week. Forecast for New Year's weekend looks excellent.

My best bets are pretty much anywhere you are at- the Rogue, Chetco, Elk, Sixes, Coos, Millicoma, Coquille, Umpqua….. and so on

Thank you all for your support and readership of TGF. Have a safe and successful New Year 2022

Jeff's detailed report, multiple lake updates, and forecast in this week's version for Members!

 

[jamisonace]

SW Oregon Fishing Report - Contributor Jeff Rome reports


A white Christmas after a big rainstorm got all the Southern Oregon streams and rivers primed for winter steelheading. After a few blown out days, many of these are now into fishable shape or getting into prime conditions for the New Year. I suggest you get online now….. after reading my report of course, to get your 2022 angling license and tags so you don’t have the “oops, I forgot it” explanation to the game officer after you just caught a beautiful chromer! Into the New Year weekend look very good to try out the new tackle and gear you got for Christmas. Weather and river conditions are looking good and the winter steelhead are in!

The Chetco got back into shape and will be in prime shape through the weekend. Bank plunkers at Social Security bar and side drifters at Loeb Park are getting fair to good success. Boaters through mid-week have been averaging at least 1 fish per boat.

The Elk and Sixes are fishable but catches of steelhead have only been fair at best. Chinook seem to be a wrap for the year, but ya never know.

The upper Rogue has remained in fishable shape during the rain and snow. The fair to good catches of summer steelhead has slowed due to the cold water, but some nice winter fish are being reported.

Mid Rogue is and has seen some “winters” from Galice on up to Rogue River, though mostly from guides in boats. The river flow looks to be good for the weekend through mid-next week. Those without boats should try popular holes around Baker, Schroeder and Griffin Park.

Coos basin area streams including the Millicoma and Coquille finally got into fishable shape and provided fair to good steelhead action this week. Forecast for New Year's weekend looks excellent.

My best bets are pretty much anywhere you are at- the Rogue, Chetco, Elk, Sixes, Coos, Millicoma, Coquille, Umpqua….. and so on

Thank you all for your support and readership of TGF. Have a safe and successful New Year 2022

Jeff's detailed report, multiple lake updates, and forecast in this week's version for Members!

I don't know if 1 fish per boat average is fair to good but maybe it's just a testament to the state of affairs we are in with steelhead fishing. I would be sorely disappointed to go to the Chetco for 1 fish. And considering a lot of those boats were probably guided trips they cost another $500 on top of lodging, food and gas.