Barrier-free Fishing, Fish Viewing Sites & Fishing Access Trails

Barrier-free fishing
A barrier-free boat loading platform is available for launching and taking out boats at Hart-tish Park on Applegate Lake
Spalding Pond on the Galice Ranger District provides fishing for stocked rainbow trout, and has three accessible fishing platforms, a barrier-free surfaced trail, and accessible restrooms.

Viewing site
Substantial numbers of steelhead, coho, and chinook salmon can be seen spawning in the Applegate River immediately below Applegate Dam. Best time of year is between October and April (chinook spawn earliest, steelhead latest). Although the large, concrete dam may be aesthetically distracting to some, this location is a good spot to observe salmonid spawning behavior including redd-building and courtship displays. This section of the Applegate River is closed to angling.

Other sites to view spawning fish along the Applegate River that are more natural-looking include McKee Bridge Day Use Area, Jackson Campground, and Cantrall-Buckley Park (county-operated). Wearing polarized sunglasses aids in observing fish through the water.

Fishing Access Trails
Make sure to check and follow current fishing regulations, observe "Leave No Trace" principles when hiking or backpacking, and use caution when hiking on trails located in the 2002 Biscuit Fire Area.

Many of the trails listed below, including those outside the Biscuit burn area, are in rugged, remote, areas and anglers should know their physical limits when hiking. Although many of these trails parallel stream drainages, substantial cross-country travel may still be required to reach suitable fishing areas.

High Cascades Ranger District:
North Fork Little Butte Creek Trail (interpretive) This is a PDF document. In order to view it, you will need the free Acrobat reader. The reader may be downloaded from the Adobe Website.
Fish Lake Trail
Beaver Dam Creek Trail

Upper Rogue River Trail
Muir Creek Trail

Middle Fork Rogue River Trail
Lower South Fork Rogue River Trail

Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District:
Applegate Lake Trail
Middle Fork Applegate River Trail

Gold Beach Ranger District:
Rogue River National Recreation Trail

Upper Chetco River Trail

Wild Rivers Ranger District:
Illinois River Trail

Tannen Lakes Trail
Babyfoot Lake Trail

Powers Ranger District:
Azalea Lake Trail