Current Fishing Reports | Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest

Coastal saltwater season set to take off

Jared Gadberry, left and Dave Totten landed this nice 30-inch lingcod on a recent trip to Humboldt Bay’s south Jetty. Rockfish season is open year-round on the North Coast to shore-based anglers and divers. For boat-based anglers, the season will open May 15 and run through Oct. 31. Photo courtesy of Jared Gadberry/Humboldt Jetty Rats

For the saltwater junkies of the North Coast, the month of May couldn’t come soon enough. Since the first of the year, the fishing news has been nothing but gloom and doom. The salmon numbers are down significantly, Dungeness crab and razor clam seasons were both cut short or closed all together due to domoic acid, there’s talk of reduced bag limits and the closing of some key locations for rockfish, broken promises by the California Fish and Game Commission regarding MLPA assessments and the entrance to Humboldt Bay has filled in with sediment flushed from the Eel River. With multiple fisheries set to open in May, it’s time to brush aside the bad news and get back to what we love to do – fish.

First up is the May 1 Pacific Halibut opener. This is the lone bright spot this year as our quota was increased by 4,420 pounds over the 2015 quota, allowing us 29,640 pounds in 2016. The open season dates will be May 1-15, June 1-15, July 1-15, Aug. 1-15 and Sept. 1-Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. The limit remains at one, with no size restrictions.

Next up will be the Northern Management Area recreational rockfish and lingcod opener, which is May 15 and the season runs through Oct. 31.

Right behind the rockfish opener will be the much-anticipated ocean sport salmon season. From the OR/CA border south to Horse Mtn., season dates include May 16 through May 31, June 16 through June 30, July 16 through August 16, and September 1 through September 5. Fishing will be allowed seven days per week, two fish per day with minimum size limit of 20-inches.

Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions are not looking to favorable for the Sunday Pacific halibut opener. For the coastal waters from Crescent City to Mendocino out zero to 10 nautical miles, Saturday’s forecast is calling for north winds 15 to 25 knots with waves out of the NW 10 feet at 10 seconds. On Sunday, winds will be out of the north 5 to 15 knots with waves NW 7 feet at 10 seconds and NW 6 feet at 14 seconds. For an up-to-date marine forecast, visit http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/

New dredger on the way to Humboldt Bay
According to Capt. Tim Petrusha, who is the Director of Harbor Operations/Bar Pilot, the U.S. Army Core of Engineers and the Captain of the dredge ESSAYONS have determined after looking at the soundings that the entrance to Humboldt Bay is unsafe to for the ESSAYONS to dredge. The draft of the dredge is too much for them to operate and will instead be bringing in the smaller BAYPORT dredge. Dredging will begin on approximately May 20. BAYPORT will be here for the entirety of the project once they arrive including the bar and entrance, and transition area near Schneider Dock.

Recreational crab season opens for most of Humboldt, commercial still on hold
The recreational Dungeness crab fishery opened last Friday south of 40° 46.15’ N Latitude at the northern jetty of Humboldt Bay to the California/Mexico border, including ocean waters of Humboldt Bay.
Recent test results show that domoic acid levels in Dungeness crabs south of Humboldt Bay entrance and in Mendocino County no longer pose a significant human health risk. Skipper Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing was one of the few boats to set gear on Tuesday, but hasn’t been able to check the gear since. “We went back out on Tuesday after a short soak, but the heavy current kept the buoys under water. It was too rough on Wednesday, now it looks like it will be Sunday or Monday before the seas are calm enough,” said Klassen.
The recreational fishery to the north of Humboldt Bay could open up as early as Thursday if the six crabs collected off Trinidad Head come back clean. “If the crabs don’t show high levels of a neurotoxin, which has delayed the state’s crab season since Dec. 1, the commercial season could start as soon as May 5, according to Department of Fish and Wildlife senior environmental scientist Pete Kalvass.

Razor clam fishery shut down in Humboldt/Del NorteThe California Fish and Game Commission on Monday closed the razor clam fishery in Humboldt and Del Norte counties following an emergency meeting. The commission’s report stated “Ingesting razor clams with high levels of domoic acid is a matter upon which urgent action is necessary to avoid severely impairing public health and safety.” The commission has notified the Humboldt and Del Norte counties Board of Supervisors of the closure, which will remain in effect until the commission receives further notice from hazard assessment office, according to the commission’s report.

HASA dinner Saturday night
The annual HASA fundraiser dinner will be held this Saturday, April 30, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The popular event has changed venues this year and will be moving from Redwood
Acres to the Arcata Community Center, 321 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Arcata. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children. Food will be provided by Ramone’s and some great items will be auctioned and raffled off. Each ticket will get you a HASA annual 2016 membership as well as entry into our door prize. For more information, email hasa6191@gmail.com or call (707) 845-4106.

Perch’n on the Peninsula coming May 7
The Samoa Peninsula Fire District will be hosting their 7th Annual Perch’n on the Peninsula Surfperch Fishing Tournament and Fish Fry Fundraiser on May 7, 2016.

The fishing tournament begins at sunrise with the check-in deadline at 2:00 p.m., prize presentations will begin at 2:30 p.m. with the fish fry beginning at noon. The fish fry fundraiser is open to the public and admission is only $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for juniors. Children 6 and under get in free. Adult fishing tournament entry is $20.00 and junior entry (under 16) is $10.00.

Tournament day registration is available at the Peninsula Elementary School in Samoa beginning at 6 a.m. or your entries can be purchased at Mad River Tackle in Arcata, Pacific Outfitters, Englund Marine, or RMI Outdoors. For more information, call (707) 443-9042 or visit http://www.samoafire.org

Trinity River restoration program water releases
The Bureau of Reclamation announced recently that releases from Lewiston Dam into the Trinity River began increasing last Thursday from 300 cubic feet per second to approximately 4,500 cfs by Saturday, May 7.

On Sunday, May 8, flows will begin to increase from 4,500 cfs, reaching 10,000 cfs on Monday, May 9, through May 10. On Wednesday, May 11, flows will be gradually decreased to 5,600 cfs. On Friday, May 13, flows will rapidly increase to 10,000 cfs through Saturday, May 14. Release rates will then gradually decrease over approximately 11 weeks to return to the 450 cfs summer baseflow rate around August 2. The public should take appropriate safety precautions whenever near or on the river. Landowners are advised to clear personal items from the floodplain prior to the releases.

The releases for this “wet” 2016 water year will result in a total volume of 701,000 acre-feet. This year releases will include two peak flows as compared to only one peak flow in previous years. The two peak flows are to better meet coarse sediment management objectives as part of the Trinity River Restoration Program. For more information, visit http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/current

Klamath/Trinity Rivers 2016 salmon season set
Based on a projected return of only 30,909 natural area spawning adults to the Klamath River basin in 2016, the PFMC approved an in-river recreational quota of 1,110 fall-run Chinook salmon, which will be divided between the Upper and Lower Klamath as well as the Trinity. In 2015, the quota was 14,133 adult kings. Regulations will go into effect on the Klamath River for fall-run Chinook salmon fishing from Aug. 15 through Dec. 31 with a daily bag limit of 2 Chinook salmon, of which no more than 1 may be more than 22 inches in length. The possession limit is 6 Chinook salmon, of which no more than 3 may be more than 22 inches in length. The Trinity River will open to salmon fishing on Sept. 1 and close Dec. 31.For more information visit cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/salmon-seasons-set-for-ocean-and-inland-waters/

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.

An uncertain salmon opener on tap for Shelter Cove

Albert Larcina of San Rafael landed this nice steelhead on a recent outing to the South Fork Eel River. Except for the main stem of the Eel, Trinity, Klamath and the Smith, all other coastal rivers, including the Chetco, will close to fishing after March 31. Photo courtesy of Albert Larcina

It’s been quite a few years since we’ve headed into a salmon season with this much uncertainty. With the number of salmon swimming off North Coast waters on a pretty sharp decline, all bets are off as to how bad or good the fishing will be. Hopefully we’ll be talking about the latter on Saturday morning as the recreational salmon season will open from Horse Mountain south to the U.S. – Mexico border. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council has forecasted 299,600 Sacramento River salmon to be swimming in the ocean along with another 142,200 Klamath River salmon — which is about half as many as last year. That’s the bad news. The good news is the ocean should be plenty fishable out of Shelter Cove or Fort Bragg over the weekend. As of Wednesday, light winds were forecasted to blow on Saturday from north at 5 knots with waves coming out of the west 6 ft. at 13 seconds. A mixed swell is forecasted for Sunday. Winds will be out of the east at 5 knots, with waves coming from the southwest 2 ft. at 5 seconds and from the west 5 ft. at 13 seconds. For an up-to-date marine forecast, visit http://marine.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-124.11255&lat=40.03701#.VvxNx3oUPg4

The three season alternatives from the area between Horse Mountain and Point Arena all have the season opening on April 2, though all have different lengths and end dates.

The daily bag limit will remain at two Chinook salmon, with a minimum size limit is 20 inches total length. All of the season alternatives can be found at http://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Preseason_Report_II_2016_final.pdf and will be finalized at the PFMC meeting in Vancouver, WA on April 8-14.

The sport opener for water north of Horse Mountain – the California KMZ – will be determined at the same meeting. Currently, three options are on the table for OR/CA border to Horse Mountain (which includes Humboldt County).

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

All options would be for all salmon except Coho, two fish per day, 20-inch minimum size, with fishing allowed seven days per week.

Upcoming events
HASA dinner April 30
The annual HASA fundraiser dinner will be held Saturday, April 30, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The popular event has changed venues this year and will be moving from Redwood
Acres to the Arcata Community Center, 321 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Arcata. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children. Food will be provided by Ramone’s and some great items will be auctioned and raffled off. Each ticket will get you a HASA annual 2016 membership as well as entry into our door prize. Dinner, auction and raffle tickets are available from any HASA board member or from the following merchants: Ace Hardware, McKinleyville; Bucksport Sporting Goods, Eureka; Englund Marine, Eureka; Englund Marine, Crescent City; Mad River Tackle, Arcata; Pacific Outfitters, Eureka; RMI Outdoors, Eureka; and W&W RV & Sporting Goods, Eureka. For more information, email hasa6191@gmail.com or call (707) 845-4106.

Steelhead river closures
Except for the main stem of the Eel, Trinity, Klamath and the Smith, all other coastal rivers, including the Chetco, closed to fishing after March 31. The main stem Eel, from Fulmor Road to the South Fork, will remain through September 30. Only artificial lures can be used, no bait. The Smith River, from its mouth to the confluence of the Middle and South Forks, will be open through April 30. Barbless hooks are required and bait is legal. The Klamath and Trinity rivers are open year-round. For up-to-date regulations, be sure to pick up the 2015-2016 supplement or visit http://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations

The Rivers:
Main Stem Eel
The main stem remains blown out, currently running at just under 10,000 cfs as of Wednesday. According to Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods, it will be another week to 10 days before it’s fishable.

Smith River
The Smith is holding right around nine feet on the Jed smith gauge and the fishing has remained pretty good this past week reports guide Mike Coopman. He said, “The river has been holding its color pretty well, likely from the snowmelt. There isn’t much fishing pressure left, but there’s plenty of fish around to make a good day. Almost all of the fish we’ve caught this past week have been downers, and we’re landing anywhere from two to 10 a day.”

Send in your fish photos
Land a big steelhead or perch lately? Or maybe your friend or relative has reeled in their first fish. Email your fishing photo to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com and I’ll run them with the “Fishing the North Coast” weekly column and also post them on the digital version on times-standard.com. Just include the name of the person in the photo, where and when it was taken and any other details you’d like to share.

Steelhead season winding down on the North Coast

It’s been an interesting steelhead season to say the least — and probably somewhat normal. After suffering through three years of low-water conditions, water was plentiful this year. And the fishing followed suite, especially the northern most rivers like the Chetco and Smith. It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen steelhead return like this year, which provides hope for the years to come. Here in Humboldt, all of the rivers, except for maybe the Mad, were hampered by big flows and dirty water for most of the season. When the Eel and Van Duzen did turn green, the fish were tough to come by. The hope is the big storms that hit in December and January allowed the steelhead to enter the river, take care of business, and ride right back out to the salt unabated. At least that’s the hope. As we head into April, it’s time to start preparing for the abalone season, ocean salmon and rockfish, spring salmon on the Klamath, redtail perch from our beaches, and hopefully — crab! All in all, it’s been a great winter steelhead season, but I for one am ready for spring and all the new angling opportunities that come with it.

Weekend weather
Other than a couple of weak systems to our north, we’ll be dry through the end of next week says Kathleen Lewis of Eureka’s National Weather Service. She said, “The first system will come through on Wednesday night and might drop a tenth of an inch, but not enough to affect any of the rivers. Another weak storm will roll in Saturday night into Sunday morning, bringing with it cooler temperatures. Snow levels could fall to 4,000 to 5,000 feet and the Smith basin could see up to a quarter inch of rain with less falling in Humboldt. A ridge of high pressure will settle in on Monday, keeping us dry throughout next week.”

Abalone season opens April 1
Abalone season will open on Friday, April 1 along the North Coast from the San Francisco Bay north. New regulations effective in 2014 closed parts of Fort Ross State Historical Park to the take of abalone. For a map of the closed area, visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=42101&inline=true

2016 regulations for breath-hold divers
Season and times: The season runs from April 1st through November, excluding the month of July. Diving is legal from 8 a.m. to 30 minutes after sunset.

What you’ll need:

1) Fishing license (not required for 15 years old and younger)

2) Abalone report card, which costs $22.42. (Must be in your possession while diving. Also required for those 15 years or younger.)

3) Fixed caliper measuring device

Limit and size restrictions: Three per day, three in possession and no more than 18 per year. Only 9 may be taken from Sonoma and Marin counties. Must be seven inches or larger. You must keep any legal abalone you pull from a rock and if it is not legal, you must stick it back on the same rock from where it came. Only your hand or a legal abalone iron can be used to pry them from the rocks.

General regulations: As soon as you get out of the water or step foot in a boat, you must tag your abalone. The tag needs to go through the siphon holes and held together with some type of string or zip tie. The shell cannot be removed until preparation begins for cooking or eating. For more information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Invertebrates/Abalone

Crab season opens south of Sonoma/Mendocino County
The recreational Dungeness crab closure, in place since November, was lifted last Friday south of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line. The commercial season is set to open at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, March 26. The presoak period, during which commercial fishermen may begin setting gear in place, starts at 6:01 a.m. Friday, March 25.

Recent test results show that domoic acid levels in crabs off the California coast south of the Mendocino/Sonoma county line no longer pose a significant human health risk. Closures remain in place north of the Mendocino/Sonoma county line for the Dungeness crab commercial and recreational fisheries. For information, visit https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2016/03/18/recreational-dungeness-crab-fishery-open-south-of-sonomamendocino-county-line-commercial-fishery-to-open-in-seven-days/

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco dropped back into shape late last week and scores ranged from two to six fish per trip. The majority of the catch was made up of downers, but a few fresh ones are still making their way upriver. The rain that fell earlier in the week turned it big and brown, but it’s dropping quickly. With no rain in the immediate forecast, it may be fishable prior to closing next Thursday.

Smith River
The Smith dropped back into shape late last week and provided some decent steelhead action prior to blowing back out on Monday. It’s projected to drop back under 10-feet on the Jed Smith gauge by Friday and conditions should be ideal through the weekend. The main stem of the Smith will remain open through the end of April from its mouth to the confluence with the Middle and South Forks. The Middle fork will also remain open through April from its mouth to Patrick’s Creek. The South Fork is open through April as well, from its mouth upstream approximately 1,000 feet to the County Road (George Tryon) bridge and Craigs Creek to Jones Creek. Bait can be used and barbless hooks are still required

Eel River (main stem)
As of Wednesday, the main stem was still running at over 30,000 cfs on the Scotia gauge and nowhere near fishable. The good news is the main stem will remain open to fishing after March 31.

Eel River (South Fork)
With no rain in the forecast, the quickly-dropping South Fork should be fishing by sometime early next week. As of Wednesday, flows were around 6,000 cfs on the Miranda gauge and predicted to drop below 2,000 cfs by Monday. The South Fork Eel will close to fishing next Thursday, March 31.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen is currently high and dirty and may not drop back into shape prior to closing next Thursday, March 31. Running at just over 3,000 cfs on Wednesday and predicted to drop to 1,300 cfs by early Monday, it may turn green just in time to close.

Mad River
The Mad jumped from 10 to over 12-feet from this week’s storm and is probably done for the year. As of Wednesday it was down to 11 feet and dropping slowly, likely due to water coming over the spillway from Ruth Lake. The Mad will close to fishing next Thursday, March 31.

Send in your fish photos
Land a big fish lately? Or maybe your friend or relative has reeled in their first fish. Email your fishing photo to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com and I’ll run them with the “Fishing the North Coast” weekly column and also post them on the digital version on times-standard.com. Just include the name of the person in the photo, where and when it was taken and any other details you’d like to share.

Lean year ahead for ocean and Klamath kings

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:

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

“Miracle March” doing a number on coastal rivers

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.

El Niño returns — steelhead season on hold

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.

Fall Klamath kings return in smaller numbers

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.”

North Coast rivers rejuvenated with latest storms

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.”

Humboldt rivers turning green

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.”

Plenty of green rivers on the horizon

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.

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