Applegate Lake Fishing Guides
A steep-sided Siskiyou Mountain reservoir on the Applegate River in the Rogue drainage, with clear water, forest shoreline and a mixed trout and bass fishery.
Guides on the Applegate Lake
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About the Applegate Lake
Applegate Lake sits high in the Siskiyou Mountains in the far south-west corner of Oregon, close enough to the California line that the ridge above the upper end is the state border. It impounds the Applegate River, which is a tributary of the Rogue, and the setting is most of the appeal: steep forested slopes of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest come down to the waterline, the water runs clear and cold rather than stained, and the whole basin feels considerably more remote than its half-hour drive from Ruch would suggest. It is a working flood-control and irrigation reservoir, so the level moves through the season, and understanding that movement is the key to fishing it well.
Rainbow trout are the mainstay and are both stocked and wild, holding near the inlet in spring and dropping to the thermocline as the surface warms. Brown trout run larger and are the fish most likely to reward patient trolling along the steeper rock walls. Brook trout and cutthroat trout turn up in the upper end and in the tributary mouths, giving the lake four trout species in one basin. Smallmouth bass have established themselves well in the rocky shoreline and are a genuinely good summer fishery, with largemouth bass in the few weedier coves. Black crappie and bluegill hold around the submerged timber and the brush left along the old river line.
The gauge reports reservoir elevation rather than a flow series, which is the number this lake is best read by. Level here is not a minor detail: a full pool in early summer puts the shoreline brush in fishable depth and spreads the fish along the walls, while the autumn drawdown exposes large areas of bank, concentrates everything toward the old river channel and the deeper half of the basin, and changes which launches are usable.
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The photo at the top of this page is not Applegate Lake.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
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Pool right now
- 24 hours-0.56 ft ↓ falling
Reading taken 34 min ago at USGS 14361900, APPLEGATE LAKE NEAR COPPER, OR.. Elevation is the surface of the lake above the survey datum, not depth. Source.
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Access
Hart-tish Park - the main developed access on the western shore, with a launch, camping and shoreline fishing.
Copper - the gauge locality at the lake and the reference point for reading the level.
Ruch - the nearest village down the valley for fuel and basic supplies.
Jacksonville - the historic town and regional base half an hour north, with lodging and tackle.
Applegate River inlet - the upper end of the reservoir, the coldest water and the best spring trout fishing.
The dam and outlet - the deepest water in the basin and the most reliable summer holding.
Rogue River - the major river an hour north, the obvious larger alternative in the drainage.
Seasons
Spring: strong trout fishing near the inlet and along the walls as the lake fills and the water is at its coldest.
Summer: the trout drop deep and the smallmouth bass fishing along the rocky shoreline becomes the better option.
Fall: good, with the drawdown concentrating fish toward the channel and brown trout feeding hard before winter.
Winter: cold and quiet with a low pool and limited access, though the lake stays ice-free and fishable from the bank.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Applegate Lake?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass on the Applegate Lake in Oregon.
Where can you access the Applegate Lake?
Hart-tish Park - the main developed access on the western shore, with a launch, camping and shoreline fishing. Copper - the gauge locality at the lake and the reference point for reading the level. Ruch - the nearest village down the valley for fuel and basic supplies. Jacksonville - the historic town and regional base half an hour north, with lodging and tackle. Applegate River inlet - the upper end of the reservoir, the coldest water and the best spring trout fishing. The dam and outlet - the deepest water in the basin and the most reliable summer holding. Rogue River - the major river an ho...
When is the best time to fish the Applegate Lake?
Spring: strong trout fishing near the inlet and along the walls as the lake fills and the water is at its coldest. Summer: the trout drop deep and the smallmouth bass fishing along the rocky shoreline becomes the better option. Fall: good, with the drawdown concentrating fish toward the channel and brown trout feeding hard before winter. Winter: cold and quiet with a low pool and limited access, though the lake stays ice-free and fishable from the bank.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Applegate Lake?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Oregon agency site: https://myodfw.com/fishing/regulations