FISHING REPORT: Thursday, Jan. 11

Published 6:00 am Thursday, January 11, 2024

OCEAN OUTLOOK

SOUTH COAST: The broken record of South Coast storms continues this weekend as more high winds and surf pummel the shores and keep anglers out of tidewater. After a high-seas warning abates Wednesday night, the Thursday forecast calls for 10-foot seas as swells up to 12 feet and a light rain. Friday’s forecast is calling for 20-knot winds and an 8-foot swell, followed Saturday by more 20-knot winds as swells building over the day to 12 feet. Another weekend to watch the surf and not partake.

All ocean salmon fishing and halibut fishing is closed along the California coast.

The start of the new year also brings the start of the half-year closure on cabezon. Quillback and yelloweye rockfish are also on the catch-and-release ledger for all of 2024.

Bottomfishing looks like a bust this weekend thanks to very rough swells. But if things calm down next week, look for some decent lingcod and bottomfish catches for jiggers. However, Brookings-based anglers are not faring as well for lingcod as they are further up north.

Surfperch fishing is very surf-dependent but has been decent at times when the surf calms down. But this weekend’s winds and high surf make this a non-starter now. Shrimp, mussels and Berkley Gulp sandworms or shrimp are the best baits when the weather cooperates. The surf perch have moved off the Rogue River sand spit, but there’s good action around the rocks north of the Winchuck River mouth when weather allows.

The ocean is now open to recreational crabbing, but conditions have kept crabbers in bays like Charleston and Coos Bay near Charleston. Another evening series of minus tides will hit the coast during the evenings through Tuesday. Stay off the beaches for safety reasons, but they will help make bay crabbing better. Bay crabbing should be very good around high-slack tides in bays as good salinity levels will bring Dungeness in.

Razor clamming is closed along the South Coast, but bays are open for butter and gaper clams. Bay clamming is open statewide. Before digging, call the shellfish hotline at 1-800-448-2474.

LAKE OUTLOOK

AGATE: The lake has been off most anglers’ charts thanks to low and muddy water conditions. The lake has risen steadily this past week to 20% full. Electric trolling motors are OK but no gas motors. The park closes at dusk.

APPLEGATE: The French Gulch ramps now is the only one usable for trailered boats as the lake’s fall season has crept in. The lake’s surface temperature has dipped below 52 degrees now, and that’s slowing the bass bite. A dearth of fresh rainbow trout means that trout trolling has not garnered much interest but bank fishing near the dam and along the lake’s east side can be good with worms and PowerBait. The lake is down a bit to 15% full, with outflows up to 325 cubic feet per second and inflows up to 338 cfs that will go up with upcoming rains. Though the lake’s filling schedule doesn’t begin until Feb. 1, the lake surface level has held just shy of 1,900 feet above level, or 85 feet from full. The lake has a 10 mph speed limit.

DIAMOND: Ice is forming now at the lake, but it is too thin for ice fishing. There is still some open water near the middle The lake has a mix of mostly rainbow trout as well as brown and tiger trout that are stocked to prey on the lake’s small but omnipresent tui chub population. All tiger trout and brown trout must be released unharmed. Some are eclipsing 8 pounds.

EMIGRANT: The lake has risen a hair to 14% full and likely will stay that low once the snows start up on the Dead Indian Plateau. Trout fishing is available but slow, and bass fishing remains slow and will until we get a series of warmer, sunnier days. The county launch is too low for launching trailered boats at the county ramp.

EXPO: State wildlife biologists stocked 1,500 legal-sized rainbow trout here more than three months ago, and their numbers are now thin. Catch them with Panther Martin lures, single salmon eggs or worms under bobbers. Parking fees are required.

FISH: Ice is starting to form on the lake, but it remains too thin for human endeavors. The lake was actually up a hair this past week to 53% full Tuesday.

HOWARD PRAIRIE: The lake is open to angling, but the marina is closed. Boat access is best at the dam. Fishing for rainbow trout is a bit slow for trollers using Little Cleo and other lures. Bait fishing in deeper water is OK with PowerBait, mostly chartreuse garlic or rainbow flavors. The lake was listed Tuesday at 34% full, which is holding steady. Ice is starting to form.

HYATT: The lake was up a hair to 44% full this past week as some runoff is finding its way into the reservoir. Ice is starting to form but it remains too thin for fishing.

LAKE OF THE WOODS: The lake’s ice is forming well, but it remains too thin in most areas to venture out.

LOST CREEK: The lake’s winter trout fishing has been fair to decent near the dam and off the Takelma Boat Ramp. Both ramps at Takelma and Stewart State Park are usable. Effort has been very light. Good catches come when trolling worms behind flashers during calm days. Upstream of the bridge is a no-wake zone there. The reservoir was listed at 46% full this week and slightly higher than normal for the first week of January as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins its reservoir-filling cycle here.

MEDCO: The lake was stocked in June with 2,000 legal-sized trout. Catch what’s left of them on PowerBait or worms.

RIVER OUTLOOK

ROGUE: More bad weather is hampering steelhead fishing river-wide well into Sunday, but look for good winter steelhead prospects throughout next week.

When that happens, the best bet will be the lower Rogue in the Agness area, where fresh winter steelhead drawn in from this week’s freshets will be present and willing biters. Side-drifting roe and corkies from driftboats will be best. Plunkers with Spin-Glo’s at places like the old mill area, Dunkelberger Bar and Lobster Creek should also do quite well.

Flows at Agness were just shy of 8,000 cfs Tuesday but set to peak Sunday at about 22,000 cfs. That’s big water, but wait for the big drop early next week and you’ll see some good winter steelhead fishing.

In the upper Rogue, it’s full-on bait fishing now throughout the stretch but the action has been a bit slow. Flows are going up and that likely will put an end to the late-season summer steelhead fishery. Flows at Dodge Bridge were up Tuesday to 2,733 cfs and set to peak around 5,000 cfs Sunday. When it drops, start prospecting for winter steelhead from Dodge Bridge on down with roe and plugs.

The middle Rogue should really turn on for early winter steelhead once the current freshet ebbs. Flows at Grants Pass were at 3,134 cfs Tuesday and forecast to peak Sunday around 7,000 cfs. As the water drops, look for fresh winter steelhead downstream of Hog Creek as well as places like Stratton Creek and the calmer water downstream of Whitehorse Landing. Boat fishing is optimal.

Rogue, Applegate and other South Coast winter steelhead anglers will need their new regional steelhead validation to fish. New $2 validations are needed each Dec. 1, even for those catch-and-release fishing. Those are valid for the next 12 months. All wild steelhead harvest on the Rogue is now closed.

The far upper Rogue in the Union Creek area was stocked in mid-September for the last time this year. Fish around the Union Creek Campground and the mainstem Rogue near River Bridge. Worms, single salmon eggs and small pieces of worms are the traditional favorites.

APPLEGATE: The river is open to angling for steelhead, but no winter steelhead have been reported. Flows are rising with the upcoming rains and that might start drawing winter steelhead into the lower stretches around the Highway 199 bridge.

CHETCO: Good winter steelhead fishing should happen higher up in the system after the river peaks Saturday around 35,000 cfs. It will drop fast, so late Sunday through Wednesday could provide perfect conditions for winter steelhead fishing upstream of Ice Box. Side-drifting roe or fishing plugs.

A $2 South Coast Steelhead validation along with a fishing license is needed to fish here, even if it’s all catch and release.

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