The Chinook king salmon is the official fish of Oregon. A number of king salmon populations are considered endangered, but overall the species is making a healthy recovery here. Data collected by Cole Rivers Hatchery here on the Upper Rogue, shows some fluctuations in the number of salmon returning from year to year but since a dip in numbers in 2016, there has been a sizable and steady increase in spring salmon returning since.

 

The Rogue is known for its spring salmon and is an angling destination for these prized fish. Rogue River salmon make one journey in their lifetime. They hatch in the upper stretches of the Rogue and travel as far as 150 miles downstream to the ocean near Gold Beach. After several years in the ocean, growing greatly in size, they return to their hatching ground to spawn the next generation of mighty kings. Rogue River spring salmon are super-plump fish, full of omega-3 rich fat which helps them survive on their river journey until they are ready to spawn during late summer. This is also what makes them the best eating salmon around and possibly one of the hardest fighting.

One of the trickiest parts of catching salmon is finding them. On coastal rivers and streams they can seem to come and go in as little as a few weeks, whereas on the Upper Rogue they are here for months. The reason for this is that once salmon enter the river system, the colder temperatures of the headwaters is their destination. Salmon need cold water to stay healthy and survive until spawning. Salmon tend to migrate rather quickly upstream and when they arrive they begin to fill the deep "holes" from the top of the river down. They sit in these deep cool spots waiting for the river level to drop in later summer. This drop in water signals them to move onto their redds (gravel nests) and spawn. 

For more  information click here:  Rogue River fishing trips