The Rainie Falls fish ladder on the Rogue River is narrow and technical, and in 2023 this video turned into a lesson in problem solving: getting stuck boats unstuck and getting everyone through.
Video: rainie fish ladder 2023 By Jacob Linkhart on the SOLWYRX Paddlesports YouTube channel.
About Rainie Falls
Rainie Falls, about two miles below the Grave Creek put-in, is a Class V drop. Most boaters skip the main falls and run the Class III fish ladder channel on the far right instead (The Mountaineers). The fish ladder is tight, though, and loaded rafts hang up on the rocks all the time.
Working the problem
When a boat gets stuck, the fix is rarely muscle alone. It's reading where the water wants to go: shifting weight, rocking the boat, using the current, and sometimes getting out on the rocks to push or line it through, but only where your footing is secure and you're out of strong current, since stepping out in moving water is how foot entrapments happen. Stay calm, keep your feet safe, and always think about where a person would end up if they slipped. That kind of thinking is what swiftwater rescue training builds, so take a class (see How Private Boaters Can Learn to Row and Rescue).
This is still one of my favorite early videos. Watch the 2025 version, Rainie Falls Fish Ladder on the Rogue River (2025), to see me get stuck there myself.
Source: The Mountaineers, Rogue River: Grave Creek to Foster Bar
Personal trip report: flows, wood and hazards change, and what worked for me that day isn't a rule for your boat or group. Check current conditions, scout, and boat within your training.
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Updated October 28, 2026 · By Jacob Linkhart, owner of SOLWYRX Paddle Gear · Spot a mistake? Email me and I'll fix it.
