Rogue River Fly Fishing Report

Jim Andras reports on 3.31.2016

Today felt like a good time to write another Rogue River report. The last day of March brings many winter steelhead seasons to a close. Usually, the Rogue’s season pushes on and fishes well at least through mid-April. However, this winter shaped up to be unlike any I have experienced since moving to S. Oregon nearly 11 years ago. The rain and snow we so desperately needed continued to fall, raising the Rogue to unfishable levels and keeping it that way until this past week. Finally, high but clear water brought the promise of a push of bright fish holding in the upper river. We managed to find a few wild fish mixed in with coastal cutthroat but get the sense that a fair share of the steelhead already shot up tributaries with other ideas. The weather pattern looks to dry out for another week and the river will continue to drop so I will continue to prove that theory wrong. Either way, conditions certainly favored a successful spawn for our summer and winter fish and the icy snowmelt on the way will carry their offspring through the summer and beyond.