ROGUE — A mix of late winter steelhead and early spring chinook salmon fishing is occurring on the Rogue, where decent water conditions and fair numbers of fish are making for decent, but not great, angling.

But the best bet remains the middle Rogue, where winter steelhead catches continue to be hit and miss with everything from roe and sandshrimp to plugs and spoons.

Flows at Grants Pass were up al bit to about 3,900 cubic feet per second, and the addition of about 752 cfs from the Applegate makes flows pretty close to ideal for mid-season winter steelhead fishing downstream from Whitehorse Park. However, the water remains a bit cold, and that can slow migration and create a bit of lockjaw for steelhead.

Grants Pass-area steelhead seem to be bunched up in holes and slots, so catches have been rather erratic. Spoons are getting some steelhead’s attention in the Savage Rapids Dam area.

Some spawned-out fish are starting to make their way into the catches as well.

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The first spring chinook salmon are getting caught at Rainie Falls by bank anglers as well. That’s a bit early for springers, so that’s a good sign. Also, a few spring chinook are getting caught by winter steelhead anglers using plugs, but there’s not enough spring chinook around to target them.

In the upper Rogue, the water conditions are clear and a bit cold, and that has slowed migration. Through March 23, there were 4,312 winter steelhead over Gold Ray Dam. That’s fair and certainly enough to start targeting upper Rogue fish, but it remains less than average for this time of year.

Flows at Dodge Bridge remained steady at 2,350 cfs on Wednesday, with Gold Ray Dam showing a 3,100 cfs.

Upper Rogue fishing is good with plugs at times, while roe, egg flies and worms with watermelon corkies are all useful tools. In cold-water conditions, the best catches come during bankers’ hours so don’t bother getting up too early for these fish.

The lower Rogue’s starting to warm up for spring chinook, though cold water has dampened the catch. A half-dozen fish are getting caught a day by boaters in places like John’s Hole, and that’s good for this early in the season. However, water temperatures have been anywhere from 44 to 47 degrees this week; ideal is 52 degrees.

A few bank anglers are also catching springers, while a good bite occurred last weekend for spring chinook in the Lower Rogue Canyon.

The wild steelhead catch rules apply river-wide now. Anglers may now keep up to one wild steelhead a day and up to five per year as part of the regular catch limit.

For daily flow reports out of Lost Creek Lake, call 800-472-2434.

APPLEGATE — The river has dropped and fishing has remained steady with spoons and egg flies. Flies are out-fishing roe because of conditions, and steelhead are starting to get ready for their spawn.

Flows at the town of Applegate were down to 450 cubic feet per second, and the flows at Wilderville were about 800 cfs Wednesday.

Winter steelhead already have moved all the way to the dam.

All wild steelhead must be released unharmed, and no fishing is allowed from a floating device.

The Applegate closes to fishing Friday evening.

CHETCO — The river has a good level and very good late-season winter steelhead fishing has occurred. Driftboaters are getting the best of the catch, of which half are spawned-out kelts headed to the ocean.

Flows were 3,444 cubic feet per second on Wednesday, and the good driftboating conditions should hold through the weekend.

Spawned-out steelhead are in the mix and should be released unharmed. The season closes Friday evening.

Anglers may keep up to one wild steelhead a day, and up to five per year, as part of the daily bag limit.

UMPQUA — Sturgeon fishing remains good in the estuary for oversized fish that all must be released unharmed. The main-stem river still has plenty of winter steelhead, with driftboat fishing concentrated in the Glide areas. Fishing conditions have improved on the South Umpqua and the North Umpqua, where late-run winter steelhead have slowed due to cold water conditions.

Anglers in the main-stem river are allowed to keep one wild steelhead a day and up to five per year as part of their legal limits.

COOS — Winter steelhead fishing was slow in the Coos and Millicoma systems because of low, cold water conditions.

The Charleston boat ramp is now open in the lower end of Coos Bay.

Steelhead season ends Friday.

COQUILLE — Water conditions were dropping and the flows were getting cold, causing a slow-down to winter steelhead fishing throughout the system. Steelhead season ends Friday.

ELK/SIXES — Both systems were fishing fairly well for winter steelhead, but dropping and cooling water conditions are starting to pose problems. Warmer weather and a little rain is needed to boost late-season fishing.

Both rivers close to fishing Friday evening.

KLAMATH RIVER — Fishing for native redband trout has been very slow on flies and lures. River fishing from Keno Dam downstream to Topsy Reservoir is very slow due to high flows.

Angling in the cold water reach from J.C. Boyle Dam to the powerhouse is fair for small redband trout, most of which are under 12 inches.

Lake Outlook

LOST CREEK — The lake is open year-round and fishing remains slow for rainbow trout and land-locked salmon stocked into the lake. The lake is now about 14 feet from full and trout fishing is fair to good for trollers near the dam and bank anglers around the Takelma Ramp.

Smallmouth bass fishing remains very slow. A few people are starting to troll again for trout close to the surface.

EMIGRANT — Trout fishing has started to pick up in the lower reaches of the reservoir, while panfish angling is starting to improve in the upper end in the willows. Mercury levels in smallmouth bass have created a warning against eating anything but the lake’s trout.

APPLEGATE — Trout fishing remains slow, as does bass and panfish. The low-water ramp at French Gulch is open. The lake is about 25 feet from full.

Anglers can keep up to five rainbow trout, stocked salmon or recycled winter steelhead a day, but only one fish can be more than 20 inches long. Also, no bass between 12 and 15 inches can be kept, and only one bass larger than 15 inches can be kept.

WILLOW — The lake is ice-free and recently stocked with legal-sized and lunker-sized rainbow trout. The boat ramp and store will open Friday.

ALL SPORTS POND — The pond was stocked recently with larger-than-normal rainbow trout, and fishing has remained good with worms and bobbers or PowerBait along the bottom.

WHETSTONE — The pond at the Denman Wildlife Area was stocked again last week with legal-sized trout for last week’s kids derby. Adults and kids can fish the pond. Catch these trout with worms, small spinners and PowerBait.

KLAMATH/ AGENCY LAKES — Fishing for large redband trout is slow. Bank anglers around the south end of the lake and Algoma pond are using dead minnows and are starting to catch redband up to 9 pounds.

Ocean Outlook

Razor clam harvest remains closed along South Coast beaches.

Crabbing has been very good in South Coast bays thanks to better salinity levels dragging the Dungeness inside. Lingcod fishing is excellent throughout the coast. Red tail perch and even lingcod are getting caught off the beach near Gold Beach as these species move closer to shore.

The new aggregate limit is six marine rockfish a day.

Hunting Outlook

JACKSON/JOSEPHINE — Most hunting is closed.

Cougar hunters can expect an average year and will find greatest success using a predator call in areas that have good deer numbers. When snowfall occurs, hunters should look for fresh cougar tracks and pursue. Good cougar hunting opportunities exist throughout southwest Oregon.

KLAMATH — Waterfowl hunting has closed.

SUMMER LAKE — Waterfowl hunting has closed.