Spring Chinook salmon have returned to the Rogue River.
The storms this winter led to high water on the Rogue which facilitated the earliest return of spring Chinook salmon to Cole Rivers Hatchery in all our seasons of guiding. on the Rogue The first "springer" made it to the hatchery at the end of March and over the past few weeks have grown quickly in numbers.
We've never seen salmon return this early and it looks to be an even better run than we had in the 2023 season, which was the best in several years.
With salmon closures in California and restrictions on the Umpqua River (North and mainstem) not allowing the retention of wild salmon or jacks in 2024, the Rogue River is the place to fish this season.
Our guides will be fishing for Chinook king salmon on the Upper and Middle Rogue River (near Medford/Shady Cove/Gold Hill/Grants Pass) now through October. We will be fishing for summer steelhead too as soon as they arrive in early summer.