Month: December 2019

From high water to low water to dirty water – we’ve endured all conditions imaginable to start off our steelhead season. But following a weekend that saw less rain fall than predicted, river conditions are finally starting to line up. The Smith dropped into fishable shape on Monday, and the drift boaters picked up a few. The Chetco blew out over the weekend, but should be in great shape by mid-week. Plunkers landed their share of bright steelhead prior to the blowout. Closer to home, the Mad was a little high and dirty on Tuesday, but should be in pristine shape by the weekend. A few steelhead have made their way back to the hatchery, and there should be plenty more behind them. The main stem Eel is also recovering from the storms, and it could fish as early as the weekend. Not many boats have been on the water, but you can bet there’s steelhead around. Both the South Fork Eel and Van Duzen will be on the low-side by the weekend, but should be holding a little color. If you’re looking to get out of the house this weekend, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a fishable river.

The weather ahead
“Not much in the way of rain for the next few days, and possibly into next week,” said Tyler Jewel of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “There’s a slight chance of a small front moving in on Sunday morning, but the models are really inconsistent and there isn’t much confidence that it will hit us,” said Jewel. “At most, we could see about a half-inch, but it will likely be around a tenth, if anything. After that, we’ll see a ridge of high pressure rebuild keeping us dry through at least the middle of next week.”

Mad River Steelhead Derby starts Jan. 1
If you’re interested in signing up for the Mad River Steelhead Derby, you’ll want to act quickly. The inaugural event, put on by the Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association (NCGASA.org), begins Jan. 1 and runs through Feb. 29, 2020. You must be signed up prior to Jan. 1 to be eligible. Anglers can sign up online at https://ncgasa.org/product/mad-river-steelhead-derby/ or in person at RMI Outdoors and Bucksport Sporting Goods in Eureka. Entry fees are $30 for NCGASA non-associate members and $10 for current members. All entries include a yearly NCGASA membership and an additional prize raffle ticket. The largest hatchery steelhead entry will win $500, second place $300 and third place will receive $150. There will also be a youth division winner (16 years and under), who’ll receive $150 gift certificate from one of our sponsors. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Mad River Steelhead Stewards volunteer angler broodstock collection program. For more info. and derby rules, visit MadRiverSteelheadDerby on Facebook and Instagram or email madriversteelheaderby@gmail.com.

Commercial crab opener set for Dec. 31
The commercial Dungeness crab season in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties is slated to open at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, to be preceded by a 64-hour gear setting period that would begin no earlier than 8:01 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2019. Delays due to quality only affect the Dungeness crab fishery in this area. Any vessel that takes, possesses onboard or lands crab from ocean waters outside of a delayed area is prohibited from participating in the crab fishery in any delayed area for 30 days following the opening of those areas. Permitted vessels that have already participated in the Dec. 15 opener south of the Sonoma-Mendocino county line would not be able to set gear in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties until 12:01 am Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. This applies to any delayed areas in Oregon and Washington as well. For more information regarding the 2019-2020 Dungeness crab commercial season, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Invertebrates/Crabs

Rockfish season to close Dec. 31
The 2019 rockfish season in the Northern Management area, which runs from Cape Mendocino to the OR/CA border, will close for boat-based anglers on Tuesday, Dec. 31. Rockfish is open year-round for divers and shore-based anglers. For more information about recreational groundfish regulations, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Groundfish-Summary#north

The Rivers:
Chetco/Elk/Sixes
The Chetco had a decent bite for steelhead last week before it blew out over the weekend reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Plunkers caught fish at Loeb Park and Social Security,” said Martin. “After reaching 9,000 cfs on Saturday, the river remained muddy and blown out Monday evening. A slide on the South Fork has it colored from top to bottom. It should be in good shape by Christmas or shortly after. The Elk was high but fishable on Monday, and most boats caught multiple salmon. Expect salmon to continue to arrive through the end of the week. The Sixes is high but should fish by Christmas. It closes Dec. 31 to salmon. The Elk remains open in January.”

Smith
Following the weekend rains, the Smith dropped back into shape on Monday. Not many boats were out, but a few nice steelhead were landed. River levels are predicted to drop and it will likely be low and clear by the weekend. Forecasted to be right around 2,200 cfs (7.5 feet) by Saturday morning.

Main stem Eel
The main stem was muddy as of Tuesday, but dropping quickly. Predicted to be at 3,000 cfs on the Scotia gauge by Thursday and could be fishable by the weekend.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was dirty on Monday, mostly due to the muddy water coming from the East Branch at Benbow. Flows on Tuesday were right around 800 cfs. By the time it clears in the next couple days, it could be tough to drift. Haven’t heard of any steelhead being caught as of yet.

Van Duzen
Flowing at 650 cfs on Tuesday and predicted to hit 500 cfs by Saturday. Reports have been hard to come by so far, but there should be some steelhead around once it clears.

Mad
The Mad has been quiet this week, likely due to the dirty water and lack of fish according to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors. He said. “The fishing pressure has been light this week as there haven’t been many fish around. There’s only a handful that have made it up the ladder. With dry weather for the next few days, conditions are looking really good for the weekend. My guess is it we’ll start to see some green water by Friday, with the weekend looking ideal. Hopefully there will be some fish around.”

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 transition to steelhead season is taking a bit longer than we hoped. With the storm door now busted wide-open, finding some green water in the next few days won’t be easy. The North Coast is expected to get pounded by a couple of wet storms, with the first arriving on Thursday followed by a bigger one on Saturday. Per usual, the Smith will be the first to drop into shape, and could be fishable by Sunday. The rest of the coastal streams won’t fare quite so well. With three to four inches predicted in the Mad and Eel River basins, they’ll likely be toast through the weekend and into next week. The forecast beginning on Sunday and into next week isn’t calling for much rain, which should put the rivers on a quick descent. If we’re all nice, we could be looking at fishable water by Christmas.

Weather ahead
More rain is on the way, with two systems bearing down on the North Coast. “The Smith basin could see anywhere from 4 to 6 inches between now and next Tuesday,” said Kathleen Zontos of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “During the same time period, the Mad and Eel basins should see between 3 and 4 inches. The first system will arrive on Thursday, bringing an inch to an inch and a half to the Smith. Roughly the same amount is predicted for Saturday. In the Eel and Mad basins, the heaviest rain will hit on Saturday. We’ll likely see less than an inch on Thursday, but Saturday’s system could bring up to 3 inches Saturday through Monday. That’s when we’ll see the rivers really spike. Right now, light rain is forecasted for Sunday with Monday and Tuesday looking mostly dry,” said Zontos.

Mad River Steelhead Derby coming Jan. 1
The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association (NCGASA.org) is producing an inaugural Mad River Steelhead Derby beginning Jan. 1 and running through Feb. 29, 2020. You must be signed up prior to Jan. 1, and only hatchery steelhead can be entered into this fishing contest. Anglers can sign up online at ncgasa.org or in person at RMI Outdoors and Bucksport Sporting Goods in Eureka. Entry fees are $30 for NCGASA non-associate members and $10 for current members. All entries include a yearly NCGASA membership and an additional prize raffle ticket. The largest hatchery steelhead entry will win $500, second place $300 and third place will receive $150. There will also be a youth division winner (16 years and under), who’ll receive $150 gift certificate from one of our sponsors. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Mad River Steelhead Stewards volunteer angler broodstock collection program. For more info. and derby rules, visit MadRiverSteelheadDerby on Facebook and Instagram or email madriversteelheaderby@gmail.com.

2020 Fishing license
A reminder that it’s the time of the year to purchase your 2020 sport fishing license, which is required for residents 16 years of age or older to take fish, mollusks, crustaceans, invertebrates, amphibians or reptile in inland or ocean waters. The cost of a new resident sport fishing license is $51.02. A North Coast salmon report card, which will run you $7.05, is required for all anglers taking salmon in the Smith River System or Klamath-Trinity River System. If you plan to fish for steelhead, you’ll need to purchase a steelhead report card, which will cost $7.82 this year. The Dept. of Fish and Wildlife does not accept cash for fishing licenses. For more info, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/fishing

Reduced-Fee sport fishing licenses available
Reduced-cost fishing licenses are available in 2020 for $8.13 (instead of $51.02) for disabled military veterans. For those 65 or older on reduced income, licenses are available for $7.73. For more information on all CA fishing licenses, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/fishing#44521417-free–reduced-fee

Mattole River opens to fishing Jan. 1
The Mattole River will open to fishing on Wednesday, January 1 from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stansberry 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 River Hatchery ladder now open
The water running down the ladder to the river was turned on Monday. The hatchery hopes to begin spawning on Tuesday, Dec. 31 and then each following Tuesday.

New Oregon recreational crab gear marking rule
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission has adopted the following rules effective January 1, 2020: 1) Surface buoys used to mark recreational crab pots or rings must be marked in a visible, legible, and permanent manner with information clearly identifying the owner of the crab pots or rings. 2) The identifying information must include first and last name or business name AND at least one of the following: (a) Permanent address; (b) Phone number; (c) Angler Identification number; or (d) A vessel identification number. Mark your buoys used with pots or rings in the ocean and bays. Rule does not apply to gear from piers, jetties, or beaches. For more information, visit https://myodfw.com/sites/default/files/2019-12/Buoy%20sign_1.pdf

The Rivers:
Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The Chetco has been slow for salmon and steelhead, as the fall-run of kings appears to be over for the season, and big numbers of steelhead have yet to arrive,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “There are a few half-pounders around, and plunkers caught a few adult steelhead in the past week. Success from drift boats has been slow. This week’s big storm, with the highest flows since April’s flood expected, could jump start steelhead fishing.”

The Elk and Sixes have been decent for salmon when flows are good according to Martin. “The Elk was good over the weekend. More than 500 salmon returned to Elk River Hatchery on Friday. By Monday, the Elk was too low to float. The Sixes was crowded, but produced fair catches. Expect another shot of fish in the Elk after the water drops early next week,” added Martin.

Smith River
There aren’t many steelhead around right now, but that should change after the next rounds of storms reports Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “Last weekend and early this week, there were fresh salmon being caught,” said Coopman. “We’re forecasted to see a couple decent rises over the next few days, with the biggest coming late Saturday. Depending on the rain, the river could remain fishable through the weekend. I’d expect to see some adult steelhead around next week.”

Main stem Eel
The main stem was fishable on Wednesday and should remain so through Thursday. There are some nice adult steelhead in the lower river according to reports. It’s predicted to blowout late Thursday, reaching 28,000 cfs on Monday morning. It will take at least a week of dry weather before it drops back into shape.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork has been fishable the last few days, but it’s been skinny. Flows on Wednesday were right around 370 cfs. Haven’t heard of any steelhead being caught, but did hear there were some fresh kings around. Will likely get muddy following Thursday’s rain, and will really blow out on Saturday afternoon.

Van Duzen
Flowing at 400cfs on Wednesday, and the steelhead reports have been hard to come by. Like the Eel, it will likely be muddy by late Thursday and won’t fish through the weekend.

Mad
On Wednesday, the Mad was green and fishable above the 299 bridge reports Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors. He said. “I haven’t heard of a lot fish being caught yet, but the river was in good shape as of Wednesday. I did hear some fish were seen moving on the lower river. There’s not much effort yet, but that will change after the river comes back down next week.” The Mad is forecasted to blow out on Thursday, followed by another big rise on Saturday where flows could reach 6,200 cfs.

Upper Trinity
The rains definitely helped the Trinity as far as steelhead fishing goes reports guide Steve Huber. “The recent rains have moved some of the steelhead that were in the upper river to the hatchery,” said Huber. “It also brought in some new fish to the upper section. More rain is needed to bring the fish that were in the lower river up, and the coming storms could do just that. Most anglers are fly fishing, with a few running plugs or tossing bait. There’s been a good group of steelhead in the Junction City area, which is seeing the most pressure. Most boats are getting one to three adults per trip and a mixed bag of half-pounders.”

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

Winter steelhead season has yet to really take off here on the North Coast, but changes are on the horizon. We have a pretty decent storm headed our way that will put all of the coastal rivers on the rise. This is coming on the heels of the season’s biggest storms to date, which on Monday pushed the rivers to their highest levels of the young season. And more rain is on the way next week. Steady rain and pulse flows is just what we need to entice some steelhead from the salt. If the rains come as predicted, the Smith should remain in fishable shape. It’s predicted to hit just over 11-feet on the Jed Smith gauge on Friday. The Chetco will see a bump in flows as well, but it should remain fishable through the weekend as well.

The Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, and Mad will all see a rise in flows, and will likely be muddy next week. Once they recede to fishable levels, we should see the first wave of winter steelhead make their way into our coastal rivers. After another brief, or nonexistent late fall salmon season, seeing the rivers loaded with bright steelhead sure would be a welcome sight.

Weather ahead
“The North Coast can expect area-wide rain through Saturday,” said Kathleen Zontos of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “It looks like the heaviest rain will be Wednesday and Thursday. The rain will start to decrease on Friday – when the rivers will peak and begin to drop. Light rain is in the forecast for Saturday, then we’ll see the rain begin to taper off on Sunday. Monday is looking mostly dry. Another system is predicted for Tuesday, with rain in the forecast most of next week. Rainfall totals from Wednesday through next Tuesday in the Smith basin will be 3 to 4 inches. In the Mad basin, we could see 1.5 to 2.5 inches, with the potential for 3 inches in the mountains. One to 2 inches is predicted in the Eel basin,” said Zontos.

Mad River Steelhead Derby coming Jan. 1
The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association (NCGASA.org) is producing an inaugural Mad River Steelhead Derby beginning Jan. 1 and running through Feb. 29, 2020. Only hatchery steelhead can be entered into this fishing contest. Anglers can sign up online at ncgasa.org or in person at RMI Outdoors and Bucksport Sporting Goods in Eureka. Entry fees are $30 for NCGASA non-associate members and $10 for current members. All entries include a yearly NCGASA membership and an additional prize raffle ticket. The largest hatchery steelhead entry will win $500, second place $300 and third place will receive $150. There will also be a youth division winner (16 years and under), who’ll receive $150 gift certificate from one of our sponsors. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Mad River Steelhead Stewards volunteer angler broodstock collection program. For more info. and derby rules, visit MadRiverSteelheadDerby on Facebook and Instagram or email madriversteelheaderby@gmail.com

Dungeness crab news

Northern Management Area
The northern California commercial Dungeness crab season has been delayed again due to poor quality. Results of the Dec. 3 quality test continue to show crab are below the minimum testing guidelines and are not yet ready for harvesting. This affects the entire northern commercial fishery in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties. The season is now scheduled to open at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, to be preceded by a 64-hour gear setting period that would begin no earlier than 8:01 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2019. Additional testing will be scheduled to occur by Dec. 20 to determine whether the season can open on Dec. 31 or will be delayed once more until Jan. 15, 2020.

Domoic Acid Update
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) lifted a health advisory for recreational Dungeness crabs caught near Shelter Cove, Humboldt County south to Point Arena. CDPH lifted this advisory on Tuesday due to recent tests showing that the amount of domoic acid has declined to low or undetectable levels in Dungeness crabs caught in the area, indicating that they are safe to consume.

Central Management Area
On Nov. 22, the Central Management Area (Sonoma County and south) opener was delayed until Dec. 15 to avoid whale and sea turtle entanglements. At CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham’s request, the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group was convened on Dec. 4 to review new information and conduct an updated risk assessment. The Working Group provided a consensus recommendation to open the fishery as soon as possible, while providing the fishery sufficient notice prior to Dec. 15.  No minority recommendations were expressed. After considering the Working Group’s updated assessment, the Director is proceeding with the Dec. 15 opener. The Central Management Area will open at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15. This opening is preceded by an 18-hour gear setting period that will begin at 6:01 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. For more information related to the risk assessment process or this delay, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Whale-Safe-Fisheries

The Rivers:
Chetco/Elk/Sixes
Salmon fishing has been slow on the Chetco since it opened last Saturday according to Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “I drifted from the South Fork on Tuesday, focusing on steelhead, and found a few half-pounders up high, said Martin. “Lots of salmon are spawning in the riffles. A few adult steelhead have been caught on the lower river, both by plunkers and drift boaters. A slide between Ice Box and Loeb will likely add lots of color to the river during the next few storms.”
According to Martin, the Elk is low, but the Sixes has been fishable, with decent catch rates for fall salmon. “Expect the Elk to rise with the latest series of storms this week. Both rivers will be the best bet for salmon this late in the season,” added Martin.

Smith
“Fishing is pretty slow right now on the Smith,” said Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “There’s still a few salmon on the lower end of the river, but I didn’t see much upriver on Wednesday. There hasn’t been much in the way of steelhead yet, but hopefully that will change with the next round of storms on the way. We’re predicted to get a decent rise for Friday, and more rain on the way for next week. This should open the door for the start of the steelhead run.”

Mad
The Mad was open to fishing as of Wednesday, but it could close Thursday morning if there isn’t sufficient rain to increase flows. There’s been a handful of nice steelhead caught, but no big numbers entering the river as of yet. Minimum flows to keep the river open to fishing are 200 cfs.

Main stem Eel
Flows are good on the main stem, but it’s still on the dirty side. The flows were just above 2,300 cfs on the Scotia gauge on Wednesday afternoon, but predicted to rise starting Thursday morning. The river is forecasted to peak Friday afternoon and will likely remain blown out for the weekend and into next week. Minimum flows to keep the river open to fishing are 350 cfs on the Scotia gauge.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was open to fishing as of Wednesday, but could close on Thursday unless flows increase. It’s predicted to rise beginning Thursday morning and will probably be dirty through the weekend. Minimum flows to keep the river open to fishing are 340 cfs.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was open to fishing as of Wednesday, and should remain open until it starts to rise on Thursday morning. The river will likely be muddy through the weekend. Minimum flows to keep the river open to fishing are 150 cfs.

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

With very little rain over the past two months, the end is near for the late, fall-run salmon season on our coastal rivers. The season, much like last year, has been somewhat of a disappointment to anglers. Only a couple smaller storms hit the coast and dropped enough rain to bring the Eel, Smith and Chetco up to levels where fish could pass somewhat safely. While the fishing window was very small or non-existent, that doesn’t necessarily mean the number of returning salmon was small. Even during the low water conditions, salmon were seen making their way upriver on all of our coastal streams. Typically, the season’s first big rains come in October, leaving us a good four to five-week window to fish. That hasn’t been the case the last few years as the salmon didn’t bother to wait for us, or the strong flows to get them to their end destinations.

On the other hand — with the calendar now saying it’s December — it’s winter steelhead time on the coast. All of the rivers have seen a few adults push in, with plenty more on the way. But don’t give up entirely on salmon just yet. The Smith, Chetco and the Eel should each see another spurt or two of fresh kings move in on the next substantial river rise, which just happens to be this weekend.

Weather ahead
Through the weekend, we can expect widespread rainfall along the North Coast according to Kathleen Zontos of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “This will be a much warmer system, so we can expect to see some snow melt as well, which will add to the river levels,” said Zontos “We should begin to see the rain early Friday morning, with the heaviest rain falling throughout the day. Showers are then predicted off and on through Sunday. In the Smith basin, we’re expecting two to three inches and up to four in the mountain areas. The Mad River area will see about the same. The Eel basin could see a little more rain, with three to four inches predicted through Sunday and some places could see five. Right now, Monday is looking dry, then we should see chances of rain daily through next Friday,” added Zontos.

Humboldt Bay crabbing
Sport Crabbing inside Humboldt Bay is improving according to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors in Eureka. He said, “I’ve heard that more crab are showing up, but they’re smaller. There’re also quite a few females around. The best spots have been between the Coast Guard station and the entrance. Squid and chicken seem to be the bait of choice,” Kelly added. Typically crabbing is best an hour and a half on both sides of the slack tide.

Re-adoption of emergency regulations to allow the take of Klamath/Trinity springers on the table
On Nov. 25, the CDFW requested that the Fish and Game Commission re-adopt the emergency regulations set to expire on December 24, 2019 that allowed the take of Klamath/Trinity river spring-run Chinook salmon. The Department and Commission staff are currently working towards a certificate of compliance rulemaking to permanently adopt the limited fishing opportunity. Upon the completion of the certificate of compliance rulemaking (anticipated June 2020), the permanent, non-emergency regulations would be effective in time for the season to open July 1, 2020. The emergency regs adopted in 2019 allowed limited fishing on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers beginning on July 1, with a bag limit reduced from two to one salmon. For more info, visit https://fgc.ca.gov/Regulations/2019-New-and-Proposed#kt_2084_2

River closures
The South Fork Eel, Mad and Redwood Creek were all closed to fishing as of Wednesday due to low flows. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any river will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164.

Smith
The first part of December is typically transition time for the Smith River. The majority of the salmon have moved upriver and we’re now waiting for the steelhead to show. Flowing at just under 700 cfs on Wednesday, the river has been closed to fishing since Tuesday. While it was open on Monday, some salmon were caught, but the majority were dark. The majority of the salmon have likely already entered the river on the few small rises we’ve had. It was definitely a short fishing window, with the river only open a handful of days. Now is typically when we see the steelhead start to show. We have a pretty big rise coming this weekend, so hopefully we’ll see the first wave of steelhead enter the river.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
Heavy rain is expected the end of this week, which should finally get the fall salmon seasons going on the Southern Oregon coastal rivers reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “ODFW has indicated the Chetco could open by the weekend, although the river could be blown out by Saturday morning,” said Martin. “Fishing has been slow in the Chetco estuary. A few boaters are floating and dragging the Sixes between Edson Creek and the Grange and catching a few salmon. The Winchuck is open above Peavine Bridge, but there isn’t enough water to effectively fish. All the rivers are expected to have plenty of water by the weekend.”

Mad
Currently closed to fishing. Predicted to peak at nearly 2,000 cfs by Sunday morning.

Redwood Creek
Closed to fishing as of Wednesday. Predicted to hit 1,400 cfs by Sunday morning.

Eel
Main
The main Eel has been open to fishing for the past week, and reports have been hard to come by. Like most of the other rivers, the meat of the salmon run has likely entered the river and are making their way to the spawning grounds. The rain forecasted for the weekend should allow the salmon to reach some of the higher tributaries and we should see a few more spurts of fresh fish move in. The higher flows should also bring in the first big push of the winter steelhead. Predicted to peak at 17,800 cfs on Sunday afternoon.

South Fork
Running at 120 cfs as of Wednesday, it has remained closed to fishing. Should open with the weekend storms, predicted to peak at 4,800 cfs on Sunday morning.

Van Duzen
Open to fishing as of Wednesday and flowing at just under 180 cfs. It’s predicted to peak at 5,200 cfs early Sunday morning.

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