Morrison’s Rogue Wilderness Lodge, OR

What is Provided:

Fishing equipment is provided on all guided trips. All boats, fishing rods, tackle, bait, and flies are furnished by the guides. Your multi-day fly fishing package includes guided fishing and instruction, equipment, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and lodging at Morrison's Lodge.

Gear Recommendations:

We offer Rogue River steelhead fly patterns in our tackle shop. Fishing licenses can be purchased online or at the lodge. If you're bringing your own equipment we recommend 6, 7 or 8-wt. single-hand rods with floating nymphing lines and sink tips. If you're fishing switch and Spey rods, a 6/7 weight rod works well. With these rods, a Scandinavian floating line and standard/poly-coated floating steelhead leaders are best. The 7-wt. rod is the most universal for all types of steelhead fishing. For the wild and scenic trips, if you would like to bring a fly rod we suggest the 6, 7 or 8-wt. single-hand rods with nymphing lines and sink tips. The wild and scenic trips are not conducive to Spey rods. We can accommodate anglers of all abilities and desired levels of participation.

Our guides encourage catch-and-release, but hatchery fish can be kept. Guide gratuity is not included.

What to Bring:

When you book a trip with us, we will send out an itinerary on what you need to bring. Some of the gear we recommend bringing is your fishing license, a flashlight or headlamp, sunglasses with strap, bandanas, sunscreen and lip balm, moisturizer/skin lotion, wet wipes, small towels and toiletries, any medication you require, and large zip lock bags for wet gear. You are responsible for meals and lodging after your trip, personal clothing and miscellaneous items, guide gratuities, and beverages such as beer, wine, and soda.

Season:

Our fishing season is from August 15th-November 10th. Summer steelhead is available from September to November, Fall Chinook in August and September, and coho salmon in late October and early November.

Species:

The waters of the Rogue River are plentiful with fish, and the three main species are summer steelhead, fall chinook and coho salmon.

Summer steelhead are migratory fish that spend much of their life in the ocean and only migrate into the Rogue for a short time before they spawn and return. They are an ocean-going rainbow trout and a fabulous sport fish, which fight hard and can readily be caught on flies.

Also known as kings, the average fall Chinook are about 35-45 pounds, but a 50-60 pound fish is not uncommon. The fishing technique for Chinook is bait and lure, and guides like to get on the river early.

Coho salmon have arrived late in our area of the Rogue for the last two seasons. Coho is hard to target and usually caught while fishing for steelhead. They are bright with a silver body, a blue back and their sides have a blush to deep red color as they come up the river to spawn.

Region/Terrain:

Morrison's is located along the Rogue River in the rolling foothills of the Cascade Range of Southern Oregon. It is 20 minutes by car from Grant's Pass and I-5, and slightly over an hour away from the Rogue Valley International Airport in Medford.

The Rogue River starts at Boundary Springs on the border between Klamath and Douglas counties, by the northern edge of Crater Lake National Park. Although the river changes directions, it generally flows west for 215 miles from the Cascade Range through the Rogue River, Siskiyou National Forest and the Klamath Mountains, to the Pacific Ocean by Gold Beach.

The Rogue is a large river with a flow during the fishing season of 1,200 to 1,500 cubic feet per second. At Morrison's the elevation is 800 feet above sea level. Our trips are done from drift boats, and we offer swinging flies, nymphing, twitching (dragging flies), and Spey casting.

Typical Weather:

Typical weather on the Rogue River consists of short hot summers, short extreme winters, long, cool springs, and warm autumns. There are about 14-16 hours of daylight in the summer months, and 11-13 hours of daylight in the fall.

Average high and low temperatures are:

Spring: March, 59-37 F; April, 64-40; May, 72-45

Summer: June, 80-50; July, 89-55; August, 89-54

Fall: Sept., 89-47; Oct., 69-41; Nov., 52-39

Winter: Dec., 44-35; Jan., 47-35. Feb., 53-36

Prices start from $275/person, which includes a guided day of fishing and lunch.
View all our rates here: morrisonslodge.com/

What happens if you need to go to the bathroom?

On the Wild and Scenic Section, the lodges have bathrooms, and many of the places we have lunch have outhouses. If an outhouse isn't available, we carry a porta-potty. We make sure you have a bathroom available at all stops.

What should I wear?

For much of the season, you will need two sets of warm clothing, one for the days on the river and another for the evenings at the lodges. We recommend layering because you can adjust quickly to changing weather. Loose, fast drying, durable clothing is best for fishing. We recommend Polypropylene (Polypro) or Capilene, fleece, cotton (only during hot weather), rainwear, and closed shoes such as muck boots, rain boots or sturdy hiking shoes. These materials are compact and made to keep you warm and comfortable through a range of temperatures and humidity. For the wild and scenic trips'no waders or hip boots.

Is there an airport shuttle?

We provide transportation to and from the Medford Airport to Morrison's Lodge for $150 each way.

Additional Activities:

In addition to fishing trips and lodging, Morrison's also offers rafting and hiking adventures, and equipment rentals of sleeping pads, solo kayaks, dry bags, wetsuits, camp chairs, kitchen boxes, helmets, paddles, and much more.

Morrisons is also close to other area attractions including Crater Lake National Park, the Oregon Caves National Monument, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.