Month: September 2018

From September 1 for the Mad River only and October 1 for all other streams through January 31, any of the stream shall be closed to all angling on Tuesday and Wednesday when the department determines that the flow on the previous Monday at any of the designated gauging stations is less than the minimum flows. Any of the streams shall be closed to all angling on Thursday and Friday when the department determines that the flow on the previous Wednesday at any of the designated gauging stations is less than the minimum flows. any of the streams shall be closed to all angling from Saturday through Monday when the department determines that the flow on the previous Friday at any of the designated gauging stations is less than the minimum flows.

The department may close or keep a stream reach closed to fishing when the minimum flow is exceeded on the scheduled flow determination day if the department is reasonably assured that the stream flow is likely to decrease below the minimum flow as specified in subsections (a)(1)-(7) of Section 8.00 before or on the next flow-determination date.

In addition, the department may reopen a stream at any time during a closed period if the minimum flow as specified in subsections (a)(1)-(7) of Section 8.00 is exceeded and the department is reasonably assured that it will remain above the minimum flow until the next scheduled Monday, Wednesday, or Friday flow determination.

The department shall make information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1:00 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be open or closed to fishing. It shall be the responsibility of the angler to use the telephone number designated in the sport fishing regulations booklet to obtain information on the status of any stream.

The number to call for information is (707) 822-3164.

NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2020

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 main stem Eel River from the paved junction of Fulmor Road with the Eel River to the South Fork Eel River. Minimum flow: 350 cfs at the gauging station near Scotia.

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.

In case you haven’t heard, the Klamath River is chocked full of salmon. And it has been for quite a few weeks now. What makes this story remarkable is this is coming on the heels of the river being completely closed to fishing after Aug. 15 last year due to the projected low returns. The CDFW predicted roughly 93,500 fall-run adults were set to return this year, and it appears they may have been right. On average, 122,000 adult fall-run kings return to spawn. In 2017, only 18,410 were predicted, which was the lowest on record. Turns out 31,838 actually returned, which provided some hope for this year.

The first sign that we knew this could potentially be a good year was back in June. Towards the end of that month the estuary was loaded with kings, likely a mixture of springers and early fall-run salmon. The fishing was as good as I’ve ever seen for about six weeks straight. Around the middle of August the fall run started to push upriver, and that’s when the real party started. And it’s been happening ever since.

I’m sure there’s all kinds of scientific reasons for the season we’re having, but a couple stand out. First, the number of jacks that returned to the Klamath last year was sizeable, 21,903 to be exact. History tells us when we have a good return of jacks, the following year should see a healthy return of three year-olds. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing. The condition and placement of the river mouth was much improved this year. It has started to move back towards the north and was much shorter. This allowed for the channel to remain deep and not sand over. Another factor that could have played a part is the extra water coming down from the Trinity. Flows went from 450 to 700 cfs back in July due to emergency releases out of Lewiston Dam due to the Carr fire. Flows were just recently adjusted back down to 450. Whatever the reasons, the Klamath has made a tremendous recovery. And all the signs are pointing towards some epic fishing in the coming years.

Klamath/Trinity quotas

As a reminder, the fall Chinook quota was met on the lower Klamath River on Wednesday, Sept. 12. Fishing is still open from the Hwy. 96 bridge in Weitchpec to the estuary, with the daily bag limit being two jacks (Chinook less than 22 inches) Fishing is closed from 100 yards around the river mouth  (spit area). The quota on the Upper Klamath should remain open until Oct. 10. Closing dates for the Trinity have yet to be determined. Anglers may keep track of the status of open and closed sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers by calling 800-564-6479.

Weekend marine forecast

Winds and seas will continue to diminish this week, though a southerly swell will gradually build this weekend. Friday’s forecast is for winds out of the S up to 5 knots, with NW swells 4 feet at 8 seconds. Winds will blow out of the S up to 5 knots on Saturday, with SW swells 2 feet at 4 seconds and NW 3 feet at 8 seconds. Sunday is looking similar, with winds out of the S 5 to 10 knots and S swells 3 feet at 4 seconds and N 2 feet at 8 seconds. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

The Oceans:

Eureka

With salmon and halibut both closed, rockfish at the Cape has taken center stage. Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing has ventured down that way a couple days this week and reports the fishing has been excellent, especially the ling cod. “On Saturday, we probably had the best ling cod bite I’ve ever seen. It was wide open and we kept limits of fish ranging from 15 to 20 pounds and released plenty more. The rockfish bit well too, but not quite as good. We’re still catching a wide variety and landing limits or very close to it.” Klassen added. Other than rockfish, tuna is the other option this week. Boats were planning on running Thursday and Friday if the weather holds. As of Tuesday, the warm blue water was straight out of Eureka roughly 40 miles. Humboldttuna.com is a great resource if you’re planning on making the run.

Crescent City

Not much happening out of Crescent City, with most of the effort coming from a few of the locals reports Chris Hegne’s of Englund Marine. “We did talk to some guys who were out over the weekend and it sounded like the rockfish bite was red-hot,” Hegnes added.

Shelter Cove

With salmon fishing slow, we’ve spent most of our time rock fishing reports Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “The fishing has been fantastic. The ling cod really went on the chew and we boated easy limits. We spent most of our time fishing the Hat. With warm water within reach and the weather coming down, we’ll be chasing tuna for the next couple days.”

Brookings

Rough weather made ocean fishing tough over the weekend and early this week out of Brookings reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Winds are expected to die down later this week. Crabbing has been very good. Salmon are being caught daily at the mouth of the Chetco. Some days more than two dozen fish are caught by the 20 or so boats trolling the estuary. Good early fishing generally means a big run during peak season in October and early November,” added Martin.

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

Salmon fishing remains wide-open on the lower Klamath. There’s fish in just about every hole and riffle from the Glen all the way up. There’s still a good mix of adults and jacks, as well as some adult steelhead around. As a reminder, salmon larger than 22 inches must be released from the Hwy. 96 Bridge at Weitchpec downriver to the estuary . Please remember that during closures to the take of adult salmon, it’s unlawful to remove any adult Chinook Salmon from the water by any means.

Lower Rogue

The Rogue Bay has been good one day and slow the next according to Martin. He said, “On the good days, most boats are getting multiple fish. Lots of jacks showed up last week. Tuesday was especially good on the Rogue Bay.”

Trinity

There’s quite a few salmon in the river, and both the bank anglers and boats are doing well  reports Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors. He said, “Most of the boats are fishing from Lewiston to the North Fork, and doing well on both salmon and steelhead, The majority of the bankies are fishing from the North Fork to Cedar Flat. It sounds like they’re doing pretty well tossing spinners. The fish that are coming in the river now are in good shape, the meat is nice and red.”

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Matt Dallam, left, along with Parliament-Funkadelic legend George Clinton, are all smiles after Clinton reeled in his first-ever Pacific Halibut on a recent trip out of Eureka. Photo courtesy of NorthWind Charters

North Coast offshore anglers will have one less option come Saturday morning as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced on Monday the closing of the recreational Pacific halibut fishery on Friday, Sept. 21 at 11:59 p.m. for the remainder of 2018. The quota of 30,940 pounds will be surpassed according to CDFW unless the fishery is closed based on the latest catch projections. California’s 2018 quota is approximately 4,000 pounds less than the 2017 quota.

Beginning in 2015, CDFW committed to in-season tracking of the fishery to ensure catch amounts would not exceed the California quota. The quota amount is determined annually in January through an international process, and is largely driven by results from the annual stock assessment conducted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC).

Throughout the season, CDFW closely tracks the progress of the fishery each year to ensure catch amounts do not exceed the California quota. CDFW field staff sample public launch ramps and charter boat landings to monitor catches of Pacific halibut throughout the season, along with other marine sportfish species.

CDFW conferred with NMFS and IPHC on a weekly basis to review projected catch amounts and determine when the quota 2018 would be attained using this information. For current information about the Pacific halibut fishery, science or management, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut

Weekend marine forecast
After a few days of sloppy weather, the ocean looks to be lying down slightly prior to the weekend. Friday, the last day of the Pacific halibut season, looks fishable with winds out of the NW 5 to 15 knots and NW swells 5 feet at 6 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for N winds 5 to 15 knots and NW swells 4 feet at 5 seconds and NW 5 feet at 11 seconds. Seas and wind will both increase on Sunday. Winds will be from the N 10 to 15 knots, with N swells 7 feet at 8 seconds. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Klamath/Trinity quota updates
According to Dan Troxel, Environmental Scientist on the Klamath River Project, the remaining quota on the Upper Klamath should remain open until October 10. “Both the Upper Klamath and Trinity are managed based upon harvest timing. The Upper Klamath is closed approximately 28 days after the lower river quota is met,” said Troxel.

On the Trinity side, according to Troxel, creel surveys are in progress, with a closing date yet to be determined. Just a reminder, the lower Klamath quota for adult Chinook salmon has been met from the Hwy. 96 Bridge at Weitchpec downriver to the ocean. The section is open to fishing with a daily bag limit of two salmon 22 inches or less. Salmon larger than 22 inches must be released. Please remember that during closures to the take of adult salmon, it shall be unlawful to remove any adult Chinook Salmon from the water by any means.

2018 Chetco River recreational season
The Chetco River fall Chinook State Waters Terminal Area Recreational Season will again be halved and split over two weekends in 2018. The recreational season will be Oct. 6-7 and Oct. 13-14 so more anglers can take advantage of the weekend dates. The fishable area is within three nautical miles of shore between Twin Rocks and the Oregon/California border. The bag limit is one (1) Chinook per angler. Minimum length is 26 inches and the terminal tackle is limited to no more than two single point barbless hooks. For more information, visit https://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/Regulations/docs/2018_Chetco_State_Waters.pdf

Carl Casale landed this monster California halibut last Friday on Humboldt Bay while fishing with guide Mike Stratman. The halibut measured 45.25 inches and weighed 35 lbs. California halibut remains open year-round. The daily bag and possession limit is three fish and the minimum size limit is 22 inches total length. Photo courtesy of Bruce Seivertson

The Oceans:
Eureka
Tuna has been the talk of the town since last Wednesday when Marc Schmidt of Coastline Charters got the tuna party started. He found miles of fish roughly 55-60 nautical miles from the entrance, and put 70 albies on board. That was just the start, the weather was magnificent through Sunday and boats galore made their way to the warm, purple water. “This is the best tuna fishing we’ve had in a long time,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, who made the run on Friday and Sunday. “There were big areas of fish about 50 miles off of Patrick’s Point. The majority of the fish were peanuts, but everyone had some medium-sized fish along with a few in the 20-30-pound class.” Scores ranged from the 40’s to up to 70 fish per boat. High boat belonged to Schmidt, he put a whopping 96 tuna on board on Friday. Needless to say, everyone caught all they needed.

Shelter Cove
Like the rest of the North Coast, tuna took center stage last week at the Cove. Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing was in on the action Thursday, Saturday and Sunday boating a total of 98 albacore. “On Thursday, we ran out to Gorda Valley but didn’t do extremely well,” said Mitchell.  “The boats that went south did much better, so the next couple days we ran down towards Noyo Canyon and saw much better numbers. Friday and Monday, we fished rockfish and it was much better than last week. We scored limits pretty quickly both days fishing mostly around the Old Man.”

Brookings
Lingcod and rockfish continue to provide good fishing out of Brookings when the wind isn’t blowing reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “The black rockfish limit increased this week from four to five fish. Lingcod remains two.  A few salmon a day are being caught in the Chetco estuary. Two hours before and two hours after high tide has been best. The early arrival of fish in the estuary usually indicates a big run during peak season,” added Martin.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Salmon fishing is “as good as it gets” right now on the lower Klamath reports guide Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “It’s been really good for a while now, we’re seeing fish in every spot from the Glen on up. There’s a good mix of adults and jacks around, I’d say it’s roughly three adults for every jack we catch. Most everyone is having little trouble getting their two-jack limit,” Coopman added.

Lower Rogue
Fishing on the Rogue Bay remains good with limits common for many guides most days according to Martin. He said, “Even though cooler water temperatures are allowing salmon to quickly continue upriver, enough new fish are arriving on each tide to maintain good fishing. The Rogue continues to be the best bet on the entire Oregon Coast.”

Trinity
Not much has changed since last week, we’re still seeing quite a few salmon in the upper Trinity reports Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors. He said, “The drift boats are doing well side-drifting roe and on plugs wrapped with sardines. More bank anglers have shown up, with most of them targeting the water below the north fork. The water is still a little high for this time of the year, so it’s been a little tougher on the bank guys. We’re still seeing bright kings, but some are starting to color. There’s a few steelhead being caught as well.”

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced on Wednesday that the adult fall Chinook quota has been met and the lower Klamath River from the Hwy. 96 bridge in Weitchpec to the estuary will go into a size restriction as of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12. Fishing will remain open on the lower river (with the exception of the full closure from 100 yards around the river mouth), for jack Chinook (less than 22 inches). Anglers may keep two (2) jacks and two (2) hatchery steelhead per day.

The quota for the Klamath River above Weitchpec will remain open until 593 adult Chinook salmon are caught. “In general, we had a slow start to the year, but fish moved into the river in late August/early September, and catch rates for recreational anglers skyrocketed,” said Dan Troxel, Environmental Scientist with the CDFW Klamath River Project. “We met the quota for closing the fishery at the mouth as of Labor Day Weekend, and nearly perfectly met our harvest goals for that sub-quota. The second weekend in September brought a strong run of fish into the river, and fishing above Highway 101 Bridge turned on in a big way. Limits for boaters and shore anglers around Terwer were not uncommon. The remainder of the quota was caught within about a week’s time. Final estimates of adult harvest for the 2108 season will be made next week.”

According to Troxel, they are seeing a large proportion of jacks, so there should be no shortage of angling opportunities in the coming weeks. “Coupling that with the high numbers of jacks reported in the ocean fishery, we have good indications for a stronger return for 2019,” added Troxel.

“Coming off the full closure last year, having a successful fishery this year, and the outlook for next, it’s probably safe to say we are well into the upswing for salmon fishing on the Klamath, and we look forward to effectively managing our fishery and providing exceptional recreational opportunities to anglers who live on, and visit the beautiful Klamath River,”

For more info, visit https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2018/09/12/lower-klamath-river-quota-met. Anglers may keep track of the status of open and closed sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers by calling 800-564-6479.

Trinity River fish tags wanted

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the CDFW is reminding Trinity River anglers to return Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and steelhead tags in a timely manner. According to the release, tag return information is used each year to calculate harvest and help biologists estimate population size of steelhead and salmon runs. This information feeds into the Klamath basin fall Chinook salmon run-size estimate and informs the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s creation of regulations and quota sizes for the Klamath fishery. The data also allows CDFW to determine if progress is being made toward the goals of the Trinity River Restoration Program. CDFW will no longer be paying rewards for Trinity River tags returned from previous seasons, according to CDFW Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist Mary Claire Kier. As a reminder, anglers must immediately release all Coho salmon and wild steelhead (those with an intact adipose fin). Tags may be removed from these species, but the fish must remain in the water during tag removal. Please use scissors or a sharp knife to remove the tag. For more information on where to send the tags, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/fishing/inland/fish-tags

Weekend marine forecast

The forecast looks great for the weekend. Halibut, rockfish and tuna should all be an option out of Eureka. Out 10 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for NW winds up to 5 knots with waves NW 4 feet at 7 seconds. Northwest winds to 5 knots are forecasted for Saturday, with waves N 3 feet at 4 seconds and NW 2 feet at 12 seconds. The wind will pick up slightly on Sunday coming out of the NW 5 to 10 knots and waves out of the N 3 feet at 4 seconds and N 2 feet at 17 seconds. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Pacific halibut quota update

With decent weather predicted through the weekend, now’s the time to get back on the halibut grounds and take advantage of what’s left of the quota. The California Recreational Fisheries Survey has estimated that 27,024 pounds have been caught towards the 30,940 -pound quota as of September 9. A few days of good fishing could bring an early close to the season. For up-to-date harvest tracking information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking

The Oceans:

Eureka

With salmon season wrapped up in the Northern Management Area, the focus now is on halibut, rockfish and possibly tuna. Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing has been targeting both rockfish and halibut this week, and both have been good. He said, “The halibut bite was excellent last week, we fished three days and had limits on two of them. The best bite was slightly north of the entrance in 250 to 300 feet of water. The rockfish bite at the Cape has been good as well. It was a little bit of a tough bite on Tuesday, but I think that was due to the long swells. It looks like we’ll have some good weather for tuna late this week and the weekend. As of Tuesday, the warm water was 45 miles to the southwest and roughly 65 miles to the north.”

Shelter Cove

Salmon fishing was very slow this last week reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, ” I only heard of a couple legal fish being landed. We fished Gorda last Wednesday for halibut/rockfish combo. The halibut bite was slow and we only landed one 20-pounder, but the rockfish bit really well and we had easy limits. The rest of the week we’ve stayed close and fished from the whistle to the Hat for rockfish. Overall fishing was pretty slow. We fell short of limits a couple days, but we did get some nice lings up to 30-pounds.”

Brookings

Lingcod fishing has improved steadily out of Brookings according to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Lots of fish are moving into shallow water to stage before spawning,” said Martin. “Most are males but there are some larger females. Fishing for rockfish has been good as well.”

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

Salmon fishing had been wide-open on the Klamath reports Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. He said, “There’s lots of adult kings spread throughout the river. But now that the adult quota has been met, we’ll be targeting jacks, and there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of those. There’s also some adult steelhead and some half-pounders around too.”

Lower Rogue

The Rogue bay is hit and miss now reports Martin. He said, “With cooler water temperatures the fish are shooting upstream. There is still a good outgoing tide bite at the jetties as new fish move in.”

Trinity

Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors reports there’s salmon from Lewiston all the way down. He said, “It’s not plugged full, but there are lots of salmon in the river. Boats pulling plugs and side-drifting bait are doing really well. There also catching a couple steelhead per trip. Not many bank anglers have showed up yet. Currently, there’s no issues getting up here and the smoke hasn’t been an issue,” Brady added.

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

The Labor Day weekend is typically the busiest weekend of the fall season on the Klamath River. And this year was no exception. The river was crowded, with plenty of boats and bank anglers trying to land the prized king salmon. Here’s what we know after the dust has settled. The Klamath “spit area”, which is within 100 yards of the channel through the sand spit formed at the Klamath River mouth, closed to fishing as of Monday, Sept. 3 at 11:59 p.m. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) predicted they would meet Area 1 quota (below the 101 bridge) of 524 adult salmon by the end of the day on Monday. And they were pretty darn close. After Monday’s fishing ended, the CDFW counted 519 adult kings. As a reminder, the only the spit area is closed to fishing, the estuary will remain open until the entire lower river quota is met. And speaking of the lower river, or Area 2, we still have some adult kings available for harvest. As of Monday, Sept. 3, 1,189 of the 1,745 quota of adults have been harvested from the hwy. 96 bridge at Weitchpec to the mouth. This leaves roughly 556 adults remaining for harvest. With the big crowds mostly gone, hopefully we’ll get another couple of weeks out of the quota. Once the quota has been met, anglers may still retain a limit of Chinook salmon under 22 inches in length.

Young Anglers Tournament this Sunday

The Trinidad Pier Youth Fishing Tourney will take place this Sunday, Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event is open to all children ages 6 to 15. Prizes will be awarded in each category and fishing gear and bait will be provided. An adult must accompany children. Hot dogs and refreshments will be served following the event. Catch and release is encouraged and no fishing license is required. Look for the sign-up table on the Trinidad Pier. For more information, contact Ken Jones at kenjones@pierfishing.com.

Marine forecast

The high north winds are finally laying down and will remain low through Thursday. However, gusty north winds and steep seas will redevelop south of Cape Mendocino by this weekend. As of Wednesday, the forecast out 10 nautical miles for Friday is calling for winds out of the NW 5 to 10 knots and waves N 3 feet at 5 seconds and SW 2 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday is calling for NW winds 5 to 15 knots and waves N 3 feet at 5 seconds and NW 3 feet at 10 seconds. Sunday’s forecast is calling for NW winds 5 to 10 knots and waves N 5 feet at 5 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For up-to-date weather forecast, visit http://www.weather.gov/eureka. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

The Oceans:

Eureka

The salmon season came to a close on Monday, but it ended on a pretty good note. Conditions were a little too rough to get out on Sunday and Monday, but late last week the fish bit as good as they have all year. “Most of the boats fishing around the 38-39 line scored limits of nice salmon,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The fish were good ones, with some bigger fish in the 12-15-pound class landed. Boats have been off the water since Saturday due to rough seas, but a few were planning on heading out on Wednesday. Hopefully the halibut bite will pick up where it left off. The California halibut bite is still good, with lots of limits being reported. The bigger concentrations of fish have been in the main, deeper channels. There’s still plenty of bait in the bay,” added Klassen.

Shelter Cove

The tuna fishing out of the Cove was pretty good last week reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “On Wednesday, we ran to Gorda Valley and put in 19 albacore to 30 pounds. On Thursday, we boated 34 to 15-pounds outside of the Knoll. I wasn’t on the water this weekend, but the salmon bite out front was reportedly spotty. I know some were caught inside the bell. The rock fishing was excellent over the weekend. A couple boats made it to Rogers and they had limits in a couple drifts.”

Crescent City

The harbor was quiet over the weekend due to the rough ocean reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “There weren’t many boats out over the holiday weekend, the ocean has been pretty bumpy. The last reports I heard was the rockfish bite slowed down. A few boats were out on Wednesday, and it looks like the ocean will be fishable through the weekend,” Hegnes added.

Brookings

The ocean out of Brookings has been fair for bottom fish, and should get better later this week as the wind dies down according to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Some California halibut are being caught.  A few kings were caught in the Chetco estuary over the weekend. That will improve as more fish arrive in the coming weeks,” added Martin

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

Salmon fishing remains steady on the Klamath reports Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. He said, “The fishing is good, and it held up pretty well through the holiday weekend. There’s lots of fish around right now from the top to the bottom, and they’re spread out. The fish are bright, and they’re moving quickly. There’s a nice mix of adult and jack salmon, and there’s plenty of steelhead around as well.”

Lower Rogue

Water temperatures have cooled on the Rogue, so the salmon are not holding as long, but enough new fish are coming in each day to keep fishing good reports Martin. He said, “Most guides are getting two to five kings a day. Some silvers are starting to show and the steelhead are biting upriver.”

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com