While we wait for rain to fill our coastal rivers with much-needed water and late fall Chinook salmon, the North Coast is not without angling options.
Offshore, the boat-based rockfish and lingcod season will run through the end of the year. For the months of October and December within the Northern Management Area, which includes ocean waters between 42°00’ N. latitude (CA-OR Border) and 40°10′ N. latitude (near Cape Mendocino), fishing for rockfish will only be allowed seaward of the 50-fathom boundary line, and only shelf rockfish, slope rockfish and lingcod may be retained. The nearshore fishery will be open Nov. 1, coinciding with the Nov. 2 sport Dungeness crab opener. Crab and rockfish combo trips are uber-popular and you’ll want to take advantage while you can.
Rockfish and federally managed groundfish for diving and shore-based anglers is allowed year-round, in line with current regulations.
If you haven’t got your fill of Pacific halibut, there’s plenty of quota still left on the table. As of Sept. 8, only 18,157 pounds have been harvested against the 38,220 net pound quota. The season closes Nov. 15, so there’s a couple weeks to run some crab and halibut combo trips.
When the rain does begin to fall and the rivers open, the Smith will be popular as it will be the only place in California where you can legally harvest a salmon. You are allowed one Chinook salmon per day and no more than 5 wild Chinook over 22 inches per year. The Smith is currently closed to fishing above Rowdy Creek. Minimum flows are 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station for the river to open to fishing. Sections of the Eel and Van Duzen will be open to the catch and release of Chinook salmon in 2024. On the Eel, catch and release is legal from the mouth to Cape Horn dam. The South Fork from its mouth to Rattlesnake Creek is also open to catch and release as well as the Van Duzen from its junction with the Eel River to the end of Golden Gate Drive near Bridgeville. All of these sections are restricted under low-flow fishing closures. The Chetco estuary is another good option as it continues to produce big kings to anglers trolling anchovies. Hopefully the wait for rain won’t be a lengthy one, but if it is, you’ve got options.
Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions look to be much improved heading into the weekend. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast out 10 to 60 nautical miles is calling for winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 5 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday, winds will be out of the north 10 to 15 knots with north waves 4 feet at five seconds and northwest 4 feet at nine seconds. Sunday, the winds will be 10 to 15 knots out of the north with north waves 4 feet at five seconds and northwest 4 feet at 10 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or https://www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.
Dungeness crab testing getting started
Domoic acid testing in Dungeness crabs is just getting started on the California coast. To date, only samples from Half Moon Bay/San Francisco (Pidgeon and Pillar Point) have been reported. None of the tested crabs exceeded the action level of 30 parts per million. For more information, visit www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/DomoicAcid.aspx
The Oceans:
Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, there hasn’t been any offshore opportunities the past couple weeks due to weather. “It looks like we’ve finally have some decent ocean conditions starting Friday and through the weekend,” said Klassen. “Pacific halibut and deep-water rockfish should be within reach.”
Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, it was another quiet week at the Cove due to ocean conditions. “The outlook for later this week and the weekend is much improved,” said Mitchell.
Brookings
“Halibut action has slowed, but fish are being caught on calm weather days,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Lingcod action is fair, with limits of rockfish for most boats. Be ready to release king salmon if fishing near the beaches and mouth of the river. Sport crabbing has been good.”
Willow Creek weir counts
For the week ending Sept. 23, a total of 101 adult kings were counted at the Willow Creek weir. The jack count for the week was 49. For the season to date, 285 (adults and jacks) have been counted, including both hatchery and wild. The totals are for only 23 trapping days.
North Coast river closures
Currently, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith and Van Duzen are closed. Sections of rivers that are open include the main stem Smith River from its mouth to the mouth of Rowdy Creek.
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. 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, 2025.
The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Water conditions on the lower Klamath continue to be dirty and unfishable, but that should begin to change soon. All the work in the river for dam removal was complete as of Tuesday. The water below the old dam sites is still dirty, but improving. It’s not likely conditions will improve enough for steelhead fishing before the rains come.
The daily bag limit is two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout per day on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers, with a possession limit of four. Anglers must have a Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card in their possession while fishing for steelhead trout in anadromous waters. The recreational fall salmon fishery is closed to the take of Chinook. More information, can be found here.
Chetco/Rogue
|According to Martin, salmon fishing has been good at times in the Chetco estuary, with numerous fish caught daily, including some large adults and plenty of jacks. “Fish to 35 pounds or bigger are being caught each week, with lots of fish over 20 pounds. Salmon also are holding in the tidewater areas of the river now. The bay is crowded, and most fish are being caught near the end of the jetties, so be ready for combat fishing. Kings also are being caught on the Rogue Bay.”
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
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