Upper Rogue Steelhead
steelhead day float
Rates: full day $550, 1 or 2 people
The Rogue River flows for 215miles, from the Cascade Mountains to the Ocean. We prefer to fish the “Upper Rogue”, between Lost Creek Reservoir and the Grants Pass area. This section boasts one of Oregon’s strongest runs of Summer Steelhead. The summer run on this river is composed mostly of steelhead that have returned from the ocean within a year of out migrating. These fish are referred to as “half pounders”, which range from 14-22 inches. They are plentiful, aggressive and a lot of fun on light fly rods. Among them are adult steelhead, that are a more typical size, ranging from 5-15 lbs. The Summer steelhead show up in August, but typically peak in October through November and can be targeted in this upper stretch well into winter. The winter steelhead peak in march and April. These fish typically are in the 8-14 lbs. range and can get as big as 20 Lbs. Though they are less abundant, they are well worth the effort.
All fly fishing methods are productive here. We prefer to fish nymphs from the boat in between swinging runs using single hand and switch rods in the 6-8wt range. At the prime swinging runs we step out and thoroughly strafe the water with switch/spey rods. Lines and tips often are subject to water temperature and flows.
There are numerous sections to float in this region, so the launch/take-out points are usually determined within a few days of your trip. This is to ensure optimal fishing, depending on weather, flows, fish numbers, angler pressure, etc.