Montana Fish Report
Middle Rogue River Updates
by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
1-15-2025
Website
Flow in Grants Pass is 7,230 cfs and dropping on Jan. 14, with a water temperature of around 42F. The river is high with turbidity levels around 6 NTUs.
As flow drop, it's time to start thinking about winter steelhead in this section of the Rogue. Currently, plunking (boat or bank) will offer the best chance for success. By the weekend, other techniques will be effective. For the 2024/2025 season, there is no wild harvest above the confluence with the Illinois River. The Rogue-South Coast Steelhead Validation is required for all winter steelhead anglers fishing in the Rogue Basin or on the south coast from Dec. 1 to April 30.
Anglers, please use proper catch-and-release techniques, such as keeping fish in the water as much as possible and releasing them quickly. If fish are getting injured with the technique you are using, please change techniques. Remember that smaller rainbow are usually the steelhead that will return in future years.
Current flow, temp and turbidity conditions for the Rogue can be found at the USGS stream gauges here, or checking the City of Grants Pass water page's river data here.