Current Fishing Reports

Oct. 6. 2014 — Had an epic day on the Klamath last Saturday with friends Eric and Nicolas. We hooked a ton of fish, including Eric’s fish around 40 pounds.

Eric could barely lift and hold this monster,

Nicholas landed quite a few fish as well.

Janelle Dyleski of Sebastopol landed this bright 25-lb salmon Monday on the lower Klamath River while fishing with guide Alan Borges, pictured right. Photo courtesy of Alan’s Guide Service

Chetco Bubble Season off to fast start

The warm water finally moved in close enough for the Eureka boats to set their sights on oh-so-elusive Albacore tuna. About a half-dozen boats made the 25-mile trek straight out of the Humboldt entrance to where the water hit 62 degrees according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, who was one of the three charter boats to participate in the hunt. Unfortunately, the day turned out to be nothing more than a beautiful boat ride. No tuna were caught, or even seen for that matter. “We never did see that real blue water, it was mostly green. We saw quite a bit of bait along with dolphins and whales, but the tuna were nowhere to be found. The boats that were out did a good job of covering some water and staying in touch, but we all came up empty,” Klassen added. The next opportunity looks like a one or two day window on the 7th and 8th of October.

Dry weather ahead
After a good start to our rainy season, it looks like we’re going to stay mostly dry for the next couple of weeks according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “The next good chance of rain will be around the 14th or 15th, but that’s still a ways out there, a lot can change between now and then,” Kennedy added.

Judge Rejects Agribusiness’ Lawsuit over Trinity River Flows
In a press release issued on Wednesday by Earthjustice, and the Hoopa and Yurok Tribes, a federal judge dismissed almost all claims in a lawsuit brought by a coalition of agribusiness and irrigators seeking to prevent the protection of salmon in California’s Trinity River. Judge Lawrence O’Neill, based in Fresno, largely upheld the Bureau of Reclamation’s ability to provide additional flow in the Trinity to prevent harm to salmon, but indicated that different legal authorities need to be invoked.

The agribusiness-dominated San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority and Westlands Water District brought the case last year against the BOR, which controls water releases from the Trinity Reservoir to the drought-stricken Trinity and Lower Klamath rivers in Oregon. These rivers support huge runs of Chinook and Coho salmon, on which commercial fishing industries and the Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes depend for sustenance.

“Ultimately this case is also about preserving the California salmon fishing industry,” said Glen Spain, NW Regional Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA), which represents commercial fishing families coast-wide. “It makes no sense to sacrifice thousands of fisheries jobs over 700 miles of coastline to provide just a little bit more water to a voracious Central Valley Agribusiness system that has already sucked up far more than its share in a major drought.”

“Straight up, if the Bureau of Reclamation did not make the decision to augment flows on the Klamath, we would be right now cleaning up thousands of salmon carcasses on the river,” said Thomas P. O’Rourke, Sr., Chairman of the Yurok Tribe.

To read the entire press release, visit: http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2014/judge-rejects-agribusiness-water-grabbing-lawsuit-over-trinity-river-flows.

Low Flow River Closures now in effect
North Coast rivers that are regulated by low flow closures, including sections of the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith and Van Duzen are all closed to fishing as of Oct. 1 due to low flows. The Mattole, also falls under low-flow regulations, but doesn’t open to fishing until Jan. 1. For more information and up-to-date closure info, call the North Coast low-flow closure hotline at 707-822-3164.

Boating safety class this Saturday
The USCG Auxiliary has scheduled a recreational boating safety class for Saturday, Oct 4 in the Woodley Island Marina Conference Room from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The class is open to all boaters, not just the recreational fishing fleet. Persons wishing to take the class can register by calling Thom O’Connor at 707-954-4481 or email ocowest@charter.net. Cost of the class is $20 per person.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The ocean was a little bouncy over the weekend, though Klassen was able to bring two halibut to the boat on Sunday. He said, “The weather looks better towards the end of the week, we should be able to get some good days in at the halibut grounds and we should be able to run to the Cape too. At least that’s the hope.”

Port of Brookings Harbor – Chetco Bubble Season
Cindy Jones O’Reilly of Sporthaven Marina (541) 469-3301 reports the bubble season at the mouth of the Chetco is off to a really good start. She said, “The weather was nice on Wednesday and lots of fish were being caught. We weighed in several in the 27-34-pound range already and I’m hearing there are some 50-60-pound fish out there. Herring was the top producer on Wednesday. The leader as of Wednesday afternoon in the Chetco Hawg Derby is a 38.8-pound king caught by Greg Kawaguchi. The bubble season will wrap up Sunday, October 12. For more information, visit http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/Regulations/docs/2014_Chetco_SW_Sport.pdf

The Rivers:
Smith River
Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine reports a good push of fish came in with last week’s rain. He said, “I heard there were fish as high as the Early hole last week, though the river is closed as of Wednesday. A few fish are also being caught in the estuary,” Look for the Smith to bust wide-open on the next big rain.

Lower Klamath
King salmon fishing remains excellent on the Lower Klamath River. Fresh fish continued to pour into the river this week, and so far, there haven’t been any signs of the run coming to an end. The fish are spread throughout the system, with boats working from Johnson’s down to Starwein finding fish in just about every hole. A couple silvers, which normally come into the river on the tail end of the king run, were reportedly caught this week. Water conditions are excellent, with the river flowing at 2,500 cfs and reading a very salmon-friendly 65 degrees.

Middle Trinity
Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors reports quite a few salmon have entered the middle of the Trinity. “The biggest concentrations of salmon are between Junction City and Hayden Flat. A few have trickled above, but not in big numbers as of yet. From what I’m hearing, the fish are in real good shape. Spinners and roe have been doing well,” Brady added.

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

Fishing the North Coast comes out every Thursday in the Times-Standard newspaper and is listed on the Eureka Chamber of Commerce’s website. For the most up to date information, find FNC on Facebook.

Marc Schmidt of Coastline Charter, shows off two of the 24 albacore tuna he boated on Monday while fishing out of Eureka. Schmidt, along with a couple friends, ran more than 57 nautical miles towards Punta Gorda where they found the warm water and plenty of hungry albacore. (Photo courtesy of Coastline Charters)

Low Flow closures on North Coast rivers begin Wednesday
If I were a betting man, I’d probably lay down a few bucks on the Trinity River being the salmon hotspot this weekend as all signs point towards this coastal gem busting wide-open. The second water release of the season, which pumped 3,400 cfs out of Trinity Lake for the better part of six days, in all likelihood signaled a large amount of king salmon to begin their annual migration from the Klamath into the Trinity. It’s no secret the number of returning kings to the Klamath was underestimated — the fishing has been off the hook for weeks now. And now, as the water releases have been cut back to normal and the tributaries and creeks are flowing again following a few inches of rain, the Trinity is primed and ready to be the top spot for big, fall king salmon.

Good start to rainy season
It’s certainly not going to bust us out of the drought, but the first real storm of the year dropped some pretty impressive rainfall totals. According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, the Smith River basin saw the bulk of the precipitation, with up to 3.5 inches of rain falling. “Down in Humboldt, we’ll see anywhere from 2 to 2.5 inches of rain. I don’t foresee any significant rises to our local rivers, but it should help build the water table and get the creeks running again,” Kennedy added. According to Kennedy we’ll see some on and off again showers through Friday, which could produce up to a half-inch in some locations. Saturday is calling for widely scattered showers as the system moves east, and Sunday should be dry.

Weekend marine forecast
Friday and the weekend aren’t looking great for offshore adventures. Friday, wind is forecasted out of the NW to 5 knots, with swells at 8-feet at 9 seconds. Winds will blow out of the NW both Saturday and Sunday at 5 to 15 knots. Saturday, waves are forecasted at 3-feet at 4 seconds and 9-feet at 12 seconds. Sunday is calling for waves 2-feet at 4 seconds and 6-feet at 10 seconds. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Boating safety class coming next Sat
The USCG Auxiliary has scheduled a recreational boating safety class for Saturday, Oct 4 in the Woodley Island Marina Conference Room from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The class is open to all boaters, not just the recreational fishing fleet. Persons wishing to take the class can register by calling Thom O’Connor at 707-954-4481 or email ocowest@charter.net. Cost of the class is $20 per person.

Tuna out of Eureka
On Monday, Marc Schmidt, of Coastline Charters took off from Eureka with a couple friends for what he thought was a scouting trip for albacore tuna. Fifty-seven miles later off of Punta Gorda, the trip quickly turned into an epic fishing adventure. The first fish came within five minutes of having the troll gear in the water, and that was followed by six-way, where they put five of them onboard. The rest of the day produced a fairly steady bite, with a couple one-hour lulls mixed in. All told, they boated 24 albies, the smallest weighing 22-pounds and the biggest tipping the scales at 38-pounds. A very excited Schmidt said, “It was a very good day considering how things have been for California albacore fishing this year and with low expectations for the day, we were very happy.”

The Oceans:

Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, not much has changed in Eureka. He said, “The halibut bite is still hit and miss. A few here and there are being caught, but not many. Hopefully we’ll get some better conditions next week so we can look around a little more. Most of the fish have been coming from 200 to 300-feet of water. Not much has changed down at the Cape, it’s easy limits of rockfish and quite a few quality lings are coming over the rail too.”

Crescent City
Haven’t heard of any halibut being caught this week, but the rockfish bite is good for the few anglers that are still fishing reports Chris Hegne’s of Englund Marine. “The ocean is going to be pretty rough the rest of the week, and the weekend isn’t looking much better,” Hegnes added.

Low Flow River Closures begin Oct. 1
North Coast rivers that are regulated by low flow closures, including the Eel River, Mad River, Mattole River, Redwood Creek, Smith River and Van Duzen River will begin angling restrictions on October 1st, except for the Mad River, which went into effect September 1st. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at anytime. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2015

Areas subject to low flow closures:

Mad River: The main stem Mad River from the Hammond Trail Railroad Trestle to Cowan Creek. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge.

The main stem Eel River from the paved junction of Fulmor Road with the Eel River to the South Fork Eel River. Minimum flow: 350 cfs at the gauging station near Scotia.

The South Fork of the Eel River downstream from Rattlesnake Creek and the Middle Fork Eel River downstream from the Bar Creek. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda.

Van Duzen River: The main stem Van Duzen River from its junction with the Eel River to the end of Golden Gate Drive near Bridgeville (approximately 4,000 feet upstream of Little Golden Gate Bridge. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.

Mattole River: The main stem of the Mattole River from the mouth to Honeydew Creek.

Minimum flow: 320 cfs at the gauging station at Petrolia.

Redwood Creek: The main stem of Redwood Creek from the mouth to its confluence with Bond Creek. Minimum flow: 300 cfs at the gauging station near the Highway 101 bridge.

Smith River: The main stem Smith River from the mouth of Rowdy Creek to its confluence with Patrick Creek; the South Fork Smith River from the mouth upstream approximately 1000 ft to the County Road (George Tyron) bridge and Craigs Creek to its confluence with Jones Creek; and the North Fork Smith River from the mouth to its confluence with Stony Creek. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The Klamath really starting dropping into prime shape earlier in the week, but the rain could potentially change the conditions over the weekend reports Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. He said, “The river was still pretty big, but it was starting to clear. There are still lots of fish around, maybe not as many as a few weeks ago, but the fishing is still really good. With the higher water, the fish have been flying up river. Most of the fish we’re catching are coming on the flats, where they’re traveling and resting. The fish haven’t been sitting in the holes due to all the extra current. The grade of fish is still good; we’re catching quite a few adults and roughly 4 to 5 jacks per trip. I think the weekend may be a little tougher fishing. With the rain we’re getting this week, we’ll probably see some dirty runoff in the upper Klamath where the fires are burning. The ocean is also pretty rough with big swells predicted through the weekend, making it tough for salmon to enter the mouth.”

Trinity
If we don’t get too much rain, the entire Trinity should be in good shape for the weekend reports Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors. He said, “I spoke with a couple guys who were fishing around Big Bar on Tuesday and reportedly a few fish were caught and quite a few were rolling. With the river on the drop, those fish should begin to slow down and hold up in the holes. My guess is the rise moved a lot of fish into the river, and hopefully some of the larger creeks don’t get too muddy.”

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

Check out North Fork Studios.net for more information on a film that will be coming up about the history of The Eel River.

Options may be limited for the next four to five days for North Coast steelhead fishermen as the rivers, as well as the weather, remains unsettled. From the Chetco down to the South Fork Eel, every coastal stream is predicted to be on the rise as of Thursday following Wednesday evening’s heavy rains. Expect the rivers to recede on Friday and Saturday, but another rise is forecasted for Sunday morning. Whether some of the smaller streams will drop quickly enough to fish on Saturday remains to be seen. If I were a betting man, I’d bet no. However, there is some dry weather forecasted for next week and all the rivers should come back in to play.

Weather update

According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, the heaviest rain will have fallen Wednesday night. “Thursday we’ll see showers that should produce some decent rainfall totals. The Smith Basin in Del Norte County could see anywhere from 3/4 to an inch of rain and the Humboldt area could see a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. A dry pattern will begin Friday and last through most of the day Saturday. Saturday night through Sunday night, the Smith basin is predicted to see from 1.5 to 2 inches of rain. In Humboldt, we could see up to an inch of precipitation. Next week is looking dry, with the next system predicted for the March 17,” Kennedy added.

 2014 Klamath River Regulatory Options

A Klamath River sport fish regulation informational and public input meeting was held on Monday night. The purpose of the meeting, which was attended by roughly 35 anglers and put on the CDFW, was to present the current regulatory options on the table for the 2014 Spit fishery on the lower Klamath. Presentations included historical fishery trends on the lower river as well as 2013 harvest and escapement numbers. A public Q&A discussion was also held where anglers voiced concerns over the methods and ethics of last year’s fishery. Below are the current options for 2014:

Status Quo – 2013 Regulations – Spit area will close after 15 percent of the Lower Klamath River sub quota is taken downstream of the Highway 101 Bridge.  (Note: This provision only applies if the department projects that the total Klamath River Basin quota will be met.) Option 1; Spit Area will close after 15 percent of the total Klamath River Basin Quota is taken downstream of the Highway 101 Bridge. This option also removes the language that states the spit area will close only if the Department projects that the total Klamath River System recreational fishery allocation will be met. Option 2; Spit Area will close after 15 percent of the Lower Klamath River sub quota is taken downstream of the Highway 101 Bridge. Option 3; Spit Area will remain closed to all fishing all year. This option will close the spit area to all fishing year round to provide protection of KRSC, KRFC, and Coho salmon migrating out of the open ocean into the Klamath River estuary; however, it eliminates a historical fishing opportunity for shore based anglers.

Next up, the PFMC is set to meet March 8-13 in Sacramento to determine if any in-season action for fisheries scheduled to open in April is needed. They will also adopt three regulatory alternatives for ocean salmon fisheries in effect on or after May 1. Final alternatives for public review will be decided on March 13. For more information on this meeting, visit www.pcouncil.org/council-operations/council-meetings/current-meeting.

The Rivers:

Chetco River

Before the river blew out earlier in the week, we were still seeing some fresh fish come in reports guide Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service” With the big rise, we’ll should start to see a ton of downers, and the number of fresh ones will start to decline. If the weather does what it’s predicted, we should have a window to fish Saturday on the upper end,” Borges added. More rain is predicted for Saturday and the river will be on the rise as of early Sunday morning.

Smith River

The Smith fished pretty well the last couple days reports Crescent City guide Mike Coopman. “The river has been a little big, but the fishing has been pretty good. We’re seeing about a 50/50 mix of downers to fresh ones. The next rises should bring more of the downers into the mix and the numbers of fresh fish will probably start to go down. There should be plenty of fish around through the end of the month,” Coopman said. The Smith is forecasted to rise on Wednesday, but conditions look good for both Friday and Saturday.

Eel River (main stem)

After a huge rise on Tuesday, the river dropped close to 10 feet on Wednesday reports Fred Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. “It looks like we’re going to get a couple more storms this week, so I don’t see it coming back into shape for awhile. Once the rain stops, we’re looking at four to five days easy before its back to a fishable level and color,” said Grundman. The Eel was hovering at 25,000 cfs on the Scotia gauge as of Wednesday, but is predicted to rise again on Thursday and again on Sunday.

Eel River (South Fork)

As of Wednesday evening, the SF was hovering just above 6,000 cfs on the Miranda gauge and starting to rise. It’s predicted to peak at 10,000 cfs on Thursday afternoon, and drop all the way through early Sunday morning, bottoming out at 3000 cfs. There’s a chance the upper reaches will fish Saturday, but it will be a very short window.

Van Duzen

According to Grundman, the Van Duzen is also dirty and will take awhile to clear. As of Wednesday, it was starting to rise and predicted to peak early Thursday morning at roughly 8,000 cfs. It looks like it will drop through Saturday, and be back on the rise Sunday.

Mad River

Anglers hitting the Mad early Wednesday found some fresh steelhead, but the rains turned it off-color by the end of the day reports Justin Kelly of Redwood Marine in Eureka. “I heard there was a small pod of wild fish that moved in, but the river was on it’s way to blowing out. There’s still a bunch of the older fish left, but the weekend rise may see some of those fish move out. Like the rest of the rivers, the Mad is forecasted to rise on Thursday, recede through Saturday and rise again Sunday. My guess is it will be green by mid-week,” Kelly added.

Upper Trinity

The Douglas City area was in great shape on Wednesday, but the winter fish were nowhere to be found reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “The water had a little color and was the perfect height, but we didn’t see any winter fish moving in. Conditions were the best we’ve had in awhile, but the fish just weren’t there. It rained all day Wednesday, so I’m hoping this rise will bring the fish up from the Junction City area,” 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.

Public salmon meeting next Wednesday in Santa Rosa

It appears Tuesday evening’s rain threw a big, fat “Barry Zito” style curveball at North Coast steelhead anglers. Prior to that unexpected shower, several of our rivers — that have yet to see a boat — were just about to turn green and start to fish. And others that were already fishable were about to become pristine. The Smith would fall into the latter category. It was just beginning to dip below 12-feet on the Jed Smith gauge on Tuesday, and by early Wednesday morning it had spiked to a very big 14.5-feet. Both the middle section of the South Fork and main stem Eel were a couple days away from turning steelhead green. Now we’re looking at a couple more days for the South Fork to turn and 3 to 4 days before the main Eel is fishable. The Benbow area of the South Fork didn’t see the affects of the rain and is still at a fishable height and color. The Mad and the Van Duzen both saw a bump in flows, adding a couple days to when they’ll be fishable. With the rain behind us for a few days and the rivers on the drop, it looks like just about every steelhead river on the North Coast will be fishable by the weekend, a first for 2014.

Weather update
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, expect to see dry conditions until at least next Tuesday along the North Coast. “The ridge of high pressure is moving back in, but it looks like it will move to the north next week. There’s a pretty good chance for some fairly wet weather beginning Wednesday,” Kennedy added.

Big Lagoon breaches
Full from the recent rains, the north end of Big Lagoon broke open last Sunday according to Eureka’s National Weather Service. Once the water clears, steelhead and cutthroat fishing should be good as the fish make their way towards Maple Creek.

Rowdy Creek 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 13 teams, consisting of 26 boats will be splitting time between the two rivers.

CDFW to Hold Public Meeting on Ocean Salmon Fisheries
The Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) invites the public to attend its upcoming annual ocean salmon information meeting. A review of last year’s ocean salmon fisheries and spawning escapement will be presented, in addition to the outlook for this year’s sport and commercial ocean salmon fisheries. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sonoma County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Blvd. in Santa Rosa. For more information, visit www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/salmonpreseason.asp or contact Erick Anderson at (707) 576-2879.

Regulation changes for Eel and Van Duzen Rivers in 2014
After last year’s controversial change to the Eel River system, which made targeting Chinook salmon against the law, “catch and release” will be allowed in 2014/15.

On page 33 of the online 2014-2015 booklet under General Provisions, the sentence that reads, “every body of water listed below (meaning the alphabetical list of waters with special fishing regulations) is closed to the take of salmon and salmon fishing, unless otherwise noted” remains unchanged. However, on pages 41 and 42, in the alphabetical list of waters, the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, and the Van Duzen, all have “catch and release of Chinook salmon” in the daily bag and possession limit column. Hats off to our local CDFW folks for pushing this change through. For more information, visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations.

2013 Klamath River Fall Chinook returns
According to preliminary estimates, 179,541 Fall Chinook salmon made their way back up the Klamath in 2013. Of those, 165,125 were adults and 14,415 were jacks, or two-year old salmon. The preseason predicted run size estimate was roughly 272,000. According to Sara Borok, an Environmental Scientist on the Klamath River, the floor escapement was met as 69,989 total natural spawners returned (59,619 adults and 10,367 jacks). “The numbers are looking good for 2014 said Borok. “We should see a lot of jacks coming back from the record 2012 run, in which 291,877 adults returned.” That was the largest return since DFGW began compiling data from the entire basin back in 1977.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
As of Wednesday, the Chetco was still running close to 10,000 cfs, but is predicted to drop quickly through the weekend. Forecasted at a pushy 5,500 cfs for Friday’s derby opener, it should be in perfect shape by Sunday, running at 3,500 cfs.

Smith River
After Tuesday’s rain, the Smith was big on Wednesday, but there were fish to be had reports guide Mike Coopman. “The water color was good on Wednesday, and it looks like conditions will only get better prior to the weekend. The river should be in perfect shape and there should be plenty of fish around. With the derby, expect lots of pressure, which could make catching a little tougher,” Coopman said.

Eel River (main stem)
Fred Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods reports the main stem Eel was starting to turn, but the rain that fell on Tuesday was just enough to set it back a few days. “My guess is it will be at least 3 to 4 days at the earliest before the upper reaches of the main stem are fishable,” said Grundman.

Eel River (South Fork)
Darren Brown of Brown’s Sporting Goods in Garberville reports anglers were fishing down to Sylvandale on Wednesday, and it will probably fish all the way down to the forks by the weekend.

Van Duzen
After a slight rise Tuesday evening, it was flowing at 1,000 cfs and dropping on Wednesday. Predicted to be in the 500 cfs range by the weekend, fishing above Yager Creek would be your best bet.

Mad River
Tuesday’s rain bumped up the flows about 400 cfs, but I think it will be fishable for the bait guys by the weekend reports Justin Kelly of Eureka’s Redwood Marine “Before Tuesday’s rain, there were a lot of older fish in the river. Hopefully this little bump will bring in some new, bright fish,” Kelly added. The Mad was at 1,800 cfs as of Wednesday, but predicted to drop below 800 cfs by Saturday.

Upper Trinity
Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service reports the Douglas City area is back to low and clear after seeing a slight increase in flows from last weeks storm. “Conditions are once again low and clear, but we are seeing some winter fish move in. They were moving pretty good earlier in the week with the higher flows, but they’ve probably slowed down. My guess is there’s a bunch of fish below Junction City that are slowly making their way up,” Huber said.

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

Upper Trinity best bet for weekend, Mad River Hatchery begins spawning steelhead
The timing isn’t the greatest for the storms currently making a mess of our rivers, but it’s not likely you’ll hear much complaining from the angling community. Even in the midst of a steelhead bite that was bordering on epic for the Smith and Chetco, we’re all happy — and somewhat relieved — to be sitting on the sidelines for a few days while Mother Nature attempts to put a dent in the statewide drought. If the rainfall totals make land as predicted, we could be in for some world-class steelhead fishing once the rivers recede and clear. And it’s certainly going to help the fish. A lot of them have been in the river quite some time and will finally be able to reach their spawning tributaries and creeks. The fish that have been staging in the ocean, waiting to feel that surge of water pouring out of the river mouths, can now begin their journey unabated to their spawning grounds. As for the weekend fishing opportunities, the upper reaches of the Trinity might be your only option. The Smith and Chetco, both of which clear quickly, are likely to be big and brown through the weekend and into the early part of next week. That is, if the weather forecasters are on the money…..

Weekend Weather
It’s certainly no secret we’re in for quite a bit of rain over the next few days. According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, the majority will start to fall Thursday night and continue through Saturday night. Some of the rivers are in for a significant rise coupled with the impressive projected rainfall amounts. Most of the rivers should peak and begin to recede by late in the weekend or early next week, except maybe the Klamath. According to Kennedy, after a break on Sunday, another system will arrive Monday afternoon and will bring rain and snow through Thursday. “This system won’t be as wet, we may only see an inch to an inch and a half, but we should see some snow in the hills as it will be a much colder system coming down from Alaska. On Tuesday, the snow level may drop to 2,000 to 3,000 feet,” Kenned added.

Court Action Allows Mad River Hatchery to Start Steelhead Spawning Operations
According to a press release issued Feb 12, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel at Mad River Hatchery began allowing wild origin steelhead and hatchery origin steelhead to enter the hatchery Feb. 4, to start spawning operations. The hatchery startup is based on an amended court-ordered stay, signed by Judge M.M. Chesney, allowing hatchery operations to proceed with conditions agreed to by CDFW and the plaintiff EPIC.

The court action allows Mad River Hatchery to collect, trap and spawn wild origin steelhead for brood stock for one year. Two of the main conditions of the action were the belief by National Marine Fisheries Service that progress was made on the development of a Hatchery Genetic Management Plan and agreement on the collection of natural origin steelhead trout in the coming year.

“Collection operations went very smoothly today,” said Shad Overton, Mad River Hatchery Manager. “It is critical we include both wild and hatchery origin fish to ensure the best genetic diversity of eggs possible for future releases. Our goal is to release 150,000 yearlings next year.”

Trapping, collection and egg take were delayed due to litigation. Spawning usually starts in January and continues through March. This time window allows the hatchery to spawn returning fish throughout the run. This year’s later start is not expected to affect overall spawning operations. For more information, contact Philip Bairrington, CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist (707) 825-4859
or Harry Morse, CDFW Communications, (916) 323-1478.

Rowdy Creek Steelhead Derby
The 32nd annual Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery Steelhead derby will take place February 20 thru 22. This is the only derby being held this year after quite a few changes at the hatchery. There will be 25 teams, with prices being $3,000 per team or $750 per person. Participants will fish the Smith one day and the Chetco the next. For more derby information, visit www.rowdycreek.com/derby.

The hatchery will also be hosting the first annual community dinner and fundraiser on Friday, February 21 in conjunction with the derby. The “Feed the Fishery” event will be held at the Tolowa Event Center at the Lucky 7 Casino in Smith River, CA. Tickets are $50. For more information, please contact 954-2260.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Guide Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service reports the rain had already started as of Tuesday evening and it was coming down steadily on Wednesday. “The past few days had been decent fishing. It was getting better each day and the river fished really well on Tuesday for both the boats and bank fishermen. Monday was the first day that was good — especially for the plunkers as the level was a bit pushy for boats. However, this rain is supposed to push the river to around 19 feet according to the prediction and it will take a bit to clear. There is a new (or renewed) slide above the Ice Box bridge that was active even the past few days. If all goes well we should get back on the Chetco the first of the week, but it could go out again with continued rain. If the rain comes in as heavy as some forecasts then it could be mid-week before the river fishes again,” Early added.

Smith River
After couple days of epic steelhead action, the Smith was on a steep rise as of Wednesday evening according to guide Mike Coopman. “The river fished really well the last couple days and there were lots of fish around. It’s high and muddy now, and I don’t expect it will fish this weekend,” Coopman said.

Eel River (main stem)
The main stem was only a couple days away from being fishable reports Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. “It doesn’t look like we’ll get the big rise on the main stem, but we’ll have to wait and see,” Grundman added. For current river conditions and predictions for the Scotia area, visit www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1.

Eel River (South Fork)
The Piercy area of the South Fork was still dirty as of Wednesday, so it’s not likely to fish any time soon. Predicted to peak at 6,600 cfs on the Miranda gauge early Sunday morning. The upper reaches may come in mid to late week. http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
Five to six inches are forecasted to fall within the basin over the next few days putting the Van Duzen back on the rise. Should peak at just over 6,000 cfs early Sunday morning and may drop quickly. Higher reaches may fish mid to late week. Current conditions and forecasts can be found at http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Mad River
According to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s Redwood Marine, there were quite a few bright fish in the river as of Wednesday. “The liners had been doing good all week, catching some nice, bright fish. The river just started to green-up above Lindsey Creek before it started raining. The river is predicted to jump to 6,000 cfs by early Sunday morning, meaning we probably won’t see any green water until mid to late next week,” Kelly said. River conditions can be found at http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Upper Trinity
The rain that’s coming should really help the Douglas City area reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “My guess we’ll see about a 100 cfs rise on the upper river, which should really bring in the winter fish. The creeks are flowing and there’s some snow in the hills, so we’re in good shape now. The hatchery has seen a good number of fish return the last week, so the fall fish should be done. Anywhere above the North Fork should be a good option for the weekend,” Huber said.

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

F&G Commission adopts emergency angling regulations
If, and that’s a big if, the rains come as predicted this weekend, we should see a parade of steelhead making their way up every coastal river in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. As much as three to five inches is predicted to fall — depending on location. This is the storm we’ve been waiting on in what now feels like years. Most of the coastal rivers are full of fish and the rain should allow them to move up into their spawning tributaries. The rain will also pull a fresh batch of chromers in from the ocean. As of Wednesday, all of the rivers that fall under the low-flow regulations remain open to fishing. Hopefully this big storm is just the beginning of much more precipitation to come and we won’t have to worry about river closures until next year. That being said, CDFW unanimously adopted on Wednesday an emergency regulation that will extend the low-flow closures for North Coast rivers until April 30. (See below for official CDFW press release.)

Weekend rain predictions
A much-anticipated pattern change is taking place on the North Coast, with the ridge of high pressure being forced west allowing storms to finally reach our coastline according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service “We could see up to a third of an inch Wednesday night into Thursday, but the real rain will begin on Friday afternoon, with the heaviest amounts hitting the ground Saturday and into Sunday morning,” Kennedy said. Preliminary forecasted totals for the weekend are; 2 to 3 inches for the Smith basin, 5 to 6 for the Eel basin, 4 to 5 for the Mad basin, and up to 5 inches for the Van Duzen watershed. Monday and Tuesday are looking dry according to Kennedy, but more rain is in the forecast for later in the week.

Fish and Game Commission adopts emergency regulations to close angling
Not wasting any time in response to the state-wide drought conditions, the F&G Commission on Wednesday adopted emergency regulations to close some waters to angling as recommended by the CDFW last week. In a press release issued Wednesday, the Commission adopted the following emergency regulations: 1) Closure of the American River from Nimbus Dam to the SMUD power line crossing at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park until April 30. 2) Closure of the Russian River main stem below the confluence of the East Branch of the Russian River until April 30. 3) Extension of the low flow restrictions angling closures for the north coast and central coast areas (above San Francisco Bay) until April 30. 4) In the South Coast District (i.e., San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties), close all portions of any coastal stream west of any Highway 1 bridge until April 30. These regulatory actions will become effective upon approval by the state Office of Administrative Law (OAL). At the earliest, these emergency regulations will become effective in mid to late February.

Mad River hatchery back in business
Exact details have yet to be released to the public, but a judge’s decision ruled in favor of the hatchery and steelhead started swimming up the ladder as of Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, hatchery employees were using a seine to collect natural origin steelhead to supplement what comes into the trap at the spawning facility. The first batches of fish were spawned on Wednesday with more to come. Look for the press release on the “Fishing the North Coast” Facebook page later this week.

CDFW to Hold Public Meeting on Ocean Salmon Fisheries
The Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) invites the public to attend its upcoming annual ocean salmon information meeting. A review of last year’s ocean salmon fisheries and spawning escapement will be presented, in addition to the outlook for this year’s sport and commercial ocean salmon fisheries. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sonoma County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Blvd. in Santa Rosa. For more information, visit www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/salmonpreseason.asp or contact Erick Anderson at (707) 576-2879.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
We are low and clear currently, with the river dropping steadily each day reports guide Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service. “There are a few fish around but they are kegged in a few spots and they are not a mystery to anyone — in other words, there are plenty of people targeting the fish. Rain is supposed to start this weekend which should bring relief to these low, clear conditions — for both the angling public and the fish, Early added. As of Wednesday, flows were down to 560 cfs, but predicted to rise to 1,800 by Sunday evening.

Smith River
Predicted to peak at just above 11 feet on the Jed Smith gauge Sunday morning. According to Crescent City guide Mike Coopman, the river has yet to see a good flush and hopefully this storm will do the trick. “It’s definitely going to breath some new life into the system and should bring in a bunch of fresh fish. I’d expect the fish will be moving quickly in the higher water and that’s when the fishing should be at it’s best. Once the river starts to drop, the bite will probably slow. With the Smith being the first to rise and the first to clear, we’ll probably see a pretty good crowd next week,” Coopman added.

Eel River (main stem)
Forecasters are predicting the Scotia area to go from 9.5 feet to 16.1, peaking early Monday morning. Will probably take up to10 days before it’s fishable.

Eel River (South Fork)

Predicted to peak at just over 11 feet at Miranda early Monday morning and should be in good shape by late week.

Van Duzen

The Van Duzen is predicted to rise from less than a foot to 4.3 feet, peaking early Monday morning. Should be in good shape by mid-week, especially above Yager Creek.

 

Mad River

When the Mad opened last Friday, the fishing was as good as it gets according to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors (formerly Redwood Marine). “As the water has dropped the fishing has gotten a whole lot tougher. The fish are stuck in the holes and they’ve been pounded on for a while now, and they don’t want to bite. No new fish have come in since the last rain, so you’re basically fishing for the same fish. Things should change after the storm goes through this weekend. If the forecast holds and the river peaks at 8 feet early Monday, we should be back to green in just a few days, especially above Lindsey Creek. Cleos, roe, and Spin N’ Glo’s all worked before the river fell out,” Kelly added.

Upper Trinity
The river remains clear, but some winter fish are starting to make their way upriver reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “We’re starting to see more and more winter fish move in, and the rain should help raise the river levels so they can make it over the falls. Hopefully we’ll see enough rain to get the fish in their creeks and tributaries to spawn,” Huber said.

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

CDFW requesting low-flow closures through April 30
Rain, and just in the nick of time! Wednesday’s storm system dropped just enough water to get most of our rivers flowing at a decent level, allowing steelhead to move in and hopefully inch closer to their spawning grounds — and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Come Saturday morning, all North Coast rivers currently subjected to low-flow closures will be open to fishing, regardless of flows. The lack of water, coupled with the amount of fish in the rivers, had the potential of turning the weekend into a real fish in the barrel scenario. It appears however, the situation will be lessened with the tiny bit of rain that fell. However, smaller streams like the Van Duzen, Mattole and South Fork Eel won’t see very much in the way of increased flows and could be susceptible to extreme angling pressure.

In addition, more changes could be coming to our rivers next week. In a press release issued by the CDFW on Wednesday, CDFW has the authority under Title 14, Article 4, Section 8.00(c) to close south central coast streams to fishing from December 1 through March 7 and as a result of the inadequate flows, seven Central Coast rivers have been closed to fishing. Furthermore, CDFW also has the authority to close North Coast streams to fishing from September 1 (Mad River) and October 1 (all others) through January 31 when it determines that the flow at any of the designated gauging stations is less than minimum flows stated in regulation. CDFW is now requesting this closure to be extended to April 30. The extension will be one of a handful recommendations presented at the February 5 Fish and Game Commission meeting. The recommendation reads; “Extension of the low flow restrictions angling closures for the north coast and central coast areas (above San Francisco Bay) through April 30.” For more information on the potential river closures, visit http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/cdfw-puts-closures-in-effect-on-some-rivers-recommends-further-changes-to-the-fish-and-game-commission.

Best bets for the weekend:
By Friday, the Chetco and Smith should be in great shape for steelhead anglers. The Klamath as well as the Trinity both will see increases in flows, which should bring in some fresh fish from the ocean. Fish that have been holding in the Klamath could also make their way into the lower Trinity.

Tread lightly
If you plan on fishing some of the smaller rivers this weekend, pay attention to where you step if you’re wading in or crossing a river. Persistent low flows has forced many salmon to spawn in the main stems and their redds could be right at your feet.

Boats classes/vessel exams
The USCG Auxiliary has scheduled a recreational boating safety class for Saturday, February 22 in the Woodley Island Marina Conference Room from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The class is open to all boaters, not just the recreational fishing fleet. Persons wishing to take the class need to pre-register by calling Thom O’Connor at (707) 954-4481. Cost of the class is $20 per person.
2014 vessel exams have also begun. If you are interested in getting your boat stickered for the coming fishing season, call Maggy Herbelin at (707) 445-2401 to schedule an appointment.

Weekend Weather:
A tiny bit of rain is in store for Thursday and into the evening, and then we’ll head back into a dry pattern according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Our next chance of precipitation looks to be on Wednesday, Feb 5, with the area seeing possibly a quarter inch. After that, the next chance will be February 9 or 10. I don’t have a whole lot of confidence as most of the systems look good and then they fall apart,” Kennedy added.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Running at 1,190 cfs and rising as of Wednesday evening. Should be in great shape by Friday. There hasn’t been a lack of fish as the river has dropped out for boats, only a lack of water. If you’re looking to get away from the pack, the Chetco will not be the place. Predicted to peak at just over 2,000 cfs on Thursday evening.

Smith River
Open to fishing as of Tuesday and predicted to peak at just over 3,400 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge Wednesday night. According to Crescent City guide Mike Coopman, expect to see some new fish moving into the system. “If the rain comes as predicted, we should have some really good fishing for a few days. Anytime we see a rise like this, it’s basically out with the old and in with the new. Should be good,” Coopman added.

Mad River
Chocked full of steelhead and should open to fishing no later than Friday. Predicted to peak at just above 300 cfs on Thursday morning. Make sure and call ahead prior to fishing to confirm the river is open. If you don’t like crowds, this isn’t the place to be.  Low flow hotline is (707) 882-3164.

Lower Klamath
The lower river has been producing big, bright winter steelhead the last couple weeks, but will likely color up with the rain that fell Wednesday. It’s currently on the rise and predicted to peak at just below 5,500 cfs. Should be in perfect shape by early next week.

Lower Trinity
Reports coming from the lower section of the Trinity have remained unchanged over the last few weeks, but the little rise we’re seeing could finally break things loose. Lots of half-pounders and the occasional adult steelhead has been the norm, but the rain should bring in some adult winter fish that have been hanging below the confluence.

Upper Trinity
The conditions as well as the fishing haven’t changed much this past week reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “We’re seeing some good numbers making it to the hatchery, but those are the fall fish. A few winter fish are around, but not many. Hopefully we’ll see a little bump in the flows, which would pull some fish from the lower river and the Klamath,” Huber said.

Main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, and Redwood Creek will open Saturday, February 1, if not earlier, depending on the flows. Daily bag limits is two hatchery steelhead and only barbless may be used.

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