Rogue Bay Salmon Fishing Report — August 19

The Rogue Bay has really come alive over the last several days, with fish piling into the system during the later single-digit days of August. The influx of fresh fish has brought a noticeable change to the fishery, and the bite has been steady enough to keep guide boats busy from morning until the tide starts to change.

Most of the guide fleet has been experiencing double-digit hookup days, which is always a good indication of what is happening beneath the surface. Fish have been spread throughout the lower river and bay, giving anglers several different ways to put a king in the boat.

The Spit

The area around the Spit has been particularly productive. Fish have been holding in the colder water near the mouth, and bait presentations down in that cooler water have been producing consistent bites.

With the number of fish entering the system, we have also seen some of the old-school techniques make a comeback. The Cat House troll has been producing fish again, which is always a fun sight for those of us who have spent a lot of years watching this fishery evolve.

Above the Bridge

Above the bridge, the story has been a little different.

The warmer water has held fish throughout the system, and hoochie spinners have accounted for a large percentage of the bites. As the tides continued to rise, the overall bite slowed somewhat, but there were still plenty of good days and good numbers of fish being caught in the warmer water above the bridge.

The fish haven’t disappeared when the tide changes—they’ve simply become more tide and water-temperature dependent.

The Tide Change

Today brought the first significant tide fall, and it didn’t take long to see what that change could mean.

Fish were eager to take advantage of the falling water and move into the river. After several days of building tides, seeing fish respond to the first big ebb is exactly what we wanted to see.

That falling water should continue to push fresh fish into the system, while the fish that have already entered continue moving upstream.

Looking Ahead

All things considered, we really like what we’re seeing heading into the coming week.

There are plenty of fish around, fresh fish continue to enter the system, and we’re finally getting the tide movement we’ve been waiting for. The combination of fresh fish, falling tides, and a bay that is already producing double-digit hookup days has us expecting some very good fishing ahead.

We’re heading into the second half of August with a lot of optimism, and September is looking like it could be an excellent month on the Rogue.

The fish are here. The tide is falling.

Now we get to see what the next week brings. 🎣

— Brandon Hiatt’s Guide Service

Gold Beach, Oregon