FAVORITES (0)
Rogue River, OR
Rogue River 4-Day Wild and Scenic Fishing Trip
4 days / 3 nights
Fish lodge to lodge
Lodge Trips
Class I
Class II
Class III
Class IV
OVERVIEW
Fish lodge to lodge
Four days fishing the Wild and Scenic Rogue from a drift boat, staying at three historic lodges along the way.
4 days / 3 nights
Duration
Up to 2 per boat
Group Size
5
+
Min Age
Lodge Trips
Trip Style
DATES
Upcoming Dates
Mon
23
Rogue River Lodge
8:00 AM
Wed
25
Rogue River Lodge
8:00 AM
Fri
27
Rogue River Lodge
8:00 AM
Highlights
Best Parts of The Trip
- Salmon and steelhead Fish for salmon, adult steelhead and half-pounders with a guide on the oars of your drift boat.
- Black Bar, Paradise and Lucas lodges Every night ends at a historic lodge with a hot shower, dinner and a bed.
- Fun, dry whitewater Your guide rows you through Grave Creek, Mule Creek Canyon and the Coffee Pot, with tarps to keep you dry.
- Fresh-caught lunch, if you are lucky If the fishing cooperates, lunch on Day 2 is what you caught that morning.
- Prime rib at Lucas Lodge Your last night on the river is a prime rib dinner at Lucas Lodge.
INSIDER TIP
From Our Guides
Bring the drinks you like. Your guide keeps an ice chest on the boat for the day, and the extras ride down on the raft so the cooler gets restocked every day and there is something waiting at the lodge.
ITINERARY
Day by day
Day 1
Meet at the shop at 8:00 AM PT and launch at Almeda Bar around 9:00. About 16 miles of Class II and III water, with Grave Creek, Slim Pickings and Upper Black Bar, and plenty of good holes to fish in between. Lunch is on the river, and you pull into Black Bar Lodge in the evening for a hot shower, dinner and a bed.
Miles covered
16
miles
rogue-river-4-day-wild-and-scenic-fishing-trip
1
Day 2
Breakfast at Black Bar and a morning of fishing through Kelsey Canyon. If you catch something, it is lunch. In the afternoon you run Mule Creek Canyon and the Coffee Pot, where the whole river squeezes to about 12 feet wide, then Blossom Bar, the most challenging rapid of the trip. You walk around it while the guides take the boats through. Paradise Lodge sits just below, with a hot shower and dinner waiting.
Miles covered
miles
rogue-river-4-day-wild-and-scenic-fishing-trip
2
Day 3
Breakfast at Paradise, then the guides switch to the outboard motor for the lower canyons. You fish the lower Rogue all day and pull into Lucas Lodge in the evening for a prime rib dinner.
Miles covered
miles
rogue-river-4-day-wild-and-scenic-fishing-trip
3
Day 4
One more day of fishing, through Cougar Canyon, about 15 miles to Quosatana Creek. Off the river early in the afternoon and a three-hour van ride back to Merlin.
Miles covered
15
miles
rogue-river-4-day-wild-and-scenic-fishing-trip
4
Inclusions
What's Included
Guides and gear
- Guided fishing from a drift boat, with your guide on the oars
- Rigged gear, or bring your own
- A dry bag and a small boat bag
- Tarps in the boat to keep you dry
Where you sleep
- Black Bar, Paradise and Lucas lodges
- A bed, bedding, towels and a hot shower every night
Meals
- All meals
- Beer or wine, 3 drinks per person per night, and you are welcome to bring more
Getting there
- Courtesy pickup anywhere in Grants Pass
- Van ride back to Merlin from the take-out
Bring or rent
- Oregon fishing license with a salmon and steelhead tag
- Comfortable shoes and rubber boots
- Full rain gear and a warm jacket
- Long pants and long-sleeve shirts
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- A flashlight and insect repellent
$2,599 per person
BOOK NOWACCOMMODATIONS
Lodge Trips
Nights are a mix of historic lodge rooms and guided riverside camps, depending on the launch.
Rogue River
Lucas Lodge
Sadie Lucas built this lodge around 1912 on a ranch where the Illinois River meets the Rogue, and her family has welcomed guests for seven generations since. Your last night on the river ends here with a prime rib dinner served family style.
See the full stay
Owyhee River
Owyhee Camps
Desert canyon camps on the Owyhee, set below rimrock and red rock spires that light up at sunset.
See the full stay
Lower Salmon River
Lower Salmon Camps
Every camp is a big white sand beach with a good swimming hole, and your tent is up before you arrive.
See the full stayMain Salmon, River of No Return
Main Salmon Camps
Big sandy beach camps under the pines. When you pull in, your tent is already set up, your sleeping pad is in it and your dry bags are stacked and waiting.
See the full stay
Snake River in Hells Canyon
Hells Canyon Camps
Riverside camps below the walls of Hells Canyon. Your tent is up before you arrive, and evenings start with a cold drink under the shade tarps.
See the full stay
Rogue River
Rogue River Camps
Riverside beach camps on the Rogue. Your gear boater runs ahead so camp is ready when you pull in, with tents up and dinner served family style.
See the full stay
Rogue River
Paradise Lodge
Paradise has the big deck where we do movie night, with lodge cooking and a real bed. Every room has its own hot shower and private bathroom.
See the full stay
Rogue River
Black Bar Lodge
Black Bar sits right on the water. You pull in at the end of Day 1 to a home-cooked dinner and a real bed, and every room has its own hot shower and private bathroom.
See the full stay
Food & Drink
What To Expect During Meal Time
Breakfast at the lodge, a riverside picnic lunch with salads, snacks and sandwiches, and dinner at the lodge every night. If the fishing cooperates, lunch on Day 2 is what you caught that morning, and the last night at Lucas Lodge is prime rib. We pack beer or wine, 3 drinks per person per night, and you are welcome to bring more. Your guide keeps a cooler in the boat.
Meeting Logistics
Where & When To Meet
Meet us at 8:00 AM PT at the Orange Torpedo shop, 210 Merlin Road in Merlin. Your car stays in our gated lot for the whole trip. If you are staying in Grants Pass, we will pick you up anywhere in Grants Pass at 7:30 AM PT as a courtesy, just let us know ahead of time. We launch at Almeda Bar around 9:00 AM PT.
We recommend staying in Grants Pass the night before. Our pick is the Redwood Garden Inn, 541-476-0878.
The trip ends at Quosatana Creek early in the afternoon on Day 4, and a van brings you back to Merlin in about three hours. You can also have Whitewater Cowboys shuttle your car to the take-out for $150 so you can drive home or head to the coast, or ask us about a private flight out of Gold Beach. Medford is the closest airport, about 34 miles from the shop, and Whitewater Cowboys also runs airport shuttles. We get back too late to make a flight the same day, so book your flight home for the next day.
TRAVEL
Getting there
Fly into Medford or drive to Grants Pass the day before. Launch mornings start at the Merlin shop.
Meeting point
Orange Torpedo shop
210 Merlin Rd, Merlin, OR. Check-in 8:00 AM. Grants Pass hotel pickup at 7:30 AM if arranged.
How to get there
Fly into Medford (MFR)
About 40 minutes by car. Rentals are at the airport.
Drive I-5 to exit 61
Overnight parking is available in the shop lot, including RVs.
Stay in Grants Pass
We can pick up at Grants Pass hotels at 7:30 AM when arranged.
Airport transfer
Hotel pickup in Grants Pass is available at 7:30 AM when arranged in advance.
Skip the rental car: Whitewater Cowboys runs a van between the Medford airport and Grants Pass hotels or the Merlin shop, $149 for up to 12 people.
CONDITIONS
What to expect
Weather
September and October in southern Oregon can be anything. Mornings can be 35 degrees at launch, and days can climb into the low 80s. Earlier in the season you have a better chance of sun, and later in the season the chance of cold weather goes up. Check the forecast before you come and pack rain gear either way.
Whitewater Levels
Class I to IV, the same stretch as our Lower Rogue lodge and camp trips. In a drift boat it feels different from a raft. Your guide rows the whole way, you do not paddle, and the goal is to stay dry. Guides carry tarps and will cover you so you do not get wet. It is a fun ride over some big waves.
Day 1 has Upper and Lower Grave Creek, a short walk around Rainie Falls while the guides line the boats down, then Slim Pickings and Upper Black Bar Falls. Day 2 runs Mule Creek Canyon and the Coffee Pot, where the whole river squeezes to about 12 feet wide. At Blossom Bar you walk around while the guides take the boats through. Below Blossom Bar the guides switch to an outboard motor for the lower canyons.
Seasonal Variability
Late August through October, with launch dates all fall. Early or late, the fishing is not better or worse. The fish are just in different spots, and your guide knows where to find them. These spots book out fast, so reach out early. If four days is more than you have, a 3-day version runs $2,299 per person, so give us a call.
PACKING
What to Bring
You get a dry bag for your lodge things and a small bag for the boat. Get your Oregon fishing license with a salmon and steelhead tag before you come.
For the boat and the lodge
- Comfortable shoes for the lodge and rubber boots for the boat
- Two pairs of long pants
- Two long-sleeve shirts
- Shorts or a swimsuit
- A warm jacket and long underwear
- Full rain gear
- Sunglasses with a strap and sunscreen
- A flashlight or headlamp
- Insect repellent
- Personal hygiene items
- Any extra drinks you want for the trip
- If you use a CPAP, a portable battery with an AC plug, since there is no power on night one
REVIEWS
What guests say
POLICIES
Cancellation timeline
90+ days out
Full refund of the trip payment
Minus any non-refundable permit fees.
30–89 days out
50% refund
Date changes may be available if space remains.
Under 30 days
No refund
Weather holds are reviewed case by case.
Refunds depend on how far out you cancel. Weather holds are handled case by case.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a fishing license?
Yes. Bring a current Oregon fishing license with a salmon and steelhead tag, and buy it before your trip.
Can I bring my own fishing gear?
You are welcome to, and fly fishing is welcome the whole way or not at all. If you would rather travel light, your guide has rigged gear ready for you.
Can someone who does not fish come along?
Absolutely. Novice anglers and non-anglers are welcome, and the canyon trip is a great fit for a mixed group.
Will I be able to use my phone or the internet?
No. There is no cell reception in the canyon and no internet at the lodges. Camp trips are phone-free. Plan on a few days without it.
Do I have to bring my own bedding and towels?
On lodge trips, no. Bedding and shower towels are supplied, and you get a hot shower and a real bed every night.
On our guided camp trips, bring your own sleeping bag, or rent a sleep kit from us with a sleeping bag and a pack pillow. We bring the tent and the pad, and on the Rogue the cot too. A small pack towel is a good idea.
On a Row Your Own you bring your own sleep kit and chairs. We bring the kitchen and the toilet.
Will we see wildlife in Oregon?
On the Rogue, bears, often with cubs near Paradise, bald eagles, osprey, otter, mink, turtles, mergansers and deer. Bring binoculars if you have them.
I use a CPAP machine. What do I do?
Bring a portable battery for it. Black Bar turns the generator off at 10 PM and it is not back on until 7 AM. A marine battery works great, a car battery works too. We put it in a dry bag and keep it dry.
How do lodge rooms work on a fishing trip?
Wild and Scenic Rogue lodge trips are sold as double occupancy. A single room can be requested for an extra fee but is not guaranteed. If you find someone to take your spot, Briggs can refund you in full.
What is the cancellation policy?
Guided day and half-day trips: cancel 72 hours or more ahead for a 50% refund. Inside 72 hours, the fee is forfeited. Multi-day Orange Torpedo and Briggs trips: deposits and payments are not refunded. You can often move to another date in the same season for a fee, or give your spot to someone else. Lodge dates cost more to change because the rooms are held in your name. Whitewater Cowboys single-day rentals: 7 or more days out, half the deposit can be refunded. Multi-day rentals: 21 or more days out, half the deposit can be refunded. Shuttle refunds depend on the section and how close you are to launch, minus a processing fee.
Can we bring our own drinks on the fishing trip?
Yes, please do. We pack beer or wine, 3 drinks per person per night, and you are welcome to bring more, whether that is cocktail fixings, wine, beer or soda. Your guide keeps an ice chest in the boat for the day, and the extras ride down on the raft so the cooler gets restocked every day and there is something waiting at the lodge.
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