It’s Feeling Like the Good Old Days on the North Coast

It’s beginning to feel like the old days out of Eureka. Salmon and Pacific halibut are both biting, and rockfish are providing easy limits at ports all along the North Coast.

Everyone wants to talk about salmon—and for good reason. After a three-year closure, the return of the king salmon fishery has anglers fired up. But the biggest story this week may be the resurgence of the Pacific halibut bite. After an incredibly slow start to the season with very little to get excited about, Eureka has come alive. Plenty of boats have been returning to the dock with limits of halibut, and anglers are once again enjoying the kind of action they’ve been waiting for.

For the first time in what feels like forever, the North Coast has three outstanding fisheries firing on all cylinders. Salmon, halibut, and rockfish are all producing, making combo trips one of the hottest tickets around.

The only thing that could slow the momentum is the weather. Unfortunately, the forecast calls for the north wind to come roaring back next week, which could limit opportunities on the water. Until then, anglers should take advantage of one of the best stretches of fishing the North Coast has seen in years.

Salmon and Pacific halibut quota updates
As of June 15, CDFW has projected 503 Chinook salmon have been harvested in the Klamath Management Zone (KMZ) towards the guideline of 3,900 fish. In the Fort Bragg area, 938 have been harvested against the 5,100 quota. More information can be found here.

As of June 14, California’s share of Area 2A’s quota, which includes Washington and Oregon, is at 2.5 percent, with just 993 net pounds harvested against the 40,040-pound net quota. The Pacific halibut fishery will run through Nov. 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.

Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions have been mostly favorable this week, but that looks to change by the weekend. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for southwest winds up to 5 knots and waves northwest 3 feet at seven seconds and southwest 2 feet at 15 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 10 to 15 knots and waves northwest 5 feet at nine seconds and southwest 2 feet at 17 seconds. The winds will increase dramatically Sunday, coming from the north 20 to 25 knots, with northwest waves 8 feet at 10 seconds and southwest 2 feet at 17 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.

Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing Derby starts July 1
After another successful Eel River Pikeminnow derby in 2025, CalTrout is back with another derby that runs from July 1 through Aug. 31. The derby, which is put on with the help of CDFW, has increased the prize money available and will now offer $5,000 worth of prizes for:

• Most pikeminnow (greater than 6 inches) caught over the duration of the contest. (1^st $550, 2^nd $450, 3^rd $400)
• Most pikeminnow (greater than 12 inches) caught over the duration of the contest. MUST include tape measure in photo. (1^st $800, 2^nd $700, 3^rd $600)
• Biggest fish (length). MUST include tape measure in photo. (1^st $500, 2^nd $400, 3^rd $300)
• Drawing for kids (under 18) that entered a pikeminnow in the contest. (6 winners – $50/each)

Contest rules

• Online form: submit entries using one email address. All entries at the end of the contest for the “most pikeminnow…” will be tallied by participant email address.
• Mail in Form: mail in forms must be postmarked on or before September 3. Send a copy of your photo(s), minimum size 3”x5” each, along with completed entry form to: CalTrout, 1380 9th St., Arcata, CA 95521
• Individual contestants can win no more than one prize category. In the case of multiple wins, the largest prize amount will be awarded.
• Photos must be geotagged. The link to turn this on for your iPhone or android is located here.
• Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification.
• Photos from poor angles or of bad quality are subject to disqualification.

Contestants will follow all CDFW fishing regulations, including no bait, barbless artificial lures only.
Prohibited actions: Throwing fish on the bank or into the river, any blatant waste of fish.
All waters open to angling on the South Fork Eel River downstream of the Humboldt County line to the confluence with the mainstem. The mainstem Eel from Dos Rios to the mouth of the Van Duzen. The Van Duzen from Grizzly Creek to the mouth of the Van Duzen.
For more information, visit https://tribresearch.org/pikeminnow/

July 4 is statewide free fishing day
On Saturday, July 4, 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, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information visit, wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

Junior Angler fishing program coming July 12
The Redwood National and State Parks, along with California Fish and Wildlife experts, will be hosting a Junior Angler Fishing Program Sunday, July. 12. The event, which runs from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. will be held at Freshwater Beach with anglers meeting at the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center. Address is 119441 Highway 101 N. in Orick. This is a free event, and fishing equipment will be provided. Participants 16 years and older are required to have a fishing license. For more information, call 707-951-5388.

California Halibut Derby on Humboldt Bay coming July 25
The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association will be holding the second annual California Halibut Derby on Saturday, July 25. The fishing event will be held within the waters of Humboldt Bay. Check-ins, Weigh-ins, and Awards Ceremony will be held at Woodley Island, 601 Startare Drive at the East-I Lot Grass Area.

This is a slot size derby; a measurement will be drawn in the morning before the derby and posted to the event’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Adult payouts will be $500 for 1st place, $300 for 2nd place, and $150 for 3rd place. Youth Payouts – $100 for 1st place, $75 for 2nd place, $50 for 3rd place. Youth payouts will be in the form of gift cards. All Youths registered in the Derby will receive a rod and reel combo! Raffle prizes will include fishing trips, rods and reels, fishing tackle and gear, merchandise and more.

Big Fish Prize: entries will be California Halibut 30” and above. ONLY ONE Big Fish can be entered per entrant. In case of a tie, winner will be determined by weight. For the big fish, adult and youth divisions will be combined. Winner to be announced at event.

Entry Fees for adults are $60 (comes with a $30 NCGASA Membership). Youth entry fees are $40, 13 years and under (comes with a $10 NCGASA Membership)

*If you are a current NCGASA member, you will receive $20 in raffle tickets at check-in.

You can register online at https://ncgasa.org/product/california-halibut-derby/. Entrants will need to be signed up and paid for by July 24 at midnight.

Freshwater Lagoon/Fish Lake trout plants
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website, Freshwater Lagoon was last planted with trout the week of June 6. Fish Lake also received a fresh batch of trout during the last week of May. Both are open to fishing year-round and the limit is 5 trout per day and 10 in possession. For more information, visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants/Default.aspx?county=Humboldt&time or call (530) 225-2146.

The Oceans:
Eureka
“The salmon bite has been really good the last few days,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The action has been good until 9:30 or 10, then it slows way down and the few fish we do catch are smaller. You really need to make the morning bites count. The fish are on the small side, but we’re starting to see bigger ones show up now. I’d say most are falling in the 6-to-15-pound range with the occasional bigger one. Most of the action is coming straight out in 180 to 250 feet of water. Boats are working the areas roughly a mile and a half north or south and are doing well. There’s not much sign out there, very few birds and no whales and not a ton of bait, but the fish are there. The Pacific halibut bite has really turned on as well. Several of the charters have gotten limits the last few days. Like the salmon, the bite has been best earlier in the morning. Most are being caught just north of where the salmon have been in 250 feet of water. Looks like we’ll have really good ocean conditions Friday before the wind starts to come up Saturday. Sunday and next week aren’t looking good.”

Shelter Cove
The salmon bite has been good according to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “The grade of fish has been really good too, averaging between 12 and 15 pounds. Most of the fish are coming from the whistle down to the Hat. Rock fishing overall was a little tougher this last week. We’re still getting limits but taking more time than usual. We’ve been fishing out in deeper water outside of the Hat.”

Crescent City
“King salmon fishing has slowed way down,” said Will Moore, of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “There’s a lot of silvers around, but the kings have moved somewhere, and no one has found them yet. The good news is the Pacific halibut bite has really picked up as a few were caught this week. The bite is coming in roughly 250 feet of water. The rockfish and lingcod bite continues to be excellent, with easy limits. A couple California halibut have been caught, but it’s still pretty slow. Quite a few more boats are trying now.”

Brookings
Salmon fishing has been wide-open to start each morning out of Brookings, with big numbers of kings feasting on anchovies just outside of the harbor reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “There also has been a very good late afternoon and evening bite,” said Martin. “The kings are running 10 to 20 pounds, with bigger fish mixed in. Coho fishing has been slow. A few halibut were caught this week. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good. Sport crabbing also is good.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, a few kings have been caught on the lower Rogue, but overall action has been slow.

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.