# Rogue flows



## Whitewater Worthy Equip (Dec 11, 2013)

It is a bit more difficult but still Good to go. You'll want to pay attention to wild cat and Tyee along with Rainey and blossom.


----------



## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

rhombocombus said:


> ......There are a lot of late season cancellation float spaces available on the Rogue and I am wondering if this is because it will be a boney suck fest?...


Not a boney suck fest. Float spaces become more available as the probability of rain increases. Fall is a great time to be on the Rogue if you are prepare for wet.


----------



## rhombocombus (Aug 17, 2017)

Wet I don't mind. Nasty Z-drags and pins on the other hand...


----------



## BigSky (Apr 2, 2015)

You should at least be able to see the can opener in Upper Black Bar before you're on top of it. We weren't so lucky the last week of July.


----------



## Kilroy (Oct 23, 2011)

I've floated it down to 1250cfs with zero issues. Can-opener is even way out of the water at that level. I just read 2400 on the Agness Gage. This is a perfect level. 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Mountain Buzz mobile app


----------



## rivers2run (Jun 7, 2012)

Rogue watershed is in good shape this year lots of winter precip and lost creek reservoir filled. They usually bump the water up a bit late August mid September to assist Salmon and cool the water. Nothing unusual fall is a great time to go.


----------



## rhombocombus (Aug 17, 2017)

Thanks for all of the info! We are trying to find a timeslot to do it, I might just have to burn some sick time so we can go midweek!


----------



## drgchapman (Aug 23, 2017)

We're looking at a Sept 21 put in. Ran it about a month ago, flow was very friendly at 2600. Plenty of water this year.


----------



## 90Duck (Nov 19, 2012)

I've done it down to 1000 cfs, and there are still lines in all of the rapids (thanks to Glen Woldridge and his dynamite!). The drops get really abrupt and the slow water moves really slow, but there is plenty of time to make moves in the rapids. Blossom is always funky, and if you get through without bouncing off a rock at low flows your are either a liar or damn lucky, but other than the picket fence it is slow enough you can pivot off most anything. 

That said, low flows should not be any real issue this year. We'll be down there to shut down the permit season in mid-October. It is by far my favorite time of year on that river.


----------



## OregonianRG (Jun 14, 2010)

*smoke*

I agree with what the Duck guy said. He knows his stuff. This year the problem is smoke. Check out the air quality before you go. Right now it is unhealthy.
Oregon Smoke Information: Smoke Forecast for Chetco Bar Fire -- Aug. 28, 2017


----------



## rhombocombus (Aug 17, 2017)

Oof. Yeah, thats a big awful fire. I'm hoping that by end of next month it has died down (or just died).


----------



## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

OregonianRG said:


> This year the problem is smoke. Check out the air quality before you go. Right now it is unhealthy.


The smoke can't be much worse than it is here in the McKenzie valley. Launching on the Rogue tomorrow.


----------



## 90Duck (Nov 19, 2012)

Wadeinthewater said:


> The smoke can't be much worse than it is here in the McKenzie valley. Launching on the Rogue tomorrow.


My brother lives down in Merlin. I talked to him last night and he said the smoke is the worst he has ever seen. Not trying to discourage you, just consider being careful if anyone on your trip has asthma or other lung problems.


----------



## Whitewater Worthy Equip (Dec 11, 2013)

We just got off a 3 day and it got thicker in that time. There is ash in the air but no active fire or embers. The good part is there were not many groups out and it actually feels more like a wilderness trip. Temps were very pleasant and I'd recomend a splash jacket in the mornings. The flows are great for this time of year and it makes the pushing for camps much easier.


----------



## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

Air quality sucks in much of western Oregon right now


----------



## 90Duck (Nov 19, 2012)

Wadeinthewater said:


> Air quality sucks in much of western Oregon right now


And I thought air quality sucked over here in central Oregon (it does). Note that little splotch of darker red northwest of Medford- pretty much right over Grants Pass/Merlin/Galice.

We did the Deschutes for the eclipse last weekend when the Nena Springs fire blew up and burned down to and across the river just a couple of miles upstream from where we were camped. The smoke was horrible on that friday but cleared up for the eclipse, and it definitely kept the crowds down. I'd take some smoke over crowds pretty much any day.

Have a great trip!


----------



## HPMG (Nov 2, 2008)

I've never heard of the Can Opener? Where is it and at what flows is it an issue? Couldn't find any info on the net. Had enough water to make the center run for the first time this year, but didn't notice anything...which is maybe a little concerning?

Thankfully we missed the smoke, but it was heavy in Grants Pass on the way back down the I5 parking lot after the eclipse. Usage also seemed very low on the river though conditions were perfect. After not seeing a soul for the first two days we started thinking that something had gone down with North Korea and the river had been closed!

Hope you make the trip, you'll have a great time.


----------



## Ezcruzr (Feb 27, 2008)

The water levels shouldn't be a problem, but the smoke might be. It started to creep in on us about a week ago, but we were saved by the wind. Oregon is burning. You might want to check with the Rand STATION about the smoke situation. They just had a fire start up around Riddle which is just over the ridge from the Rogue.


----------



## Kilroy (Oct 23, 2011)

HPMG said:


> (snip)I've never heard of the Can Opener? Where is it and at what flows is it an issue? Couldn't find any info on the net. Had enough water to make the center run for the first time this year, but didn't notice anything...which is maybe a little concerning?


It's just 2/10 mile above Rogue River Ranch & Tucker Flat CG on a short/quick left hand turn in the river called China Bar Rapids. Page 35 of the float guide I'm seeing, and you can download it in a .pdf format.

Depending on the water level it's hard to spot until almost too late to move away/avoid. At the current flows you'll float right over the top of it without hardly noticing it I think. 

Someone else may chime in, but if my memory serves me correctly at just under 2k it is shallow enough (just under surface) to rip your floor out of your bucket boat if you have your dry-boxes mounted too low in your frame. Patched one on the river bank myself because it caught me off guard. If you dead-center it at the right flows it's like watching a shark fin travel the entire length of your boat floor as you surmount the 'opener '. A piece of cooler or dry-box mounted too low in the non-self-bailing floors can cause a bad pinch situation. 

Most times you can avoid it though by higher or lower flows. 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Mountain Buzz mobile app


----------



## OregonianRG (Jun 14, 2010)

*China Bar rapids*

China Bar rapids has a shark tooth rock right of center about 1/3 of the way down. I think I have heard it called can opener before. Don't mess with it at any level. It is a pretty easy left center entry with a straight shot, then pull away from the large boulder on the left near the bottom.
At low flows, there are some boney spots to avoid past the boulder on the left.


----------



## Roguelawyer (Apr 2, 2015)

The Rogue has been running at a consistent 2200cfs on the Grants Pass gauge. That is a great level to run it. I haven't checked the agness gauge but I don't usually consider that one because the Illinois river confluence is above the Agness gauge and below the Foster Bar take-out.


----------



## Roguelawyer (Apr 2, 2015)

I was out on Sunday and the smoke was not so great. I caught myself wheezing pretty hard at one point. It got better in the evening. We were floating from Hog Creek to Argo.


----------



## HPMG (Nov 2, 2008)

Thanks for the heads up on Can Opener, found it mentioned in the guide now. Somehow jumped to the conclusion it was a feature in Upper Black Bar. I assume we floated right over it as the flow was just under 3k Agness, will keep an eye out next time..


----------



## BigSky (Apr 2, 2015)

HPMG said:


> Thanks for the heads up on Can Opener, found it mentioned in the guide now. Somehow jumped to the conclusion it was a feature in Upper Black Bar. I assume we floated right over it as the flow was just under 3k Agness, will keep an eye out next time..


There is a spire-shaped rock center right on Upper BB. We ran it at nearly 3,500 and it was just below the surface. I'm sure if we had scouted we would have spotted it, but like I said, anything below that level and it should be easily avoidable.


----------

