CENTRAL POINT, Ore – Fishing the upper Rogue River above Lost Creek Reservoir is a great option to escape the Rogue Valley heat this weekend and for the Labor Day holiday.

ODFW stocked 2,500 legal-sized rainbow trout in various points along the upper Rogue and will add another 2,375 next week. Campgrounds and public waysides are great fishing spots, offering up both naturally produced and stocked trout. These can be found in the mainstem Rogue, South and Middle Forks, and tributaries above Lost Creek Reservoir.

Anglers who want to stay closer to home are encouraged to fish for pikeminnow on the Rogue. The Rogue Pikeminnow Roundup runs through Monday, September 2 where anglers can win prizes, help feed Wildlife Images’ critters and help protect native Rogue salmonids.

This year’s pilot program has been a success so far, according to STEP biologist Ryan Battleson. Folks are taking photos of their catches and sending them to roguepikeminnowroundup@gmail.comto enter the contest.

“A lot of youth have been out fishing, and some larger pikeminnow have been harvested,” Battleson says.

He urges anglers to know the difference between the Rogue’s non-local pikeminnow which he wants harvested, and one of the Rogue’s native species, the Klamath small-scale sucker. These suckers are rarely encountered but should be released unharmed.

The Rogue Pikeminnow Roundup began August 1. Anglers should photograph their catch and bring the fish to Wildlife Images or Bradbury’s Guns-n-tackle where they will be collected weekly and fed to critters at Wildlife Images. Anglers are then entered into drawings to win prizes from Blackbird, Sportsman’s Warehouse, a guided fishing trip, and much more.

Anglers can contact Ryan Battleson at 541-826-8774 x226 or email for more information.