First things first - The Upper Rogue River Fishing Report:
Spring Chinook salmon are here in the Upper Rogue River. Our 1st salmon arrived in the hatchery during the 1st week of April and a meaningful number of salmon have arrived over the past few weeks.
As of May 20th, there were 142 Chinook counted. River conditions are ideal and the average river temperature is a cool 51 degrees. All boat ramps have now reopened and, it seems, that a benefit of the recent closures was a bit less pressure on the river which seems to have been good for fish populations.
With the boat ramps open and some loosening of restrictions on outdoor recreation we have had the opportunity to get back to fishing and, well, I am proud to say that I caught the 1st Fishing The Rogue salmon of 2020 (less competition than previous years true, but I’ll take it!) It may not have been the biggest salmon so far and I haven’t caught the most (that credit goes to Fred Fenwick and Charlie) but well heck 1st is something.
For the past few years we have been busy with guided trips and I haven’t spent much time on the river during spring salmon season and I must admit I was a little rusty. I may have also forgotten what I had been missing! The 1st salmon I hooked this year was the fight of a lifetime, a beast of a native I battled through several rapids and who ultimately won. It was awesome! 4 am wake-ups aren’t an easy feat but, with the prospect of redemption, I got right back on the horse and a day later I got it done (as seen above :)).
Each trip over the past few weeks have been productive and often, as is with spring salmon fishing, we're getting a few bites a day and depending on what you do with them either leads to glory or heartbreak.
Now about guided fishing trips and the fate of our Rogue River fishing guides…
Jackson County (where we and our favorite stretch of the Rogue resides), as well as our neighboring counties in Southern Oregon have been approved for phase 1 reopening. Outdoor recreation is allowed with some modifications in place. The guidelines outlined by the Governor, Health Authority and the Oregon State Marine Board for this 1st phase include keeping recreation local; minimizing non-essential travel including recreational day trips to destinations outside of the community where you live. (Oregon Health Authority 2342D and 2342E, 5/8/2020).
We ask that guests wishing to fish with us live in our local community and reside in the same household. Running trips for our neighbors will continue as long as case numbers here do not increase and we feel guidelines can be followed. There is nothing more important to us than the health of everyone.
As for our friends who are a bit farther away, we miss you! We look forward to the time we can welcome you back to the Rogue and our valley and we will keep you posted.
