Low Waters At 2 Southern Oregon Lakes Lead To Rogue Valley Trout Stocking Changes

THE FOLLOWING IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

In response to very low water levels at Howard Prairie and Hyatt reservoirs, ODFW is moving planned rainbow trout stocking to other waterbodies.

Each reservoir would have received about 15,000 legal-sized rainbow trout but will instead each be stocked with 5,000 fish and the remainder distributed to other Rogue Valley waterbodies.

• Emigrant Reservoir will receive 6,000 trout, up from the scheduled 4,000. While water levels here are low, ODFW expects some boat access will be available through spring and into summer. Bank access remains good. Last week, ODFW stocked 3,500 trout and another 2,500 are scheduled for early May.
• Agate Lake received 2,500 trout earlier this month. ODFW encourages anglers to take advantage of this fishery through May as water temperatures significantly warm up in June. The reservoir is not usually stocked with trout as water levels fluctuate throughout the irrigation season. On clear days in spring, Agate Lake offers scenic views of Mt. McLoughlin and offers a peaceful fishing opportunity. Jackson County Day Use fees apply.
• An additional 2,000 trout will be stocked in Fish Lake during May totaling 15,000 trout for spring fishing. Ice is off but a U.S. Forest Service snow park pass is required through April 30.
• In Grants Pass, Reinhart Park Pond is getting an extra 300-350 trout in mid-May pending water levels. It has been stocked about every three weeks this spring. This small pond is great for families and offers wildlife viewing for nesting ducks and geese and pond turtles.
• In the Rogue River upstream of Lost Creek Reservoir, 3.500 trout will be stocked weekly between Prospect and Minnehaha Creek from Memorial Day and Labor Day. This is a great fishery to visit in the summer to escape the Rogue Valley heat.

Howard Prairie and Hyatt anglers can still find holdover trout which can be excellent table fare especially in the spring months. Late spring and early summer fishing should still be good although boat ramp access will be an issue as water levels drop.

At Howard Prairie, ODFW extended a low water boat ramp near the dam so that should remain accessible. The Mountain View boat ramp at Hyatt will likely only be usable part of the spring, but small vessels can be launched near the dam or along the bank. Bank access is readily available at both reservoirs.

Continue to check ODFW’s weekly Recreation Report for the most updated boat ramp and fishing conditions.