Author: fishingthenorthcoast

After a sometimes tense-filled week of meetings in Fresno, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) released its ocean and inland salmon season options Monday. The PFMC took a precautionary approach in setting the season alternatives, though some would argue they didn’t error on the side of caution enough. While more Chinook salmon returned from the ocean to spawn last year than in 2022, there’s plenty of evidence pointing to the fact the harvest models CDFW has used to measure salmon ocean abundance numbers are outdated. So, when the final options appeared in print for the first time Sunday, some in the industry were alarmed that we could be setting ourselves up for another year of overfishing if the abundance numbers turn out to be less than predicted. Though still heavily restricted or banned in some zones, there is opportunity up and down the coast for both recreation, commercial, and inland harvest.

New in 2024, CDFW has put in place in-season management and harvest limits, which are new concepts in management of commercial and recreational ocean salmon fisheries off California. Given the low abundance forecasts and spawner returns in recent years, it is crucial that any limited salmon fishing ultimately authorized be managed to ensure most of the fish return to the river this fall. Use of these strategies in 2024 ocean fisheries is expected to keep catches within pre-season projections.

For the California KMZ, which runs from the Oregon-California border to latitude 40°10’ N and includes Humboldt County, the three alternatives currently on the table are:

Alternative 1: June 5-9; July 3-7; August 1-6, September 1-3, 27-29; October 18-20.

Alternative 2: July 4-7; August 1-4, 29-31

Alternative 3: Closed

In-season action may be taken to close open days when total harvest is approaching a statewide harvest guideline of 10,000 Chinook during June through August, and 5,000 Chinook during September through October.

Open seven days per week. All salmon except coho, two salmon per day. Chinook minimum size limit of 20 inches total length. Size limit of 24 inches in alternative 3.

These three alternatives are identical for the entire state of California.

To view all of the salmon management alternatives, visit www.pcouncil.org/documents/2024/03/table-2-2024-recreational-management-alternatives-for-non-indian-ocean-salmon-fisheries-council-adopted-march-11-2024.pdf/

Up next
Next in line is the public hearing in Santa Rosa, CA March 25. The purpose of this public hearing is to receive comments on the proposed management alternatives in preparation for adopting final salmon management recommendations at the April 2024 Council meeting. A summary of verbal comments heard at the hearings will be provided to the Pacific Council at its April meeting. This public hearing will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriot in the Sonoma Room, 175 Railroad Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401.

Details on how to attend the public hearing and PFMC meeting, as well as instructions to provide public comment, can be found at www.pcouncil.org

NOAA provides opportunity for public comment
On March 12, NOAA Fisheries announced an opportunity to comment on the development of the 2024 ocean salmon management measures for commercial, tribal, and recreational salmon fisheries off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California. “These comments will be used by the Pacific Fishery Management Council to make final recommendations for the 2024 management measures. The Council will develop alternatives for 2024 ocean salmon fishery management at the March 2024 Council meeting before selecting the recommended 2024 ocean salmon fishery management measures at their April 2024 meeting.”
Written comments may be submitted via the Federal register notice and must be received electronically or in hard copy by April 5, 2024, prior to the April 2024 Council meeting.
NOAA Fisheries will publish a final rule in May 2024 to implement these management measures.

Klamath/Trinity fall salmon allocations
The recreational allocations, or quotas, as proposed by the PFMC will range from 3,135 to 6,059 adult fall Chinook in 2024 across the three alternatives. These represent the highest quotas since the 2019 season.

Englund Marine saltwater seminar coming March 30
On Saturday March 30, Eureka’s Englund Marine and HASA will host a saltwater seminar from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Englund Marine store located at 590 W. Waterfront Dr. Guest speakers include Charles Loos, who will speak on bar crossing basics. Travis Chambers of Time and Tide Marine will speak on engine maintenance. Tim Klassen will talk about anchor fishing for Pacific halibut in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Del Stephens is back in Humboldt and will explain deepwater lingcod, Albacore and Bluefin tuna techniques. Raffles will be held in between speakers. For more information, visit https://www.englundmarine.com/pages/seminars.html.

The Rivers:
Mad
As of Thursday, the Mad was down to 10.6 feet (4,500 cfs) and dropping slowly. It’s still off color, but it should start to turn green after the weekend, and conditions should be good next week. It will likely be bigger than normal, but the color should be much improved.

Main stem Eel
The main Eel was running at 23,500 cfs as of Thursday afternoon, and has a long way to go before it’s down to a fishable height. The main stem Eel is open year around, from April 1 through Sept. 30, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was down to 4,500 cfs Thursday, and is on the drop. The color is starting to come into shape, and it was turning green. It will be fishable by the weekend, but it will be big. Conditions should be much improved by later next week.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was under 2,000 cfs as of Thursday and dropping slowly due to snowmelt. Once it gets below 1,000 cfs it should start to turn green and will be fishable, but still very big. Conditions could be good late next week if the rain holds off.

Smith
The Smith is still a little big, sitting at 11.5 feet (10,000 cfs) as of Thursday. Water conditions will be about perfect for at least the next week. The fishing hasn’t been great for the past few weeks and reports have been tough to come by as the fishing pressure has remained very light.

Southern Oregon rivers
“High water continues to make what little is left of this year’s steelhead season tough,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The Chetco blew out again over the weekend and likely won’t fish until this weekend. With a dry spell now in the forecast, expect good flows for steelhead as the season winds down. A few late fish could still arrive, along with downrunners headed back to the ocean. 

The Rogue was high and off-color to begin the week. A few spring salmon have been caught, and fishing usually improves in late March. April and May are prime time. Only hatchery springers can be kept. A few late steelhead also are arriving.”

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 a year of a complete salmon shutdown across the board, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) is again taking a precautionary approach in setting the 2024 ocean salmon seasons, even though ocean abundance forecasts have increased over the prior year for both the Sacramento River and Klamath River Fall Chinook.

When the PFMC released its first, and not final, ocean sport salmon season options Thursday, March 7, the news wasn’t good for salmon anglers statewide.

For the California KMZ, which runs from the Oregon-California border to latitude 40°10’ N and includes Humboldt County, the three preliminary alternatives currently on the table are:

Alternative 1: May 25-28; July 4-7; August 29-31, Sept. 1-Oct 15

Alternative 2: July 4-10

Alternative 3: Closed

This is just the first iteration, these will likely change a few more times between now and Monday when the meetings conclude.

From latitude 40°10’ N to Point Arena, which includes Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg, the three alternatives are the same as the CA KMZ.

Yet to be determined are the fishing seasons within the Central Valley and Klamath/Trinity Rivers. It’s widely believed both will be heavily restricted with regards to retention of fall Chinook. To view all salmon management alternatives, visit pcouncil.org/annual-salmon-management-process/.

Up next, the PFMC will hold a public hearing March 25 in Santa Rosa to receive public comment on the three proposed regulatory alternatives. The PFMC will then meet April 6 through April 11 in Seattle, WA to procedurally finalize the closures. Details on how to attend the public hearing and PFMC meeting, as well as instructions to provide public comment, can be found at pcouncil.org.

Northern Management Area 2024 rockfish season options
Also coming out of the PFMC meetings are the options for the 2024 recreational groundfish fishery as recommended by industry advisors. Currently on the table are four options for the Northern Management Area, which runs from the California/Oregon border to the 40°10′ N. latitude (near Cape Mendocino). The season will be closed from Jan. 1 through March. April will be open for an offshore fishery only, at depths greater than 50 fathoms (300 feet). From May through the end of September, the nearshore fishery will be open at depths of less than 20 fathoms (120 feet). In October and December, it will be back to an offshore fishery. In November, we’re back to a nearshore fishery, which will allow rockfish/crab combo trips. No retention of quillback and yelloweye, and expect sub-bag limits for copper and vermilion rockfish.
It is anticipated the California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) will take final action to adopt regulations for state waters on March 26, 2024. CDFW expects the changes will be consistent with and complementary to the in-season actions taken at the March 2024 Council meeting for the recreational groundfish fishery in federal waters. Modifications are expected to include changes to season dates and depths, including use of the 20-fathom boundary line.

Weekend weather
According to Jacob Boomsma of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, after a couple dry days Thursday and Friday, we’re headed back to a wetter pattern for the next few days. “The first, smaller system will arrive Saturday,” said Boomsma. “In the Smith basin, they could see 1 to 1.5 inches while Humboldt could see a 1/4 to 3/4 inches. A more robust storm will arrive Sunday, and the Smith basin could see up to 3 inches in the higher elevations. Here locally, we could see up to 2 inches. The next system will arrive on Monday and will spill into Tuesday. Another inch to 1.5 could fall in the Smith basin, while Humboldt will see a 1/2 to 1 inch.”

The rivers:
Mad
Wednesday’s storm pushed the Mad to 14.4 feet (10,600 cfs) and it’s back to big and muddy. With more rain and snowmelt predicted for the weekend, it won’t be green any time soon.

Main stem Eel
The main Eel reached 91,000 cfs Wednesday afternoon on the Scotia gauge. Needless to say, it will be blown out for the foreseeable future. The main stem Eel, from its mouth to the South Fork is open to fishing all year. From April 1 through Sept. 30, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork peaked at over 25,000 cfs at Miranda Wednesday and is also big and brown. It’s predicted to be down to 5,800 cfs by the weekend before it goes back on the rise following more rain on the weekend. It’s going need to stop raining soon or it may not be fishable prior to closing at the end of the month.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen peaked at over 10,000 cfs at Bridgeville Tuesday evening and is running high and muddy. It will be on the drop from Wednesday through Saturday afternoon, but more rain is in the forecast over the weekend which will put it back on the rise. Like the SF Eel, it will need a week of dry weather before it turns green.

Smith
The fast-clearing Smith went above 17 feet at the Jed Smith gauge Tuesday evening. It’s predicted to drop through Friday before it goes back on the rise Saturday. It will be fishable Thursday, but the water will likely be over 12 feet. Friday looks to be the best day with the height being under 11 feet and dropping throughout the day. There should be some fresh steelhead around and as well as some downers making their way to the ocean.

Southern Oregon rivers
After dropping back into shape for the weekend, with decent steelhead action, the Chetco blew out again Monday and is expected to be high and muddy all week reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “It could fish on Friday, but more rain is expected over the weekend,” said Martin. “High water is expected to continue into next week. The Elk and Sixes are also high and muddy, and the Rogue will be muddy with melting snow as inland temperatures warm a little this week.”

Brookings ocean report
According to Martin, rough weather has kept Brookings ocean anglers at the dock, but there is a nice window Thursday and Friday to get out of Brookings. “Lingcod have been biting on calmer weather days. Rockfish action has been very good. Sport crabbing has been poor.”

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.

If the forecasts from Wednesday’s Oregon Ocean Salmon Industry Group Preseason Planning Meeting are accurate, we could be in for another lean year when it comes to Chinook salmon fishing along the California coast. It could also result in another complete ocean and river closure to Chinook fishing state-wide in an effort to protect Chinook stocks. Though the ocean abundance numbers for both the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers are higher than 2023, they are still extremely low considering that all ocean recreational and commercial salmon fishing and all salmon fishing in California rivers was closed last year.

According to the report, there are supposedly 178,200 Klamath River Chinook swimming in the ocean in 2024. While this number is still very low, it’s 75,700 more than what was forecast for 2023. From 2011 through 2022, the average ocean abundance for the Klamath was roughly 278,000.

For the Sacramento River, the report forecasts 213,622 Chinook to be swimming in the ocean. This represents the 2nd lowest number in the last 15 years, However, it’s 43,800 more than predicted in 2023.

In 2023, the preseason ocean abundance on the Sacramento was 169,767 while the postseason numbers came in at 139,500. A difference of 30,267 Chinook. For the Klamath, the preseason number was 102,500 while the postseason estimate came in at 174,000. That’s a difference of over 71,000 salmon. Using the current models, these forecasts can have huge variations as seen above.

The fate of both the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers will be decided at the PFMC meeting March 6-11 in Fresno. There’s a high probability that major restrictions will once again be in place for all of our salmon fishing in 2024. And don’t be surprised if one of the three ocean salmon alternatives included the words “closed.”

Next up is CDFW’s annual salmon information meeting, which will be held Friday, March 1. This meeting covers 2023 spawner abundances returning to the Central Valley and Klamath Basins, 2024 abundance forecasts, and management context guiding the development and implementation of 2024 ocean salmon fisheries. How to join the webinar and a link to the agenda can be found here.

The weather ahead
According to Kathleen Zontos of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, we’re in for a rainy and snowy weekend on the North Coast. “The main rain front will arrive Thursday,” said Zontos. “The second front will arrive Friday and Saturday, but it’s looking like this will produce more snow than rain. Over the 72-hour period from Thursday morning to Sunday morning we’ll see some impressive rainfall totals. In the Smith basin, we’re looking at 3 to 6 inches, with the highest totals falling in the mountains. In the Mad/Humboldt area, we could see 3 to 5 inches. The South Fork Eel/Mendo area could see 4 to 5 inches. Sunday we’ll continue to see lingering showers. Rain will continue early next week along with snowmelt that will keep the river levels up.”

The Rivers:
Mad
The Mad saw some of the best conditions of the season the last two days, and that isn’t saying much. The river was down to 8.5 feet with some visibility Wednesday, but it’s now back on the rise and headed towards 12 feet by Thursday evening. A few fish were caught Tuesday and Wednesday, but overall scores have been low. Hatchery returns are on the low-side as well.

Main stem Eel
The main Eel was starting to turn green Wednesday, but was big. Thursday’s rain dashed any hopes of the river dropping into shape anytime soon. Flows are predicted to reach 43,000 cfs at Scotia by Saturday morning. Will need a couple weeks of dry weather before it drops into fishable shape.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was in fishable shape Tuesday and Wednesday and a few boats took advantage drifting in the Benbow/Miranda areas. The river had good color, but flows were still on the big-side. Reportedly, the fishing was tough, but a few were caught. It blew out again Thursday morning and won’t fish again until at least late next week, depending on how much rain falls and snow melts early next week.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was down to a fishable height the last few days, but blew out again Thursday. Flows are predicted to reach 4,400 cfs Thursday evening at Bridgeville. If the predictions hold, it could be fishable by mid-week.

Smith
The Smith was back on the rise Thursday morning after a little more than two inches of rain fell in the morning. It’s predicted to peak at just under 14 feet at Jed Smith Thursday night and should be on the drop through the weekend. Will likely be the only game in town for some time. Fishing has been tough, but hopefully this rise will bring down some spawners and bring in some fresh fish.

Southern Oregon rivers
After a slow February, steelhead fishing took off on the Chetco this week, with the handful of guides still fishing reporting two to six fish per boat reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Plunkers also have been catching steelhead from shore with Spin-N-Glos,” said Martin. “A mix of fresh and spawned out fish are being caught, with quite a few hatchery fish on the lower end, many of them brand new. A storm on Wednesday likely will blow the river out by Thursday. The Elk and Sixes also received fresh steelhead over the weekend and early this week. New steelhead also arrived on the Rogue River just above Gold Beach. A few jet boaters are now anchoring, hoping to get the first spring salmon of the year.”

Brookings ocean report
According to Martin, the lingcod and rockfish action has been hot out of Brookings, although rough weather returned Monday, and big swells are expected through the weekend. “Lingcod are spawning in shallow water. Thick schools of rockfish are biting near Bird Island and House Rock.”

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.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council released its “Review of 2023 Ocean Salmon Fisheries” report last week and the news was better than expected. Based on an ocean abundance of 102,500 Klamath River fall Chinook thought to be swimming in the ocean last fall, forecasters predicted roughly 39,858 adults would return to the river. Fortunately, the run was a little more robust than the preseason predictions. A total of 65,904 adults returned to the river, with 41,623 escaping to natural spawning areas. This was a whopping 176 percent of the preseason prediction of 23,614 adults and exceeded the spawning escapement target of 40,700. The estimated hatchery return was 21,964 adults. Jack (2-year-old kings) returns to the Klamath basin were 11,673, including 9,470 that escaped to natural spawning areas. In 2021, 54,225 adults returned along with 10,350 jacks.

Spawning escapement to the upper Klamath River tributaries (Salmon, Scott and Shasta rivers), where spawning was only minimally affected by hatchery strays, totaled 7,765 compared to 9,169 in 2022. The escapement in 2023 to the Shasta River was 4,747 adults. Escapement to the Salmon and Scott rivers was 1,355 and 1,663 adults, respectively.

The above river return and escapement numbers reflect no ocean commercial or recreational salmon fishing as well as salmon closures on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers. According to the report, an estimated 53 fall Chinook were harvested in the Klamath River basin recreational fishery in 2023. Tribal adult harvest was 2,091 (Yurok: 423 adults; Hoopa Valley: 1,668 adults), which was 112 percent of the tribal allocation of 1,872.

In 2023, recreational angling for salmon in the Sacramento River and its tributaries was closed as well. A total of 133,638 hatchery and natural area adult spawners were estimated to have returned to the Sacramento River Basin in 2023, slightly lower than the 164,964 predicted. Fall Chinook returns to Sacramento River hatcheries in 2023 totaled 28,026 adults and 4,920 jacks, and escapement to natural areas was 105,612 adults and 7,013 jacks.

With the Klamath Dam removal project in full swing, what our ocean and river salmon seasons will look like in the coming year is still a work in progress and will be flushed out in the coming weeks.

Next up is the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Annual Salmon Information Meeting, which will be held via webinar on Friday, March 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. State and federal fishery scientists will present information on topics such as last year’s spawning escapement, estimates of forecasted ocean abundance, and management goals for 2024 sport and commercial ocean salmon seasons.

Following the Salmon Information Meeting webinar, California representatives will work together to develop a range of recommended ocean fishing season alternatives at the March 6-11 Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Fresno, CA. Final season recommendations will be adopted at the Council’s April 6-11 meeting in Seattle, WA.

Salmon information meeting details can be found on the CDFW’s Ocean Salmon web page.

The weather ahead
According to Kathleen Zontos of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, it’s looking like we’ll have a dry weekend. “The next chance of rain is Monday into Tuesday,” said Zontos. “Most of the rainfall will be in the Smith basin, where they could see 3/4 to 1 inch of rain over the two days. In Humboldt, we could see a 1/10 to 1/2 inch. It doesn’t look like it will have much of an impact on the Humboldt rivers. Following a dry Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are looking wet with the possibility of another Atmospheric River.”

The Rivers:
Mad
As of Thursday, the Mad was just above 11 feet (5,400 cfs) and dropping quickly. It’s forecast to drop to 8.75 feet by Monday, but a small system will bump up the flows slightly. It should be back on the drop Wednesday, just in time for another big storm coming Thursday.

Main stem Eel
The main stem Eel was down to 48,000 cfs at Scotia Thursday, and is still big and muddy. It’s not forecast to drop to a fishable level before the next rain event moves in later next week.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is back on the drop after reaching 17,000 cfs at Miranda Tuesday morning. It’s predicted to drop through mid-next week and there could be an opportunity for green water prior to the next storm arriving Thursday or Friday.

Van Duzen
Similar to the South Fork Eel, the Van Duzen is on the drop following a peak of 8,150 cfs Tuesday near Bridgeville. If the forecast holds through next week, there’s a chance the river could be fishable Wednesday. It will likely be a short window as flows are predicted to rise Thursday as the next rainy system arrives.

Smith River
The Smith is on the drop and conditions should be excellent over the weekend, with river levels right around 9.5 to 10 feet at Jed Smith Park. A slight rise is forecast for Monday that will do more good than harm. Conditions look good for Tuesday/Wednesday, but another bigger rise is predicted for Thursday. The river was high over the weekend and early this week. There were a few boats who opted to drift, and some that plunked. Scores weren’t great for either. The fishing pressure has been pretty light.

Southern Oregon rivers
The Chetco remained high the past week, but is dropping into shape for the weekend reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Expect a mix of fresh steelhead and spawned out steelhead, said Martin. “The run is winding down, mainly because of the prolonged high water in January. The Elk and Sixes fished over the weekend, as less rain fell in Port Orford compared to Brookings and Crescent City. Fishing was fair, with a fish or two per boat. The Rogue also dropped into shape Tuesday. The Umpqua continues to be the best bet for steelhead in the region.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, the ocean out of Brookings looks like it will fish Thursday and again over the weekend. “Big swells on Friday will likely keep boats at the docks. Lingcod fishing was good last week out of Brookings before the stormy weather returned.”

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.

What was shaping up as a couple day window for some other coastal rivers to finally drop into shape, has been firmly slammed shut. The rain that began Wednesday dashed all hopes of being able to finally drift the South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Mad. So once again, we are back to high and muddy water. And these series of storms that are forecast to roll through the area will keep all of the rivers high, including the Smith and Chetco. As of Thursday, it looks like the Smith and Chetco will round back into really good shape by mid next week. All the other rivers will take considerably more time before they’re fishable. Looking ahead, a potential dry pattern is on the horizon beginning next Wednesday. Let’s hope the weather window stays open a little longer.

The weather ahead
Following some decent rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday, the next system is set arrive Saturday. According to Kathleen Zontos of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, the stormy weather will likely stick around through early next week. “The system that came through Wednesday and Thursday saw more rain up in the Smith Basin,” said Zontos. “With the one arriving Saturday, we’ll see heavier amounts of rain fall to our south. From Redwood Creek north, we’ll likely see 1 to 2 inches. From the Mad south to the Eel basin, we could see anywhere from 2 to 3 inches. The next system will arrive Sunday and is forecast to stick around through Tuesday. This system will again see the heaviest rainfall to our south. Southern Humboldt and into Mendocino County could see 2 to 3 inches. Here locally in Humboldt, we’ll see from .5 to 1.5 inches. As of now it looks like we’ll start to dry out sometime Tuesday and possibly begin a drier pattern beginning Wednesday.”

2024 Salmon information meeting coming March 1
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Annual Salmon Information Meeting will be held via webinar on Friday, March 1, 2024 starting at 10 a.m. The meeting will provide informational presentations on topics such as last year’s spawning escapement, estimates of forecasted ocean abundance and management goals for 2024 ocean salmon seasons.

“The 2024 Salmon Information Meeting marks the beginning of a two month long public process used to develop annual sport and commercial ocean salmon fishing regulations and is also used to inform development of inland salmon fishing regulations later in the spring. The process involves collaborative negotiations between west coast states, federal agencies, tribal co-managers and others interested in salmon fishery management and conservation.

California representatives will work together to develop a range of recommended ocean fishing season alternatives at the March 6-11 Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting in Fresno. Final season recommendations will be adopted at the PFMC’s April 6-11 meeting in Seattle.”

Salmon Information Meeting details, informational materials and instructions for attendance will be published in advance of the event on CDFW’s Ocean Salmon webpage,  Please see the Ocean Salmon webpage at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon/preseason for a complete calendar of events and contact information regarding the Salmon Preseason Process, including other opportunities for public engagement in the season-setting process.

CDFW seeks input on 2024 sport Pacific Halibut fishery
California anglers who are interested in the recreational Pacific halibut fishery are invited to participate in an online survey to help inform the CDFW about angler preferences for open fishing dates during the upcoming 2024 season. Results of the survey, which is open until Feb. 21, will be used to develop recommended season dates that will be provided to the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Pacific Fishery Management Council. The 2024 California recreational Pacific halibut quota will be 38,220 net pounds. The online survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KPDDVQP. For more information on the Pacific halibut fishery in California, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut

Free fishing days this weekend in Oregon
It’s free to fish, crab or clam on the Saturday and Sunday of President’s Day Weekend, Feb. 17-18. During these two days, no fishing licenses or tags (including a Combined Angling Tag and a Columbia River Basin Endorsement) are required to fish, crab or clam anywhere in Oregon. Although no licenses or tags are required, all other regulations apply including closures, bag limits and size restrictions. For more information, visit https://myodfw.com/articles/2024-free-fishing-days-and-events

The Rivers:
Mad
The Mad was just starting to drop into really good shape prior to the latest round of storms. Flows as of Thursday were right around 5,000 cfs (11 feet). With additional rain coming over the weekend, it won’t be green anytime soon. Projected to peak at 9,500 cfs (13.75 feet) on Monday morning. The river fishes best between 7 and 8 feet.

Main stem Eel
The main stem had just begun to turn green Tuesday, but now it’s big and muddy and on the rise. As of Thursday, flows at Scotia were 23,000 cfs. Flows will be up and down through early next week, but nowhere near fishable. It’s predicted to peak Tuesday at nearly 65,000 cfs. It will start to fish once it gets below 5,000 cfs.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was a day away from prime conditions when the rains returned Wednesday. Now it’s back to high and muddy, with flows over 6,000 cfs at Miranda Thursday. Rain through early next week will keep it unfishable for the near future. Flows are predicted to peak at 13,600 cfs Monday evening. Will need a least of week of dry weather before it’s green and fishable again.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was green and fishable earlier in the week, but Wednesday’s rains put it back on the rise and turned it muddy. As of Thursday, flows were over 4,000 cfs. After up and down flows through the weekend, it’s predicted to peak at 6,200 cfs Monday morning.

Smith River
Nearly 4 inches of rain fell between Wednesday and early Thursday morning, blowing out the Smith for the next couple days. As of Thursday afternoon, flows were over 28,000 (17 feet) at the Jed Smith gauge and still rising. It’s predicted to hover between 12 and 12.5 feet Saturday through Tuesday. The color should be good, but flows a little on the pushy side. Fishing has been tough this past week as there doesn’t seem to be a lot of fish around. This type of rain will usually start to bring some of the downers out of the tributaries and should bring in some new fish as well.

Southern Oregon rivers
Steelhead fishing has been a struggle on the Chetco, but there are a few fish around reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Nearly half of the fish caught in the last week were down runners, an indication of a big spawning escapement during the high water in January,” said Martin. “Fishing has been better on the Upper Chetco compared to the lower river. Guides are getting one to three fish a day. Plunking has slowed, but will likely improve with rain the second half of this week. 
Steelhead fishing is also on the slow side on the Elk, Sixes and Rogue. Plunkers did well in the lower Rogue a week ago, and will likely see a fresh batch of fish with rain this weekend. The rain also should bring in new late-season fish in the Elk and Sixes. Still early for spring salmon on the Rogue, but the first fish of the year is usually caught by a steelhead angler the end of February or early March. Peak season isn’t until late April and early May.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, the ocean out of Brookings calmed down on Tuesday, with good fishing for rockfish and decent lingcod action. “The Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters caught limits of lings and rockfish, with some smaller lingcod released. Rough weather returned Tuesday night.”

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

It’s looking like we’re finally getting a break in the rain – for at least a week. But will it be enough to bring other rivers other than the Smith and Chetco into play? That is the million-dollar question. As of Thursday, all of the coastal rivers are beginning to drop and are forecast to continue the downward trend through at least mid-next week. There is a chance of another storm hitting the coast on Friday, which would be bad for anglers looking to fish some of the smaller coastal rivers. As it looks now, by Wednesday of next week the South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Mad could all come into play. They may still be on the high side, but the color should be coming around. If the forecast is correct, it will likely be a very short window.

The weather ahead
After a seemingly never-ending stream of storms, the North Coast will finally begin to see some dryer weather. According to Kathleen Zontos of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, a high-pressure system will begin to build on the West Coast that should keep us mostly dry through the weekend and into next week. “The only real chance of rain will be up north in the Smith basin, where up to a quarter inch could fall Sunday into Monday,” said Zontos. “It shouldn’t be enough to raise any river levels, however. After that we’re looking mostly dry through at least Thursday, with next chance of rain possibly Friday.”

CDFW looks for input on distribution of low-flow information
In a press release issued in early Jan., CDFW is inviting anglers to provide input on the proposed fishing regulation change that would affect how CDFW distributes low-flow information. CDFW is seeking to simplify and streamline access to low-flow information by transitioning the three low-flow phone lines to a CDFW webpage. This regulation will not impact where or when low-flow closures occur. The questionnaire will take approximately 3 to 5 minutes to complete. Questionnaire results will be used to 1) evaluate support and opposition to the regulation change, and 2) identify potential resources that may benefit constituents. The questionnaire is available until February 18 at 11:59 p.m. The questionnaire can be found at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-flow-Restrictions

The Rivers:
As of Thursday morning, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mad, Redwood Creek and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. More information can be found here.

Mad
The Mad peaked at 13 feet (8,300 cfs) Monday morning and is dropping quickly. As of Thursday, it was under 11 feet. It’s predicted to drop through the weekend and could be down near 8 feet by mid-next week. There could be a short window late next week for some green water. The river fishes best between 7 and 8 feet.

Main stem Eel
The main stem is dropping, but is still big and muddy flowing at 30,000 cfs Thursday. With no rain in the immediate forecast, it will continue to drop through next week but it doesn’t look like it will be down to a fishable level before the next storm. It will start to fish once it gets below 5,000 cfs.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork dipped under 7,000 cfs at Miranda Thursday, and will continue to drop for the next week. It’s looking like it may be fishable by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week as flows are predicted to be down to 2,200 cfs by Tuesday. The window of opportunity may be short as rain is predicted beginning Friday.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen fell below 2,000 cfs Thursday after reaching 7,000 cfs Monday. It’s forecast to drop through the weekend and into next week. Flows are predicted to be under 1,000 cfs early Tuesday and there may be a window on Wednesday and Thursday. Rain is once again in the forecast for Friday.

Smith River
As of Thursday, the Smith remained at over 10 feet on the Jed Smith gauge and was in great shape. As it continues to drop through the weekend and into next week, fishing will get tougher with the clearing water. Fishing was slow last weekend and earlier this week, but there has been some fish caught. Boat pressure has decreased as a lot of guides have moved over to the Chetco.

Southern Oregon rivers
“Steelhead fishing has improved slightly on the Chetco with dropping flows, but was still in the slow side the first half of this week,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Conditions are nearing prime levels, which should lead to better catch rates by the weekend. Further north, steelhead fishing has busted wide-open on the Umpqua, and is decent on the smaller rivers in Coos and Curry counties. Plunkers also reported good catches on the lower Rogue early this week.”

Brookings ocean update
Ocean conditions are expected to be calm Friday and Saturday, allowing boaters to get out of Brookings to catch lingcod and rockfish according to Martin. “Crabbing has been slow. Expect good lingcod fishing in shallow water this time of year. The limit remains five rockfish and two lingcod on the Oregon Coast.”

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.

Another atmospheric river has come and gone along the North Coast, sending a few rivers back to nearly monitor stage. To put it bluntly, for rivers other than the Smith, we’re back to swollen, muddy rivers – or square one. For the time being, the Smith will remain the only option if you’re looking for green water. If the forecast holds, boats should be back to drifting by Saturday, with conditions looking good through at least mid-next week. That’s shaping up to be the longest fishable stretch this season. The other local rivers won’t fair nearly as well. The next round of rain is slated for Sunday into Monday, with the heaviest amounts of precipitation falling in Humboldt and into Mendo and Lake counties. So, any hopes of fishing the main Eel, SF Eel, or Van Duzen will be on hold once again.

These extremely wet winters may not bring much joy to steelhead anglers, but they’re a blessing for the fish. The extra water will go a long way in helping the steelhead reach their spawning grounds and also provide a helping hand for the juvenile salmonids as they begin their journey down to the saltwater.

Weather ahead
Following quite a bit of rain on Wednesday, that put all the coastal rivers back on the rise, we’ll start to see the rivers begin to recede some time Thursday. According to James White of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, a little more rain is in the forecast for Friday and Saturday, but it will be spotty. “We’re looking at a half-inch at the most, and the rivers should continue to drop,” said White. “The next system arrives Sunday and will stick around through Monday. The heaviest amounts of rain will be to our south in Lake and Mendocino counties, but the Eel could see from 1 to 1.5 inches in the 48-hour period. This will be a colder system too; we’re expecting snow down to 2,500 feet. As of now, Tuesday and Wednesday are looking mostly dry, but there’s a chance for another system late next week.”

CDFW looks for input on distribution of low-flow information
In a press release issued in early Jan., CDFW is inviting anglers to provide input on the proposed fishing regulation change that would affect how CDFW distributes low-flow information. CDFW is seeking to simplify and streamline access to low-flow information by transitioning the three low-flow phone lines to a CDFW webpage. This regulation will not impact where or when low-flow closures occur. The questionnaire will take approximately 3 to 5 minutes to complete. Questionnaire results will be used to 1) evaluate support and opposition to the regulation change, and 2) identify potential resources that may benefit constituents. The questionnaire is available until February 18 at 11:59 p.m. The questionnaire can be found at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-flow-Restrictions

The Rivers:
As of Thursday morning, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mad, Redwood Creek and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. More information can be found here.

Mad
The Mad peaked at 14 feet (9,845 cfs) early Thursday morning, and is high and muddy. It’s predicted to drop through the weekend, with the next small rise forecast for Sunday night where it will go back up to over 11 feet. The river fishes best between 7 and 8 feet and it will take at least a week of dry weather to get there.

Main stem Eel
The main stem was flowing at roughly 74,00,000 cfs at Scotia Thursday and was just starting to peak around noon. It’s predicted to drop through Sunday, before the next, smaller rise hits Monday. Will need a couple weeks of dry weather before it’s green. It will start to fish once it gets below 5,000 cfs.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was oh so close to being fishable in the Garberville area before the storm hit on Wednesday. Flows were down to 2,400 cfs at Miranda and the color was coming around. All that is history now as flows went up and over 19,000 cfs early Thursday morning. With more rain in the forecast for early next week, it will likely be high and off color all week.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen peaked at nearly 11,000 cfs Wednesday evening and is back on the drop. Flows are predicted to get down to 2,000 cfs by the end of the weekend, but it will be headed back up with the rain starting Sunday. It will need at least a week of dry weather before it’s fishable.

Smith River
The Smith continues to be the lone bright spot, as well as fishable river, on the North Coast. The flows have been up and down all season, never giving boats more than a couple days in a row of drifting. That looks like it will change this weekend. The river will be on the drop starting Saturday, and it looks like conditions are lining up for a few decent days of drifting, at least through mid-week. This is good news as when the conditions have been right, the fishing has been excellent. Boats making the drift from the forks down did really well Tuesday, with most landing a few fresh steelhead each.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
After a dismal start to the steelhead season on the Chetco – with high, unfishable water for most of January, flows are expected to drop to low enough levels for side-drifting according to Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Plunkers have been catching steelhead, but drift boaters have had very few days with decent flows,” said Martin. “Anything below 4,000 cfs is generally fishable for side-drifters on the Chetco. Another round of flows topping 15,000 cfs are expected this week before a quick drop through the weekend. The Elk, Sixes and Rogue also have been high and off-colored. A few drift boats hit the Elk on Tuesday, but fishing was slow, in part because of a heavy surf at the mouth. The rivers are expected to fish by the end of the weekend.”

Brookings ocean report
According to Martin, rough weather has kept ocean anglers at the docks the past week out of Brookings. “Big surf will also make surfperch fishing tough through the weekend.”

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.

More of the same – I think that best sums up another week of rain and muddy rivers on the North Coast. And it doesn’t appear any changes are coming soon. Another potential gully washer is forecast for the weekend, dropping upwards of 3.5 inches of rain in the Smith River basin. That will likely curtail any hopes of drifting, or possibly plunking, through Sunday on the Smith. Looking at the river level projections, Monday and Tuesday are shaping up nicely, but another Atmospheric River is poised to hit land mid-week. That same scenario has played out since the beginning of January, providing just a handful of fishable days on the Smith. The other coastal rivers haven’t gotten a sniff of green water for weeks, and will have likely gone the entire month being unfishable.

Weather outlook
According to Matthew Kidwell of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, Thursday is looking dry, but more rain is on the way. “The next system arrives late Thursday evening or early Friday morning and will stick around through Saturday before it tapers off in the evening,” said Kidwell. “The largest rainfall totals will be in Del Norte, where between 2.5 to 4.5 inches are expected. In the Humboldt area, we could see 1 to 3 inches. Sunday is looking dry, and not much is forecast for Monday. The next system, however, will be a fairly wet one. The timing is a little uncertain as of now as some models have the system hitting land on Tuesday mid-day and others are showing Wednesday. While the confidence in the timing is unsure, we are confident that it will be a fairly wet rain event from Del Norte to Mendocino.”

CDFW looks for input on low-flow regulation change
In a press release issued in early Jan., CDFW is inviting anglers to provide input on the proposed fishing regulation change that would affect how CDFW distributes low-flow information. CDFW is seeking to simplify and streamline access to low-flow information by transitioning the three low-flow phone lines to a CDFW webpage. This regulation will not impact where or when low-flow closures occur. The questionnaire will take approximately 3 to 5 minutes to complete. Questionnaire results will be used to 1) evaluate support and opposition to the regulation change, and 2) identify potential resources that may benefit constituents. The questionnaire is available until February 18 at 11:59 p.m. The questionnaire can be found at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-flow-Restrictions

Eel River steelhead returns
Over the past week, January 15 – 21, 16 adult steelhead (female 8, male 6, unknown 2) and two (2) subadult steelhead were observed moving upstream through the VAFS fishway according to Andrew Anderson, an Aquatic Biologist with PG&E. The season total for adult steelhead now stands at 61 (female 30, male 19, unknown 12). The season total for subadult steelhead stands at 14.

No Chinook salmon were observed over the same period; the season total for upstream migrating Chinook salmon stands at 255 (female 73, male 72, unknown 21, jack 89). For more information, visit www.eelriver.org/the-eel-river/fish-count/.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday morning, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mad, Redwood Creek and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. More information can be found here.

Mad
The Mad was hovering around 11.5 feet on Thursday, and remains high and muddy. Rain forecasted for the weekend will keep the river off color and jumping between 11 and 12 feet. It’s predicted to drop Sunday through Tuesday, but more rain is in the forecast by mid-week. The river fishes best between 7 and 8 feet and it will take at least a week of dry weather to get there. For current river conditions, visit https://cdec.water.ca.gov/river/madStages.html

Main stem Eel
The main stem was rising slightly Thursday, flowing at roughly 31,000 cfs at Scotia. It’s predicted for a small rise Sunday before it goes back on the drop. Projections have it down to 16,500 cfs by Tuesday morning, but next week’s rain will likely put it right back to square one. Will need a couple weeks of dry weather before it’s green. For current river conditions, visit https://cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is forecast to drop through Friday, but won’t get down to a fishable level prior to the rain coming this weekend. As of Thursday, it’s predicted to be down to 3,400 cfs at Miranda by Tuesday. If the rain comes as predicted mid-week, it will be back to high and muddy. For current river conditions, visit https://cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen will be above 2,000 cfs through the weekend, and is still high and off color. It’s predicted to drop to 1,400 cfs by Tuesday morning, but next week’s rain will likely put it back on the rise. For current river conditions, visit https://cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

Smith River
The Smith continues to teeter between driftable and plunkable flows, with the occasional blowout. Conditions were good last Friday and Saturday, and plenty of fish were caught by boats drifting from the forks to Ruby. It blew out again Sunday, but was back in decent shape by Tuesday, and the plunkers landed a few. Rain is back in the forecast for Friday, which is forecast to push flows over 15 feet (22,600 cfs) at the Jed Smith gauge by Saturday night. Conditions are looking good for Monday and Tuesday, but more rain is expected mid-week. When conditions have been right, the fishing has been pretty good. For current river conditions, visit https://cdec.water.ca.gov/river/smithStages.html

Chetco
The Chetco has been high and muddy all week reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “A few steelhead are being caught by guides during brief windows of dropping flows on the Upper Chetco, while plunkers are picking away at steelhead in the lower river, especially Loeb Park and Social Security Bar,” said Martin. “Another steep rise is expected this weekend, as January ends how it began, with high, off-colored water.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, the ocean was calm enough for boats to get out of the Port of Brookings Tuesday, allowing Brookings Fishing Charters to run its first trip of the year. “Limits of lingcod and rockfish in shallow water, but the best fishing is north of Brookings, near House Rock, as muddy water from the Chetco has made fishing slow closer to the harbor. Lingcod and rockfish are open year-round in the Oregon Coast. A few surfperch are now being caught at Lone Ranch and near Gold Beach.”

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.

If you’re looking to or have been chasing winter steelhead on the North Coast, chances are high it’s been on the Smith, or will be. With all the rain we’ve had, it’s really been the only option for the past couple weeks. And it looks like that will continue to be the case. More rain is in the forecast at least through next Tuesday morning, which will keep all other coastal rivers, including the Chetco, at levels and colors that aren’t fit to drift. The timing is unfortunate too. The Smith and Chetco both saw good pushes of fish enter the river earlier this week as plunkers did well on both rivers. So as the rain continues to pile on, it will be a Smith show for the foreseeable future.

Weather outlook
According to Doug Boushey of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, we’re looking at quite a bit of rain falling on the North Coast between Friday and Tuesday morning. “Thursday is looking mostly dry, but light rain is predicted for the Smith basin,” said Boushey. “On Friday, we’re looking at up to a half inch in the Smith area and a half to an inch in the Eel basin. Another inch is forecast for Saturday on the Smith and up to an inch and a half down on the Eel. Sunday and Monday are looking wet as well, with the chance for a couple inches or rain each day.”

The Rivers
As of Thursday morning, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mad, Redwood Creek and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. More information can be found here.

Mad
After reaching historical heights last Saturday, the Mad has been dropping quickly, but is not close to turning green. More rain is forecast for the weekend, pushing flows back up to monitor level (15 feet) by Monday afternoon. The river fishes best between 7 and 8 feet and it will take at least a week of dry weather to get there.

Main stem Eel
The main stem is dropping, but is still big and muddy flowing at roughly 22,000 cfs at Scotia Thursday. It’s predicted for another rise following a lot of rain over the weekend. Projections have it peaking at just over 100,000 cfs Monday evening. Will need a couple weeks of dry weather before it’s green.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is forecast to drop through Friday, but won’t get down to a fishable level prior to the next round of storms. As of Thursday, it was right around 5,000 cfs at Miranda. It’s predicted to peak at over 24,000 cfs Monday.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen remains off color, with a couple additional rises starting Saturday. Flows on Thursday were down to 1,800 cfs, but it’s predicted to hit 7,400 cfs by Monday morning.

Smith River
The Smith has been teetering between driftable and plunkable flows since Monday. Tuesday saw the first real good push of fish enter the river, and the scores were really good. Boats sitting on the anchor from Ruby down reported multiple fish landed. A few were caught drifting as well from the Forks down. The rain on Wednesday was substantially more than what was predicted, and blew the river out mid-morning. It was down to a plunkable level by Thursday morning, though it was off color. Boats should be able to drift Friday and Saturday as conditions are shaping up nicely. Flows are predicted to rise slightly Sunday through Tuesday, but the water color should be good.

Chetco
“After reaching minor flood stage over the weekend, the Chetco was fishable again for plunkers Monday,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Catch rates jumped on Tuesday with nearly 20 steelhead landed at Social Security Bar. A dozen steelhead were donated to the hatchery brood stock program. Rain Tuesday will likely have the river blown out again by Wednesday, but plunkers should be back on the water before the end of the week. Drift boaters could be fishing by the weekend. Flows hit 40,000 cfs last Saturday, the highest levels since 2021.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, the ocean was calm enough – rough but fishable – for boats to get out of Brookings Monday for the first time this year. “Anglers caught limits of rockfish north of Bird Island, with lots of lingcod in the mix. Rough weather returned Tuesday.”

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

All coastal rivers, except for the Smith, will be high and muddy next week

Just as the steelhead season on the Smith and Chetco rivers was showing signs of life, a couple of good storms have and will put steelhead fishing on the backburner. Rain that fell on Tuesday and Wednesday buckled the knees of the coastal rivers, but the knockout punch is coming late Friday and into Saturday. Wednesday saw the Smith blow by its projections, finally cresting in the afternoon at over 16 feet at the Jed Smith gauge. It’s predicted to be on the drop Thursday and Friday, and should be in great shape. And it will be the only game in town for some time. The Chetco, which doesn’t recover quite as quickly as the Smith, went over 10,500 cfs and was peaking Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, it won’t recover before the next big storm arrives Saturday. If the forecast holds, it will likely be blown out all next week. For the other coastal rivers south of the Smith that aren’t so quick to clear — it could be a week or more before they resemble anything close to green.

Weather outlook
For the next seven days, ending next Wednesday, the North Coast could see 3 to 6 inches of rain. According to Kathleen Zontos of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, most of that rain will fall between Friday night and Saturday. “From the Mad River north to the Smith, we could see 2 to 5 inches Friday and Saturday,” said Zontos. “In the Eel and Van Duzen basins, we’ll likely see between 2 to 3 inches. Sunday is looking mostly dry, and those conditions will likely stick around until at least Tuesday. There are additional chances of rain later next week, but those are looking like they may be weaker systems.”

Perigean spring tides happening this week
Perigean spring tides, the results of either a new or full moon, will be in effect beginning Jan. 9 through Jan 13. The highest tides are predicted for Thursday and Friday. The north spit tide gauge prediction is for a high tide of 8.44 feet at 10:48 a.m. Thursday morning and 8.43 feet at 11:37 a.m. Friday morning. Minor coastal flooding around Humboldt Bay is possible and large surf may wash farther than normal onto the beaches.

Mad River Steelhead Derby Starts Jan. 15
The Mad River winter steelhead run is just starting and with it comes the annual Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen Association’s (NCGASA) Mad River Steelhead Derby. The derby will start on January 15 and will run through February 29. Anglers will have two months to catch a big hatchery steelhead, with the three largest measured in both the adult and the youth divisions eligible to win cash and prizes. Adult division payouts: 1st place: $500; 2nd place: $300, 3rd place: $150. Youth division payouts (16 years and under): $150 RMI Outdoors gift card; 2nd place: $100 RMI gift card; 3rd place: $50 RMI gift card. All the youth winners will also receive donated fishing tackle from our sponsors. Anglers who sign up for the derby will be entered to win weekly raffle prizes starting on Jan. 1.

New this year is a Winner Take All Raffle Package that includes a guided river trip for two, plus crazy amounts of fishing tackle and gear. This package is currently valued at $850. Raffle tickets are $50 and only 100 tickets will be sold. There are other raffles that include several guided ocean and river trips or you can win a two-night Airbnb country home stay, located minutes away from the Mad River. These trips and stay raffle tickets are $20. Sign up online at madriversteelheadderby.com, ncgasa.org or at RMI Outdoors in Eureka.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday morning, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mad, Redwood Creek and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. More information can be found here.

Mad
After surpassing monitor stage (15 feet) Wednesday, the Mad is now on the drop. It will continue to drop until the next storm hits Saturday. It’s predicted to reach over 17 feet (16,900 cfs) by Saturday evening and will take at least a week of dry weather before it turns close to green.

Main stem Eel
After peaking at 30,400 cfs on the Scotia gauge Thursday morning, the main stem will be on the drop for a couple days before the next big rain event. Saturday’s storm is forecast to push flows to nearly 75,000 cfs. 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 was off and on fishable since last weekend, though conditions were marginal at best. It finally blew out on Wednesday, peaking at 12,500 cfs at Miranda. It’s forecast for a bigger rise Sunday morning where it could surpass 25,000 cfs. If we don’t get a bunch of rain next week, it could be fishable by next weekend. A few adult steelhead have been caught.

Van Duzen
The Duzen got down to a fishable flow earlier in the week, but blew out on Tuesday. It’s forecast to drop through Friday, but won’t be fishable prior to Saturday’s storm. Predicted to hit 11,500 cfs Saturday evening. Will need a week of dry weather before it’s fishable again.

Smith River
The Smith peaked at over 16 feet at the Jed Smith gauge Wednesday, but is in great shape as of Thursday. It’s still a little big, but it’s back to green. It will be in prime shape through Friday when the next big rise is forecast. It’s predicted to reach nearly 21 feet (46,775 cfs) Saturday evening, but should be down to fishable conditions no later than Tuesday. A few steelhead were caught by plunkers on Wednesday, so it looks like more fish are starting to make their way into the river. Conditions look excellent for next week.

Chetco/Southern Oregon rivers
Steelhead fishing finally kicked into gear on the Chetco just before the latest round of winter storms blew the river out this week reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Catch rates spiked as calmer ocean conditions finally allowed bigger numbers of steelhead to move into the river,” said Martin. “But just as the action improved, a major rain storm hit, increasing flows above 10,000 cfs, with the possibility of 45,000 cfs by this weekend. It will take the river several days to recover from the near flood stage expected Saturday. On Sunday and Monday, action was good, with fish spread throughout the river. Mostly wild steelhead were being caught, with an occasional hatchery steelhead. Fishing should be at peak season form when the river drops back into shape next week. The Rogue, Elk and Sixes also have blown out, and will approach minor flooding this weekend.”

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.