Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest

Sacramento, Klamath salmon rebound projected for 2026

Rylan Pilgrim from Lincoln, CA with a couple Klamath River jacks from a few seasons ago. With an increase in ocean abundance, we should see some type of salmon season on the Klamath/Trinity rivers. Photo courtesy of James Keeling Guide Service

On Wednesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) held its annual Salmon Information Meeting, unveiling the 2026 ocean abundance forecasts — and the numbers point toward a rebound, particularly for the Sacramento Basin.

The forecast for Sacramento River fall Chinook — the primary stock harvested in California fisheries — came in at 392,349 adults. For comparison, the 2025 ocean abundance estimate was just 165,655, one of the lowest forecasts since the current assessment method was adopted in 2008. This year’s projection represents a substantial improvement and offers hope for more stable fishing opportunities.

The Klamath River forecast was announced at 176,233 adults, up significantly from last year’s 82,672.
For North Coast anglers, this likely means some type of salmon season in 2026. It almost certainly won’t be a full, unrestricted season, but barring unforeseen issues, there should be opportunities to harvest salmon in both the ocean and the river.

What Happens Next?
These ocean abundance forecasts provide science-based guidance to the Pacific Fishery Management Council as it begins the annual salmon season-setting process.

The first PFMC meeting is scheduled for March 4–9 in Sacramento, CA.
The Council will determine whether any in-season actions are needed for fisheries opening before May 16.
They will also develop three regulatory alternatives for ocean salmon fisheries beginning on or after May 16.
Final adoption of alternatives for public review is tentatively scheduled for March 9.

For a complete preseason calendar and public participation opportunities, visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife ocean salmon preseason webpage.
Additional information on upcoming meetings is available through the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s salmon page at pcouncil.org.
If these forecasts hold, 2026 could mark a meaningful step toward rebuilding opportunity for California salmon anglers — especially after the difficult seasons of the past three years.

The weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, expect dry weather until late Friday night when the stalled out upper low over the central Pacific edges closer to the coast. “The exact timing and location of trough passage remains uncertain, and there is not a high chance of any major precipitation currently. The NBM model agrees with a 50% probability of >0.25″ and a 25% of >0.5″ in the Humboldt Bay area by Sunday morning. More rain is possible in the King range and interior mountains of Humboldt and Del Norte Co.”

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, Redwood Creek, and Smith rivers. The low-flow closure telephone hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast. Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

Mad
After peaking at over 20 feet Tuesday night, the Mad is back on the drop. As of Thursday, it was back down to 13.5 feet. Will likely need at least 10 days before it’s green, especially with Ruth Lake full and spilling.

Main stem Eel
The main stem Eel was down to 65,500 cfs after reaching 190,000 cfs at Scotia Wednesday morning. It doesn’t look like it will drop down to a fishable flow for at least a couple of weeks, possibly by mid-March.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork Eel surpassed action/monitor stage Tuesday evening, peaking at over 52,000 cfs at Miranda. It’s been dropping quickly since and is back down below 12,000 cfs as of Thursday morning. The 10-day ensemble shows the river dropping to a fishable flow by mid-next week. Above Benbow will be the first area to turn green.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen peaked at over 21,000 cfs Tuesday but dropped back down to under 3,000 cfs as of Thursday morning. Depending on snowmelt, it could be down to a fishable level by the second week of March.

Smith
The Smith dropped back into plunkable/driftable shape Thursday, with the river sitting at just above 12 feet at the Jed Smith gauge. Conditions look excellent for the weekend with the height hovering around 10 feet. The big rise earlier in the week should pull some fresh fish in from the ocean as well as push some downers from their spawning tributaries.

Southern Oregon rivers
“The Chetco is dropping back into shape with prime conditions expected this weekend after cresting at nearly 28,000 cfs earlier this week,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Flows were down to 15,000 cfs on Wednesday and should be near 5,000 cfs sometime Friday. Steelhead fishing was decent before the big rains and melting snow pushed the Chetco well over its banks. The Elk also should fish by the weekend, while the Rogue could be in shape by Sunday for late steelhead and early springers.”

Brookings ocean report
After a week of rough weather, the ocean out of Brookings looks to be fishable Saturday and Sunday, although there will be a mixed swell reports Martin. “Lingcod fishing has been good. Sport crabbing has been slow.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Low-Flow River Information for the North Coast – 2025/2026

Chris Hall, left, and Raj Desai with a late season steelhead taken on the South Fork Eel River earlier in March. Photo courtesy of Fishing the North Coast

Low Flow River Closures begin Sept. 1 and run through April 30, 2026.
North Coast rivers that are regulated by low flow closures, including the Eel River, Mad River, Mattole River, Redwood Creek, Smith River and Van Duzen River will begin angling restrictions on September 1st, and run through April 30th 2026. As a reminder, in 2022, a low-flow angling restriction was added to the section of the Eel River from the mouth to Fulmor Road (Eel estuary) at its paved junction with the south bank of the Eel River. When a low-flow closure occurs in this section of the Eel, it will be closed to hook-and-line fishing; other legal fishing methods are allowed during this timeframe.

The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures in real time online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast. The rivers can be opened up at anytime. Rivers will not automatically open to fishing once minimum flows are reached. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2026.

Section of river that is open to fishing is the main stem Smith River from the mouth of Rowdy Creek to its mouth.

Areas subject to low flow closures:

Mad River: The main stem Mad River from the Hammond Trail Railroad Trestle to Cowan Creek. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. The Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream is closed until Jan. 1, 2025.

The main stem Eel River: New in 2022, a low-flow angling restriction was added to the section of the Eel River from the mouth to Fulmor Road at its paved junction with the south bank of the Eel River, Sept. 1 through April 30. The stream flow will be monitored as follows: Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.

The South Fork of the Eel River: The South Fork of the Eel River downstream from Rattlesnake Creek and the Middle Fork Eel River downstream from the Bar Creek. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda.

Van Duzen River: The main stem Van Duzen River from its junction with the Eel River to the end of Golden Gate Drive near Bridgeville (approximately 4,000 feet upstream of Little Golden Gate Bridge. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.

Mattole River: The main stem of the Mattole River from the mouth to Honeydew Creek. Minimum flow: 320 cfs at the gauging station at Petrolia.

Redwood Creek: The main stem of Redwood Creek from the mouth to its confluence with Bond Creek. Minimum flow: 300 cfs at the gauging station near the Highway 101 bridge.

Smith River: The main stem Smith River from the mouth of Rowdy Creek to its confluence with Patrick Creek; the South Fork Smith River from the mouth upstream approximately 1000 ft to the County Road (George Tyron) bridge and Craigs Creek to its confluence with Jones Creek; and the North Fork Smith River from the mouth to its confluence with Stony Creek. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station.

Klamath Fall Chinook Return Tops Expectations in 2025

Keira Miles of Eureka with a nice jack salmon landed last fall on the Klamath River. The Jack count on the Klamath river in 2025 came in at 18,574 compared to 7,085 in 2024. This should bode well for a strong return of adults in 2026. Photo courtesy of Alan’s Guide Service.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council released its Review of 2025 Ocean Salmon Fisheries report Wednesday, and the news was considerably better than expected for the Klamath Basin.

Based on an ocean abundance estimate of 82,672 Klamath River fall Chinook believed to be in the ocean last fall, forecasters predicted just 28,554 adults would return to the river in 2025. Instead, the run significantly exceeded expectations, with 51,277 adults returning to the basin.

Of those, 39,860 adults escaped to natural spawning areas — 205 percent above the preseason prediction of 19,417 adults and essentially on par with the 40,700 adult floor escapement goal.

Hatchery returns also improved. An estimated 7,623 hatchery adults returned in 2025, compared to 4,489 in 2024.

Jack (two-year-old) returns surged as well, with 18,574 jacks returning to the Klamath Basin, including 14,513 that escaped to natural spawning areas. In 2024, just 7,085 jacks returned.

Upper Basin tributaries see gains
Spawning escapement to upper Klamath River tributaries — the Salmon, Scott, and Shasta rivers — totaled 9,192 adults, compared to 7,317 in 2024.

Shasta River: 5,562 adults
Scott River: 2,326 adults
Salmon River: 1,304 adults

These tributaries were only minimally affected by hatchery strays, making them key indicators of natural production.

The strong return and escapement numbers occurred despite very limited ocean recreational salmon fishing and salmon closures on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers.

According to the report, an estimated 16 fall Chinook were illicitly harvested by recreational anglers in 2025.

Tribal harvest totaled 3,493 adults — 1,322 by the Yurok Tribe and 2,171 by the Hoopa Valley Tribe — which was 252 percent of the tribal allocation of 1,385 fish.

Dam removal opens new habitat
A major milestone highlighted in the report was the 2024 removal of four dams from the Klamath River, allowing salmon to move upstream from the former site of Iron Gate Dam for the first time in decades.

Newly accessible mainstem and tributary habitats were quickly occupied. Monitoring efforts in Oregon and California estimated that 11,722 adults and 341 jacks returned to areas above the former Iron Gate Dam site in 2025 — a promising early sign following dam removal.

Central Valley salmon update
In the Central Valley, recreational Chinook fishing was open in 2025 with a one-fish daily bag limit from July 16 through October 31 in portions of the Feather and American rivers. Upstream sections closed earlier, with closure dates ranging from September 15 to October 15.

The Feather and American river fisheries harvested an estimated 4,884 Sacramento River Fall Chinook (SRFC), including 3,294 adults and 1,590 jacks.

Recreational fishing was also open on portions of the Mokelumne River from July 16 through October 31. That fishery harvested 386 San Joaquin River Fall Chinook, including 228 adults and 158 jacks.

Under 2025 regulations, projected spawning escapement in the Sacramento River Basin was 147,733 hatchery and natural-area fall Chinook adults. Actual returns exceeded that projection.

A total of 164,763 adult hatchery and natural-area spawners and 65,369 jacks were estimated to have returned to the Sacramento Basin in 2025.

Fall Chinook returns to Sacramento River hatcheries totaled 34,331 adults and 19,465 jacks, while escapement to natural areas reached 130,432 adults and 45,904 jacks.

Next up is the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Annual Salmon Information Meeting, which will be held in person at the California Natural Resources Agency Auditorium at 715 P St. in Sacramento on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at 1 p.m., and will also be livestreamed. The meeting will feature the outlook for this year’s ocean salmon fisheries, in addition to a review of last year’s salmon fisheries and inland spawner returns.

Following the Salmon Information Meeting, California representatives will work together to develop a range of recommended ocean fishing season alternatives at the March 4-9 Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting in Sacramento, CA. Final season recommendations will be adopted at the PFMC’s April 7-12 meeting in Portland, OR.

Salmon Information Meeting details, agenda, informational materials and instructions to view the livestream will be published in advance of the event on CDFW’s Ocean Salmon web page.

The weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, “showers are expected to diminish Thursday evening as northerly winds aloft bring a drier air mass across the area. This airmass will be very cold, yet how much this is felt at surface will depend on the extent of cloud coverage. Overnight low temperatures may end up warmer than expected if there are more low clouds. Either way, temperatures are forecasted to be cold enough to cause a cold weather advisory for Thursday morning and Friday morning for SW Humboldt, coastal Mendocino, the Russian River Valley, and Southern Lake County.

On Friday, a brief break of precipitation is expected to allow even colder overnight lows if clouds do not inhibit nighttime cooling.

This weekend and into early next week, the active weather pattern continues with the approach of a broad closed upper- level trough and associated frontal system. This system is expected to bring heavy rainfall, heavy mountain snow, and strong southerly winds. The ensemble means for both the GEFS and EPS show a high probability (90-100% chance) of a weak atmospheric river. While this is not particularly strong, it looks like there will be multiple impulses that may overwhelm the rivers and streams. Theres still uncertainties on exact timing of the rain pulses, which will be a big factor in the level of impacts. Strong, southerly winds are also expected with the strongest through Saturday night.”

Klamath River flows set to increase
According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) a planned sediment flushing flow release will take place one full day at the Keno Dam on the Klamath River, on Feb. 20, at approximately 6:00 am.
“The initial release may spike without advanced warning and will continue to ramp up with increased flows by roughly 4,000 cfs within 24 hours. The BOR will decrease flows, ramping down from the upper 4,000 cfs to 700s by early March. These values are operational targets and may fluctuate with changing conditions and manual operations. Rapid stage increases could occur not only below the Keno Dam but downstream through Big Bend, Hells Corner, Beswick, K’íka·c’é·ki Valley, K’íka·c’é·ki Canyon, Iron Gate, and the Mid-Klamath boating runs, potentially as far as Seiad Valley (roughly 100 miles downstream, where BOR’s flow spikes seem to attenuate).”

Mad
As of Thursday, the Mad was muddy, and just above 9 feet (2,500 cfs) and dropping slowly. It is forecast to drop through Saturday before the next round of storms pushes it to roughly 14 feet by early next week. It will need at least a couple of weeks of dry weather before it turns green.

Main stem Eel
The main stem Eel was running at 14,000 cfs as of Thursday and is big and muddy. And it is going to get bigger. Storms beginning this weekend are predicted to increase flows close to 90,000 cfs by mid-next week. Needles to say, it will be some time before we see green water.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was flowing at 3,400 cfs at Miranda Thursday and rising slowly. It’s predicted to drop Friday and Saturday and get down to 2,200 cfs, which could produce some green water up higher in the watershed. It will be short-lived however, as rain coming Saturday evening will put it back on the rise and blow it back out. The 10-day ensemble prediction has the river peaking at 21,000 cfs Tuesday. If the rain stops mid-next week, it could be fishable towards the end of the first week of March.

Van Duzen
Like the South Fork Eel, the Van Duzen is on the drop following a peak of 1,400 cfs Monday near Bridgeville. As of Thursday, it was below 600 cfs but remains off color. With the rain coming Saturday evening, the river will be on a steep rise Sunday, potentially peaking at 8,000 cfs next Tuesday. Will likely need a couple weeks of dry weather before it starts to fish.

Smith River
The big rains never did reach the Smith, and it’s remained low and clear this week. Despite the lack of water, the fishing has been good for the few boats drifting. But conditions should change starting Saturday night. A big rise is forecast for Sunday, with flows reaching 25,000 cfs (16.4 feet) at the Jed Smith gauge Tuesday. Conditions should be excellent by mid-next week if the forecast holds.

Southern Oregon rivers
Steelhead fishing has been fair on the Chetco, but slower than expected, with drift boats getting one to three fish per day reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Major rain is expected this weekend, with the river likely to be blown out all of next week, especially with melting snow after the rain,” said Martin. “The smaller rivers in Southern Oregon are fishing well for steelhead.
Expect the first springers of the season after the Rogue drops following next week’s blowout. Steelhead fishing is slow on the Rogue, but march generally has decent fishing before anglers transition to salmon.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, rough ocean conditions have limited fishing out of Brookings. “A brief window Friday morning is followed by a storm warning with winds to 50 knots.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTubeand fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Winter Weather Finally Set to Return

Winter steelhead landed Wednesday on the Chetco River during a recent trip with guide Chris Cooke. Photo courtesy of Brookings Fishing Charters

The rain didn’t arrive quite on schedule this week — but the weather pattern is finally turning. And it looks like it’s going to turn in a big way.

Forecast river levels are pointing toward blowout conditions on most coastal systems, with the Smith — and possibly the Chetco — shaping up as the only fishable options once the storms settle. That’s pretty typical for this time of year, as the Smith tends to stay green when everything else turns to mud.

After a long stretch of low, clear water since early January — and even some recent low-flow closures — we’re finally headed back into real winter steelhead weather. A good push of water should get fresh fish moving, but anglers may be on the sidelines while rivers rise, fall, and clean up.

What to expect

Short-term: Most rivers will be high and unfishable
After the drop: Fresh steelhead entering systems
Best bets: Smith first, Chetco shortly after
Smaller rivers: Fishable windows between storms

In other words — the dry spell is over.
Goodbye sunscreen, hello raingear.

The weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, “a deepening trough and closed low will form off the Northern California coast Saturday, beginning the start of a pattern of wet weather through the extended forecast. A potent surface low will form well off the coast with this trough over the weekend. The placement of this low is poorly modeled, and this will need to be watched for the potential for stronger coastal winds with a closer proximity. A series of colder troughs will proceed in from the northwest beginning Monday. These incoming troughs will kick the previously mentioned low eastward as it weakens. Winds from this system will still bear watching if less weakening occurs as it pushes ashore. Snow levels will quickly drop Monday night as the additional cold trough impacts the region. The cold airmass will aid in the development of steep lapse rates which will promote heavy precipitation, along with isolated thunderstorms and the potential for accumulating small hail along the coast by Tuesday. NBM probabilities are predicting a high likelihood for 1″ to 3″ in 72 hours from early Sunday to early Wednesday morning for most of the County Warning Area, with 3 to 4.5″ in the windward facing terrain.”

Upcoming salmon information meetings
The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will hold the annual Salmon Information Meeting in person at the California Natural Resources Agency Auditorium at 715 P St. in Sacramento on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at 1 p.m., and will also be livestreamed online. The meeting will feature the outlook for this year’s ocean salmon fisheries, in addition to a review of last year’s salmon fisheries and inland spawner returns.

CDFW statement:

“The 2026 Salmon Information Meeting marks the beginning of a two-month public process to help develop annual sport and commercial ocean salmon fishing seasons. The input is also used to inform inland salmon season development later in the spring.

The annual pre-season salmon management process involves collaborative negotiations between west coast states, federal agencies, tribal co-managers, commercial troll representatives, commercial passenger fishing vessel representatives, private recreational anglers, non-governmental organizations, and others interested in salmon fishery management and conservation.

These leaders utilize the most current information shared at the Salmon Information Meeting to work together to develop a range of recommended ocean fishing season alternatives at the March 4-9 Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting in Sacramento, Calif. Final season recommendations will be adopted at the PFMC’s April 7-12 meeting in Portland, Ore.

Salmon Information Meeting details, agenda, informational materials and instructions to view the livestream will be published in advance of the event on CDFW’s Ocean Salmon web page. Livestream login information and a handout with the meeting presentations will be posted by the morning of Feb. 25. Please see the Ocean Salmon web page for a complete Calendar of Events and contact information regarding the Salmon Preseason Process, including other opportunities for engagement in the ocean salmon season development process.”

Free fishing days this weekend in Oregon
It’s free to fish, crab or clam on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 14-15. During these two days, no fishing licenses, or tags (including a Combined Angling Tag and a Columbia River Basin Endorsement) are required to fish, crab, or clam anywhere in Oregon. Although no licenses or tags are required, all other regulations apply including closures, bag limits, and size restrictions. For more information, visit Free fishing weekend Feb 14-15 | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, the Van Duzen, Mattole, and Redwood Creek were closed to fishing. All other North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, and Smith rivers. The low-flow closure telephone hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast. Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

Mad
According to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors, the river came up a bit this week and added a little color. He said, “It did seem like the rise brought in a few more fish. The most consistent fishing has been the Blue Lake Bridge area and up. Both beads and bait are working, but bait seems to be catching a few more.”

Main stem Eel
The main stem was right around 2,600 cfs at Scotia on Thursday, about perfect conditions. Anglers should be able to get the next few days in before it blows out on Sunday. It predicted to hover around 30,000 next week and will need a couple weeks of dry weather before it returns to a fishable level. With most rivers running low, the Eel has been a busy place. Scores have been consistent however, with most boats getting a couple each trip.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is low and clear, and only providing limited spots to fish. Most anglers have moved on, but there’s still a few fish being caught. As of Thursday, it was down to 650 cfs at Sylvandale. With quite a bit of rain in the forecast beginning Sunday, it will be off color for some time. The 10-day forecast has the river peaking at 7,900 cfs next Thursday. Depending on rainfall, it could be blown out through the end of the month.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen is currently closed to fishing due to low-flows and was running at 122 cfs as of Thursday. The rain this coming Sunday will open the river to fishing but expect muddy conditions. It’s predicted to peak at 2,600 cfs next Tuesday and looks unfishable through next week.

Smith River
The Smith will benefit the most from the return to a wet weather pattern. As of Thursday, it was down to 6.75 feet (1,600 cfs) at the Jed Smith gauge. But improved conditions are on the way. Starting Sunday, the river will see a slow steady rise, and it looks like it will be in the 9 to 10-foot range from next Wednesday through the weekend. With the rise, we could start to see some “blue backs” or smaller adult steelhead. The increase in flows could also start to bring some of the downers out of the tributaries and should bring in some new fish as well.

Southern Oregon rivers
Plenty of steelhead appear to be around on the Chetco after this past weekend’s rain reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Most drift boats reported two to three fish on Monday and Tuesday, with perfect green water and ideal flows for side-drifting,” said Martin. “The Chetco should be in good shape all week. More rain from Saturday into next week will lead to higher flows, but the river could be just below blow-out levels.

Boat traffic picked up on the lower Rogue as anglers were anchoring with plugs and also running anchovies in hopes of an early springer. Steelhead fishing should be good this week on the Rogue, as well as the Elk and Sixes.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, rough weather is expected this weekend and will likely put a damper on ocean fishing. “Surfperch action has improved with red tail and striped perch being caught.”

Finally — Rain on the Way for North Coast Steelhead Rivers

Jason Bauerman, from Orland, CA, landed a beautiful South Fork River winter steelhead late last week. Photo courtesy of Mike Moloney

After five weeks of dry weather, rain is finally returning to the North Coast — and just in the nick of time.

Several smaller rivers, including the Van Duzen, Mattole and Redwood Creek, have been closed for some time due to low-flow fishing restrictions. At the moment, nearly all North Coast rivers remain low and clear, with the exception of the larger systems like the Eel and Klamath. Needless to say, a good shot of rain is exactly what we needed.

As is typically the case when rivers are refreshed with new flows, expect a strong push of steelhead moving in from the saltwater.

The current forecast calls for about a half-inch of rain in the Humboldt area and up to an inch in the Smith Basin Sunday. That amount won’t dramatically change conditions on the Eel, Mad or Van Duzen, but the Smith should see a noticeable bump in flows. More active weather is expected by mid-next week — potentially enough to cause blowouts around Humboldt — while providing much-needed water for the Smith and Chetco.

With luck, most rivers should be rounding into shape within a couple of weeks as we approach the peak of the season.

Weather outlook
According to the Eureka’s National Weather Service office, agreement is growing on the high pressure/ridging pattern ending Friday. “A deep, elongated trough is forecasted to move through the area. Increased cloud cover and a deeper marine layer will lead to more moderated temperatures over northwest California Friday and Saturday. A return of rain is forecasted to arrive sometime between Saturday night and Sunday midday. Generally, rainfall amounts are likely to be minor, but precipitation rates could briefly be moderate to locally heavy. National Blend of Models is showing around a 40 to 80% chance for over an inch of rain from Sunday morning through Tuesday morning. The highest probabilities are focused more for the higher elevations in Humboldt, Trinity, and Del Norte counties. Forecast uncertainty grows early to mid-next week. Some ensemble forecasts are showing a break in precipitation, while others are showing continued pulses of precipitation. That said, the forecast is fairly certain this change in weather will bring much colder temperatures, increased rainfall, and mountain snowfall to the area.

Upcoming salmon information meetings
The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will hold the annual Salmon Information Meeting in person at the California Natural Resources Agency Auditorium at 715 P St. in Sacramento on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at 1 p.m., and will also be livestreamed online. The meeting will feature the outlook for this year’s ocean salmon fisheries, in addition to a review of last year’s salmon fisheries and inland spawner returns.

CDFW statement:

Eel River steelhead returns
During the week of January 12 – 18, 45 adult steelhead (female 21, male 17, unknown 7) and one (1) subadult steelhead were observed moving upstream through the fishway. An additional 36 adult steelhead (female 17, male, 16, unknown 3) were observed during the week of January 19 – 25. No (0) subadult steelhead were observed moving upstream over this timeframe. The season total for upstream migrating adult steelhead now stands at 115 (female 51, male 42, unknown 22). The season count for subadult steelhead stands at eight (8). For more information, visit https://eelriver.org/the-eel-river/#fishcount

NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream, and the Mattole River from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stanberry Creek are now open to fishing. More information can be found here.

Mad
According to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors, the river is low, but still green. “It’s definitely not clearing as fast as the other rivers,” said Kelly. “The fishing remains tough as we haven’t seen many hatchery fish yet. The rain coming up will help, hopefully it will bring in some more fish.” A very slight bump in flows is predicted for early Monday morning, with bigger increases starting mid-week. If the predictions hit, it could be dirty by next weekend.

Main stem Eel
As of Thursday, flows were at 2,500 cfs at Scotia. Conditions remain excellent, and there are fishing being caught. Boats have been spread out from the top to bottom, and there seems to be good numbers of fresh steelhead scattered throughout. A very small rise is predicted for Monday, but a larger rise is forecast for mid-week. If the predictions are right, it could be big and muddy by next weekend.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is low and clear, running at 620 cfs at Miranda as of Thursday afternoon. Despite the conditions, fish are being caught, though the crowds have thinned. A small increase in flows is predicted for Monday. A bigger change is forecast for mid-next week where we could see heavier rainfall totals and a possible blowout by the weekend.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen remains closed as of Saturday, January 31. As of Thursday, flows were down to 100 cfs. If the rain totals fall as predicted, it won’t be enough to open the river as it’s predicted to peak at 125 cfs. Additional rainfall is predicted to start next Wednesday, which could open up the river to fishing and possibly blow it out by the weekend. Minimum flows to keep the river open are 150 cfs at the Grizzly Creek gauge.

Smith River
The Smith is low and clear and in need of some rain. And it’s on the way. As of Thursday, it was just under 6.0 feet (932 cfs) at the Jed Smith gauge. If the predictions are right, it should begin to rise Sunday evening and peak early Monday at 9.5 feet. This is the first of a couple of rises forecast for next week. The bigger one should come Friday, which should provide some good conditions next weekend. We should see quite a few new fish enter the system on the rises, but once it settles down, it should be good fishing.

Southern Oregon rivers
“Almost a month since the last heavy rain, a significant rise in the Chetco is expected Sunday morning,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Flows are expected to jump from around 500 cfs to nearly 2,500 cfs, prime conditions for steelhead. The river has seemed lower than the actual flow, with drift boaters struggling to find floatable water above Ice Box and plenty of bumping and dragging below Loeb. Groups of steelhead can be seen, but they are easily spooked on the low, clear water.

The rain also will give the Elk and Sixes a much-needed boost in flows, at a time when fishing is usually at its peak. The Rogue also should fish well after the rise for plunkers and boaters anchoring and running plugs. Salmon have been encountered by bottom fish anglers near Mack Arch, so don’t be surprised by an early springer on the Rogue.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, lingcod fishing was fair with a big swell and choppy seas this week out of Brookings. “Rough weather is likely Friday through Sunday. Surfperch are already moving into shallow areas near beaches.”

Dry Stretch Continues as North Coast Rivers Drop

Andy Peterson of Arcata landed a chrome-bright winter steelhead while fishing the Mad River last weekend. Photo courtesy of Andy Peterson

Another week of steelhead fishing is in the books, and once again it passed without any meaningful precipitation. Most North Coast rivers are now running low and clear, with the notable exceptions of the larger systems like the Eel and the Klamath. Redwood Creek has closed due to low flows, and the Van Duzen followed earlier this week, with additional closures likely before the weekend. Simply put, we’re running out of fishable water.

Unfortunately, the 10-day ensemble forecast offers little optimism. There’s no indication of significant rainfall through the first week of February. While there are rumors of a potential pattern change sometime in the middle of the second week, that’s all they are for now—rumors. Low, clear rivers remain the current reality.

Weather outlook
According to the Eureka’s National Weather Service office, global models continue to indicate another shortwave trough approaching NW California coast this weekend. “Surface frontal passage appears to hold off until Sunday when most of the precipitation is expected. A faster scenario suggests rain arriving earlier Saturday night. Multi-model ensemble continues to indicate a 40-60% chance for 0.25 inches or more in 24 hours ending 4 p.m. Sunday or 4 a.m. Monday for the northern most zones. There is a 13-23% chance for 1″ in 24 hours over Del Norte mountains and SW Humboldt (King Range) for the same 24-hour time periods.

CDFW statement:

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing, except Redwood Creek. The Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, and Smith rivers all remain open to fishing. The low-flow closure telephone hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast. Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

Mad
According to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors, the fishing has been a little slow and the pressure has been light. “There are quite a few fish in the system, but they’re scattered and not bunching up like previous years,” said Kelly. “You’ll need to move around a lot to find fish. Typically, the best fishing is in February, hopefully that will be the case this year.” As of Thursday, the river was holding steady at just under 7 feet.

Main stem Eel
The river was big over the weekend, but the color was just about perfect. With flows again on the drop, conditions are about ideal. That’s the good news. The bad news is there doesn’t seem to be a ton of fish around. Boats are reporting one to two fish per drift, with some zeros mixed in. To be fair, there were some better scores reported as well. With the current conditions, the river is attracting a crowd. As of Thursday, flows were right around 3,590 cfs at Scotia.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is on the low side and getting clear, running at 874 cfs at Miranda as of Thursday. Despite the conditions, fish are being caught, though the crowds have thinned. It’s predicted to be under 800 cfs by the weekend. Spots that hold fish will get fewer until we see some substantial rain.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was down to 146 cfs as of Thursday afternoon and could close by Friday due to low flows. CDFW closed the river on Tuesday, but it opened back up with the rain that fell Wednesday. When the flows were decent, there were fish being caught, mostly by bank anglers. Minimum flows to keep the river open are 150 cfs at the Grizzly Creek gauge.

Smith River
The Smith is low and clear and in need of some rain. As of Thursday, it was just under 6.25 feet (1,186) at the Jed Smith gauge. Despite the conditions, some fish are still being caught. Fishing pressure remains light as most have moved on to other rivers.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes/Rogue
“This week’s rain did little to boost flows on the Chetco, where steelhead fishing is fair at best, with a mix of hatchery and wild fish spread throughout the river,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The river is driftable, but boats are scraping bottom getting downriver. With no major rain in the forecast, pressure has been light. The Rogue, Elk and Sixes also are low and clear, with slow fishing.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, rough weather has limited ocean fishing outside of Brookings. “Lingcod and rockfish action has been good, but more rough weather is expected through the weekend.”

Nearly three weeks dry: coastal rivers in need of rain

Fortuna resident Ron Acuna landed a bright winter steelhead while fishing the South Fork Eel Monday. Photo courtesy of Damon Albright.

It’s been nearly three weeks since the last meaningful rainfall, and most coastal rivers are starting to show it. With the exception of the main stem Eel and the Mad, which are both rounding into excellent shape, flows across the region are dropping and water is turning low and clear. While several systems remain fishable, many rivers — particularly the Smith and Chetco — are in need of a good shot of rain. The good news is that all rivers are currently holding a solid number of winter steelhead, and a few inches of rain would do wonders by boosting flows, pushing fish upriver toward spawning tributaries, and drawing in fresh fish from the ocean.

Weather outlook
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “conditions will slightly warm but greatly moisten early next week as a weak warm front alongside a push of southerly winds crosses the area around Tuesday. Increasing midlevel clouds will generally limit the high temperature potential. There is high model agreement that a weak and quick moving trough will cross the area behind the warm front sometime around Wednesday. This trough will bring the first real chances of wetting rain since the first week of January.

Rain will most likely be relatively evenly spread across the area from North to South, with only a slight focus on the North Coast. There remains very high model spread in terms of rain amounts. For low elevations, model means over 48 hours are around.2 to.5 inches, though there is a 10% chance of greater than 1.5 inches or even greater at higher elevations. At the same time, the bottom 30% of models still show no rain at all. In any case, more moist conditions are essentially certain, even should no rain occur, and even the very high end of forecast will pose little to no flood risk given the recent dry period.”

The Rivers:
As of Friday, all rivers subject to low flow fishing closures are open. This includes the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Mad, Van Duzen, Redwood Creek, and Smith. The low-flow closure telephone hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast. Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

Mad
The Mad is in good shape and steelhead are showing up according to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors. “There seems to be a fair number of fish around,” said Kelly. “The water is still not perfect, but green enough. Fish seem to be throughout the system.” As of Friday, it was right at 7.15 feet and holding decent color. If you’re looking to catch a steelhead, it’s a good option.

Main stem Eel
The main stem dropped into shape this week and is nice and green, but still big. It was running at 4,400 cubic feet per second as of Friday and should be in great shape through the weekend and likely through the end of the month prior to the next round of storms moving in. There are some steelhead around, but the bite isn’t wide open.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is running at just above 1,000 cfs at Miranda as of Friday. It’s been in really good shape for over a week and has provided some pretty good fishing at times from the top to the bottom. It should continue to fish through the weekend, but will continue to clear, making fishing a little tougher. It was fairly crowded over the weekend but has since thinned out. The ensemble forecast shows a bump in flows at the end of the month, which could color it up for a few days. It doesn’t look like a full blow out as of today.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was down to 190 cfs Friday and is in great shape. Catch reports are hard to come by, but it’s a great option if you’re looking for a spot to bank fish.

Smith River
Flows were under 1,600 cfs (6.6 feet) on the Jed Smith gauge Friday. Despite the low, clear conditions, fishing has been decent for the boats still trying. Fishing pressure has been very light as a lot of anglers have moved to other rivers. The ensemble forecast shows an increase in flows beginning next Friday, which will improve conditions.

Chetco/Rogue/Elk/Sixes
The Chetco is low and clear, but with less pressure, steelhead fishing is decent reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Roe and Corkies are working for drift boaters and bank anglers, along with smaller MagLip plugs,” said Martin. “Rain isn’t expected until the end of the month, and it won’t be very much, but should pull in some new fish.

Plunkers are getting steelhead first thing in the morning on the Lower Rogue, but the action has been slow after the sun hits the water. Upstream near Grants Pass, fishing has been good for side-drifters. The Elk and Sixes are low and clear and difficult to drift.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, lingcod fishing has been very good out of Brookings. “Sport crabbing also has improved. Conditions look decent for the weekend, with the area from Bird Island north being the best.

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Emerald water ahead as coastal rivers improve

Eureka resident Bob Hurst landed a nice Chetco steelhead earlier this week. Photo courtesy of Michael LeGrand

It’s been a solid ten days since we’ve seen any measurable precipitation, and most of the coastal rivers are starting to feel the effects — some in a good way, others not so much.

Starting with the positives: the Mattole, South Fork Eel, and Van Duzen are all in great shape right now and should remain fishable through next week. That said, it won’t be long before they’ll need a fresh shot of rain. The Smith and Chetco, which tend to clear the quickest, will need a few inches as well, as they’re now starting to get low and clear.

The main stem Eel and the Mad River are right on the cusp of dropping into shape. By the end of next week, both should be running emerald green. However, just as they come into form, rain may be creeping back into the forecast. Dry weather is expected to persist through next Thursday, though some ensemble models are hinting at potential river rises by Friday. I’m certainly hoping that rain arrives sooner rather than later.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “upper ridging aloft and offshore wind flow will ensure a continuation of dry weather for the remainder of the week into the weekend. So far there are not any strong signals from the global ensembles and deterministic solutions for any significant rain. Some drizzle could be squeezed out from a stratus push early or mid-next week as a transient front clips the area. Probabilistic guidance is not very high at this point even for a few hundredths. Mostly dry and stable weather is forecast for the next 7 days.”

Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions are looking excellent for offshore crabbing this starting Friday and going through the weekend. As of Thursday, Friday’s forecast is calling for southeast winds to 5 knots with waves northwest 3 feet at eight seconds and west 4 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday, the winds will be out of the east up to 5 knots and waves will be out of the northwest 2 feet at seven seconds and west 3 feet at 12 seconds. Sunday, winds will come from the north up to 5 knots with waves out of the west 4 feet at 15 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit https://www.weather.gov/eka/ or https://www.windy.com/. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Sport crab update
Ocean conditions are lining up for a great weekend for sport crabbers out of Eureka. Both wind and swells are expected to be minimal. Boats dropping gear on both sides of the entrance are averaging 10 to 15 keepers on an overnight soak.

Updated Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations Guide Now Available
In an email sent out Jan. 13 by CDFW, the 2026 version of the ocean sport fish regulations are now online.

CDFW statement:

The updated guide is now available on the CDFW Fishing Regulations web page, in the CDFW License App, and on the CDFW Marine Region’s comprehensive Ocean Sport Fishing web page.

Regulation changes and updates include the following:

Regulations governing the use of hoop nets north of Pt. Arguello, Santa Barbara County have been updated in the section titled “Gear Restrictions for Recreational Take of Saltwater Crustaceans” (see CCR T14 §29.80)
Free Fishing Days information, website links, and various other items have been updated for the New Year.

To quickly check for open seasons, size limits, and bag/possession limits for popular California fish and shellfish, go to the regulation summary tables beginning on page 44 in the guide.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all rivers subject to low flow fishing closures are open. This includes the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Mad, Van Duzen, Redwood Creek, and Smith. The low-flow closure telephone hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast. Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

Mad
The Mad is starting to come around, both in color and height, but is still off color. As of Thursday, it’s dipped below 1,600 cfs (8.25 feet) and could be in decent shape by the weekend. It may still be a little on the pushy side. Should be plenty of steelhead around when it drops.

Main stem Eel
The main stem is still big, but starting to turn as of Thursday, flowing at just above 8,600 cfs and dropping. It should be down to a fishable height, though still big, by late next week. The next rise is forecast for next Friday, which is looking, which won’t give anglers much time before it muddies back up.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is green, and was holding right around 1,800 cfs at Miranda Thursday. It dropped into really good shape, especially in the Benbow area, on Wednesday. Boat traffic will likely be heavy over the weekend, but the river should be fishable to the forks. Not a wide-open bite by any means, but there were some nice fish caught. If the ensemble forecast is correct, we may see a rise starting next Friday.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was down to 425 cfs as of Thursday and should be plenty fishable. It should be a good option for the weekend, especially for bank anglers. Flows are predicted to be around 340 cfs by Saturday morning.

Smith River
The Smith is getting low and clearing, sitting at just above 9 feet at the Jed Smith gauge as of Thursday. There are fish to be had, but you’ll need to be stealthy with these conditions. Most anglers have moved north to the Chetco where conditions are a little better. Predicted to be 8.7 feet by Saturday morning.

Chetco/Lower Rogue
“The Chetco dropped into prime shape, with fair to good action for steelhead,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Fish are spread throughout the river, with wild and hatchery adults. Guides working the upper river are finding fish early in the morning, while the lower river bite has been mid-day. Side-drifting roe and Puff Balls or soft beads has worked best. No rain is expected in the next week.

The lower Rogue is kicking out a few nice steelhead, but the best action is still to come. Conditions are now near prime. Still a month early for the first spring salmon reports.”

Dry Stretch Sets the Stage for Prime Steelhead Conditions

Crescent City resident Kam Hafezi landed this nice winter steelhead while plunking on the Smith River Monday. Photo courtesy of Kam Hafezi

After a very wet end to the year, the rain has finally shut off and it’s time to watch the rivers drop into fishable shape. The “last hurrah” of rain came earlier this week, and we’re now entering an extended stretch of drier weather — exactly what we’ve been waiting for.

Over the next week, most coastal rivers (aside from the Smith) will finally fill in with green water. The Smith is in perfect shape right now, but will be low and clear by next week. The Chetco is already dropping into shape and should offer prime conditions next week. The upper South Fork Eel should come into shape early next week and be fishable down to the confluence by later in the week. The Van Duzen, Mad, and Mattole shouldn’t be far behind.

The main Eel still has some work to do and will likely need a couple weeks of dry weather to reach fishable levels. That said, early reports from both the Smith and Chetco suggest we’re off to a strong start numbers-wise — now we just need the conditions.

And they’re about to line up.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “showers associated with a passing cold front will continue to diminish through Thursday afternoon. Along the coast, 0.3 to 0.6 inches of rain fell Wednesday night into early Thursday with locally higher amounts in the mountains (especially in Del Norte). Lower amounts are expected for the southern half of the area as the showers diminish Thursday.

Otherwise, weak ridging will slowly build into the region this weekend and into early next week. Gradual warming will occur by late this weekend and build into mid next week. Above average temperatures are forecast by Tuesday with some daytime interior highs in the low 70s by early next week. In contrast to the last couple of weeks, there is very little chance of rain with only 10% of ensemble members indicating any chance for wetting rain during the week.”

Commercial Crab season to open in parts of the North Coast
In a press release issued Jan 8., CDFW will open portions of northern California on Jan. 15 under a 15% gear reduction.

CDFW statement:

“The commercial fishery will open in the following areas at 12:01 a.m., Jan. 15 preceded by a 64-hour gear setting period beginning at 8:01 a.m. on Jan. 12:

California/Oregon border (42° 0.0’ N. latitude) to the southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Protected Areas (41° 17.6′ N. latitude), and
Cape Mendocino (40° 10.0’ N. latitude) to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line (38° 46.125’ N. latitude).

This follows the Jan. 5 opening of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the Central Management Area (south of the Sonoma/Mendocino County line, 38° 46.125’ N. latitude).

In one area of northern California, state health agencies determined that Dungeness crab have unhealthy levels of domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin, and recommended delaying the opening of the commercial fishery in that area. Following this recommendation, the Acting Director of California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) ordered a delay in the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery from the southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Protected Areas (41^o 17.6′ N. latitude) to Cape Mendocino (40° 10.0’ N. latitude).

Please see the CDFW Director’s Declaration regarding allowances for transiting, possessing, and landing Dungeness crab within this closure area.

The Fair Start Provision is also triggered when there are commercial season delays along the West Coast for Dungeness crab. This provision prohibits vessels that fished in another area prior to the opening of a delayed area from fishing in the newly opened area for a period of 30 days. This will apply to the fishing areas that are scheduled to open Jan. 15 and vessels subject to Fair Start may not begin fishing in these areas until Feb 14. For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions for the current 2025-26 commercial Dungeness crab season.

The delayed opening of commercial Dungeness crab fishing in this area shall remain in effect until the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, in consultation with the State Public Health Officer of California Department of Public Health (CDPH), determines that domoic acid no longer poses a significant risk to public health. If a determination is made that any part of the delay should be lifted, announcements will be made as soon as possible. Pursuant to Section 5523 of the Fish and Game Code, the CDFW Director may provide a minimum of 72-hour notice to the fleet when trap gear can be set.”

NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam and the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream are now open to fishing. More information can be found here.

Mattole River opened to fishing Jan. 1
The Mattole River is now open to fishing as of Jan. 1 from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stanberry Creek. Only artificial lures may be used, and barbless hooks are required. The Mattole is also regulated by low-flow closures, with a minimum flow of 320 cfs at the Petrolia gauging station.

Lewiston dam increasing releases down the Trinity
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has issued a change order notification ceasing the ramp-down from our Synchronization Flow and will be increasing releases from Trinity and Lewiston dam starting Jan. 7, 2026 in order to manage reservoir storage volume. An additional change order was issued that same Wednesday that will increase releases beginning Monday, Jan. 12. Releases will begin at 6 a.m. and go from 1,500 cfs to 1,750 and will peak at 4 p.m. at 3,000 cfs. For more information, visit www.trrp.net/restoration/flows/flow-release-notifications/

Mad
The Mad is sitting right around 11 feet as of Thursday and is now on the drop. With no rain in the forecast, it could drop down to a fishable color and height by late next week. It’s predicted to be at 8.5 feet by mid-next week.

Main stem Eel
The Eel is still big and brown, flowing at 28,800 cfs as of Thursday. It will be on the drop for at least the next 10 days, but it doesn’t look like it will get down to a fishable level next week. It’s predicted to still be around 8,000 cfs at the end of next weekend.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is on the drop and should be in fishable shape by mid-next week. Flows are predicted to be right around 2,200 cfs Wednesday, which will be a little on the pushy side. But the water should be green. Conditions are looking excellent through next weekend.

Van Duzen
The Duzen is still on the big side, flowing at 1,900 cfs at Bridgeville as of Thursday. Like the rest of the coastal rivers, it will be on the drop through the weekend and all next week. If the predictions hold, we could see some green water late next week or by the weekend.

Smith
The river dropped into shape Tuesday and boats plunking as well as drifting did very well. Both bank and boat anglers reported multiple hookups and fish landed. As of Thursday, the river was 11.25 feet at the Jed Smith gauge and dropping slowly after rising slightly overnight. It should be in prime shape through the weekend, but will start to get low and clear by later next week.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes/Rogue
The Chetco fished well for steelhead before blowing out last week, with a mix of wild and hatchery adults up to 15 pounds reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Drift boaters found fish spread throughout the river,” said Martin. “Plunkers also did well last week at Social Security Bar and the water tower. The river should fish by Thursday or Friday, with prime conditions expected next week.

The Rogue is high and muddy, with a few anglers trying their luck plunking. The Sixes will be blown out through the weekend, but the Elk will be fishable this week.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, high swells are expected to subside by Saturday, allowing anglers to get offshore for lingcod and rockfish. “Lingcod fishing has been good from Bird Island north, away from the freshwater pouring out of the Chetco.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTubeand fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Rising rivers reset coastal steelhead conditions

Mark Parrish holds a hefty Chetco River steelhead that hit a roe and Corky combination while fishing with guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing on New Year’s Eve.

The Smith and Chetco have been in great shape this week, and green water was finally on the horizon for some of the other coastal rivers. Unfortunately, that’s all about to change — again. Mother Nature is again hitting the reset button, putting rivers back on the rise and erasing about a week and a half of progress toward fishable conditions. And we all know what comes next.

The Smith will be the first river to drop back into shape and looks driftable early next week. The Chetco will likely be a few days behind, becoming fishable later in the week.

As for the rest of the coast, it’s back to square one when it comes to fishable conditions. Looking at the 10-day forecast, it appears the Smith and Chetco will be the only options for the first couple weeks of the new year.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “the first in a series of storm systems is now moving through northwest California producing light to moderate rainfall throughout the region. Up to 0.75″ has been recorded in parts of Mendocino and Lake counties with much less rain off to the north in northern Humboldt and Del Norte.

A more potent front will approach the region on Friday, first bringing increasing southerly winds across the entire region. Ridgetop winds could reach advisory levels by late Friday morning across Humboldt and Del Norte counties, expanding inland through the day. The front will then rapidly move through the region during the evening or overnight hours Friday night with a narrow band of potentially very strong winds which could mix down to the coastal plain. Wind advisories have been issued for all coastal areas and coastal ridge tops.

There may be a quick hit of stronger winds to warning levels on the ridgetops near Cape Mendocino and a high wind watch is in effect for that area. Behind this front a secondary low will approach the northwest California coast within a more unstable, mixed atmosphere. It is highly likely that this low will bring another round of strong southerlies on Saturday, especially in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, and the winds could mix better down to the coastal plain and again bring strong winds to the ridgetops.

In addition to the wind from these two systems, heavy rain is also expected. Guidance is now in very good agreement on a band of rain with heavy rain rates rapidly moving through the region in advance of the front. Total rainfall is not expected to be exceptionally heavy, around 1-3 inches across the region, but this rain should allow for many small streams to begin to rise. Quickly behind this front the rain will re-enhance as the secondary low approaches and an atmospheric river may aim toward Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, and Lake counties. Guidance continues to increase the rainfall potential and Saturday into Sunday. Overall rainfall during the Thursday through Monday could range from 3-6 inches across the region with locally higher amounts up to 8 inches. This heavy rain could easily result in small stream flooding and even main stem rivers reaching critical flood levels. Thus, a flood watch has been issued for all of Humboldt, Mendocino, and Lake counties. If these trends continue it will be highly likely that flood advisories and/or warnings will be needed this weekend into Monday.”

Humboldt County sport Dungeness crab fishery opens
In a press release issued by CDFW very late Tuesday, sport crab anglers learned the season in Humboldt had opened earlier in the day. According to CDFW, “state health agencies determined that Dungeness crab in waters from the southern boundary of the Reading Rock Marine Protected Areas to Cape Mendocino can open. While the area is open to fishing, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a health advisory to not eat crab viscera (also known as guts) and to clean crab prior to cooking.

Due to the potential for whales in this area to become entangled in trap buoy lines, Dungeness crab may currently only be taken with hoop nets, crab snares, or by hand in accordance with the declared trap prohibition in RAMP Fishing Zone 1. Effective 8:01 a.m., Jan. 2, 2026, crab trap restrictions in this area will be lifted and all recreational gear types may be used statewide.”

Commercial crab fishery in Northern Management Area to open Jan. 15
The Dungeness crab season in the Northern Management Area (California/Oregon border to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line) remains delayed because of the inability to conduct meat quality testing due to elevated levels of domoic acid. Pending results of ongoing domoic acid testing, the season will open on Jan. 15, 2026, at 12:01 a.m., under a 15% trap reduction.

After being delayed due to entanglement risk, the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the Central Management Area (Sonoma/Mendocino County line (38°46.125’ N. latitude) to Point Conception (34°27’ N. latitude)) will open on Jan. 5, 2026, at 12:01 a.m., under a 40% trap reduction.

Boat-based rockfish season comes to a close
The rockfish and lingcod season is now closed as of Dec. 31, 2025, for boat-based anglers in the Northern and Central Management Areas. The season is open year-round for Shore-based anglers that fish from beaches, banks, piers, jetties, breakwaters, docks, and other manmade structures connected to the shore and spear fishermen entering the water either from the shore or from a boat or other floating object.

NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam and the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream are now open to fishing. More information can be found here.

Mattole River opened to fishing Jan. 1
The Mattole River opened to fishing Jan. 1 from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stanberry Creek. Only artificial lures may be used, and barbless hooks are required. The Mattole is also regulated by low-flow closures, with a minimum flow of 320 cfs at the Petrolia gauging station.

Mad
The Mad is still high and dirty and is about to get another big rise. The next round of storms is forecast to push levels past the monitor stage (over 15 feet) Sunday evening. It will need a couple weeks of dry weather before we see some green water.

Main stem Eel
The Eel dipped below 13,000 cfs at Scotia Thursday, but another big rise is on the way. Flows are expected to surpass 85,000 cfs Sunday night. Will need at least a couple weeks of dry weather once it starts to drop before it comes down to a fishable height.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was green above the East Fork Wednesday and needed just a few more dry days before it became fishable to the forks. All that is out the window now as the next round of storms approach. It was on a slow rise Thursday but will pick up steam over the weekend. It’s predicted to peak at over 19,000 cfs Sunday afternoon. It will likely need up to 10 days of dry weather before the color and height align. It will typically fish a few days earlier above Benbow.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen is back on the rise after getting down to 800 cfs Wednesday. Flows are predicted to reach 11,700 cfs Sunday morning before it goes back on the drop. If the 10-day forecast is correct, it likely won’t fish the first couple weeks of January.

Smith
The river dropped into shape last weekend and has been fishable since. A few fish were caught each day by the plunkers as well as the boats drifting from the forks down. It was just starting to rise slowly Thursday, and it’s predicted to peak at 10.6 feet on the Jed Smith gauge early Friday. With a break in the rain, it should be driftable by mid-day Friday. By Saturday its forecast for a much steeper rise, reaching 14.5 feet Sunday afternoon. Monday looks like a good day for plunking, and by Tuesday it should be in great shape to drift. The 10-day forecast has the river hovering between 11 and 12 feet from Tuesday through next weekend.

Chetco/Elk
“The Chetco dropped into shape over the weekend for plunkers and on Monday for drift boats,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Rain is expected to push the Chetco above 5,000 cfs on Friday and blow it out Saturday and Sunday. Plunkers did well on the lower river early in the week, while guides reported a mix of half pounders and larger adults, with a few fish pushing 15-plus pounds. Overall action has been fair. The Elk produced a mix of late salmon and early steelhead before it closed for the season Wednesday night. It remains open for steelhead.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, sport crabbing has slowed out of Brookings since the commercial opener, but pots soaking in 100 feet of water are still getting half a dozen or more keepers per trap, with most barely legal and few jumbos. “Lingcod and rockfish action remains very good, although stormy weather is expected for the next week.”

All Eyes on the Smith as Storms Limit Winter Steelhead Options

Sisters, Oregon, resident Taylor Robertson landed this beautiful winter steelhead back in January of 2023 on the Smith River. Recent storms have left the Smith River as the only fishable river for the next couple weeks. Photo courtesy of Josh Smith Guide Service

If you’re looking to tangle with your first coastal winter steelhead between now and the end of the year, your options will likely be limited to the Smith River. It’s currently the only river on the coast running green and fishable, and it’s expected to remain that way as the region stays locked into a wet weather pattern over the next couple of weeks.

A larger rise is forecast for Friday, which could make the river unsafe to drift, but plunking will be an excellent option. Weekend conditions are shaping up well, with the river expected to hover in the 11- to 12-foot range. Beginning Monday and continuing through next week, flows are forecast to range from 11 to 13 feet on the Jed Smith gauge—ideal plunking conditions from both the bank and a boat. Drifting from the forks down should also be a good option on the lower end of those flows.

Elsewhere on the coast, from the Mad River south to the South Fork Eel, green water appears unlikely before 2026. Multiple storm systems are expected to bring rain this weekend, followed by additional rainfall next week that will keep rivers high and off color.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, moderate to heavy rainfall will begin spreading into Del Norte County late Thursday as the next IVT plume sags south. Mean HREF and RRFS hourly rainfall rates are 0.3 to 0.5 inch per hour, with locally up to 0.6 inch per hour over the higher and windward facing terrain through a large portion of Del Norte County.

The front and focus of moderate to heavy rainfall and chances for minor flooding will then progress southward through North California throughout the day Friday. South of Del Norte, the heaviest rainfall rates will be mostly along the windward slopes of the higher terrain. All main stem rivers are forecast to remain below action or monitor stages, however rivers in narrow basins will likely once again quickly rise. Creeks and streams will also quickly rise and could result in nuisance flooding. Ponding on roadways is also likely throughout the duration of heavy rainfall. Rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches are forecast for Del Norte County, with 1 to 3 south through Northern Mendocino County. Outside of Del Norte, there is up to a 70% chance for 24-hour rainfall over 3 inches for southwest facing slopes of Cape Mendocino and some higher interior ridges of Humboldt.

Rainfall will turn much lighter Friday afternoon with a transition to lighter rain or showers. Rainfall will then begin trending higher Saturday south through Lake and Mendocino counties.”

Oregon sport bottomfish regs set for 2026
In a press release issued Dec. 12, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission finalized the 2026 recreational bottomfish season and regulations.

Bag Limits

General Marine Species:
- 4-fish bag limit (new in 2026)
- Canary rockfish: 2-fish sub-bag limit (new in 2026)
- Cabezon: 1-fish sub-bag limit
  - 16-inch minimum size limit
  - Opens July 1
Lingcod: 3-fish bag limit (new in 2026)
- 22-inch minimum size limit
Flatfish: 25-fish bag limit
Sablefish: 10-fish bag limit
Offshore long-leader fishery: 10-fish bag limit
- Canary rockfish: 2-fish sub-bag limit (new in 2026)
- For a 10-fish bag limit to apply, long-leader gear must be used outside (seaward) of the 40-fathom regulatory line
- 10 midwater rockfish species only
Retention of yelloweye and quillback rockfishes remain prohibited.

The bottomfish fishery will again be open at all-depths year-round (no seasonal depth restriction).

Beginning in 2026, an Ocean Endorsement is required for most anglers fishing in the ocean from beaches, jetties, and boats except when taking shellfish or when fishing for and retaining salmon or steelhead unless other marine finfish are retained. For more information on requirements and fees, please visit myodfw.com/articles/ocean-endorsement.

Recreational Red Abalone fishery to remain closed until 2036
In a press release issued Thursday, the California Fish and Game Commission has extended the Red Abalone recreational fishery closure.

CDFW Commission Statement:

“In a move to protect red abalone populations that have suffered drastic population decline, the California Fish and Game Commission at its Dec. 10-11 meeting extended the red abalone recreational fishery closure 10 years.
The Commission unanimously voted to adopt regulatory amendments to extend the red abalone recreational fishery closure in Northern California until April 1, 2036. The Commission determined that continuing the closure is necessary to protect red abalone and help facilitate its restoration.
California’s red abalone population suffered a drastic decline, approximately 85%, following the 2014 kelp forest collapse triggered by a marine heatwave. The loss of kelp greatly contributed to this decline and the increase in purple sea urchin densities prevent kelp recovery, abalone’s primary food source. CDFW will be supporting abalone restoration through the development of a statewide red abalone restoration plan that will include robust and adaptive strategies to support abalone populations.”

Guy Mitchell from Laytonville with a nice ling cod caught over the weekend out of Shelter Cove. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell, Sea Hawk Sport Fishing

Shelter Cove update
“Fishing and crabbing was great over the weekend, until the weather turned,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Both Sunday and Monday we had limits or rockfish, lings, and crab and were off the water by 11 am. The crabs aren’t really big, but they’re nice and full.”

Brookings update
According to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters, Lingcod fishing has been good out of Brookings, but rough weather is expected for the next week.

NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2026.

Mad
The Mad is high and off color, sitting at just over 9 feet on Thursday. With more rain in the forecast, it will likely remain that way through all next week and weekend. The likelihood of seeing green water is slim between now and the new year. Once the flows do recede, we should be off and running on the steelhead season.

Main Eel
After reaching 48,000 cfs Wednesday night, the man Eel was on the drop Thursday. The next round of storms will put it back on the rise Friday, with flows predicted to reach 65,000 Monday morning. Needless to say, it will need a couple weeks of dry weather before it rounds into shape. When the river drops down to a fishable height and color, we should see some pretty good steelhead fishing.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork Eel is big and muddy, and temporarily on the drop. It peaked Wednesday at over 21,000 cfs, but was right around 5,000 cfs Thursday. With more rain on the way, it will likely remain too high and off color all next week and through the weekend. There should be some winter steelhead around once it drops and clears.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen peaked at over 8,700 cfs Wednesday morning, but has dropped quickly. It was down to 1,600 cfs Thursday, but was still dirty. More rain Friday and throughout the weekend will keep the river off color. It’s not forecast to drop down to a fishable height between now and the first of the year.

Smith
The Smith jumped to over 21 feet Wednesday, but has since dropped down to a fishable height. As of Thursday afternoon, it was just above 10 feet, perfect for drifting. However, more rain is predicted for Friday, which could push flows to high to drift. The weekend looks plenty fishable, as does next week. It’s forecast to remain in the 10-12-foot range all next week, and will likely be the only game in town. Should be some steelhead making their way in.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The few boats fishing the Chetco before Tuesday’s rain were finding decent numbers of adult steelhead, but high water will now have the river blown out of at least a week,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “River levels jumped 10 feet overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, from 1,500 cfs to nearly 20,000 cfs. Another big storm on Thursday may blow the river out for the rest of the year. Prior to the storms, ODFW crews doing salmon spawning surveys observed impressive numbers of adult steelhead spread throughout the river. Plunkers could have a chance between Christmas and New Year’s, while drift boaters may have to wait for the first week of January. The Elk and Sixes also blew out Tuesday night, with the Elk jumping to nearly 7.5 feet. Both rivers close to salmon fishing Dec. 31.”