MOnday they lowered the rogue above savage rapids dam. For those of you who have never been down here (poor souls)there are 2 dams on the rogue. Gold Rey, ( Approx. river mile 130 of 155, anything above is considered upper rogue) and Savage Rapids dam(RM 111, between here and galice is the middle rogue followed by the "wild and scenic" section and then the lower rogue).They were both constructed for irrigation (savage in 1921, unsure of gold rey) and in the summer when the irrigation is needed they put big slats in savage rapids dam to raise the water level above the dam and into the irrigation canal (gold rey is always an obstacle). It raises the river creating a slack water pool that backs up about four miles of the river creating a place to water ski, the "splash and giggle" crowd loves it, I'm sure it's not good for the salmon as it get very warm, it lasts from sometime in may till now. When they (grants pass water district) draw it down (take out the slats and drain the fish ladders) the level of the river goes down 6 ft at least, and where last night there was a big pond (very slow moving river) now there is a normal flowing river with runs, riffles tailouts, you know a normal river!
You literally stand and fish where would have been the middle of the river yesterday. Soo what's left on the ground but the biggest pile of bait in the world. 10,678,745,897 crawdads and almost as many little itty bitty lamprey (the biggest was about 12 in. plenty of bait sized 2-3 inches). The ducks and geese were going nuts on the feast, as were the racoons and opossum, and the local cats and god only knows what after dark.
It's quite amazing down here I don't know how many steelies, BIG [censored] cutthroats (the state record swims in the rogue) and coho were landed today, but it was alot! You can guess what I was using. Oh yeah just to rub it in this is less than five minutes from my house.
Hope you are all having fun up north!

Mike H.

One brother lives ih Jacksonville and one lives out in the Applegate Valley. If I visit will I have time to fish, that's the question.

So wouldn't it be better if they lowered the river slowly over several days? That just seems like such a waste of wildlife! At least if they slowly lowered it down the wildlife would have a chance to move with the water.

So...when you got done, did you run up to Galice resort for a brew and some of that BBQ? What a way to relax from all that 'work'.

Friend of mine used to race a boat in that area. Probably out riding his horse somewhere or building coffee stands again.

I think those lampre things are what they use for sturgeon on the Columbia aren't they?

Have fun in Grass Pants area. If you get pulled over by the OSP, tell Kirk hi for me. He works that area.

Steve