After a few weeks of windy weather, which hasn’t allowed for much consistent time on the water, it finally looks like we’re going to string together quite a few fishable days. Through at least Sunday, fairly light winds and small seas are in the forecast. This could spell doom for the Pacific halibut quota. As the fishery continues to sizzle from Eureka to Crescent City, anglers are likely to put a good-sized dent in the quota over the next week or so. With a third of the 39,520-pound quota already chewed up, we’ll be lucky to get through July. But you won’t hear many complaints as the calm conditions allow boats of all sizes to take to the water. So, take advantage of the conditions while they’re here, you never know what next week will bring.
Weekend marine forecast
Gentle to moderate breezes will return Thursday and stick around through the weekend. As of Tuesday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 5 to 10 knots and waves northwest 3 feet at seven seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 5 to 15 knots and waves west 4 feet at five seconds. The winds will be out of the north Sunday 5 to 15 knots, with north waves 5 feet at six seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. 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
The CDFW has projected 14,205 net pounds of Pacific halibut have been harvested through June 18. In 2023, the Pacific halibut allocation for California is 39,520 pounds. The Pacific halibut fishery will run through November 15, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. To view the latest catch projection information, visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/pacific-halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking
July 1 is statewide free fishing day
Next Saturday, July 1, people may fish California’s waters without a sport fishing license. All regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. On Free Fishing Days, every angler must have the appropriate report card if they are fishing for steelhead, sturgeon, spiny lobster, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information visit, wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days
Freshwater Lagoon trout plant
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website, Freshwater Lagoon has been planted with trout during the week of June 4, but fishing reports have been hard to come by. Freshwater Lagoon is open to fishing year-round and the limit is 5 trout per day and 10 in possession. For more information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants/ or call (530) 225-2146.
The Oceans:
Eureka
Offshore conditions have been favorable since Sunday and the Pacific halibut bite is still going strong. The charter fleet have been catching fairly easy limits straight out of the entrance in 270 to 300 feet of water, same general location they’ve been all year. Conditions look pretty good for the next few days and boats should also be able to make their way to Cape Mendocino where the rockfish bite has been excellent. The California halibut bite is starting to pick up as well. There were a few caught by the boats working the middle and third channels over the weekend. Shore anglers are having a tougher time at Fairhaven Beach where the bite has yet to turn on.
Trinidad
“The rockfish bite north of Trinidad head to Patrick’s Point has been good this week,” said Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “We aren’t seeing any real jumbo blacks; most are medium size. But we are seeing a few more lingcod than in the past couple years and we’re getting a couple nice ones per trip. The halibut bite has been good as well, with most of the action just north of the head in 260 feet of water. Reading Rock continues to produce some nice big rockfish as well as lingcod. The crabbing hasn’t been great, but customers are going home with a couple per person.”
Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, the weather didn’t allow us to get to the halibut grounds last week. “We’ve spent most of our days fishing around the Hat for rockfish and it’s been good,” said Mitchell. “We even managed lingcod limits one day, but it was back to slow fishing the next.”
Crescent City
The Pacific halibut bite is still going strong,” said Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “Guys are really starting to figure out the fishery, anchoring up seems to have really changed the game. Just south of the south reef is still the main target location. The rockfish bite is still excellent, but the lingcod bite has really turned on lately. It looks like the California halibut are finally arriving in better numbers. There’s been a handful caught by guys trolling along South Beach as well as anglers tossing jigs off the rock wall across from the boat launch. The redtail perch bite has picked up as well with the mouth of the Klamath and Kellogg Beach being top producers.”
Brookings
“Salmon season opened Saturday out of Brookings, but windy weather limited effort,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Coho salmon are often offshore, close to the surface but over 300-plus feet of water. A few hatchery coho and lots of wild coho were caught Monday. As water temperature warms, expect the bite to improve. Water temperatures were 46 degrees on Sunday and still under 50 on Monday, but slowly warming with a break in the northwest wind and upwelling. Lingcod fishing is fair out of Brookings, but hot near the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse. Numerous boats are planning on halibut trips on Wednesday.”
Lower Rogue
According to Martin, salmon fishing is slow on the Rogue Bay. “A few springers are still trickling upriver. The best bet for springers is the upper Rogue near Shady Cove. Expect bay trolling to improve by mid-July.”
Send in your fish photos
Land a big lingcod or halibut lately? Or maybe your friend or relative has reeled in their first perch. Email your fishing photo to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com and I’ll run them with the “Fishing the North Coast” weekly column. Just include the name of the angler in the photo, where and when it was taken and any other details you’d like to share.
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
Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest 