Current Fishing Reports

Mad River Tackle & FeelFree Kayaks owner Jens Hansen, along with a few friends, had a banner day catching redtail perch at Stone Lagoon Beach last week. Spring is typically when the redtail action heats up along the North Coast, but they can be caught year-around if the conditions are right. Photo courtesy of Jens Hansen

With the number of adult salmon estimated to be swimming off our coast significantly down from previous years, all signs are pointing towards a much more restricted salmon season in 2016. According to the Pacific Fishery Management Council, 299,600 Sacramento and 142,200 Klamath fall Chinook are said to be swimming in the ocean, which is approximately half of what was projected in previous years. Based on these forecasts, the PFMC this week released three preliminary alternatives for managing salmon fisheries from the Oregon/California border to Horse Mountain (which includes Humboldt County), which represent a fairly drastic change in comparison to previous seasons.

The three alternatives are:

1. May 16 through May 31, June 16 through June 30, July 16 through August 16, and September 1 through September 5.
2. May 1 through May 31, June 18 through June 30, July 16 through July 31, and September 1 through September 5.
3. May 7 through May 31, June 18 through June 30, July 16 through August 7, and September 1 through September 5.

All three alternatives include two salmon per day of any species except Coho, seven days a week, with a 20-inch minimum size. Final recommendations will be made at their next meeting in Vancouver, WA on April 8-14.

Shelter Cove/Fort Bragg salmon season to open April 2

The recreational salmon season from Horse Mountain, Humboldt County south to Point Arena will open on Saturday, April 2, with three different season lengths on the table. The first alternative is the season running straight through to Nov. 13. Alternative two has the season running from April 2 through May 31 and June 11 through Nov. 31. Option three is April 2 through May 31 and June 18 through Nov. 13. Fishing will be allowed seven days a week and the daily bag and possession limit is two salmon of any species except Coho. Minimum size limit is 20 inches total length for all three alternatives.

For areas south of Point Arena, the minimum size limit is 24 inches total length. The season south of Horse Mountain will extend through various dates in June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, or Nov. The alternatives will be finalized at the PFMC meeting on April 8-14 in Vancouver, WA.
For more info, visit http://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/DRAFT_Council_adopted_Table_2_Rec_Alts_2016.pdf

Small quotas on tap for the Klamath/Trinity fall salmon season

Not only will the ocean anglers feel the pinch of the small salmon populations, the Klamath and Trinity quotas are on the downswing as well. The recreational allocations, or quotas, as proposed by the PFMC will range from 1,111 to 1,181 adult fall Chinook in 2016, which is about an 85 percent reduction compared to last year’s quotas, which were roughly 13,500. With the paltry returns predicted, it’s likely we’ll see a one adult and one jack daily limit.

These numbers are not final, next step is public review with a decision coming from the Fish and Game Commission meeting on April 8-14. Once the quota is agreed upon, 50 percent will go to the lower Klamath basin, 17 percent to the upper basin, and 33 percent will be allocated for the Trinity River. Based loosely on a 1,100 quota, the lower Klamath basin will get 550 adult kings, the upper basin will receive 363 and 187 will be available for the Trinity River. Roughly 165 fall-run kings will be available for harvest at the Klamath River spit. When adopted, these quotas will go into effect August 15, 2016.

Weekend weather
According to Doug Boushey of Eureka’s National Weather Service, we should have decent weather until the next storm arrives on Sunday. “The rain should return sometime Sunday evening and will last into Monday evening, with showers possibly lingering into Tuesday morning. Rainfall totals could amount to one to two inches in Humboldt and Del Norte could see anywhere from three to four inches. Wednesday through next Friday look dry as of now,” added Boushey.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
As of Wednesday, the Chetco was flowing at just over 5,000 cfs and is shaping up nicely for the weekend. There should be a few fresh steelhead around along with some spent fish making their way downriver.

Smith River
Like the Chetco, the Smith should be in prime shape this weekend. Typical of March, expect to see some fresh fish around with plenty of downers to bend the rod.

Eel River (main stem)
Still running at 45,000 cfs as of Wednesday, the main stem is dropping quickly and could possibly fish next weekend barring any rainfall next week.

Eel River (South Fork)
As of Wednesday, flows were still hovering around 10,000 cfs on the Miranda gauge and dropping. If the rain doesn’t fall as forecasted early next week, it could be fishable by late next week.

Van Duzen
Flowing at just above 3,200 cfs on Wednesday, it’s doesn’t look like it will drop down to a fishable shape before the next round of rain rolls in early next week.

Mad River
The Mad is still big and brown, flowing at just over 8,000 cfs on Wednesday. With water coming over the Ruth spillway, it’s likely done for the season.

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Arcata resident Mike McCasland landed this nice hatchery steelhead on a recent float down the Chetco River. The Chetco, along with most of the coastal rivers, remain unfishable due to the recent storms. Photo courtesy of Mike Stratman/Redwood Coast Fishing

With the “Miracle March” in full swing, options for winter steelhead fishing will remain few and far between over the next week. An atmospheric river that’s set up over the Pacific Ocean is taking aim at the North Coast and will deliver several powerful storms starting Thursday. More than six inches of rain is on track to come down across the region, with potentially more falling in the mountains. Other than the Smith, every coastal stream has been blown out since last week, with plenty more precipitation on the way that’s sure to keep them big and brown.  Let’s hope there’s a break in the weather prior to the end of the month — providing that one last opportunity to do battle with the ever-popular winter steelhead.

Weather update
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, rain is in the forecast daily at least through Monday. “On Thursday, both Humboldt and Del Norte could see up to an inch and a half of rain. Another two inches is in the forecast for Friday, followed by a very wet weekend. Rainfall totals for the weekend could reach up to six inches in both counties. Another three-quarters of precipitation is forecasted for Monday, followed by lingering showers into Tuesday morning. We should see a break from the rain from Tuesday to Friday, with more systems predicted to roll in the following weekend,” Kennedy added.

Fewer salmon swimming off the North Coast
Following years of robust salmon numbers swimming off the North Coast, it appears the drought and poor water conditions are finally taking hold. The PFMC held their annual salmon abundance meeting last Wednesday in Santa Rosa, where discussions centered on in-river data from the 2015 season and to project the number of salmon swimming in coastal waters in 2016. What the data revealed — at least for the Sacramento and Klamath — is the numbers are far lower in comparison to previous years. The PFMC projected an ocean population of 299,600 Sacramento and just 142,200 adult Klamath River salmon. The majority of California’s ocean and inland fisheries come from these two runs.

These forecasts, which are significantly lower than last year, will be used over the next few months to set sport and commercial fishing season lengths, sport and commercial quotas, and size and bag limits.

Next up, the PFMC is meeting March 8-14 in Sacramento to consider its recommendations for the length of this year’s salmon season, with a final decision to come later in the spring. For more information on this meeting, visit http://www.pcouncil.org/council-operations/council-meetings/current-meeting.

To view the PFMC Preseason Stock Abundance Analysis and
Environmental Assessment Part 1 for 2016 Ocean Salmon Fishery Regulations, visit http://www.pcouncil.org/salmon/stock-assessment-and-fishery-evaluation-safe-documents/preseason-reports/2016-preseason-report-i/

Proposed Klamath River regulation changes
The CA Fish and Game Commission are proposing a couple changes to the Klamath River for the upcoming fall salmon season. The first proposed change involves the take of adult salmon during a closure. The current language reads, “Anglers shall not remove any adult Chinook salmon from the water by any means, such as by dragging the fish on shore or using a net.” The proposed language states, “It shall be unlawful to remove any adult Chinook salmon from the water by any means.”

The second proposed change affects the Blue Creek fishery closure that was enacted in 2015. The Commission is proposing a modification that will change the fishing boundary from a half-mile to 500 feet downstream of the mouth of Blue Creek from June 15 through September 14. The 500-foot closure above the mouth of Blue Creek will remain. These two proposals will be voted on at the April 18 meeting. For the complete list of proposed regulation changes, visit http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/2016/7_50_kt_regs.pdf

2016/17 ocean sport regulation booklets now available online
Regulation changes for 2016 include:
Groundfish regulations that went into effect on March 10, 2015 are now included in the booklet. Changes included new season dates and fishing depths in some groundfish management areas, a lingcod bag and possession limit increase to 3 fish, a new sub-bag limit of 5 black rockfish within the RCG Complex bag limit of 10 fish, and statewide closure of the California scorpionfish fishery from Sept. 1-Dec. 31.
Pacific Halibut regulations that went into effect on April 30, 2015 are now included in the booklet. New state and federal regulations are in effect for the Pacific halibut fishery, including a new, federally set quota system. Once the quota (or the end of the season) is reached, the recreational fishery will close. New season dates and methods of take are also in effect. The booklet is available here: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Sport-Fishing

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco remains high and off color following the recent rains, with no green water in sight. Flowing at 9,200 cfs on Wednesday, it’s predicted to peak at nearly 20,000 cfs on Sunday evening.

Smith River
The Smith dropped back down to a fishable level on Wednesday, but very few, if any took advantage reports Crescent City guide Mike Coopman. “I didn’t see any boats, and only a few plunkers were out. The reports I heard were that quite a few fresh fish still coming, and good number of downers were in the river as well. With more rain on the way, it doesn’t look like it will fish this weekend, though if the color doesn’t get too bad it could be plunkable,” Coopman said.

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
All of these systems remain high and muddy from last week’s storms, with no real end in sight. The storms hitting the area now will keep all of these rivers high and muddy for the foreseeable future.

Mad River
Like the rest of the smaller coastal rivers, it’s been blown out since last week. Flowing at nearly 6,000 cfs on Wednesday, it’s predicted to climb daily and reach monitor stage by Saturday evening.

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Lacey Trask of McKinleyville shows off a bright winter steelhead landed on a recent trip to the Chetco River. All of the coastal rivers will see a rapid rise in flows as a series of storms move through Humboldt and Del Norte Counties over the next two weeks. Photo courtesy of Alan’s Guide Service

Following a dry and unseasonably warm February, a series of weather fronts are lining up off the coast that could put us back on track with the El Niño phenomenon. Various weather models are showing large amounts of rain over the next couple weeks, which could put a serious damper on what’s left of the winter steelhead season on the North Coast. But the upside of a “Miracle March” — the term coined following the season-saving snow storms that hit the sierras back in March of 1991 — is huge. The late winter and spring rains, coupled with a snow pack that’s about to get much bigger, will benefit the next run of adult fish moving up river, mainly spring salmon and summer steelhead. It will also increase the survival rates for recently spawned adult steelhead, as well as salmon and steelhead fry and smolts that are all making their way downstream to the estuaries and ocean. The high, muddy water also allows the fish to make their way downriver with less risk of predation. The lack of fishing pressure will also help the young steelhead make their way back down river successfully. Heavy spring rains should, in many cases, also result in higher flows and improved water quality later in the summer. Trading in a couple weeks of late-season steelhead fishing for increased fish populations and improved water conditions in the future seems like a no-brainer.

Weather update
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, we have some pretty wet systems on the horizon. “After some lingering showers in the mountains on Thursday, Friday is looking dry. That will change on Friday night as the first storm arrives and brings rain through Saturday night. Showers will stick around on Sunday, and the snow level will drop to 3,500 feet. Del Norte and Humboldt counties will see anywhere from three to five inches of rain over the three-day period. Mountain showers are in the forecast for Monday, followed by a dry Tuesday. The next big system arrives on Wednesday and will be around through the weekend, with some models showing four to six inches of rain,” Kennedy added.

Boating safety class\
The USCG Auxiliary will hold the first About Boating Safety (ABS) class on Saturday, March 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Woodley Island Marina conference room. Cost is $20.00 per person. To register, please call (707) 445-2401. People are encouraged to pack a lunch to take a short break to keep within the time frame.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Fishing has been slow the past few days, but hopefully the rain that’s forecasted will shake up the river. There are quite a few downers in the river, but they’ve been pounded on pretty good. The hope is the rise will bring in some fresh fish and push some of the spawned-out fish down river. As of Wednesday, it looks like the Chetco will fish through Friday, but will likely blow out sometime Saturday.

Smith River
Some decent scores were reported last weekend on the Smith, but it has gotten a little slower the past few days. A half-inch of rain is in the forecast for Wednesday, which will bump up the flows slightly. Friday looks like the day to be on the water as the river is forecasted to rise beginning early Saturday morning, peaking at over 14-feet early Sunday morning. The rise should bring in some new fish from the ocean as well as move some of the downers around.

Eel River (main stem)
The river had good color and the height was coming around on Wednesday reports Fred Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. “I haven’t heard any reports on the main as there haven’t been very many fishing it, if any. It looks like the rain that’s coming will likely put us back to square one,” Grundman added. The Eel is predicted to jump from 5,500 cfs to nearly 100,000 by Sunday.

Eel River (South Fork)
The South Fork was in great shape this past week, but the fishing has remained tough. Boats are seeing zero to two fish per trip. If the rain falls as predicted, the South Fork will blowout sometime on Saturday, going from 850 to over 25,000 cfs.

Van Duzen
According to Grundman, the Van Duzen was in perfect shape this past weekend, but getting any reports has been tough. If the forecast holds, flows are predicted to jump from 850 to 17,000 cfs on Saturday night.

Mad River
The Mad has been pretty quiet this week reports Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors in Eureka. “The river dropped into shape on Monday, but very few anglers were out. There are mostly downers in the system now, but I’m sure there are pods of fresh fish in the river as well. It started to dirty-up on Wednesday morning and it could be done for awhile with the amount of rain on the way,” Kelly added.

Upper Trinity
The water on the upper end still has some color to it, probably more so than the middle reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “There’s some steelhead still making their way to the hatchery, but the numbers are slowing way down. A few anglers are still trying, but the pressure has died down. Your best bet to find some new fish is the Junction City area as the wild ones are waiting to enter some of the bigger tributaries and creeks,” Huber added.

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook for fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Mara Nursement of Alta, CA landed this nice Smith River steelhead last Friday while taking part in the Rowdy Creek Steelhead Derby. The big steelhead measured 36 inches long and was the largest fish landed in the two-day derby that took place last weekend. Nursement was fishing with guide Patrick Burns, pictured right, of North Coast River Adventures. Photo courtesy of North Coast River Adventures/Patrick Burns

The handwriting has been on the wall for a couple years now. Stuck in the midst of a 4-year drought and on the heels of a sub-par ocean salmon season along the North Coast, it should come as no surprise that the number of returning Fall Chinook to the Klamath Basin in 2015 came in below forecasts. According to the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC), who recently completed their preliminary stock assessment evaluation, the 2015 preliminary postseason river run size estimate for Klamath River Fall Chinook (KRFC) was 77,749 adults compared to the preseason-predicted river run size of 119,800. Only 28,120 adults escaped to natural spawning areas, which was well below the 40,700 adult needed for the conservation objective.

The estimated hatchery return was 11,085 adults. Jack returns to the Klamath Basin totaled 6,097 including 3,476 that escaped to natural spawning areas.

Spawning escapement to the upper Klamath River tributaries (Salmon, Scott, and Shasta Rivers), totaled 10,682 adults. The Shasta River has historically been the most important Chinook salmon spawning stream in the upper Klamath River, supporting a spawning escapement of 27,600 adults as recently as 2012 and 63,700 in 1935. The escapement in 2015 to the Shasta River was 6,612 adults. Escapement to the Salmon and Scott Rivers was 1,978 and 2,092 adults, respectively.

Riding the wave of healthy returns the previous few years, the KRFC will not be classified as over fished under the terms of Amendment 16 to the Salmon Fishing Management Plan. KRFC are considered to be overfished when the 3-year geometric mean spawning escapement falls below the minimum stock size threshold of 30,525 natural area adult spawners. The geometric mean of adult spawning escapement in natural areas for years 2013-2015 is 54,084.

KRFC are also considered to have been subject to over fishing if the estimated exploitation rate exceeds their maximum fishing mortality threshold of 0.71. An estimate of the 2015 KRFC exploitation rate is not yet available. However, fisheries in 2014 resulted in an exploitation rate of 0.36, which is lower than the MFMT.

To view the complete ocean salmon fishery report, visit www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Review_of_2015_Salmon_Fisheries_FullDocument.pdf

Next up is the Annual Ocean Salmon Information meeting, which will be held March 2, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Sonoma County Water Agency office located at 404 Aviation Blvd. in Santa Rosa. Ocean abundance will be discussed, which will then trickle down to river quotas. For more information on the meeting, please contact CDFW Environmental Scientist Kandice Morgenstern at (707) 576-2879 or visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon/Preseason

Weekend Weather
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, we can expect Thursday to be dry, followed by the first of a couple weak systems that will hit the North Coast. “Light rain will begin falling Friday afternoon and should stick around through the evening. Rainfall totals for Del Norte and northern Humboldt will be from a half to one inch. South of the Mad basin could see anywhere from a quarter to three-quarters. Saturday is looking dry, but another weak system is forecasted for Sunday. Rainfall totals won’t be much and vary from a quarter to three-quarters of an inch. Dry conditions are predicted for Monday through next Wednesday in Northern California, but the Chetco basin will likely see showers on Monday.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco has plenty of fish, but the river is really starting to clear reports guide Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “There were a lot of fish caught on Monday, but it’s gotten a little slower since. Most of the boats are landing three to four fish per day and there’s a good mix of fresh and hatchery fish in the river now.”

Smith River
Pretty tough conditions on the Smith right now reports guide Mike Coopman. “The river is getting clear, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of fish around, and there are lots of seals in the river. That’s not really a good combination for success. The good news is the fishing pressure has been light,” Coopman said.

Eel River (main stem)
Fred Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods reports the main stem Eel is still a big, but the color is coming around quickly. “It looks like it’s dropping faster than previous weeks, but will likely be marginal at best by the weekend,” Grundman added.

Eel River (South Fork)
The South Fork is starting to clear up top, but the lower end should be just about perfect, both color and flows. The fishing has been sub-par to far this season.

Van Duzen
According to Grundman, the Van Duzen is just starting to come around and is looking olive green. “About six inches of visibility was what I heard on Wednesday, should be in good shape by the weekend,” said Grundman.

Mad River
The Mad is green with about a foot and a half of visibility reports Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors in Eureka. He said, “Fishing hasn’t been red hot the past few days, we may be getting towards the end of the run. The amount of fresh hatchery fish in the river has dropped off, and so has the fishing pressure. The rain coming on Friday and Sunday should add a little bump in the flows, but it shouldn’t be enough to blow it out.”

Upper Trinity
Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors reports the steelhead fishing is winding down on the upper Trinity. He said, “I haven’t heard of very many fresh steelhead around, especially on the upper end. My guess is we’ve reached the end, or pretty close to it. The fishing pressure has also waned, except for a few fly boats still giving it a go.”

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Patrick Cleary of Meadow Vista landed this nice native steelhead on a recent float down the South Fork of the Eel River. Rain is in the forecast for the next several days, which could turn some coastal rivers muddy. Photo courtesy of Fishing the North Coast/Kenny Priest

Off and on rain is in the forecast for the next week or so, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Ya, the main stem Eel was just coming into prime shape and will likely be toast for a while, but boy did the Chetco and Smith ever need some water. The two rivers to the North have been running on fumes for a couple weeks now, and this rain will provide a nice little shot in the arm. The increase in flows should bring in new fish from the salt and also push some of the fish down from the tributaries and creeks. The same could be said for the South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Mad Rivers. While they were green and plenty fishable, a good pulse of water will bring new life, as well as bright steelhead.

Weather update
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, the wet pattern that has eluded us the past couple weeks has resumed. “On Thursday, we’ll see periods of light rain and higher elevation snow in the morning then rain showers and higher elevation snow showers in the afternoon and evening. Snow level will dip down near 3,500 feet. Thursdays rainfall totals could reach two inches in Del Norte and one and a half in Humboldt. Another system moves in Friday, which could drop another three-quarters to two inches in Del Norte and a half to one and a half in Humboldt. Saturday should be dry, but more showers are expected for Sunday over the mountain vicinity of the Smith and Klamath basins associated with weak front moving across Oregon. Monday is looking dry, but another system rolls in on Tuesday. Del Norte could see up to an inch and a half while Humboldt could see an inch of rain. As of now, next Wednesday through Friday are looking dry,” Kennedy added.

Rowdy Creek Hatchery Steelhead Derby this weekend
If you plan on heading to the Smith or Chetco this weekend, keep in mind Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery Steelhead Derby is taking place Friday and Saturday. A total of 22 teams, consisting of 44 boats will be splitting time between the two rivers.

2015 Klamath River Fall Chinook returns
According to preliminary estimates, only 83,846 Fall Chinook salmon made their way back up the Klamath in 2015. Of those, 77,749 were adults and 6,097 were jacks, or two-year old salmon. The preseason predicted run size estimate was roughly 120,000. According to Sara Borok, an Environmental Scientist on the Klamath River, the run-size was quite a bit lower than predicted. “We may be looking at some pretty small quotas this fall,” said Borok.

CDFW to Hold Public Meeting on Ocean Salmon Fisheries
The public is invited to the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Annual Ocean Salmon Information Meeting on March 2, 2016 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Sonoma County Water Agency office located at 404 Aviation Blvd. in Santa Rosa. The meeting will provide the latest information on California salmon stocks and the outlook for ocean and river salmon fisheries during the upcoming 2016 season. For more information on the meeting, please contact CDFW Environmental Scientist Kandice Morgenstern at (707) 576-2879 or visit http://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon/Preseason

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Flows were down to 1,400 cfs on Wednesday, and the river is extremely clear according to Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service. She said, “We are low and clear right now – very little flow. There are a few fresh fish coming in but they are really spooky. We are supposed to get a rise this weekend but we’ll see if that storm hits us enough.” As of Wednesday, rain is predicted to put the Chetco on the rise beginning Thursday and it’s forecasted to peak mid-day Saturday at 6,200 cfs.

Smith River
The Smith dipped below 8-feet on the Jed Smith gauge on Wednesday, and fishing had been tough under low and clear conditions. That will all change as the Smith could see up to three to four inches of rain between Thursday and Friday. The river will be on the rise Thursday, peaking at just over 12-feet. Another shot of rain will push it to nearly 13 feet on Friday night. The increased flows should do wonders for the river, bringing in new fish as well flushing down lots of spawners.

Eel River (main stem)
Fred Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods reports the main stem Eel has good color, but it’s still a little pushy. “A few fish were being caught, but not that many. There’s still too much water, the river hasn’t slotted up yet and the fish could be in a lot of different places. With the rain returning, it could easily be a week or more before it drops back into shape after it peaks on Saturday,” said Grundman.

Eel River (South Fork)
The river is in good shape, though the upper sections are starting to clear. Most of the action this week has been on the lower end where boats are getting one to four fish per trip. There are quite a few downers around as well as a handful of fresh fish. It’s predicted to blow out on Thursday, but the top end could be fishable by late next week.

Van Duzen
According to Grundman, the river is in good shape, but I’m not hearing a lot of good reports. “I’m hearing the fishing is mediocre at best,” Grundman said.

Mad River
The Mad was down to 815 cfs as of Wednesday and in need of rain. And it’s coming. If the forecast holds, it will be on a vertical rise starting Wednesday night and peaking on Friday night at around 6,500 cfs. The last few days, the bite has been hit and miss, with a mix of beat up hatchery runbacks and a handful of bright, wild fish. The influx of water should bring in another wave of fresh fish and start to bring some more spawners down river.

Upper Trinity
Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service reports the entire Trinity is in good shape as of Wednesday. He said “There’s definitely some fish around, though we’re seeing mostly downers with a handful of fresh wild ones mixed in. My guess is the big water we’ve had moved the fish from the main river into the tributaries a little earlier than the past few years, but what we’re seeing now is normal. Boats are getting one to two per trip, and the fish are in the four to six pound range. With more rain on the way, it looks like the lower section could blow out, but the upper river above Indian Creek should remain fishable.”

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Modesto resident John Kern, pictured left, landed this nice Smith River steelhead on Wednesday. Also pictured is Tim Stude. Photo courtesy of Curt Wilson Guide Service

It’s been well over a month since the coastal rivers in Humboldt County have looked anything other than dirty brown. Since the last big rains, which came towards the end of January, the North Coast has been blessed with some beautiful weather. And that fabulous weather, coupled with a two-week stretch of rain-free days, has turned the majority of the rivers emerald green. The one exception being the main stem Eel, and that’s just a few days away from being pristine. Redwood Creek, the Mad, South Fork Eel, and the Van Duzen are all in prime shape for those looking to target winter steelhead. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to wet a line, now is the time. Rain is in the forecast for late next week and rumor has it El Nino could be making a comeback towards the end of the month.

Weekend Weather
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, there isn’t much of a change in store for the weather in the next week. “A weak system will arrive on Friday, bringing with it light rain. The heavier amounts will fall in Del Norte, where they could see a quarter to a half inch. Humboldt will likely see less than a quarter. The high pressure will settle back in on Saturday and we’re looking dry through next Tuesday. Rain is in the forecast for next Wednesday and Thursday,” Kenned added.

Rowdy Creek Steelhead Derby
The 34th annual Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery Steelhead derby will take place February 18 thru 20. There will be 25 teams and participants will rotate between the Smith and Chetco rivers. For more derby information, visit www.rowdycreek.com/derby.

CA Fish and Game Commission meeting
Day two of the California Fish and Game Commission meeting will be held Thursday, Feb. 11 at the Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento at 10 a.m. Topics include recommendations concerning the fishing closures at the mouth of Blue Creek as well as the proposed emergency fishing closure of the Sacramento River from 5.5 miles from the Hwy. 44 bridge to Keswick Dam. The meeting will be live streamed at http://www.cal-span.org

HSU Fishery Seminar
Rebecca Garwood, an Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be giving a presentation titled “The other listed anadromous fish:  state of the knowledge of longfin smelt along the north coast of California” on Wednesday 17 February 2016 at 5:00 p.m. in WFB 258 on the HSU Campus.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The river is low and clear, but the boats are still catching plenty of fish, both wild and hatchery. This past week, most of action has centered from down river of Loeb Park. Some rain is in the forecast for Friday, and the river is predicted to see a slight rise.

Smith River
Similar to the Chetco, the Smith is low and starting to clear according to guide Mike Coopman. “We could definitely use a little shot of rain to add some color, but I have no complaints on the fishing. There’s plenty of fish around and we’re catching them from the top to the bottom,” Coopman said.

Eel River (main stem)
The main stem is still slightly off color and a little on the high side reports Fred Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. “There must be quite a bit of water coming down from the mountains as it’s dropping very slowly. It should fish by the weekend, and for sure this time next week if we don’t get a bunch of rain,” Grundman added.

Eel River (South Fork)
The South Fork is in perfect shape and fishing all the way to the confluence with the main stem. Boats scores are ranging from zero to five fish per trip. There’s about a 50/50 mix of fresh fish and downers.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen looks absolutely perfect according to Grundman, but reports have been hard to come by. “The water is green and flows are good, should be a good option for the weekend.”

Mad River
According to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors, the Mad has finally turned steelhead green, and there seems to be some fish around. “The guys tossing bait are doing well, and the liners have been having a hard time since the water cleared up. There are pockets of fish throughout the river, you just need to find them. There’s a good mix of wild and hatchery fish around, with the lower river having a better concentration of fresh fish,” Kelly said.

Upper Trinity
Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors reports the steelhead fishing is decent, with the majority of the fish around having already spawned. He said, “With the coastal rivers coming into shape, the angling pressure has been lighter than usual. Some of the guys are catching, and some are having a rough time. Most of the fish around have gotten to where they needed to go. The winter-run steelhead have yet to show, and we’re hoping they’re just running late. The river is in good shape at least to the North Fork, I haven’t heard how it looks below the South Fork.”

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Chico resident Haleigh Skillman shows off a dandy steelhead caught Monday on the Smith River. The Smith, along with the Chetco, are both full of ocean-fresh winter steelhead and conditions should be excellent through the weekend. Photo courtesy of John Klar’s Guide Service

Dry weather predicted for next week

 It finally looks like steelhead-green rivers will be found somewhere other than the Smith and Chetco. After a very wet January, we’ll see a break from the rain beginning this weekend that may stick around for up to a week. If the forecast holds and the rain stays away, all of the coastal rivers should be green by sometime next week, including the main stem Eel. Both the Smith and Chetco have been chocked full of steelhead for the past couple weeks, and the hope is the Eel, Mad, Van Duzen and Redwood Creek are as well. Looks like we’ll get to find out very soon.

Weekend Weather
After an extremely rainy January, we’re finally going to get a break beginning this weekend. According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, Thursday will be dry, but another weak front will clip Northern California on Friday. Rainfall totals could reach a half inch in the most northern part of the state, while Humboldt may see a quarter inch. A high pressure ridge will move in on Saturday, which will keep us dry through at least next Thursday,” Kennedy added.

Humboldt Steelhead Days awards dinner on Feb. 6
The two-week long steelhead celebration will come to a close this Saturday with an awards dinner catered by Blackberry Bramble BBQ. The dinner will be held at the Sequoia Conference Center in Eureka from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for participants with their HSD ticket. Anglers who sent in their steelhead photos will be entered into a $4,000 prize pool of donated outdoor gear and fishing equipment. Tickets will be available at the door with cash or check. For more information, visit humboldtsteelheaddays.com

Upcoming meetings
California Fish and Game Commission meeting will be held Feb 10-11 at the Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento at 10 a.m. To view the meeting agenda, visit http://www.fgc.ca.gov/meetings/2016/Feb/02101116agd.pdf. Topics include recommendations concerning the fishing closures at the mouth of Blue Creek and any other issues regarding the Klamath River Basin sport fishing.

CDFW’s Annual Salmon Information meeting will be held March 2, at 9:30 a.m. to 3:30p.m. at the Sonoma County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa. The public is invited to attend CDFW’s annual meeting on the status of California salmon populations and the outlook for 2016 ocean salmon fisheries. For more information, please contact Kandice Morgenstern at (707) 576-2879 or kandice.morgenstern@wildlife.ca.gov.

Halibut Commission announces 2016 catch limits and seasons
The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) completed its Ninety-second annual meeting in Juneau, AK on January 29, 2016.  More than 280 halibut industry stakeholders attended the meeting, with over 80 more participating in web broadcasts of the public sessions. The Commission is recommending to the governments of Canada and the United States catch limits for 2016 totaling 29.89 million pounds. The California sport harvest will be 29,640 pounds, up from 25,220 pounds in 2015.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The river is in absolutely beautiful shape, the best I’ve seen in years reports guide Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “There’s lots of fish in the river right now, from the top all the way to the bottom. Boats and bank anglers have both done well the last few days. There seems to be quite a few hatchery fish around as well.”

Smith River
The Smith is in great shape and fishing really well according to guide Mike Coopman. Boats have been averaging four to five fish per day, which is really good for the Smith. We’ll likely see a little bump in the flows on Thursday, but it should only help the fishing. The water still has real good color, and there’s plenty of fish throughout the system,” Coopman added.

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
It looks like the break in the weather will finally get these systems down to fishable levels reports Fred Grundman of Grundman’s Sporting Goods in Rio Dell. “The top of the South Fork around Leggett should be getting close to fishable, and it could fish down to the forks by early next week or possibly this weekend. The main is still dirty and big, but it’s dropping quickly. The top of the main should fish by early next week. The flows on the Van Duzen were looking good, but it was still way off color on Wednesday,” Grundman added.

Mad River
According to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors, the river is still high and dirty, but dropping quick. “It’s forecasted to drop down to around 2,500 cfs by Sunday, which is usually when it starts to turn green. It should be in great shape for bait fishermen by early next week. The reports from the guys who’ve been fishing this week is there seems to be quite a few fish around, both fresh and ones that have been in the river for awhile,” Kelly added.

Trinity
The river is still in good shape above the North Fork, but it’s still a little on the big side. Snow fell a good part of the day on Tuesday, which should keep the flows at a good level. Rain was in the forecast for Wednesday, which could muddy up some of the creeks. There’s hasn’t been much boat pressure and catch reports have been hard to come by.

#FishingTheNorthCoast #wintersteelhead #ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #TrinityRiver #MadRiver #NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Richard Burrow of Eureka landed this beautiful winter steelhead last Sunday on the Mad River. The Mad, as well as all of the coastal rivers, are expected to see significant rises by the weekend due to the incoming storms. Photo courtesy of Scott Grant

Mother Nature provided just enough time in between big storms to drop the Smith and Chetco rivers back into pristine shape. The break, however, was short-lived. Another wet storm is on the way, which is forecasted to blow out the two quick-clearing rivers as well as insuring the other coastal streams won’t be green and fishable any time soon. The good news is the two rivers – during their brief driftable stint – were loaded with fresh steelhead. Hopefully when the rivers recede and clear, we can pick up right where we left off.

Weekend Weather:
The forecast is calling for the next couple of days to be very wet say’s Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “We’re expecting a pretty good shot of rain on Thursday and Friday. The Smith/Klamath basin will see from three to five inches with two to four inches falling in the Humboldt area. Saturday will be a showery day, with rainfall totaling another quarter to half inch. Snow levels will be in the 2,500 to 3,000 foot level. Sunday will be mostly dry, with a few lingering showers that will give way to a dry day on Monday. An unsettled pattern will begin on Monday night into Tuesday, bringing with it more showers. Wednesday is looking dry, but another half inch of rain is forecasted for Thursday.” Kennedy added.

Salmon/steelhead report cards due
CDFW would like to remind sport anglers that the 2015 sport fishing report cards need to be submitted by January 31, even if divers and anglers were unsuccessful or did not fish at all. Anglers and divers can go online to submit their abalone, lobster, salmon, steelhead and sturgeon report cards required by the CDFW. Reporting requirements for anglers and divers have not changed, but this online submission option makes the reporting faster and easier. For additional information on harvest reporting requirements, please visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing#758846-harvest-reporting

Humboldt Steelhead Days weekend events
CalTrout brings The International Fly Fishing Film Festival to the Eureka Theatre this Friday, Jan. 29 as part of the Humboldt Steelhead Days. The International Fly Fishing Film Festival consists of shorts and feature length films produced by professional filmmakers from all corners of the globe, showcasing the passion, lifestyle and culture of fly-fishing. Humboldt Steelhead Days registrants get $5 off at the door. All ages are welcome. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Join CalTrout for a pre-film social hour. For more information, visit http://www.theeurekatheater.org/upcoming-events.

On Saturday January 30, free family events will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Adorni Center in Eureka. Learn how to rig, tie flies, and cast for steelhead and then practice in the 5-hole casting course – fun for all ages and all skills! Learn about your local watershed restoration and fish population status. This event is being offered in partnership with the Eureka Crab Celebration.

HASA membership meeting coming in February
HASA (Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers) will be having their general membership meeting on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 7 p.m. at the Grace Baptist Church, 220 Buhne Street, Eureka. They will be taking nominations and voting for board members. Other business will also be discussed. For more information, contact Scott McBain at hasa6191@gmail.com or 707-845-0101.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
After a long spell of unfishable conditions, the Chetco dropped back into fishable shape on Tuesday reports guide Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “The river was in pristine condition on Wednesday, and there were lots of fish around. I saw fish caught from the top to the bottom, with quite a few hatchery fish mixed in as well. If the forecast holds, it looks like the Chetco will blow out sometime on Thursday. Hopefully we can get back on the water by early next week.”

Smith River
The Smith fished really well all week reports guide Mike Coopman. “During last weekend’s high water, we put some real good days together plunking on the lower river. We were back to side-drifting on Monday, with most of the guide boats landing between three to four fish per day. With more rain on the way, it looks like we’ll be off the water for a couple days, but hoping to get the weekend in,” Coopman added.

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
As of Wednesday, all three systems remained unfishable. With more rain on the way, it will be some time before they get anywhere near green. The Van Duzen is expected to surpass monitor stage on Friday afternoon, but it’s predicted to drop quickly. Same story for the main Eel as it’s predicted to reach monitor stage at Fernbridge on Saturday.

Mad River
After dipping below 5,000 cfs on Wednesday, the Mad is predicted to head back towards monitor stage following the rain on Thursday and Friday. We’ll need at least a solid week of dry weather before it becomes bait fishable.

Trinity
Above the North Fork is your best chance at finding some good water at the moment reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “With a bunch more rain coming, the entire river could blow out again. I haven’t heard any reports, but the upper section down to Junction City should have some fish in it,” Huber added.

#ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #TrinityRiver #MadRiver #NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast #wintersteelhead

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Ashley Kay from Arcata landed this big hatchery buck on a recent drift down the  Chetco River while fishing with Tony Sepulveda of Green Water Fishing Adventures.

The 3rd annual Humboldt Steelhead Days will take place this weekend — fishable rivers or not. Parties and demonstrations will kick-off the event this Friday near three watersheds — the Mad, Eel and Trinity rivers. Register for the fishing and photo contests and learn more about all the events going on during the two-week period at either the Mad River Brewing Co. Tap Room in Blue Lake, the Fortuna River Lodge in Fortuna or at Coho Cabins in Willow Creek. All three kick-offs begin around 5 p.m. and each event is slightly different. For all the details, visit the Humboldt Steelhead Days website (humboldtsteelheaddays.com) or the HSD Facebook page.

Demonstrations will be held in Fortuna, along with the kick-off party where the theme is “What’s happening in the Eel River?” HSD guests can walk through the River Lodge and take a virtual tour of the Eel River watershed. Speak to the people who work on restoration of fish passage, improvement of fish habitat, recovery plans, monitoring Eel River fish, and learn the latest information about catching Eel River steelhead. Catch the film “Wild Reverence, the wild steelhead’s last stand,” by Shane Anderson from 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.

The HSD prize pool is nearly $4,000, with two guided river trips (Klamath and Eel) as well as an ocean trip (Trinidad) going as the top prizes. Enter your steelhead photo (please keep the wild ones wet) by sending it to the HSD Facebook page with the hashtag #humboldtsteelheaddays anytime during the contest (Jan. 23 to Feb. 6). Anglers will also have a chance to win rods, reels, fishing lures, boat heaters, a Thule car rack, Kokatat life jackets and propane. Gift certificates totaling $250 were donated by Pacific Outfitters and Mr. Fish Seafood.

Weather update
After a small break in the storms, more rain is on tap beginning Thursday according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Light rain will fall on Thursday, but a wetter system will arrive in the evening and last into Friday. Rainfall predictions range from one to two inches in both Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Another system will roll into the area on Friday night, bringing with it another one to two inches. We’ll have a brief dry period beginning Sunday and lasting through Monday. A weak system will move in on Monday night into Tuesday, dropping up to three-quarters of an inch. At this point, next Wednesday is looking dry, but more storms are forecasted for Thursday through Saturday,” Kennedy said.

Input wanted on Klamath River sport fishing regulations
At the February 11, 2016 meeting, the Fish and Game Commission will determine which options to include in its notice of proposed changes to the Klamath River Basin sport fishing regulations for 2016.

In April 2015, the Commission adopted changes to the Klamath River Basin sport fishing regulations, including seasons, bag limits, possession limit, a prohibition on catch and release fishing of legally caught salmon in the Klamath River spit area, and closures to all fishing in the Klamath River between June 15 and September 14 from 500 feet above to half mile downstream of the mouth of Blue Creek and from September 15 to December 31 within 500 feet of the mouth of Blue Creek.

The Commission is interested in receiving specific recommendations concerning the fishing closures at the mouth of Blue Creek or any other specific recommendations concerning Klamath River Basin sport fishing. You may submit your recommendation in writing to the 1416 Ninth Street, Room 1320 Sacramento, CA 95814 or to FGC@fgc.ca.gov. Written recommendations are requested by 5:00 p.m. on January 28, 2016, but must be received by noon on February 5, 2016. While the Commission will also accept recommendations presented in person at its February 11, 2016, meeting, early submittal of recommendations is most effective. The meeting will be held in Sacramento on February 10-11 in the Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA.

Spawning begins at the Mad River Hatchery
Following a two-week delay due to a budget issues, spawning season is now underway at the Mad River Hatchery. On Tuesday, hatchery employees and volunteers sorted through hundreds of steelhead with the goal to gather roughly 20 pairings. Each pair will include a native origin steelhead to help with the gene pool in the Mad River. Spawning season on the Mad will last through the middle of March with the goal to mate 124 pairs.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Running at 8,800 cfs on Wednesday afternoon and dropping. It’s forecasted to dip down to 5,400 cfs early Friday. If the river is anywhere near green, the plunkers should be out in force.

Smith River
The Smith remains just about the only game in town reports guide Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. He said, “When the rivers been at a fishable height, the plunkers have been doing well. There’s seems to be quite a few fish in the river, even with all the high water we’ve had. Looking at the forecast for the next few days, we should get a couple days of side-drifting in.”

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
As of Wednesday, the main stem Eel was running at nearly 60,000 cfs and starting to drop. With more rain on the way, it’s predicted to jump up to over 90,000 cfs by Saturday. The entire South Fork is still high and muddy, and flowing at 12,000 on the Miranda gauge as of Wednesday. The incoming storms will likely push it to 20,000 cfs. After reaching flood stage last Friday, the Van Duzen has dropped back down to 5,700 cfs on Wednesday. The reprieve will be short lived, the next round of storms should put it right back 20,000 cfs, which is near monitor stage.

 Mad River
After reaching 41,000 cfs on Sunday, the Mad was back down to 9,000 cfs on Wednesday and dropping. It should drop low enough for the liners to get back on the water Thursday, but we’re a long ways away from anything close to green water.

Trinity
The very top of the Trinity is the only place where you’ll find green water at the moment reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “It’s really only fishable from Lewiston Bridge down to Rush Creek. Both Rush and Weaver Creek are full of mud, making fishing below tough to impossible,” Huber added.

#ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #TrinityRiver #MadRiver #Steelhead #NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Hannah Whitely of Laytonville landed this bright Chetco River hatchery steelhead last Sunday while fishing with guide Brice Dusi. The Chetco, along with all of the North Coast rivers, is currently blown out due to the storms that hit the region on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Brice Dusi’s Guide Service

Domoic acid levels in crab declining

The parade of storms currently pounding the North Coast has brought a sudden stop to the winter steelhead season. From the Chetco south to the top of the Eel River system, there isn’t a patch of green water to be had. And the dirty water conditions may be with us for an extended period of time. Storms are lined up one after the other off the coast, each bringing the potential for one to two inches of rain. There’s real good possibility that neither the Smith nor Chetco could drop back down to fishable levels until late next week. For the other coastal rivers that aren’t so quick to clear – it could be a couple weeks before they resemble anything close to green.

Weather outlook
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, we’ll see one system after another through at least next Thursday. “We’re expecting to see heavy rain on Thursday, with one to one and a half inches falling in the 24-hour period. We may have a little break Friday morning, with the rain expected to return in the evening and into Saturday. Another one to one and a half inches is expected. Another wet storm will arrive Sunday that could dump up to two inches. Depending on how fast the system moves through the area, we could see a break on Monday though another system will arrive Monday night and stick around into Tuesday. Again, another one to one two inches is expected. Following a short break on Wednesday, rain again is in the forecast for Thursday,” Kennedy added. Snow levels will remain in the four to five-thousand foot range for the week.

Crab domoic acid levels on the decline
Domoic acid levels are finally beginning to decline along the North Coast, providing hope that both sport and commercial crab seasons will open soon. The California Dept. of Public Health released lab results on January 8 from samples taken from December 26 to the 30th.

Two areas were tested in Crescent City. In the north area, six samples were taken with an average domoic acid level of 17ppm, with no crabs tested above the federal action level of 30ppm. In the south area, six crabs were tested with an average domoic acid level of 23ppm. One crab tested above the 30ppm action level.
Two areas were tested in Trinidad with an average domoic acid level of 20ppm. One crab tested above the action level.

Fort Bragg tested two areas, Usal and Manchester. The average domoic acid levels from six samples were 26ppm and 28ppm with two crabs from each area testing above the action levels. For the latest test results, visit https://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/Pages/fdbDomoicAcidInfo.aspx

Mad River Hatcher to remain open
Rumors have been circulating this past week that the Mad River Fish Hatchery is once again on the chopping block due to lack of funding. Not so according to Fishery Hatchery Manager, Shad Overton. “The hatchery is not closing. We are funded and we do have fish on hand. We are just not being allowed to take eggs right now from our steelhead.”

California Department of Fish and Wildlife in Sacramento is going through a budget exercise and until that’s ironed out, it will hold off on spawning. The ladder at the Hatchery is flowing but the gate at the bottom is closed. Normally the first week of January it’s open and fish are taken into a trap and on Tuesdays they are sorted through to be spawned. The Hatchery says however, the delay is only expected to last another week and the public has nothing to worry about.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco blew out on Wednesday, and it could be done for awhile reports guide Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “With how much rain is expected and how the creeks looked on Wednesday, my guess is it won’t be fishable until mid next week. Prior to blowing out, the fishing was really good. There were lots of fish around, with some real decent schools of hatchery fish mixed in. The influx of water should allow the fish to push into the creeks, and will likely bring in some fresh ones from the ocean. We may even begin to see a few downers.”

Smith River
It could be awhile before the Smith is back down to a driftable level reports Crescent City guide Mike Coopman. “The river blew out on Tuesday night and it was still rising on Wednesday. If the snow level drops, we may get a few plunkable days in. If the storms continue to drop a couple inches of rain a day, it could be late next week before we’re back on the water. Before blowing out, the fishing was steady, with most boats getting between four to five opportunities per trip,” Coopman added.

Mad River
The river is big and dirty after jumping from 2,600 cfs to 8,200 cfs overnight. With more rain on the way, it will awhile before it comes back into shape. In the meantime, liners are still catching their share of steelhead.

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
As of Wednesday, the main stem was running at nearly 26,000 cfs and still going up. It will take a couple weeks of dry weather, which isn’t in the forecast, to drop back into shape. The upper end of the South Fork was just starting to turn green when the latest rounds of storms hit. It jumped from 3,000 cfs to over 10,000 on the Miranda gauge in 12 hours. Like the South Fork, the Van Duzen jumped from just under 2,500 to over 10,000 cfs overnight on Tuesday. With more storms on the way, it won’t fish for the foreseeable future.

Trinity
The entire Trinity blew out on Wednesday reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “Almost all of the creeks I looked at on Wednesday were dirty; the only exception was the North Fork. If we don’t get a bunch more rain, the top of the river could fish in a couple days. It just depends on how quickly the creeks clear up,” Huber said. As of Wednesday, flows were 1,400 cfs on the Douglas City gauge and 16,000 cfs at Hoopa.

#NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast #ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #TrinityRiver #MadRiver

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com