Rogue River

About the River

The Rogue River begins at Boundary Springs near the northern edge of Crater Lake National Park and flows about 215 miles west through the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach. Lost Creek Dam, completed in 1977, now controls flows through the upper river, holding releases steady for the Cole M. Rivers Hatchery just below the dam and the fishery that follows downstream. In 1968 the Rogue was named one of the original eight rivers protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, an 84-mile stretch that remains one of the most celebrated multi-day whitewater trips in the country.

Below the hatchery, the upper Rogue is a dam-controlled fishery and gentle float through Shady Cove and Eagle Point before reaching Grants Pass. From there the Hellgate Recreation Area carries boaters 34 miles of Class I-II water past towering canyon walls to Grave Creek, the edge of the Wild Rogue. The 34-mile Wild section beyond Grave Creek is a permit-only, multi-day trip through Rainie Falls, Mule Creek Canyon, and the Class IV Blossom Bar rapid, ending at Foster Bar near Agness.

The gauge at Grants Pass is the standard reference for the Hellgate run; the gauge near Agness reflects flows through the Wild section after Mule Creek and the Illinois River add volume. A noncommercial permit lottery each winter, with a December through January application window, controls launches through the Wild section from May 15 through October 15; the sections above and below are open access. The Rogue carries strong spring Chinook, coho, and steelhead runs, making it one of the Pacific Northwest's premier fishing rivers alongside its whitewater reputation.