Month: January 2022

It’s been nearly three weeks since we’ve had any measurable precipitation and most of the coastal rivers are now feeling the effects. Other than the main stem Eel and the Mad, which are both in pristine shape, all the rivers are now low, clear and in need of a good blowout. The Smith and Chetco clear the quickest, and have the biggest need for rain. The South Fork Eel and Van Duzen remain fishable, but could use rain. It should be noted that all our rivers are currently holding a good number of winter steelhead. But a few inches of rain will do wonders. Not only will the increased flows allow steelhead to make their way upriver to their spawning tributaries, it will also bring in the fresh fish from the ocean.

Weather outlook
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, we’re looking at dry conditions the rest of the week. There is a chance for light rain Sunday but it doesn’t look like it will affect the river levels. There was a pattern change forecast for later next week that showed a very promising return of rain, but that has since changed for the worse. The ridge of high pressure will return next week, and so will the sunshine.

The Rivers
Mad
The Mad is in great shape and loaded with steelhead. Excellent conditions drew plenty of bank anglers and boats this week and the fishing was good. The river will be in great shape the rest of the week, with steelhead spread out from top to bottom. As of Thursday, it was right at 7.5 feet on the Arcata gauge and holding good color. If you’re looking to catch a steelhead, it’s probably your best option.

Main stem Eel
The main stem dropped into shape late last week and is nice and green. It was running at 3,625 cubic feet per second at Scotia as of Thursday and should be in great shape through the weekend. There are some steelhead around but the bite isn’t wide open.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is running at 575 cfs at Miranda as of Thursday and getting clearer. At this flow, the spots that hold fish are dwindling. The good news is there are plenty of fish around. You’ll need to be stealthy to be successful. Forecast to be around 500 cfs on the Miranda gauge by Saturday.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was down to 370 cfs at Bridgeville by Thursday and is in great shape. Catch reports are hard to come by but there are plenty of bank anglers out trying. It will be down to 300 cfs by the weekend.

Smith River
Flows were less than 2,100 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge Thursday. Fishing has been tough as the river is low, clear and snaggy. Fishing pressure has been very light as a lot of anglers have moved to other rivers. There are some fish around but again, you’ll need stealth.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
The Chetco is now low and clear, but steelhead are still being caught by the handful of local guides still focusing on the river, reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Rain expected next week should give fishing a boost,” says Martin. “A few fish a day are coming in on the afternoon tides, with drift boaters getting a fish or two a day. Flows are down to 1,200 cfs and will drop below 1,000 cfs this weekend. Fishing also has slowed on the Elk, Sixes and lower Rogue.”

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 www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

If you’re looking to hit one of our local rivers in search of winter steelhead, this is your weekend. The lack of recent rainfall, both a blessing and a curse, has allowed the rivers to drop and turn the shade of emerald green steelhead anglers dream about. From the Chetco to the South Fork Eel, all the coastal rivers will be fishable, though some could use a little of the wet stuff. The Smith, always the first to fish and first to clear, is running clear but still producing. Here in Humboldt the Mad should be about perfect by the weekend for bank anglers and boats. The main stem Eel is also finally rounding into shape and has turned green. It’s still running high but will be fishable by late this week or the weekend. The South Fork Eel is also in pristine shape and giving up a few bright winter steelhead. If it’s steelhead you’re after, you’ll want to take advantage of the river conditions this weekend.

Weather outlook
According to James White of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, we’ll remain dry through the rest of the week and through the weekend. “The 8–14-day outlook is no longer showing below normal precipitation,” said White. “There’s a chance that late next week we could finally see a change in the weather pattern.”

Low flow fishing closures extended
As a reminder, low flow regulations that went into effect on Oct. 1 for the Eel River, Mattole, Redwood Creek, Smith, Van Duzen, and Sept. 1 on the Mad, will be extended to April 30 in 2022. The California Fish and Game Commission unanimously approved the extension from Jan. 31 to April 30  back in December due to drought conditions. Low flow regulations will begin Sept.1, 2022 on all rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures.

The Rivers
Mad
The Mad is still a little pushy and flowing at 1,575 cubic feet per second as of Wednesday and turning green. The conditions drew some boats and plenty of bank anglers over the weekend, and the fishing was pretty good. The river will be in great shape the rest of the week and prime by the weekend. If you’re looking to catch a steelhead, it’s probably your best option.

Main stem Eel
The main stem was running at 5,350 cfs as of Wednesday and is dropping into shape. The water color is good, but the volume of water is still a little high. Should be in good shape by the weekend.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was in great shape over the weekend and drew quite the crowd. The fishing wasn’t red hot. Most boats got the opportunity at a few fish but there were plenty of skunks. It’s predicted to under 800 cfs by the weekend.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was under 600 cfs as of Wednesday and is very fishable. There were a few bank anglers taking advantage over the weekend but reports were hard to come by. Will be in excellent condition all week.

Smith River
Flows were down to 3,400 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge Wednesday. Conditions are low and clear and the fishing pressure is light as a lot of anglers have moved to the Chetco. There are fish in the river, but you’ll need to be stealthy to be successful. There’s reportedly quite a few seals and sea lions making the fishing even tougher.

Chetco/Rogue
Steelhead fishing remains good on the Chetco, with most guides getting two to four fish a day reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Big crowds on Saturday and Sunday cut into the impressive catch rates from a few days earlier, but fishing was still decent,” said Martin. “The boat pressure eased on Monday and catch rates improved to limits or near limits again. A mix of wild and hatchery steelhead are spread throughout the river. Plunkers have switched over to drift fishing gear and are getting a few steelhead from shore. The lower Rogue is fishing well for steelhead as the winter run appears to be above average. Anchoring and finding 3.5 MagLips has been the best bet. Shore anglers are using Spin-N-Glos at Lobster Creek and Huntley Park.”

Brookings ocean update
Calm ocean conditions resulted in good lingcod and rockfish out of Brookings on Monday reports Martin. “The ocean was rough but fishable on Sunday. Large numbers of rockfish are schooling in shallow water near Bird Island and Twin Rocks. Sport crabbing has been slow. Good ocean conditions continue Wednesday and Thursday.”

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 www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Following last week’s deluge, all the coastal rivers other than the Smith are now on the verge of turning green. After reaching nearly 39,000 cubic feet per second on the Jed Smith gauge Jan. 4, the quick-clearing Smith rebounded quickly and was driftable Sunday. Plunkers were out in force Monday on the Chetco and boats were drifting by Tuesday. Locally, all of the rivers are on the cusp of green water. The South Fork Eel will be fishable later this week with Redwood Creek, the Van Duzen and the Mad right behind it. The main stem Eel should come around sometime next week. With the North Coast gripped by an extended dry pattern that could last a couple more weeks, steelhead anglers will have no problem finding fishable water. And from the reports I’m hearing, there are plenty of steelhead to be had.

Weather ahead
For at least the next seven days, it’s looking like we’ll remain dry with no significant rainfall. According to James White of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, we could see light rainfall Wednesday evening, but it won’t affect river levels. “We’re looking at less than a tenth of an inch,” White said. “After that, we’re looking dry through the weekend and into early next week.”

The Rivers:
Mad
The Mad is still high and brown, but there are plenty of fish in the river. Most of the fish are holding right below the hatchery and people are getting quite a few hookups a day. It was right around 10 feet Tuesday and is predicted to be down to 9 feet by Saturday morning. It will likely start to turn green early next week.

Main stem Eel
The Eel is dropping slowly but dipped under 10,000 cfs Wednesday and has started to turn greenish. It’s predicted to be around 6,500 cfs by the end of the weekend and should start to fish sometime next week.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is dropping into shape and should be fishable by the end of the week down to the confluence. Above Benbow and around Garberville is green and fishing. Flows are predicted right around 1,600 cfs on the Miranda gauge Friday morning.

Van Duzen
The Duzen is still on the big side, flowing at 1,075 cfs as of Wednesday, but is starting to turn green. Will be fishable by the weekend as its forecast to be under 800 cfs by Saturday morning.

Smith
During Saturday’s highwater, plunkers did well, with some getting multiple hookups. The river dropped into driftable shape Sunday and the handful of boats drifting the Forks to Ruby did well, averaging two to three fresh steelhead. Monday the bite slowed slightly, with boats getting anywhere from zero to four opportunities. The river is clearing and dropping quickly, but should be in good shape the rest of the week.

Chetco
“Plunkers did very well over the weekend and on Monday on the Chetco, which dropped back into shape after hitting 20,000 cfs a week ago,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Big numbers of hatchery fish were caught at Loeb Park. Flows were below 4,000 cfs Tuesday morning, the stage where side-drifting starts to improve. Boaters fishing plugs in the slower water did well on Monday, and success for those drifting bait or beads is expected to dramatically improve this week with lower flows. Steelhead fishing has been better than the last several years so for this season.”

Rogue/Elk/Sixes
The lower Rogue fished well for steelhead before last week’s blowout and should fish even better as it drops into shape the next few days, reports Martin. “Flows at Agness peaked at 30,000 cfs last week and were down to 7,700 on Tuesday. Around 5,000 cfs is ideal for running MagLip plugs on anchor. The Elk River also is in good shape and the Sixes will fish before the weekend.”

Brookings ocean update
Boaters at the Port of Brookings had the first calm day of the year Sunday according to Martin. “Limits of rockfish were quick near Bird Island and Twin Rocks. Lingcod fishing was slow to fair, with a few nice keepers in 40 to 60 feet of water. Lots of water coming out of the Chetco made crabbing slow close to the harbor, but a few keepers are showing up in pots in 80 to 95 feet of water. Fishing for red tail surf perch has been good near the south jetty and at Chrissy Field.”

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 www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Just as most of the coastal rivers were dropping into fishable shape, another fierce round of storms took aim at the North Coast. For now, the winter steelhead season has come to a screeching halt. From the Chetco south to the top of the Eel River system, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any water that resembles anything close to green. And the dirty water conditions may be with us for a quite a few days as rain is in the forecast throughout the week. The Smith should be in good shape by the end of the weekend and the Chetco shouldn’t be too far behind it. For the other coastal rivers that aren’t so quick to clear — it could be a week or more before they resemble anything close to green.

Weather outlook
Rain is in the forecast for the rest of the week, but it looks like the heavier amounts are behind us. According to Ed Swafford of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, the Smith basin could see 1.5 to 2 inches through the end of the day Wednesday. “The Eel basin will see ¾ to 1 inch, with higher amounts falling in the mountains,” said Swafford. “Light rain is forecast for Thursday, but not enough to keep the river levels going up. The next system will arrive overnight Thursday and stick around through early Saturday morning. The Smith basin could see up to 1.5 inches and the Eel could see up to ¾. After this system, it looks like we’ll be dry through at least next Tuesday.”

Recreational Bag Limits Reduced For Some Rockfish Species In 2022
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announces multiple changes to recreational rockfish sub-bag limits which are expected to take effect Jan. 6, 2022. The emergency regulations were adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission in mid-December to align with federal regulations for these species. Changes to the sub-bag limits within the 10-fish daily Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) complex bag and possession limit include:

• A decrease to the statewide sub-bag limit for vermilion rockfish (Sebastes miniatus) from five fish to four fish
• A new statewide sub-bag limit for quillback rockfish (S. maliger) of one fish
• A new statewide sub-bag limit for copper rockfish (S. caurinus) of one fish

The RCG complex has a daily 10-fish bag and possession aggregate limit, meaning that each angler’s catch can be composed of any combination of rockfish, cabezon or greenling, as long as total catch remains at or below 10 fish. Sub-bag limits within the RCG bag limit are implemented when harvest guidelines cannot accommodate the 10-fish bag limit being composed of a single species.

“New stock assessments conducted in 2021 for quillback and copper rockfish suggest severe population declines for these two species. Also, unsustainably high catches of vermilion rockfish have occurred each year since 2015,” said CDFW Environmental Program Manager Marci Yaremko. “For these reasons, new federal regulations were needed to implement reduced sport bag limits for these three species in 2022.”

Despite these changes, there are still numerous opportunities to catch other groundfish species with healthy populations in 2022 when seasons are open.

The Rivers:
Mad
Running at 8,250 cubic feet per second as of Thursday afternoon. Predicted for additional bump in flows Friday before it begins to drop Saturday. Will need at least a week to turn green.

Main stem Eel
After peaking at 43,270 cfs on Tuesday, the main stem was down to 27,350 cfs on the Scotia gauge Thursday. Predicted to drop until Friday when the next round of water pushes through the lower end. Will need a solid 10 days of dry weather before it’s fishable. Will start to fish well at 3,500 cfs.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork peaked at 12,200 cfs Tuesday and will be on the drop through Thursday. After a small rise on Friday, will be dropping through the weekend. Could be fishable mid next week if the weather remains dry.

Van Duzen
The Duzen peaked at 8,600 cfs Tuesday morning and will be dropping through Friday morning. Another small rise is predicted for Friday and will then drop through the weekend. Could fish late next week depending on snowmelt.

Smith River
The Smith blew out Monday and, with more rain in the forecast, it won’t be down to a safe, driftable height until Sunday. Plunkers were back on the water by Thursday, but flows will continue to fluctuate through Saturday. River conditions should be excellent by Monday. Prior to blowing out, boat pressure was light and a few steelhead were being caught daily.

Chetco River
The Chetco dropped into perfect shape for plunkers last Monday and was in good shape for drift boats by Wednesday reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. He said, “From Thursday through the weekend, guides were averaging three to six steelhead a day, with a good mix of hatchery fish on the lower river. Steelhead were spread out from the South Fork to Social Security Bar. Flows dropped to 2,000 cfs Sunday evening, but blew out big time on Monday and likely will be too high all week.”

Rogue/Elk/Sixes
The Lower Rogue winter steelhead season busted open last week, with a handful of guides anchoring and running MagLip plugs getting half a dozen or more fish a day, according to Martin. “All of the fish have been wild so far, but native steelhead can be kept on the Rogue effective Jan. 1. Hatchery steelhead will begin arriving in good numbers in January. The Rogue is now blown out, but could drop back into shape as water is held back at Applegate and Lost Creek dams. Steelhead fishing was slow overall on the Elk and Sixes. Fishing has been good on the South Umpqua and the Coos and Millicoma systems.”

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 www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email  kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.