Freestone · Mixed · Oregon

Rogue River

The Rogue is the all-rounder of Oregon steelheading — big, varied, historic, and fishable across more of the year than most.

Species

A proper day on the water

Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for steelhead
Warm — slow
14°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for steelhead
  • Temperature7928% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity6512% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
14.0°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
26°C
Wind
W 15 km/h
Gentle breeze
Pressure
1018 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Rain · ahead
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

How to fish it · for steelhead
When
Summer steelhead from July; half-pounders Sep–Dec; winter steelhead late Dec–Apr.
Where
The Rogue is the all-rounder of Oregon steelheading — big, varied, historic, and fishable across more of the year than most.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Rogue–South Coast Steelhead Validation required Dec 1–Apr 30
  • Wild winter steelhead catch-and-release
  • Reach- and season-specific rules — verify ODFW Southwest Zone in-season updates every trip.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

The Rogue is the all-rounder of Oregon steelheading — big, varied, historic, and fishable across more of the year than most. Summer steelhead push in from July; then comes the thing the Rogue is famous for, the half-pounder run from September, immature steelhead back from a short ocean stay that come to the swung fly with reckless enthusiasm and teach a generation of anglers how it's done. Winter fish follow from late December into spring. The upper river below Lost Creek Dam runs cold and clear and carries hatchery influence; the lower river down toward Agness is coastal, rain-driven, and moves fresh fish on every freshet. The catch is that the Rogue's rules are a moving target — they change by reach, by run, and by year — and the wild winter fish are now strictly catch-and-release after a run of bad returns. Swing a fly for the half-pounders to learn the rhythm, read the gauge that matches your reach, and check the regulations the morning you go.

  • Mixed
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December