Current Fishing Reports | Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest

Sport King Season Returns to California

Eureka resident Peter LaVallee with a nice king caught a few seasons ago out of Eureka. The North Coast will once again have an ocean recreational salmon season in 2025, albeit a brief one. Photo courtesy of Tim Klassen, Reel Steel Sport Fishing

At the March Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting, the Council voted on and approved three alternatives for ocean salmon fisheries along the California coast for 2025. Alternatives one and two lay out severely abbreviated seasons with strict harvest limits for commercial and recreational salmon fishing. Alternative three, if selected, would shut down the salmon season for the third straight year. After reviewing and commenting publicly on the options, sport and commercial anglers were fairly divided on whether there should be a short season or another closure.

At the April 15 PFMC meeting, in what on the surface appears to be a very controversial and head-scratching decision, the council acted to recommend limited fishing opportunities for California’s recreational ocean salmon fisheries through the end of 2025. This decision was made knowing that fewer Chinook salmon returned from the ocean to spawn last year than in 2023 and this year’s ocean abundance for the Sacramento and Klamath are at historically low numbers.

The 2025 recreational ocean salmon season dates for the California coast are as follows:

For ocean waters between the Oregon/California state line and the U.S/Mexico border, the season will open June 7-8, with a 7,000 Chinook summer harvest guideline. If the limit is not attained in those two days, the fishery will open again July 5-6. July 30-Aug 3 and Aug 25-31 are the additional dates available in late July and August for use until the summer harvest guideline is attained.
For ocean waters between Point Reyes and Point Sur (portions of the San Francisco and Monterey subareas), the fall fishing season will open September 4-7, with a 7,500 Chinook fall harvest guideline. If this guideline is not attained, the fishery will reopen September 29-30. Additional days are available in October between Point Reyes to Pigeon Point if any of the fall harvest guideline remains.

The minimum size limit is 20 inches total length. The daily bag limit is two Chinook salmon per day. No more than two daily bag limits may be possessed when on land. On a vessel in ocean waters, no person shall possess or bring ashore more than one daily bag limit. Retention of coho (silver) salmon is prohibited in all ocean fisheries off California.

To our north in Brookings, the Chinook season will be open from May 16 to June 6, and June 30 to July 15. The mark-selective coho fishery begins June 7 and will run through the earlier of Aug. 24, or 44,000 marked coho quota.

Still to be determined: The fate of the inland Central Valley fall Chinook fishery and the Klamath River fall and spring-run Chinook seasons. At the April 16-17 California Fish and Game Commission meeting, season proposals will be heard from California Fish and Wildlife staff. These proposals will be decided upon at the May 14 California Fish and Game Commission meeting.

Marine forecast
Ocean conditions are looking good for Friday, but winds will pick up through the weekend. Friday is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 5 feet at 8 seconds. Saturday is calling for winds out of the north 20 to 25 knots with north waves 7 feet at seven seconds and west 3 feet at 13 seconds. Sunday is looking a little worse with winds out of the north 20 to 25 knots and waves north 10 feet at nine seconds and northwest 3 feet at 11 seconds. Conditions can and will change prior to the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com/. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

“Wet” year designation for Trinity River
In a press release issued April 9 by the Trinity River Restoration Program, the April B-120 water year determination has been posted as “wet” for 2025. With that, water releases from Lewiston. Dam into the Trinity River are scheduled to begin significantly increasing on Monday, Apr. 15, 2025.

TRRP Statement:
“The hydrograph developed is based on the California Department of Water Resources Bulletin 120 50% Exceedance Forecast declaration of a “Wet” water year for 2025, which sets the TRRP volume release at 701,000 acre feet for the water year. Releases from Oct. 1 through Apr. 15 were scheduled at 300,777 acre feet* leaving the restoration volume at 400,223 for the remainder of the water year. The flow schedule includes day-to-day flow variability, a key component of river systems that support salmon.

For the 2025 spring release, flows will peak at 8,500 cfs at noon on Apr. 16. After the peak a slow recession begins at 6 p.m., reaching 600 cubic feet per second on Jun. 30. Flows are scheduled to minimally rise again for two small peaks on Jul. 11 and again on Aug. 2 to help salmon migrate out of the lower portion of the river. Maximum Daily flow based on a “wet” water year designation is included below.”

Please take appropriate precautions whenever on or near the river. Residents in the river corridor are advised to move items away from the riverbank before peak flows begin.

Questions can be directed to the Trinity River Restoration Program office at 530-623-1800 or by emailing your question to info@trrp.net. An up-to-date daily schedule of flow releases are available at: http://www.trrp.net/restoration/flows/current/

The Rivers:
Reminder: The South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, Mad, Redwood Creek and the Chetco all closed to fishing March 31.

Eel (main stem)
The main stem Eel is still a little big, but the color is looking good. As of Wednesday, flows were at 6,500 cfs at Scotia and it should be plenty fishable by the weekend. The main stem Eel to the South Fork is open all year. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used from April 1 through Sept. 30.

Smith River
The Smith is currently running low and clear, with flows right around 3,600 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge as of Wednesday. It will continue to drop slowly with no measurable rain in the immediate forecast. Fishing pressure continues to be light. 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 Craig’s Creek to Jones Creek.

Lower Rogue
“Spring salmon season remains fair to good on the Rogue, with most guides getting at least a fish or two per day,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The run is off to a strong start, with plenty of hatchery kings showing in the catch.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, lingcod and rockfish action has been good out of Brookings, where baitfish are already moving close to shore, and pelicans have arrived early. “The lings are in 20 to 50 feet of water, while rockfish are thick from Chetco Point to House Rock. Windy weather is expected this weekend. Surfperch and an occasional lingcod are being caught from the Chetco River jetties.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Boat-Based Deep Water Rockfish Open as of April 1

Iowa resident Gina Schmidt holds a nice black rockfish caught a couple years ago out of Crescent City. The offshore rockfish season opened on April 1, while the nearshore rockfish season will open May 1. Photo courtesy of Steve Huber/Crescent City Fishing

As of April 1, the 2025 boat-based season for rockfish and lingcod is officially open state-wide. This year’s season and depth structure is identical to 2024 for the Northern Management Area, which runs from the CA-OR border to the 40°10′ N. latitude (near Cape Mendocino). The seasons in Mendocino, San Francisco, Central GMA North of 36º N. Latitude, Central GMA South of 36º N. Latitude and Southern GMA are the same as 2024 as well. The species authorized, specific bag and possession limits for each Groundfish Management Areas are different across the state, so be sure and check before you head out.

The season and depth structure are as follows:

Apr. 1 – Apr. 30: 50-fathom offshore only fishery
May 1 – Sept. 30: 20-fathom inshore only fishery
Oct. 1 – Oct. 31: 50-fathom offshore only fishery
Nov. 1 – Nov. 30: 20-fathom inshore only fishery

During the months of offshore fisheries, it is unlawful to possess in all waters: black, black and yellow, blue, brown, calico, China, copper, gopher, grass, kelp, and olive rockfishes; treefish Cabezon and Greenlings.

Take is prohibited shoreward of the 50 fathom (300 feet) Rockfish Conservation Area boundary line, which is a series of connected waypoints defined in Federal regulations. Only Shelf and Slope rockfish can be retained.

During the inshore fishery, take is prohibited seaward of the 20 fathom (120 feet) boundary line, which is defined by connecting the appropriate set of waypoints adopted in Section 35.00 of the regulations. The fishery allows opportunity to retain nearshore, shelf and slope rockfish, lingcod, cabezon and greenling.

In Oct. 2024, the California Fish and Game Commission adopted proposed changes to the 2025 groundfish regulations so the state recreational fishing regulations matched their federal counterparts. These regulation changes went into effect January 1, 2025 and include the following:

Copper rockfish limit: The copper rockfish sub-limit is one fish within the Rockfish, Cabezon, and Greenling (RCG) Complex 10-fish aggregate limit, statewide. The one fish sub-bag limit is designed to keep catches within established harvest limits.

Size Limits Eliminated for Some Species
The minimum size limits for cabezon, California scorpionfish (sculpin), kelp greenling, and rock greenling have been eliminated.

Regulations for Fish Filleted at Sea
Lingcod: When possessed onboard any boat or brought ashore (for example, when filleted at sea), lingcod fillets must have the entire skin attached. Fillets must still be at least 14 inches long.

California Scorpionfish (sculpin): When possessed onboard any boat or brought ashore (for example, when filleted at sea), California scorpionfish fillets can be of any size, and must have the entire skin attached.

Cabezon, Kelp Greenling, and Rock Greenling: Cabezon, kelp greenling, and rock greenling may now be filleted at sea. When possessed onboard any boat or brought ashore, cabezon, kelp greenling and rock greenling fillets must have the entire skin attached.

Marine forecast
Winds and seas will diminish significantly by Friday and Saturday, but another frontal system is forecast to arrive Sunday as a large long period swell fills into the waters. Friday is calling for north winds 5 to10 knots and northwest waves 4 feet at eight seconds. Saturday is calling for winds out of the southwest up to 5 knots with northwest waves 3 feet at eight seconds. The wind will increase slightly Sunday, coming out of the south 10 to 15 knots. Waves will be from the south 3 feet at seven seconds and west 6 feet at 13 seconds. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com/. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Upcoming salmon meetings

April 9-15: PFMC April Meeting in San Jose, CA. The Council will adopt final regulatory measures for analysis by Salmon Technical Team. Final adoption of recommendations to the National Marine Fisheries Service will also occur and is tentatively scheduled for April 15.

April 16-17: CDFW Meeting in Sacramento, CA. The Commission will receive an update on 2025 ocean salmon sport fishing regulations, with the public invited to ask questions or provide input.

Upcoming events

Bass Tourney coming to Ruth Lake April 5
The Alderpoint Volunteer Fire Department is hosting the Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Bass Tournament on Saturday April 5th at Ruth Lake. Check in is Friday night between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. or Saturday morning between 4 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. This is a catch and release tournament with a 13-inch minimum length. Blast off is 6 a.m. or at first safe light. For more information, call Thomas Bruce at 707-223-6258 or Roger Coleman Jr., 707-223-3858.

Perchin’ on the Peninsula coming April 26
After taking a few years off, the Samoa Peninsula Fire District will be bringing back their Annual Perchin’ on the Peninsula Surfperch Fishing Tournament and Fish Fry/Oyster BBQ Fundraiser. The 11th annual event will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at the Samoa Women’s Club, 115 Sunset Ave, Samoa. The fish fry fundraiser is open to the public and admission is only $10 for adults and $5 for juniors for just the fish fry. Adult fishing tournament entry is $20 and junior entry (under 16) is $10. Fish fry lunch is included with tournament entry. Lunch begins at noon, weigh-ins end at 2 p.m.

Tournament day registration is available at the Samoa Women’s Club. Entries can be purchased online at www.facebook.com/samoafire or Grundman’s, Pacific Outfitters, Bucksport, Ace Hardware in Fortuna, or A-1 Feed in McKinleyville, or Salty’s Bait in Trinidad. Tournament rules are available at all sign-up locations. For more information, call (707) 599-3383 or email samoafire@gmail.com. All proceeds are a direct donation to the Samoa Peninsula Fire District.

The Rivers:
Reminder: The South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, Mad, Redwood Creek and the Chetco all closed to fishing March 31.

Eel (main stem)
The main stem Eel is back on the drop after reaching 56,500 cfs at Scotia Wednesday. Needless to say, it remains high and off color. It will need up to 10 days of dry weather before it drops to a fishable level. With more rain on top for Sunday and Monday, it doesn’t look like it will fish for quite some time. The main stem Eel to the South Fork is open all year. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used from April 1 through Sept. 30.

Smith River
Storms earlier in the week pushed the Smith up and over 14 feet on the Jed Smith gauge Tuesday. It’s now back in prime condition and should remain that way through Sunday afternoon, when the next rise is forecast. These late-season rises should flush some of the last spawned-out steelhead downriver and could bring in a few fresh ones. 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 Craig’s Creek to Jones Creek.

Southern Oregon rivers
“Spring salmon are being caught on the Rogue, both by plunkers fishing the lower river gravel bars, and jet boats anchoring on the side with anchovies”, said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “With decent catches in high water, anglers expect catch rates to sore late this will as the river drops into prime shape. Huntley Park has produced a handful of springers a day for shore anglers, while boaters are anchoring at the old mill, Elephant Rock and above Canfield Bar. The Chetco, Elk and Sixes are now closed for the season.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, lingcod and rockfish action is good out of Brookings on calm weather days. “Good weather returns the second half of the week. Bird Island and House Rock have been solid producers for quick bottom fish limits. Surfperch fish also has improved.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

A Wet Ending to the Winter Steelhead Season

John Murray of San Francisco hold a fresh Smith River winter steelhead from late February. Photo courtesy of Kenny Priest/Fishing the North Coast Guide Service

It looks like this year’s winter is refusing to end, but unfortunately, the winter steelhead season will. Enough rain will fall over the next few days to keep just about all of the coastal rivers high and off-color, essentially washing away the last weekend of steelhead season.

As of Thursday, all of the coastal rivers, most of which were still off color, were back on the rise and headed towards blowout status. Only the quick-clearing Smith will have a shot at being fishable this weekend. Humboldt rivers, including the Mad, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Redwood Creek, are all toast as far as green water goes.

As we look back on the season, it was another wet one. The fishing this year was slightly better than the last couple, so things are looking up. And the last drought year of 2022 is now three years behind us, so we should see the steelhead numbers begin to build.

But as one season comes to a close, more will soon open. As the calendar nears April, it’s time to change gears and look toward the next angling opportunity. The rockfish (April 1 for deep water) and Pacific halibut openers are right around the corner and the California halibut will hopefully show up in Humboldt Bay. It’s also time to think about spring salmon on the lower Rogue River. There’s redtails to be had from all the local beaches, and the lagoons are full of trout. It’s been a wet and wild steelhead season, but I for one am ready for a little sunshine.

Steelhead rivers openings/closures
After Monday, March 31, the South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, Mad, Redwood Creek, Mattole and Chetco rivers will all be closed to fishing.

The main stem Eel, from its mouth to the South Fork, is open to fishing all year.
From the mouth to Fulmor Road, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used from April 1 through Friday, May 23, 2025. Only barbless hooks may be used from May 24 through Mar. 31, 2026.

From Fulmor Road to the South Fork, it’s open all year. From April 1 through Sept. 30, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. Only barbless hooks may be used from Oct. 1 through Mar. 31, 2026.

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 Craig’s Creek to Jones Creek. Only barbless hooks may be used from Sept. 1 through Apr. 30. The bag limit remains the same at two hatchery steelhead per day.

Sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers are open to fishing but are subject to in-season changes. More information can be found here.

Eel River steelhead returns
Over the past two weeks, March 10-23, a total of 26 adult steelhead and two subadult steelhead were observed moving upstream through the fishway at Cape Horn dam according to Andrew Anderson, an Aquatic Biologist with PG&E. The season total for upstream migrating adult steelhead now stands at 334 (female 155, male 104, unknown adult 75). The last time the Van Arsdale Reservoir saw more than 300 steelhead was back in 2019. This count doesn’t reflect the entire population; it only includes the fish who travel over 150 miles to make it to the fish ladder at Cape Horn Dam. Many salmonids spawn in tributaries downstream. For more information, visit www.eelriver.org/the-eel-river/fish-count/.

Upcoming salmon meetings
April 9-15: PFMC April Meeting in San Jose, CA. The Council will adopt final regulatory measures for analysis by Salmon Technical Team. Final adoption of recommendations to the National Marine Fisheries Service will also occur and is tentatively scheduled for April 15.

April 16-17: CDFW Meeting in Sacramento, CA. The Commission will receive an update on 2025 ocean salmon sport fishing regulations, with the public invited to ask questions or provide input.

Cal Poly Humboldt looking for summer surfperch anglers
The Cal Poly Humboldt Department. of Fisheries Biology is looking to hire two students to help hook and line sample for surfperch in six Humboldt and Mendocino beaches from May to October, six days a month, four to eight hours per day, including three two-day trips. The Pay is $17 per hour. Applicants need to have their own gear. To apply, send CV and cover letter to noah.gabay@Humboldt.edu by April 15. Or for more information, visit www.facebook.com/HumboldtFishBio.

Englund Marine saltwater seminar coming this Saturday
On Saturday March 29, Eureka’s Englund Marine will host a saltwater seminar at the Englund Marine store located at 590 W. Waterfront Dr. The event will run from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Guest speakers include Captain Del “Tuna Dog” Stephens, Scott Fordice of Lowrance, and Matt Dallum with an update from HASA. Additionally, there will be reps from Star brite boat products and CDFW. More information will be available at https://www.englundmarine.com/pages/seminars.html.

The Rivers:
Mad, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Redwood Creek
All are on the rise, or soon will be, and won’t drop back into fishable prior to the season closing after Monday, March 31.

Main stem Eel
The main Eel is high and off color and will back on the rise Thursday afternoon. It’s predicted to reach 30,000 cubic feet per second Friday night. After a break in the rain Saturday where flows will drop to roughly 17,000 cfs, Sunday and Monday’s storm will again push flows above 30,000 cfs early Tuesday morning. It will take at least a couple weeks of dry weather to drop it back into fishable shape. It starts to fish once it drops to right around 5,000 cfs.

Smith
The Smith was at 11.6 feet at Jed Smith gauge Thursday at noon, but is forecast for a big rise later in the day. It’s predicted to reach nearly 16 feet by Friday morning before dropping all day Saturday and most of Sunday. It should be fishable Sunday before more rain will likely blow it out for Monday and Tuesday. Looking at the 10-day ensemble forecast, it predicted to be above 11 feet all week.

Southern Oregon rivers
The Chetco has been high and muddy for much of March, and will be blown out again this weekend reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Monday is the final day of the season,” said Martin. “Fishing was hit and miss most of the season, with the majority of the fish smaller adults, less than 6 pounds. Most anglers have already turned their attention to spring salmon on the Rogue, where action should pick up substantially after this current rise in flows. April and early May tend to produce the best fishing for hatchery springers. A few fish were caught earlier this week.”

Brookings ocean report
According to Martin, the ocean out of Brookings has produced good lingcod and rockfish action when boats can get out. “This weekend looks fishable, as long as the bar crossing isn’t too rough. High flows on the Chetco could make for rough conditions on Saturday. Sunday has a smaller swell. Halibut season opens May 1.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Low Salmon Forecast will Constrain 2025 Season

Ocean and River Salmon Closures Likely

An incredibly low ocean abundance forecast of king salmon, like pictured above, was presented to the public Wednesday by CDFW and fishery agencies. Photo courtesy of Lowell Wallace/Humboldt Charter Company

On Wednesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) hosted its annual 2025 Salmon Information Meeting where fishery agencies provided ocean salmon abundance forecast information to the public. And if these forecasts are accurate, Chinook salmon will once again be scarce this year in both the ocean and rivers. It will also likely result in another year of constrained fisheries, or another state-wide closure in an effort to protect stocks.

Both the Sacramento and Klamath river have incredibly low numbers of salmon swimming in the ocean according to CDFW. The forecast estimates for the Sacramento River fall Chinook, the predominant stock harvested in California fisheries, came in at 165,655 adults, one of the lowest forecasts since the current assessment method came into play in 2008. In 2024, the Sac ocean abundance forecast was 213,600, but the post season estimate came in much lower at 102,965.

The Klamath River Chinook forecast was announced at 82,672 adults swimming in the ocean, the lowest forecast since that body of water’s assessment method started in 1997. In 2024, Klamath ocean abundance was 180,700, with the post-season abundance coming in at 118,415.

These ocean abundance forecasts provide science-based advice to the Pacific Fishery Management Council during its annual salmon fishing season setting process that will take place over the next couple months. The first PFMC meeting will be held March 5-11 in Vancouver, WA. The Council will determine whether any in-season actions are required for fisheries scheduled to open prior to May 16. They will also craft three regulatory alternatives for ocean salmon fisheries in effect on or after May 16. Final adoption of alternatives for public review is tentatively scheduled for March 11. There’s a high probability that closures will once again be in place for all of our salmon fishing in 2025. And don’t be surprised if a couple of the ocean salmon alternatives included the words “closed.”

Please see the ocean salmon webpage at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon/Preseason for a complete calendar of events and contact information regarding the Salmon Preseason Process, including other opportunities for public engagement in the season-setting process. For information on the PFMC meetings, visit pcouncil.org/managed_fishery/salmon/

The weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, warm and pleasant weather is on tap through Friday. “An abrupt change in the pattern will occur Saturday when an approaching trough drives in an associated cold front and brings in light rainfall. The trough will slowly progress in through the weekend, maintaining the chances for light rainfall. Total rainfall still looks low for the weekend, with, chances for over an inch ranging from 40 to 60 percent. Westerly winds will increase Sunday with the trough passing. Chances for wind gusts over 30 mph are high for the ridges and low to moderate for the coastal ridges and headlands. Chances for at least .25 inches of rainfall in 24 hours are moderate to high through much of next week, so there is a good shot of at least additional light rainfall.”

Perchin’ on the Peninsula makes its return in 2025
After a few-year hiatus, the Samoa Peninsula Fire District will be bringing back their Annual Perchin’ on the Peninsula Surfperch Fishing Tournament and Fish Fry/Oyster BBQ Fundraiser. The 11th annual event will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at the Samoa Women’s Club, 115 Sunset Ave, Samoa. The fish fry fundraiser is open to the public and admission is only $10 for adults and $5 for juniors for just the fish fry. Adult fishing tournament entry is $20 and junior entry (under 16) is $10. Fish fry lunch is included with tournament entry. Lunch begins at noon, weigh-ins end at 2 p.m.

The Rivers:
Mad
The Mad was under 10 feet as of Thursday, but is still high and off color. It’s forecast to drop through Sunday morning when the next round of rain is forecast to arrive. It should have a hint of green by Saturday, but still pushy. Over 150 steelhead arrived at the hatchery Tuesday, so there’s still plenty of fresh fish making their way in.

Main stem Eel
The main stem Eel was running at 10,500 cfs as of Thursday, and is still big and dirty. It will continue to drop through the weekend, but the rain coming Sunday will push flows back up above 10,000 cfs by Monday night. It doesn’t look like it will drop down to a fishable flow for at least a couple weeks.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork dropped into fishable shape around Benbow Thursday where flows were 2,400 cfs at Miranda. It will fish through at least Saturday and possibly Sunday, but it all depends on when and how much rain falls at the slide in the Confusion Hill area. It has been off and on spilling mud this week.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen dipped below 1,200 cfs Thursday and will continue to drop through Saturday. There’s a chance it could fish Friday and Saturday with flows falling below 900 cfs. Another blowout is predicted for Sunday with flows going to back to 2,000 cfs.

Rob Rowe of Smith River holds a steelhead caught and released last week on a Corky and roe while fishing the Smith River with Wild Rivers Fishing.

Smith
The Smith dropped back into fishable shape Wednesday, when some boats chose to plunk and others drifted from the forks down in the high water. With no rain until possibly Sunday, conditions should be excellent the next few days. The next significant rise is forecast for next weekend. Boat traffic should be light this weekend as the Chetco should begin to fish on Friday. Fresh fish are still making their way through the lower river and a few downers have been caught as well.

Southern Oregon rivers
“Steelhead fishing was fair on the Chetco last week, with guides getting one to two fish a day, and plunkers picking up an occasional fish,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The river blew out Saturday night and will be high through this week, although it could fish by Friday. The Elk also will come back into play. Rogue River anglers will begin fishing for springers as that river comes into shape.”

Brookings ocean report
After a week of extremely rough conditions, the ocean should be fishable out of Brookings lingcod and rockfish beginning Thursday reports Martin. “Fishing has been good on calm weather days. Surfperch also are biting throughout the Brookings area.”

Smith and Chetco Only Green Water on the Coast

Brody and his father Jeremy from Monterey County with a nice Smith River steelhead caught Wednesday with guide JD Richey. Photo courtesy of JD Richey Sportfishing.

While the rest of the North Coast rivers were nearing monitor or even flood stage this week, the Smith and Chetco remained green and fishable. And were actually on the drop. You can chock that up to the frigid temperatures up north that turned rain to snow. These two rivers should remain in good shape, though they will start to clear, until the rain returns by mid-next week. The local rivers won’t be fishable anytime soon and next weeks rain will set them back a few more days. Hopefully we’ll be able to get back on these rivers before the end of the month, but I’m not holding my breath.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, showers will gradually dissipate into the weekend. “A period of dry weather is then expected this weekend into early next week. Dry conditions, clear skies, and gentle offshore flow will all help contribute to unusually cool temperatures each night. Even along the coast, highs are expected to drop below freezing with lows in the teens for much of the interior. There is high model confidence that moist weather will return around mid-next week, but few ensemble members show a proper atmospheric river or anything more than light rain. Only as far out as February 17th do around 50% of ensemble members show another, stronger rain system.”

Upcoming salmon information meetings
The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will hold the annual Salmon Information on Wednesday, February 26 starting at 10 a.m. The meeting will be via webinar only and covers 2024 spawner abundances returning to the Central Valley and Klamath Basins, 2025 abundance forecasts, and management context guiding the development and implementation of 2025 ocean salmon fisheries. The public are invited to learn about pertinent data and management context shaping the upcoming ocean salmon season. The meeting link, agenda and other materials will be posted here as they become available.

The Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) will hold its Ocean Salmon Industry Group Meeting on Friday, February 28. This meeting will provide a review of the 2024 seasons, take a first look at the 2025 salmon forecasts, and begin the development of Oregon preferred recreational and commercial ocean salmon season concepts via public input to take forward through the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) regulation setting process. The meeting will be held both in person and virtually this year. This meeting is open to all ocean sport fishing anglers and charter operators, commercial salmon troll fishers, and any others interested in participating in the development of the 2025 ocean salmon seasons. For those attending in person, the meeting will be held in Newport, Oregon.
Links to the agenda and briefing materials for the meeting will be posted on the ODFW Ocean Salmon Management website as they become available.

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

Low-flow open and closed river regulations now online
Rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures and whether they are open or closed to fishing can now be found online. The site includes three districts, North Coast, Central Coast, and South Central Coast. All rivers, creeks, and streams subjected to low flow fishing closures are listed along with their respective minimum flows. Questions can be sent via email to LowFlows@wildlife.ca.gov.

Mad
The Mad peaked at 21.4 feet (30,500 cfs) Monday evening, and is big and muddy. It’s predicted to drop through the weekend, but another rise is expected early next week. With Ruth spilling over muddy water, it will be some time before the river turns green again.

Main stem Eel
The main stem was flowing at roughly 55,000 cfs at Scotia Thursday after peaking at over 156,000. It’s predicted to drop through early next week before the next round of storms hit. Will need a couple weeks of dry weather before it’s green. It will start to fish once it gets below 5,000 cfs.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork peaked at over 35,000 cfs at Miranda Tuesday morning. After a small rise Friday, it’s predicted to drop through mid-next week before the next storm hits. It will need a solid week of dry weather to get it close to fishable, and that doesn’t look likely any time soon.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen peaked at nearly 21,000 cfs Monday evening and is back on the drop. Flows are predicted to drop through mid-next week and will be under 1,000 cfs when the next round of rain is predicted to hit. It will need at least a week of dry weather before it’s fishable.

Smith River
The Smith continues to be the lone fishable river on the North Coast. While the rest of the coastal rivers headed towards flood stage, the Smith was holding steady, or even dropping. You can chalk that up to the cold temperatures, which turned the rain to snow in the hills. As of Thursday, it was right around 9 feet at the Jed Smith gauge. A very small rise is predicted for Friday, but after that it will be dropping through mid-next week. Rain is predicted to return next Wednesday, and it remains to be seen if it will blow out for a day or two. Boat traffic has been light, as most have moved to the Chetco. A few fish are being caught daily.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
The Chetco dropped into prime shape for steelhead this week, but cold weather, and water temperatures close to 40 degrees, made fishing tough reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Plunkers did well over the weekend, but drift boaters reported slow fishing Tuesday and Wednesday, after a good bite on Monday,” said Martin. “The river should be in good shape through most of next week, before more heavy rain returns. The Elk and Sixes have been slow, also because of cold water. The Rogue is dropping into prime shape for the weekend.”

Brookings ocean report
According to Martin, lingcod and rockfish are biting out of Brookings, with limits for charter boats heading north of Twin Rocks. “Crabbing has been decent, with big numbers of females and some keeper males. There is a weather window Friday and Saturday. Surfperch have arrived at beaches close to Brookings.”

Plenty of River Options for the Week Ahead

A couple of happy anglers with a nice South Fork Eel River steelhead caught last weekend. Photo courtesy of Blake Manning/Redwood Fishing Adventures

It’s been a solid couple of weeks since we’ve had any measurable precipitation, and most of the coastal rivers are now feeling the effects. Some good, others not so much. First the good. The Mattole, South Fork Eel, and Van Duzen are all in great shape at the moment and should be through the weekend and into next week. However, it won’t be long before they’ll need a shot of rain. The main stem Eel and the Mad River are just on the cusp of dropping into prime shape. By the end of next week, both should be emerald green. The Smith and Chetco, which are the quickest to clear, could use a few inches of rain as both are now getting low and clear. Reportedly, dry weather is predicted to persist through the end of the month. However, some ensemble forecasts are showing some potential river rises next weekend. I for one am hoping for some rain sooner rather than later.

Mad
The Mad is starting to come around, both in color and height. As of Thursday, it’s dipped below 1,000 cfs (8.15 feet) and should be in decent shape by the weekend with a couple feet of visibility. It may still be a little on the pushy side. Steelhead returning to the hatchery slowed this week, but anglers have been catching a few.

Main stem Eel
The main stem is still big, but starting to turn green as of Thursday, flowing at just above 6,000 cfs at Scotia and dropping. It should be down to a fishable height, though still big, by next week. It’s forecast to be under 5,000 cfs by late in the weekend. With no rain in sight, will be a good option for the next couple weeks.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is green, and was holding right around 1,500 cfs at Miranda Thursday. It dropped into shape over the weekend, but boat traffic wasn’t too bad. Not a wide-open bite by any means, but there were some nice fish caught.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was down to 325 cfs as of Thursday and has been fishable since last week. It should be a good option for the weekend, especially for bank anglers. Flows are predicted to be just above 280 cfs by Saturday morning.

Smith River
The Smith is getting low and clearing, sitting at just below 8 feet at the Jed Smith gauge as of Thursday. There are fish to be had, but you’ll need to be stealthy with these conditions. Most anglers have moved north to the Chetco where conditions are a little better. Predicted to be 7.6 feet on the Jed Smith gauge by Saturday morning.

Chetco/Lower Rogue
Steelhead are spread throughout the Chetco, but catch rates have been best on the lower half reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Fishing is fair, with most guide boats getting one to three fish a day, and plunkers getting fish at Social Security Bar,” said Martin. “The river is dropping fast, but still had good color. No rain is in sight. The lower Rogue has yet to take off for steelhead. Plunkers have caught a few fish, but overall fishing has been slow.”

Storms and Steelhead Headed Our Way

Chris Silkowski of Portland holds a steelhead caught last week on an M2 FlatFish while fishing with guide Rye Phillips of Brookings Fishing Charters.

Winter steelhead season isn’t in full swing yet on the North Coast, but that is about to change. A few storm systems are currently impacting the rivers, putting them all on the rise. According to the National Weather Service, three separate storms will hit the coast between Wednesday and Monday, which is just what we needed. Steady rain and pulse flows should do the trick in enticing the first big wave of winter steelhead from the salt. If the rains come as predicted, the Smith should be in great shape early next week followed closely behind by the Chetco.

The Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Mad are all on the rise as of Thursday and will be blown out from some time. Once all the rivers crest and begin to recede to fishable levels, we should see the first wave of winter steelhead. After a stellar late-fall salmon season, seeing the rivers loaded with bright steelhead would be icing on the cake.

Weather ahead
Thursday, showers are expected behind Wednesday’s main front, according to Eureka’s National Weather Service office. “Snow levels will be lower across the area, likely dropping to around 4,000 feet or even slightly lower for much of the area. Models are still not in very good agreement on how much rain will fall with these showers.

The next system starts to move into the area Friday. The models are showing a warm frontal boundary out ahead of the main cold front. Rainfall amounts for Friday look to range from over an inch in the King Range to a quarter of an inch in southern Lake County. This looks like a highly favorable pattern for low elevation snow, with levels down to 2,500 to 3,500 feet across most of the inland areas Friday morning. Breezy south winds are expected, but these look to mainly be over the higher terrain due to the fairly stable temperature profile.

Friday evening and Friday night the cold front is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the area. Rainfall amounts from Friday morning through Saturday afternoon look to be around 2 to 4 inches across much of the area. This may cause some minor flooding due to the fairly short period of time that it is expected to fall over. This flooding is expected to be exacerbated around they bays where streams will have trouble draining during high tide. Sunday there is expected to be some lingering showers around, but overall, it looks like it will be a break in the rain. Another fairly strong system is expected on Monday with additional rain, wind and snow. At this point it looks weaker than the Friday night system, but it is still 5 days out.”

Sport Dungeness crab season now open to CA/OR border
As of Dec. 9, the sport Dungeness crab season is now open from the California/Oregon border (42° 0.00’ N latitude) to the southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Reserve (41° 17.6’ N latitude). State health agencies determined that consuming the meat of Dungeness crab no longer poses a significant threat for domoic acid exposure. More information can be found here.

Commercial Dungeness crab season delay continues
The ocean commercial Dungeness crab season for Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties remains closed due to poor quality crab. Crab meat quality tests were not conducted due to continued high domoic acid concentrations at one of the northern sampling locations. The season is currently closed until 12:01a.m. Dec. 31, 2024. Another round of testing is anticipated to occur around Dec. 15 to determine whether the fishery may open on Dec. 31, or be delayed an additional 15 days until Jan. 15, 2025. For more information, visit the Marine Management News Blog.

Shelter Cove update
“We only fished a couple days this week, and the rockfish bite was a little tougher, but still good,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We spent most of our time just outside the Hat. Crabbing is still going strong, with easy limits of nice crab.”

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing, except for the Van Duzen. (The recording should be updated sometime today) This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek, and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2025. More information can be found here.

Mad
The river has been in great shape this week, but that’s going to come to an end sometime Thursday as the river was on the rise. Flows are predicted to peak at 13,400 cfs Saturday afternoon. It will likely be blown out for quite a while, especially with Ruth Lake being full. A few steelhead have been caught, and there’s been quite a few coho around. Look for that to change once the flows come back down.

Main stem Eel
Flows dipped under 3,500 cfs Wednesday and the river was in perfect shape. Unfortunately, Wednesday was probably the last fishable day for a while as lots of rain is in the forecast. Flows are predicted to reach nearly 113,000 cfs early late Saturday. It will be off color for some time if the predictions are correct. There have been a few adult steelhead caught and quite a few coho.

South Fork Eel
River conditions were about perfect as of Wednesday, but that is going to change Thursday. The river is predicted to rise beginning Thursday afternoon, with flows peaking at 32,900 cfs at Miranda Saturday evening. The river has been full of coho as well as some older kings. No big numbers of steelhead have entered the river yet, but that could change after the latest round of storms. A week of dry weather could get it back to fishable shape, but that may not be in the cards.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen has been closed the last few days due to low flows, but that is changing Thursday. The CDFW recording still said the river was closed, even though flows were well above 400 cfs in the morning. It’s predicted to peak at nearly 33,000 cfs Saturday evening. Will likely be blown out the next couple weeks.

Smith
The Smith had been low and clear, but it’s now receiving some much-needed rain. As of Thursday morning, flows were 4,000 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge and starting to peak. The next round of rain will be more substantial, and should see flows reach roughly 16,500 cfs (13.8 ft.) by Saturday afternoon. If the rain comes as predicted, it should be fishable by Sunday and all next week. We should see the first wave of steelhead by the weekend or early next week.

Eel River Chinook salmon returns
From Nov. 25 through Dec. 1. 497 Chinook salmon (female 162, male 179, unknown 56, Jack 100) were observed moving upstream through the fishway at Cape Horn Dam. The season total for upstream migrating Chinook salmon stands at 713 (female 244, male 249, unknown 78, Jack 142). The last year the Chinook count went over 500 at Van Arsdale Reservoir was during the 2014-15 season. For more information, visit https://eelriver.org/the-eel-river/#fishcount.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“A mix of late salmon and early steelhead were caught the past week on the Chetco, but fishing likely will come to a standstill beginning Saturday as heavy rain is expected to blow the river out for several days,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “More than a week of high water conditions are expected. There could be a window to fish the Elk between storms, while the Sixes is also expected to be blown out. The number of early steelhead caught by drift boaters and shore-based plungers is promising for the latter part of this month, when the river drops back into shape.”

Brookings rockfish update
According to Martin, sport crabbing has been very good out of Brookings, but catches likely will drop significantly once the commercial crab season begins Monday. “Commercial fishermen may drop pots as early as Friday. Rockfish and lingcod action has been good out of Brookings. High surf conditions and stormy weather begins Friday.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Low-Flow River Information for the North Coast – 2024/2025

Low Flow River Closures begin Sept. 1 and run through April 30, 2025.
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 September 1st, and run through April 30th 2025. . As a reminder, in 2022, a low-flow angling restriction was added to the section of the Eel River from the mouth to Fulmor Road (Eel estuary) at its paved junction with the south bank of the Eel River. When a low-flow closure occurs in this section of the Eel, it will be closed to hook-and-line fishing; other legal fishing methods are allowed during this timeframe. 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. Rivers will not automatically open to fishing once minimum flows are reached. 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, 2025.

Section of river that is open to fishing is the main stem Smith River from the mouth of Rowdy Creek to its mouth.

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 Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream is closed until Jan. 1, 2025.

The main stem Eel River: New in 2022, a low-flow angling restriction was added to the section of the Eel River from the mouth to Fulmor Road at its paved junction with the south bank of the Eel River, Sept. 1 through April 30. The stream flow will be monitored as follows: Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.

The South Fork of the Eel River: 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.

Eureka Full of Saltwater Options

Brent Hackworth of Redding, CA landed a nice Pacific halibut on a recent trip out of Eureka aboard the *Fishy Business*. Photo courtesy of Matt Dallam/Northwind Charters

It’s a good time to be a saltwater angler right now, especially if Eureka is your home port. Options on the table right now are Pacific halibut, rockfish, and tuna. And they’re all biting! It’s been a pretty sluggish season for halibut, but the bite really started to pick up steam in August. Recently, the best action has been straight out from Trinidad, which is exactly where the Eureka fleet has been heading. Most of the charters are reporting limits of halibut up to 60 to 70 pounds. The rockfish bite around Cape Mendocino has been excellent as well. Limits of a wide variety of fish are coming easily for all who make the run south. The lingcod bite has been a little up and down. But if you specifically target them, you can do really well. The tuna water is still hanging around too. It’s currently about 25-30 miles southwest of Eureka, and we know the spot is holding fish. Outside of Fort Bragg and Shelter Cove, this is one of the better options on the coast. And it looks like we’ll have some decent weather through the weekend, and even better the beginning of next week. If you haven’t got your saltwater fix as of yet, you’ll want to keep an eye on Eureka.

Weekend marine forecast
Steep wind waves in the outer water are forecast to subside Wednesday, with light northerly winds around 5 to 10 kts expected for the remainder of the week. Out 10 to 60 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 10 to 15 knots and waves out of the north 4 feet at five seconds and west 5 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday is calling for north winds 10 to 15 knots and waves north 5 feet at seven seconds and northwest 4 feet at 11 seconds. Sunday, winds will be out of the north 5 to 10 knots and waves north 5 feet at nine seconds and south 2 feet at 13 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

The Oceans:
Eureka
“We have some pretty good options out of Eureka this week,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The Pacific halibut bite has been really good straight out of Trinidad for a while now. There’s been some nice ones caught, with the average being between 20 and 60 pounds. The rockfish action at the Cape is still going strong. Limits are coming pretty easily, and there’s a nice variety to catch right now including blacks, blues, coppers, and vermilions. The lingcod bite has been a little more inconsistent, but they are there. Boats that target them are doing well. The tuna water is still hanging around. It’s about 25 to 30 miles southwest now, but it’s moving up and in. We fished that general area Saturday and did well in 58-degree water. Some bigger fish have showed up, with about a 15-pound average and a few over 20 pounds.

Shelter Cove
The tuna bite was pretty good this past week reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Most of the effort was from 15 to 25 miles out from the 00 down to the 30 line. Boats were averaging about 20 to 25 tuna per trip. The weather looks like it will remain fishable for the next few days before it could come up for the weekend. Rock fishing was pretty solid this week for the few that that chose that option.”

Crescent City
“We finally saw an uptick in Pacific halibut this week,” said Dan Moore of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “We’ve seen five or six come in this week, with most coming off the reef in 200 feet of water. The California halibut bite is still going strong along South Beach. Cold water did push in, but there’s still warm water at the beach. Some Threshers are being caught there as well. The rockfish action is still good, anglers fishing the Sisters and North Reef are getting easy limits. The perch bite has been good all year at Kellogg Beach. Anglers are also catching quite a few at South Beach. The tuna water has moved way offshore, about 70 or so miles this week.”

Brookings
“Tuna moved further offshore this past week, with boats having to run 60 miles one-way to get into albacore,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Scores were still good, with most boats getting a couple dozen or more. Halibut fishing is hit-and-miss. A few fish are being caught a day, but less than a halibut per rod. Ocean salmon is now closed out of Brookings. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good.”

North Coast river closures
All North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith, and Van Duzen were closed to fishing. 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 any time. 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, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2025.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Water conditions on the lower Klamath took a turn for the worse this week when the dirty water arrived from the dam removal process going on upriver. There are fish in the river, but the bite has been really off. Water conditions should start to improve soon, but it remains to be seen if the fish will want to bite or just move quickly upriver.

The daily bag limit is two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout per day on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers, with a possession limit of four. Anglers must have a Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card in their possession while fishing for steelhead trout in anadromous waters. More information, can be found here.

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay has started to slow. “The early rains are already drawing salmon upriver. Hatchery coho also are arriving early. Summer steelhead fishing is good near Agness.”

Eureka resident Tim Call with a lower Rogue River salmon caught Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Alan Borges/Alan’s Guide Service

Lower Klamath Full of Steelhead

Bob Hurst with a nice adult steelhead landed on the Lower Klamath Tuesday. The Klamath is currently loaded with steelhead and fishing has been excellent. Photo courtesy of Michael LeGrand

Steelhead have been pouring into the Klamath for the last couple weeks, and the fishing is excellent right now. Even with the water being a little on the dirty side from the rain, it hasn’t slowed down the bite. Cooler water temps have also helped. There’s a good mix of half-pounders and adults from the Glen all the way up past Blue Creek. Up until now, the angling pressure has been extremely light, though that probably won’t be the case over the holiday weekend.

Fishing conditions could be in for a change as early as the weekend, however. With the breaching of the final two dams, there is some dirty water coming down. How that will affect conditions remains to be seen. When the water will arrive is tough to predict as well. In the past, water releases out of Iron Gate typically took about two and a half days to arrive on the lower river, so that’s a pretty good indicator.

Weekend marine forecast
Conditions will begin to improve late Wednesday as north winds will decrease and some mild offshore and southerly winds develop later in the week and the steep seas diminish. Out 10 to 60 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for south winds up to 5 knots and waves out of the northwest 5 feet at eight seconds. Saturday is calling for south winds up to 5 knots and waves northwest 5 feet at 12 seconds. Sunday, winds will be out of the south up to 5 knots and waves northwest 4 feet at 10 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Pikeminnow Fishing Derby ends Saturday
There are just a few days remaining to bring home some cash as the Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing Derby ends after Saturday, Aug. 31. As of a couple days ago, over 265 fish have been caught, including 100 over 12 inches and the biggest fish (so far) measuring 29 inches. Visit https://tribresearch.org/pikeminnow/ to learn more, sign up for the derby, and submit your catch to the contest before it ends.

Low Flow River Closures begin Sept. 1
North Coast rivers that are regulated by low flow closures, including the Eel, Mad, Mattole, Redwood Creek, Smith and Van Duzen begin angling restrictions on Sept. 1 and will run through April 30 2025. As a reminder, in 2022, a low-flow angling restriction was added to the section of the Eel River from the mouth to Fulmor Road (Eel estuary) at its paved junction with the south bank of the Eel River. When a low-flow closure occurs in this section of the Eel, it will be closed to hook-and-line fishing; other legal fishing methods are allowed during this timeframe.

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 any time. 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, 2025.

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 Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream is closed until Jan. 1, 2024.

The main stem Eel River: New in 2022, a low-flow angling restriction was added to the section of the Eel River from the mouth to Fulmor Road at its paved junction with the south bank of the Eel River, Sept. 1 through April 30. The stream flow will be monitored as follows: Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.

The South Fork of the Eel River: 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.

Saturday is statewide Free Fishing Day
The last chance of the year to fish for free arrives over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Free Fishing Day is offered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Saturday, Aug. 31. While no fishing license is required on free fishing days, all fishing regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. Every angler must have an appropriate report card if they are fishing for steelhead or sturgeon anywhere in the state or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

Tuna Update
Another week of solid tuna fishing on the coast. A few other ports joined the party as Fort Bragg and Shelter Cove finally got their shot and have been hammering the albacore. Fish were also caught as far south as Santa Cruz, and the Bay Area boats got in on the bite as well. Crescent City was probably the hot port, with fish reportedly being caught ten miles out Monday. And then the wind came, bringing with it a marine hazard risk warning for Wednesday and into the evening with 15-foot waves predicted. Wind and seas will start to come down Thursday, and Friday through the weekend look like conditions will be prime for more tuna. But will they want more? How many times can you go back for more at the all you can eat buffet? They answers are yes and numerous.

As mentioned above, the warm water finally moved within reach of the Fort Bragg and Shelter Cove ports last weekend. The water is now within ten miles of Fort Bragg and will be the go-to port this weekend, so expect a crowd it you go. Closer to home, the wind blew the water a little further off of Crescent City than expected. As of Thursday, the edge is now close to 40 miles out. The same conditions exist in Eureka, though the water is a little closer. Expect boats from both ports to take a look as the offshore ocean forecast is looking excellent for the weekend.

The oceans:
Eureka
“The tuna water is still hanging around,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “It looks like it’s roughly 30 miles, we’re going to go take a look on Saturday. The Pacific halibut bite has been decent, with the best fishing coming off of Trinidad in 250 feet of water. The good news is the black cod have gone away for now. Rockfish at the Cape is still really good, with limits coming pretty easily. The lingcod bite is good too, and if you target them, you’ll be able to get what you need.”

Shelter Cove
“With the warm water moving closer, we were finally able to run for tuna over the weekend,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Scores were pretty decent, but the fish seemed to be spread out over a very large area. It was a mixed grade of peanuts with a few fish up to 25-pounds. The rock fishing has been pretty solid the last few days with limits of lingcod as well.”

Crescent City
According to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, the only change this week is the tuna water has moved offshore quite aways. He said, “After being within 10 miles earlier in the week, the wind pushed it back offshore close to 40 miles. When the boats can get out, the rockfish and lingcod bite remain excellent, no change there. The California halibut bite has slowed down as well as the effort. There have been a couple Thresher sharks caught off of South Beach in the last week. The perch bite is still going strong off of Kellogg Beach.”

Brookings
“Albacore tuna were within 15 miles of Brookings this past weekend, with most private boats getting decent numbers of fish,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Jumpers were reported as close as 8 miles. The next tuna window appears to be Friday. A gale warning kept most boats at the dock Tuesday and Wednesday. Pacific halibut action has been fair. Calm weather this weekend could boost catch rates. Ocean salmon closes this week. Action has been slow, with mainly coho, which must be released, showing up in the catch. Lingcod and rockfish is very good on calm weather days.

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue has been fair to good for salmon, although lots of fish shot upriver with the weekend rains. “Hatchery coho are now being caught, along with kings to 30 pounds. Summer steelhead are being caught near Agness.”