Current Fishing Reports

It’s been an epic 10-day run on the North Coast for albacore anglers. Since last Tuesday, boats leaving ports from Eureka to Brookings have loaded up on longfins. It’s fairly rare to string to together that many calm ocean days with the warm water sitting just off the beach. Some days you didn’t need to travel more than 15 miles before you were on the fish.

For the Eureka fleet, most days were spent north off of Trinidad where there didn’t seem to be a shortage of tuna. But that warm water started to move north and break up slightly. Monday and Tuesday were both slow, with most boats getting less than double-digits.

For Crescent City boats that made the run south to the same patch of warm water, they scored about the same. Boats that decided to make a longer run straight west some 50 miles were rewarded with totes full of tuna. Tuna fishing out of Brookings has been equally as good since mid-last week. Boats have been averaging around 20 fish, with one boat putting in 50 albies on Monday.

Looking ahead, the south wind will make it’s return on Friday, which will likely keep most boats tied up. Conditions improve dramatically on Sunday and Monday, which should provide another couple potential tuna days before conditions begin to worsen mid-week. Sometimes a good shuffling of the deck is just what’s needed.

Weekend marine forecast
After Thursday’s excellent offshore conditions, a brisk south wind will return Friday, which will probably sideline the tuna fleet for a couple days. Out 10 nautical miles, winds will be out of the south 15 to 20 knots. Seas will be from the northwest 5 feet at nine seconds and northwest 3 feet at 19 seconds. Saturday is calling for south winds up to 5 knots and waves northwest 4 feet at nine seconds and northwest 3 feet at 16 seconds. Sunday’s forecast looks much better for the tuna fleet, with winds out of the north 5 to 10 knots and waves northwest 2 feet at eight seconds and northwest 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.

August 31 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

Pacific halibut quota update
As of August 11, California’s share of Area 2A’s quota, which includes Washington and Oregon, is at 33 percent, with just 12,759 net pounds harvested against the 38,220 net pound quota. (500 pounds are set aside for the area south of Point Arena). The Pacific halibut fishery will run through Nov. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. To view the latest catch projection information, visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/pacific-halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking.

The oceans:
Eureka
“After some really good fishing last week and over the weekend, the tuna bite slowed out of Eureka this week,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “Monday and Tuesday were slow days, with boats picking up a fish here and there. No big numbers were reported. It looks like the water that was sitting off Trinidad slid to the north and broke up a bit. Straight out of Eureka 30 to 35 miles there’s good conditions, but most boats have been going north. For now, that water is staying put, but we’ll have to see what happens once the storm blows through. The Pacific halibut bite has been decent. We’ve had some good days fishing in shallower water. We’ve also traveled up off Trinidad and did well. There seems to be a better grade of fish up there. The rockfish are still biting at the Cape, though it’s not red-hot. Some darker water moved in, which made it a little tougher. Limits of rockfish are still being had along with about one lingcod per rod.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, the Cove saw a pretty good week of rock fishing. “But the lingcod bite was on the slower side,” said Mitchell. “Most of our efforts were down off the Ranch House. The Pacific halibut bite was pretty slow as well this week. We went and scouted some warm water that had moved in fairly close over the weekend, but our scores were pretty minimal. Hopefully the water will hang in there and the fish will fill in.”

Crescent City
According to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, the tuna fishing has been good this week. He said, “Boats that went straight out 50 miles did really well, with some boats getting over 50. Boats that traveled south towards Trinidad found fewer fish, but still did ok. The Pacific halibut bite is still really slow, with just a fish being caught here and there. Most of the fish being caught are coming while anglers are targeting rockfish. The California halibut bite has slowed this week, but I think that has more to do with most of the effort shifting to tuna. The rockfish and lingcod bite continues to be excellent. We weighed in a 37.5 ling this week, which the new leader in our contest.”

Brookings
“Albacore tuna moved within 30 miles of Brookings this week, with good fishing for most boats that ventured slightly north,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “The action to the south of the harbor was hit and miss. Most boats had no problem filling their kill bags and coolers with tuna. Pacific halibut fishing also is good out of Brookings, with a few fish topping 80 pounds. The best fishing has been in 200 to 250 feet of water. Lingcod and rockfish action also is very good. Trolling for salmon has been slow.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The river is slightly off color this week with a couple feet or so of visibility, but it didn’t seem to slow the steelhead bite down. Fishing was good over the weekend and this week, with lots of half-pounders and adults in the lower river. Some salmon are starting to show as well. The rain coming this weekend has the potential to bring more sediment from upriver and could potentially blow it out for a few days. Flows are prediction to go from 2,500 cfs to 3,200 cfs on the lower Klamath gauge. 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/Chetco
According to Martin, last weekend’s rain drew a few early jacks to Tide Rock and Social Security bar on the Chetco. “Trolling is still slow in the estuary. The Rogue Bay is crowded, but there are plenty of kings being caught. Best fishing has been at the end of the incoming tide.

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.

Excellent ocean conditions are forecast to stick around through at least Monday

To all the Pacific halibut and rockfish swimming off the North Coast, you can rest easy for a while. The weather window has busted open and tuna fanatics are all over it, as to be expected. The ocean is and will be flat for quite a few days, the warm water is close and getting closer, and there’s a huge swath of fish. Boats fishing out of ports from Eureka to Brookings are reporting some really good scores since Tuesday, ranging from 20 to 50 fish. Or in other words, you can catch as many as you can handle. Most of the Humboldt boats are finding the fish northwest of Eureka towards Trinidad. Fish are as close 11 miles straight off of Trinidad, and within 20 miles from the entrance of Humboldt Bay. The warm water appears to be pushing slightly in and north towards Crescent City. With excellent weather in the forecast going into next week, everyone who wants in on the tuna should have plenty of opportunity.

Weekend marine forecast
Nearshore conditions, out 10 nautical miles, look excellent for the weekend. But since most anglers will be further offshore, we’ll post conditions out 10 to 60 nautical miles. Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots and north waves 3 feet at four seconds and northwest 3 feet at nine seconds. Saturday is calling for similar winds and waves. Sunday winds will be out of the southwest 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 3 feet at eight 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.

Klamath River water release
The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) began releasing water from Upper Klamath Lake via Keno dam Tuesday morning for the Yurok Tribe’s Boat Dance ceremony. No less than 7,000 acre-feet will be released until the flows begin to ramp down on Monday, Aug. 19. As always, the public is urged to exercise caution when recreating in or around the Klamath River.

The Oceans:
Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, there’s a large area of warm water off of Eureka that connects all the way north of Trinidad. “There’s a lot of fish out there,” said Klassen. “Most of the boats are fishing 20 to 25 miles northwest of Eureka off of Trinidad. There’s lots of life out there right now, lots of birds and jumpers. The fish are averaging a little bigger than peanuts, I’d say 12 to 14 pounds. On Wednesday, we were able to catch a few on live bait and iron, which is always fun. Wherever you saw birds, there were tuna around. It looks like the good ocean conditions and warm water will stick around at least into next week.”

Trinidad
With the warm tuna water well within reach, Tony Sepulveda of Green Water Fishing Adventures put away the halibut and rockfish gear to join the tuna party. “It was a funny bite Wednesday,” said Sepulveda. “It felt like a big volume of fish that wasn’t overly aggressive. We had mostly singles and doubles picking at the long lines and showing favor to the smaller lures. But we were busy all day. It was you spot em’, you got em’ kind of fishing. Find a jumper, turn on it, a rod or two was going to fold. We pointed the Shellback to the east around 1:00 pm with 49 albacore.”

Shelter Cove
Jake Mitchell, of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing reports the weather wasn’t great this week, so we stayed close to home. He said, “It was hit and miss overall. Some days it was easy limits of rockfish and lings and other days it was a real struggle. It looks like we could finally have a weather window to get offshore by the end of the weekend, but the tuna water is still about 60 miles out.

Crescent City
According to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, most of the effort has shifted towards tuna this week. “Boats that went straight west 40 to 50 miles the last couple days did well,” said Carson. “Scores were in the 20 to 25 range for most. It looks like the water and weather will cooperate for quite a while. The Pacific halibut bite is still really slow. There are a few anglers who are sticking with it, but not having much luck. California halibut has been excellent this week, the guys trolling South Beach are catching quite a few on anchovies. The rockfish bite is still good, with the Sisters and North Reef being a couple of the top spots. Quite a few lings are being caught as well. The nice ocean conditions should help anglers find the redtail perch at Kellogg Beach.”

Brookings
Boats fishing out of Brookings scores big numbers of tuna 30 miles straight out from the harbor reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Fishing was pretty much wide open for the 15 or so boats that left port just before daylight,” said Martin. “More boats are planning trips throughout the week with a nice forecast. Closer to shore, lingcod and rockfish action has been good, while halibut are biting in 200 feet of water. A 58-inch halibut was brought in Monday. Salmon fishing is slow.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Steelhead fishing has slowed on the lower Klamath the last few days as the water has taken on some color due to upriver dam removal. Conditions will likely get worse as water from Upper Klamath Lake is expected to arrive this weekend for the Boat Dance. Fishing pressure continues to be light. 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 is fishing well for fall salmon, but is crowded. “Most guides are getting better than a fish per rod. Fishing has been good for a week straight.” 

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.

Around this time the past couple years, our Pacific halibut seasons were coming to a close as good fishing made quick work of the quotas. The same cannot be said of this year. Though we’ve had some pretty good flurries, the bite remains fairly inconsistent. Boats have been covering a lot of ground, searching from Trinidad south to the Eel River Canyon in looking for schools, but have to yet to locate any spots that will offer consistent fishing for multiple days. As of Thursday, our projected catch rate still stood at 8,024 net pounds harvested against the 38,220 quota. But we know we’ve caught quite a few since the catch estimate was last updated on July 14. There is one silver lining to the slow fishing – halibut, rockfish, and Dungeness crab combo trips are a real possibility come November.

Weekend marine forecast
Much like last weekend, the nearshore conditions look excellent but offshore looks a little iffy for the tuna chasers. For coastal waters out 10 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 4 feet at six seconds and west 2 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots and waves out of the northwest 3 feet at six seconds. Sunday looks similar, with winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 knots and waves northwest 4 feet at seven 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.

California halibut update
The CA halibut bite picked up this past week according to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors. He said, “There seems to be more bait in the bay now. From what I’m hearing, fishing has been best in the second channel. Guys tossing 4 to 5 inch swimbaits with 1 to 2 ounce Underspin jig heads are doing well. The California halibut bag and total possession limit is two in California waters north of Point Sur, Monterey County. The minimum size limit is 22 inches total length.

The Oceans:
Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, the Pacific halibut bite has been really inconsistent as of late. “We’ve been fishing all over the place, and each day has been different,” said Klassen. “One day we’ll get limits, the next day is a struggle to get a couple. We’ve been covering a lot of ground as well, all the way from Trinidad south to the Eel River Canyon. It’s possible we just haven’t found where the fish have landed. The one consistent has been the black cod. They’ve eaten a year’s supply worth of bait in just a few months. The rockfish bite at the Cape hasn’t been spectacular all year, but that changed when we were there on Monday. It was the best fishing I’ve seen down there in a while. We got a pretty good picture Tuesday of the tuna water. It’s still sitting straight off of Trinidad, hopefully we’ll get a break in the weather next week so we can run up there.

Shelter Cove
Spending most of this week fishing close to home due to weather, Jake Mitchell, of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing reports a slow rockfish bite. “We managed limits every day, but we had to work really hard to get them,” said Mitchell. The lingcod bite was pretty slow as well with the exception of Monday when we got our limits fairly quickly. It doesn’t look like we’ll have the weather for tuna anytime soon.”

Crescent City
According to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, the California halibut bite continues to be excellent, with plenty of limits being caught along South Beach. Anglers trolling Rogue River setups with anchovies or swimbaits are finding success. The rockfish and lingcod bite are still going strong, with both reefs and the lighthouse giving up plenty of nice limits. The Pacific halibut remains really slow.”

Brookings
“The coho salmon season closed Sunday, while king salmon remains open through the end of the month,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “A few kings are being caught, with wild and even hatchery coho outnumbering them in catches around 10-to-1. Pacific halibut fishing is good offshore, while California halibut are biting along the beaches at the mouth of the Chetco. Fishing is good for lingcod and rockfish. Tuna were 30 miles offshore, but windy conditions limited effort to just two days late last week.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Steelhead fishing has improved on the lower Klamath, but it’s still not red hot. Fishing pressure has been light, and the few boats out are catching a handful of adults each day. Some more half-pounders are finally starting to show up. Fishing should only get better as we head into the first few weeks of August. 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, salmon fishing picked up in the Rogue Bay, with Tuesday producing perhaps the best fishing of the year. “Most of the action has been in the deeper trench between the sand spit and north jetty. Some kings also are being caught in the ocean just offshore of the 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 www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

In what has been a rarity on the North Coast this summer, we’re looking at a weeklong stretch of calm ocean conditions that will continue at least through the weekend. The ocean began to lie down late Sunday, and by Monday boats were well offshore targeting tuna. This time, the Eureka boats didn’t do quite as well as the last go around. Scores were in the zero to 15-fish range, with the top boat landing 22. The Crescent City fleet had further to go, but put more fish in the box. Boats that ran straight west 48 to 50 miles did well. The top boat put in 35 albacore. Conditions on the tuna grounds, out to 60 nautical miles, look a little dicey the rest of the week, but they can change. Pacific Halibut and rockfish will likely get the majority of the effort this week. Whatever your fish of choice may be, you’ll want to take advantage of these conditions as they’ve been few and far between this season.

Weekend Marine Forecast
Within 10 nautical miles, ocean conditions look excellent through the weekend. As of Wednesday afternoon, Friday’s conditions are calling for winds 5 to 10 knots out of the northwest and northwest waves 3 feet at eight seconds. Saturday is calling for winds 5 to 10 knots from the north and waves from the north 3 feet at five seconds and northwest 2 feet at nine seconds. Sunday, winds will be from the northwest 5 to 10 knots with waves northwest 4 feet at eight 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.

Cal Poly Humboldt Green sturgeon studies
Graduate student Olivia Boeberitz is documenting the presence and activity of green sturgeon in Humboldt County. If you see sturgeon (live or dead) in the local area, please submit your observations to iNaturalist project or send them by email to greensturgeon@humboldt.edu. They are looking for date, time, detailed location, and activity observed.

Eel River Pikeminnow fishing derby ongoing
The Eel River Pikeminnow fishing derby is in full swing to try and suppress the spread of the invasive predator. A cash prize of up to $400 is being offered  to anglers who catch the most or biggest fish, during a derby that started July 20 and continues through the end of August.

To enter into the contest you must provide a valid (google) email address and upload a photo of your fish here. Prize categories are as follows:

1. Most pikeminnow (greater than 6 inches) removed over the duration of the contest. (1st-$150/2nd-$100/3rd-$50)
2. Most pikeminnow (greater than 12 inches) removed over the duration of the contest. MUST include tape measure in photo. (1st-$400/2nd-$200/3rd-$100)
3. Biggest fish (length). MUST include tape measure in photo. (1st-$350/2nd-$150/3rd-$100)
4. Drawing for anyone that entered a pikeminnow in the contest. (8 winners at $50/each)

Contest rules are as follows:

• Submit entries using one email address. All entries at the end of the contest for the “most pikeminnow…” will be tallied by participant name.
• Individual contestants can win no more than one prize category
• Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification
• Contestants must follow all CDFW fishing regulations, including no bait, barbless artificial lures only. Single barbless hooks are recommended for all manners of effort including, fly, and artificial lures.
• This derby includes all waters open to angling on the South Fork Eel River downstream of Humboldt County line to the confluence with the mainstem and the mainstem Eel from the confluence with the South Fork Eel to the mouth of the Van Duzen.

The derby is being put on by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, CalTrout, TRIB Research, Wiyot Tribe, Bureau of Land Management, and Stillwater Sciences. The fishing derby will run from July 20 through Aug. 31. For additional information, visit https://tribresearch.org/pikeminnow/

The Oceans:
Eureka
With a stretch of nice weather that began Monday, tuna, halibut, and rockfish have all been on the table the last few days. According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, the tuna bite wasn’t great for the boats that ran southwest Monday and Tuesday. “It wasn’t wide-open like it was the previous week,” said Klassen.  “A lot of boats had 5 to 10 fish and the top scores were in the 20’s. The Pacific halibut bite has been good, with quite a few limits being caught. A lot of the action has shifted south off the canyon. The rockfish bite at False Cape has been a little tougher, likely due to the dirty water. A little further south was much better and we boated quick limits Tuesday. The lingcod bite has been good down there as well, it’s really improved the last couple years.”

Shelter Cove
Rock fishing was really good this past week according to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “The lingcod bite was a little tougher, but still pretty good,” said Mitchell. “We fished around Bear Harbor a couple days and up around Rodgers Break a couple days. The Pacific halibut bite improved a little this week as well, with scattered effort from the canyon up to Punta Gorda. There hasn’t been any effort on the tuna this week. Tuesday was probably doable, but it was windy in the morning.”

Crescent City
According to Ben Ferguson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, Albacore were caught Monday straight out roughly 48 miles. He said, “The boats that made the run caught anywhere from 20 to 30 tuna. The Pacific halibut bite continues to be slow, but the California halibut bite has been good. Guys fishing off the rock wall and boats trolling South Beach with anchovies are doing well. We’ve the good ocean conditions we’ve had this week, the rockfish and lingcod action has been excellent.”

Brookings
“Salmon fishing has been decent out of Brookings, with kings and hatchery coho showing up in the catch, along with big numbers of wild coho,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Non-stop action once anglers find the fish 4 to 5 miles offshore. Pacific halibut fishing also is good during calm weather days. A few boats had good tuna action out of Brookings 45 miles out. Lingcod and rockfish action is very good.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
As of the weekend there weren’t any big concentrations of steelhead, but reportedly there are some adults around. Fishing should only get better as we head into the first few weeks of August. 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 improved over the weekend, with fair action, but bigger crowds. “Warm water and lots of moss are slowing action at low tide. High tide has been a better bet. Be extremely careful near the tips of the jetties, as two boats capsized last week, with one fatality. One boat was hit by a wave at the south jetty. The other was a drift boat that crossed the bar and then capsized offshore of the beach.”

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

The one upside of a summer full of windy, non-fishable weather – a Pacific halibut quota that still has plenty of poundage left to fill. The catch-rates have been so few that CDFW finally last week posted the first catch estimate since the season started back on May 1. As of July 14, California’s share of Area 2A’s quota, which includes Washington and Oregon, is at 21 percent, with only 8,024 net pounds harvested against the 38,220 quota. (500 pounds are set aside for the area south of Point Arena). There’s a real good chance the quota will last through the summer and into fall, especially if the warm tuna water hangs around.

The Pacific halibut season will be open until Nov. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. To monitor the in-season tracking, visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/pacific-halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking. The daily bag and possession limit for Pacific halibut is one fish. There is no minimum size limit.

When angling, no more than one line with two hooks attached may be used. A harpoon, gaff, or net may be used to assist in taking a Pacific halibut that has been legally caught by angling.

Marine Forecast
Out 10 nautical miles, ocean conditions look to improve through the weekend. As of Thursday, Friday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 10 to 15 knots and waves northwest 7 feet at eight seconds. Saturday, the winds will be from the northwest 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 6 feet at eight seconds. Sunday, winds will be out of the north 5 to 10 knots with waves out of the northwest 5 feet at eight 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.

Eel River Pikeminnow fishing derby prizes announced
The prize structure for the Eel River Pikeminnow derby has been finalized, with $2,000 up for grabs.

To enter into the contest you must provide a valid (google) email address and upload a photo of your fish here. Prize categories are as follows:

1. Most pikeminnow (greater than 6 inches) removed over the duration of the contest. (1st-$150/2nd-$100/3rd-$50)
2. Most pikeminnow (greater than 12 inches) removed over the duration of the contest. MUST include tape measure in photo. (1st-$400/2nd-$200/3rd-$100)
3. Biggest fish (length). MUST include tape measure in photo. (1st-$350/2nd-$150/3rd-$100)
4. Drawing for anyone that entered a pikeminnow in the contest. (8 winners at $50/each)

Contest rules are as follows:

• Submit entries using one email address. All entries at the end of the contest for the “most pikeminnow…” will be tallied by participant name.
• Individual contestants can win no more than one prize category
• Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification
• Contestants must follow all CDFW fishing regulations, including no bait, barbless artificial lures only. Single barbless hooks are recommended for all manners of effort including, fly, and artificial lures.
• This derby includes all waters open to angling on the South Fork Eel River downstream of Humboldt County line to the confluence with the mainstem and the mainstem Eel from the confluence with the South Fork Eel to the mouth of the Van Duzen.

The derby is being put on by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, CalTrout, TRIB Research, Wiyot Tribe, Bureau of Land Management, and Stillwater Sciences. The fishing derby will run from July 20 through Aug. 31.

For additional information, visit https://tribresearch.org/pikeminnow/

Sport Crab season coming to a close
The 2024 sport Dungeness crab season in Humboldt, Mendocino and Del Norte counties will close July 30. The season is expected to reopen Nov. 2.

The Oceans:
Eureka
It was a quiet week for the Eureka fleet, with boats tied up since the weekend, reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “We have some good weather coming up starting Sunday, said Klassen.” “Calm ocean conditions are looking like they’ll stick around all next week. Right now, Tuesday and Wednesday are looking like tuna days with Monday a possibility as well. There’s warm water still sitting off the Cape, roughly 35-40 miles from the entrance. There’s also good water sitting off of Trinidad, roughly 20 miles northwest of Eureka. We’ll have to wait and see how it looks once the wind stops.”

Shelter Cove
“The rock fishing was pretty decent here locally this week as we didn’t have the weather to go very far,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We spent most of our time right around the whistle. The lingcod fishing was pretty slow, but we we’re still getting limits of crab every day. The tuna water looks to be staying put of the Cape for now and the water is pushing down between us and Fort Bragg. It’s still about a 35 to 40 run for us to the water off of Gorda/Cape.”

Crescent City
The California halibut bite is still going strong reports Dan Moore of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “Boats trolling South Beach are doing well along with anglers fishing off the rock wall across from the launch,” said Moore. “The Pacific halibut bite picked up last week when we had the nice weather. I heard of roughly 8 to 10 fish caught. The rockfish bite is still excellent, with limits coming pretty easily, especially in the morning. The lingcod bite is good overall, but it tends to be more up and down. The Sisters and North Reef have been very productive. The redtail perch bite is still really good off of Kellogg Beach.”

Brookings
More king salmon showed up in the catch out of Brookings, while halibut fishing also improved reports Andy Martin, of Brookings Fishing Charters. “On good weather days, anglers are finding lots of coho and a few kings, while halibut action is solid three to five miles from the harbor,” said Martin. “No boats left out of Brookings for tuna, but boats fishing north, out of Charleston and Winchester Bay, reported big numbers of albacore 30 to 50 miles out. Wide-open fishing with holds full of fish. There appears to be a weather window out of Brookings Sunday and Monday, with a bubble 30 miles out and large swatch of 60-degree water 50 miles from the harbor.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay has improved, with guides reporting good catches. “Crowds are medium, but likely will grow the first of August.”

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.

With the Oregon salmon season starting to heat up and California anglers making plans to get in on the action, here’s a reminder for CA anglers who plan to fish and harvest salmon in Oregon and bring them home to CA. Back in May, CDFW issued a press release reminding California anglers of important rules relating to transport of ocean and river salmon taken from Oregon.

The press release states:

“In ocean waters, any salmon taken in Oregon fisheries may not be brought to shore in California. However, it is legal for Californians to trailer their vessels to launch and fish from Oregon ports under applicable Oregon fishing licenses, regulations and reporting requirements. Salmon harvested in Oregon may be brought into California over land if also accompanied by a California Declaration for Entry Form. The declaration must be completed at or prior to the time of entry. After the time of entry, a copy of the completed declaration shall be submitted to CDFW within 24 hours.

On May 16, 2024, the National Marine Fisheries Service on advice from the Pacific Fishery Management Council and West Coast fisheries agencies, including CDFW, took in-season action to implement a landing boundary at the Oregon/California state line for recreational ocean salmon fisheries in Oregon waters just north of California. The new requirement states that any salmon taken under Oregon sportfishing regulations in the area between Humbug Mountain and the Oregon/California state line, also known as the Oregon Klamath Management Zone, must be landed north of the Oregon/California state line for the 2024 fishing season.”

More information about ocean salmon season closures and regulations can be found on CDFW’s ocean salmon web page at wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon.

Marine Forecast
Northerly winds will persist through the weekend, but offshore waters should remain fishable. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 3 feet at five seconds and west 3 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 5 to 10 knots and waves north 4 feet at five seconds and west 3 feet at nine seconds. Winds will increase slightly Sunday, blowing 10 to 15 knots from the north with waves north 5 feet at six seconds and west 2 feet at 12 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.

Klamath/Trinity Chinook salmon regulations
The California Fish and Game Commission acted unanimously to enact a full closure of California’s recreational salmon fishing season in the Klamath River Basin rivers through its annual process for adjusting seasons and bag limits, planned effective August 15, 2024. Below are the 2024-2025 sport salmon regulations as listed in the California Supplemental Sport Fishing Regulation booklet dated July 1, 2024.

• Klamath River from Interstate 5 bridge to the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec: Aug. 15 through Dec. 31, 2024. Closed to the take and possession of Chinook Salmon.
• Klamath River downstream of the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec: Jul. 1 through Dec. 31. Closed to the take and possession of Chinook Salmon.
  
• Trinity River main stem downstream of the Old Lewiston Bridge to the Highway 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat: Jul. 1 through Dec. 31. Closed to the take and possession of Chinook Salmon.
• Trinity River main stem downstream of the Highway 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat to the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar: Jul. 1 through Aug. 31. Closed to the take and possession of Chinook Salmon; Sep. 1 through Dec. 31. Closed to all fishing.
• Trinity River main stem downstream of the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar to the mouth of the South Fork Trinity River: Jul. 1 through Dec. 31. Closed to the take and possession of Chinook Salmon.
• Trinity River main stem downstream of the mouth of the South Fork Trinity River to the confluence with the Klamath River: Sep. 1 through Dec. 31. Closed to the take and possession of Chinook Salmon.

In waters where the bag limit is zero, fish for which the bag limit is zero must be released unharmed, and should not be removed from the water.

Eel River Pikeminnow fishing derby starts Saturday
To help aid in the pikeminnow suppression efforts, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, CalTrout, TRIB Research, Wiyot Tribe, Bureau of Land Management, and Stillwater Sciences are hosting an Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing derby that will run from July 20 through Aug. 31. This derby gives awards to anglers who want to enjoy sport fishing for Eel River pikeminnow while simultaneously helping our native fish populations

Sacramento pikeminnow are a native fish to California but were introduced to the Eel River watershed in the 1970s and can have a significant impact on native fish populations. Therefore, suppression of Sacramento pikeminnow in the Eel River is a tool managers can use to aid in the conservation of our native fish.

To enter into the contest, you must provide a valid (google) email address and upload a photo of your fish. Contest rules are as follows:

• Submit entries using one email address. All entries at the end of the contest for the “most pikeminnow…” will be tallied by participant name.
• Individual contestants can win no more than one prize category
• Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification
• Contestants must follow all CDFW fishing regulations, including no bait, barbless artificial lures only. Single barbless hooks are recommended for all manners of effort including, fly, and artificial lures.
• This derby includes all waters open to angling on the South Fork Eel River downstream of Humboldt County line to the confluence with the mainstem and the mainstem Eel from the confluence with the South Fork Eel to the mouth of the Van Duzen.

Prize categories:

1. Most pikeminnow (greater than 6 inches) removed over the duration of the contest.
2. Most pikeminnow (greater than 12 inches) removed over the duration of the contest. MUST include tape measure in photo.
3. Biggest fish (length). MUST include tape measure in photo.
4. Drawing for anyone that entered a pikeminnow in the contest.

(prize structure still being finalized)

Eel river regulations currently state there is no bag limit on pikeminnow. Retention of salmonids is strictly prohibited. Strict compliance with Fish and Game Code Section 1.87: WASTE OF FISH; it is unlawful to cause or permit any deterioration or waste of any fish taken in the waters of this state.

Suggestions for fish use: consumption, gardening fertilizer, crab bait, or research. Fish to be donated for research purposes can be dropped off in the cooler at Dimmick Road, Highway 271, Piercy, CA or at the Wiyot Tribal Office during business hours.

Prohibited actions: Throwing fish on the bank or into the river, any blatant waste of fish. Any violation of Fish and Game Code Section 1.87 will be subject to law enforcement prosecution.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The last few days saw plenty of options out of Eureka reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. He said, “Boats fishing 25 to 30 southwest of Eureka found a wide-open albacore bite Wednesday. Conditions were just about perfect, and the boats took advantage. Scores were really good, with one of the boats landing 40. It sounded like you could catch all you want. The Pacific halibut bit good as well with some limits reported. Boats were fishing off the stacks as well as the Eel River Canyon area. Both locations gave up good numbers. There’s been some nice fish caught lately, with quite a few over 50-pounds and some 70-pounders in the mix. We were down at the Cape chasing rockfish and the bite was a little slower than we’ve seen. The fish we caught were absolutely plugged with some type shrimp, so I think that slowed the bite. We did get a few nice lings.”

Shelter Cove
“The weather gave us a few-day window and we took full advantage,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing.  “We were able to fish Gorda three days in a row. The Pacific halibut bite was pretty good and the rockfish and lingcod bite was lights out. One boat ran for albacore Wednesday and boated 26.”

Crescent City
“Not much has changed up here, the rockfish bite is still going strong,” says Britt Carson, of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “Most of the guys are going to the North Reef or the Sisters. The ling cod bite is excellent as well, with some nice ones being caught. The California halibut bite was good this week along south beach for anglers trolling anchovies. The Pacific halibut bite remains slow, I haven’t heard of any being caught this week.”

Brookings
Fishing remains good for hatchery coho salmon out of Brookings, with a few kings mixed in reports Andy Martin, of Brookings Fishing Charters. “There is a large school of coho 4-5 miles offshore, and some fish scattered closer to shore,” said Martin. “Bottom fish anglers are also encountering kings and coho on the shallow reefs. Halibut fishing was good over the weekend. Lingcod and rockfish action remains solid. Brookings anglers are still waiting for tuna to get closer to the port.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay was fair over the weekend and early this week, but action has been spotty. “Traffic has increased, but the number of boats is still well below 50 a day. Warm water is pushing salmon closer to the tips of the 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.

Ocean conditions can make all the difference when it comes to catching – or not. And favorable conditions have been few and far between this season. But when the stars align like they did Wednesday, good things happen. The Eureka fleet took full advantage and boats made their way to the halibut grounds while some pointed south to Cape Mendocino. Both locations provided anglers with plenty of bent rods and coolers full of fish. The halibut bite was some of the best we’ve seen this season, with lots of boats headed in early with limits. The boats who made their way south also reported some wide-open fishing, with plenty of rockfish to fill the buckets. The lingcod bite was red-hot, providing some of the best action in a couple years. But just as soon as the ocean calmed, winds will once again pick up starting Friday and the weekend and into next week look iffy.

Weekend marine forecast
Following a few days of calm seas, near gale to locally gale force gusts is possible across the outer waters Friday. This will generate steep seas, with short period seas picking up to around 8 to 10 feet at 8 to 9 seconds Friday afternoon. Winds will diminish throughout the weekend as another upper level trough moves over the area. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds at 15 to 20 knots and waves northwest 6 feet at seven seconds and northwest 5 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday forecast is calling for north winds at 10 to 15 knots and waves northwest 5 feet at seven seconds. Winds will be out of the north Sunday 10 to 15 knots with northwest waves 6 feet at 12 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

July 6 is statewide free fishing day
On Saturday, July 6, people may fish California’s waters without a sport fishing license. All regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. On Free Fishing Days, every angler must have the appropriate report card if they are fishing for steelhead, sturgeon, spiny lobster, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information visit, wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

Eel River fish counts
As of May 26, 2024, the final counts for salmonids and lamprey are: 270 steelhead (97 female, 83 male, 38 unknown adults, 52 subadults). 255 Chinook (73 female, 72 male, 21 unknown adults, 89 jacks). 1,827 Pacific lamprey. These counts don’t reflect the entire population; only the fish who travel over 150 miles to the fish ladder at Cape Horn Dam. Historic fish count numbers can be found here.

California halibut update
The CA halibut bite has been slowed this week according to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors. He said, “The big tides at the end of last week and earlier this week are the culprit. Humboldt Bay is pretty dirty as well. Live bait, swim baits or tube jigs seem to be the ticket still. The second and third channels seem to be the most productive.” The California halibut bag and total possession limit is two in California waters north of Point Sur, Monterey County. The minimum size limit is 22 inches total length.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The ocean finally laid down for a few days, and the catch rates for rockfish and Pacific halibut both soared reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “Conditions were decent Tuesday, and quite a few halibut were caught by the handful of boats who made it out,” said Klassen. “On Wednesday, the seas were really calm and we made the run south to Cape Mendocino where the rockfish and lingcod bite was excellent. The area was full of life, with lots of bait on the surface and the fish plugged full of krill. Half of our catch were blacks, but we also had some good variety. Vermilion, coppers, yellowtail, and some cabezon rounded out the limits. The lingcod bite was the best I’ve seen in a couple years. Wednesday’s halibut scores were also good. Lots of limits were reported by charters and private boats fishing off the stacks in 300 feet of water. There were also a couple caught down at the Cape.”

Shelter Cove
The rockfish bite remains a little tougher than usual according to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We’re still getting limits, but having to work at it with all the brown water,” said Mitchell. “The lingcod bite continues to be hit and miss. A couple days we got easy limits, and others we struggled to get just a few. We’re spending our days fishing around the whistle and Old Man.”

Crescent City
“The rockfish bite is still going strong,” said Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “The lingcod bite has also really picked up and we’re seeing some nice ones caught. The Pacific halibut bite, however, is still really slow. Very few have been caught since the season opened. The California halibut action is heating up, with trollers along South Beach catching quite a few. The fish have been bigger this year, with plenty of fish over 30 inches being caught. Anchovies have been the bait of choice. The redtail bite remains steady at Kellogg Beach.”

Brookings
“Salmon fishing has improved in the ocean out of Brookings, even as windy weather has kept boats in close,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “A few kings and big numbers of coho salmon are being caught. Plenty of hatchery keepers are in the mix. A big return of coho is expected on the Columbia River this fall, and those fish first appear on the southern Oregon Coast. Trolling anchovies behind Fish Flash flashers and divers close to the surface is working best. Better weather is expected this week. A few halibut are being caught, and catches should improve with the calmer conditions offshore.”

Lower Rogue/Chetco
According to Martin, a few kings are now being caught in the Rogue Bay. “Water temperatures are close to 70 degrees, which will force salmon to hold up in the bay, where kings begin to stack up where the warmer water from upriver and cooler ocean water mix. Summer steelhead are biting near Agness. A few sea-run cutthroat trout are being caught on spinners in the Chetco tidewater.”

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

The Pacific halibut bite continues to be slow along the North Coast, but it is showing signs of life. As conditions improved mid-week, boats out of Trinidad and Crescent City both saw an uptick in fish coming back to port. The same cannot be said for Eureka. Persistent wind and sloppy conditions have kept boats mostly tied to the dock. Boats finally made it offshore Wednesday, but there weren’t many biters to be had. Marginal conditions are in the forecast for the next several days, so that means consistent time on the water will be hard to come by. But there is a silver lining to all this wind. The halibut catch has been so minuscule CDFW has yet to update the in-season catch estimates. At this rate, there may be enough quota to get us to the mid-November season closure.

Weekend marine forecast
Northerlies will continue to decrease into Wednesday, but will remain in small craft criteria for all zones except the northern inner waters. Each afternoon there will be a slight uptick in winds coming from the north. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 15 to 20 knots and waves northwest 6 feet at seven seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 10 to 15 knots and waves north 6 feet at seven seconds. The winds will be out of the north Sunday 15 to 20 knots, with north waves 5 feet at six seconds and west 2 feet at 13 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

California halibut bite remains steady
The California halibut bite has been good lately, but not wide-open. According the Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors, the quality of fish has been good, and there hasn’t been many shakers. “The best bite has been in the second channel and third channels in the north bay,” said Kelly. “Shiner perch and herring seem to be the ticket right now.” Minus tides with big swings are forecast to begin this weekend.

As a reminder, the California halibut bag and total possession limit was reduced from three to two in California waters north of Point Sur, Monterey County last June. The minimum size limit is 22 inches total length. The reduced California halibut limit is designed to protect the resource amid increased recreational fishing pressure due to limited fishing opportunities and changes in other ocean fisheries including salmon.

July 6 is statewide free fishing day
On Saturday, July 6, people may fish California’s waters without a sport fishing license. All regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. On Free Fishing Days, every angler must have the appropriate report card if they are fishing for steelhead, sturgeon, spiny lobster, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information visit, wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

Freshwater Lagoon/Sequoia Park Pond trout plants
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website, Freshwater Lagoon has been planted with trout weekly beginning with the week of May 19 and will continue through the week of June 23. The Sequoia Park Pond was planted during the week of May 16. Both are open to fishing year-round and the limit is 5 trout per day and 10 in possession. For more information, visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants/Default.aspx?county=Humboldt&time or call (530) 225-2146.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Boats finally got back offshore Wednesday, but the Pacifici halibut bite continues to be slow. According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, only a handful were caught. “There were quite a few boats out, but it sounded like scores ranged from zero to two per boat,” said Klassen. “The water was pretty choppy and dirty, which doesn’t help the bite. Ocean conditions look marginal through Saturday before the wind returns Sunday. Hopefully having a few days strung together will help our chances.”

Shelter Cove
Not much to report out of the Cove this week. Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing was able to get out just one day due to the weather. “We fished around the whistle, but it was kind of slow,” said Mitchell. “We were able to get limits of rockfish, but just two lingcod.”

Crescent City
The Pacific halibut bite has finally picked up this week,” said Kevin Hooper of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “We’ve seen a few come in, which has been good to see. The rockfish bite is still good and should only improve as the conditions get better. It looks like the California halibut are finally arriving in better numbers. There were several caught this week by anglers tossing jigs off the rock wall across from the boat launch. The redtail perch bite has picked up as well with Kellogg Beach being the top spot.”

Brookings
“Salmon fishing has improved out of Brookings, although it is still fair to slow,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Hatchery coho, along with wild coho, are being caught three to five miles offshore. King fishing is best at first light near the buoys and mouth of the Chetco. The water is still cold, less than 48 degrees, which has slowed the bite. Halibut fishing is still slow. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, spring salmon fishing is slow on the Rogue as anglers transition from upriver anchor fishing to trolling the bay. “A few kings are being caught. Upriver near Shady Cove and Lost Creek Dam, springer fishing is good for anglers back-bouncing roe in the deeper holes.”

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.

Gale-force north winds in May and June are historically common along the North Coast. But this year seems to be bordering on excessive. The Eureka fleet is having to pay the heaviest toll following another week of rough seas, managing to only get offshore once since last week. Shelter Cove, Trinidad, and Crescent City, with much shorter runs to the fishing grounds and no bar to tackle, are having a better go at it. On most days they’re able to get out in the mornings and put in quick limits of rockfish.

But Eureka does have a pretty good plan B. And that would be California halibut within Humboldt Bay. The bite is heating up, with a few more caught daily. There aren’t a lot of anchovies in the bay yet, but there seem to be plenty of shiner perch for those wanting live bait. Anglers fishing dead bait and even jigs and swimbaits are having success as well. The fishing seems to really improve when we have the smaller tide swings, which are happening now. The minimum size is 22 inches and the daily bag and possession limit is two.

Weekend marine forecast
Hazardous seas and gusty winds will relent starting Friday, but conditions still look pretty rough through the weekend. On Friday, north winds are predicted at 10 to 15 knots and waves from the north 7 feet at seven seconds and west 4 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for north winds 10 to 15 knots and north waves 4 feet at five seconds and west 3 feet at 10 seconds. The winds will increase slightly Sunday, blowing 15 to 20 knots out of the north. Waves will be from the north 6 feet at six seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

The Oceans:
Eureka
There was a brief break in the wind last Saturday, and a few boats made it to the halibut grounds where a few halibut were caught. By Sunday we were back to terrible offshore conditions, and the Eureka fleet has been tied up since. It looks like we’ll have more of the same through at least Monday.

Trinidad
“The rockfish bite has been a little hit or miss,” said Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “If you land on em’, you can do really well. But some days it’s been a little more of a struggle to get limits. The lingcod bite hasn’t been very good the last few days out, but that can change quickly. Especially if the ocean conditions improve. The crabbing is still good, with easy limits each day.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, it’s been pretty much the same story this week. “On the days we can get out, we’ve been greeted by dirty water,” said Mitchell. “This has made the fishing challenging, but we’re still grinding out limits. We’ve only caught three Pacific halibut this season, and all have come while targeting rockfish. We’re spending most of our time around the whistle and the Old Man.”

Crescent City
According to Benjamin Ferguson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, limits of rockfish are still being caught despite the wind. He said, “When the boats can get out, the rockfish limits are coming pretty easily. If they’re able to stay out long enough, boats have been able to get their lings as well. Most of the action has been in the vicinity of the North Reef and Pt. St. George Lighthouse area. There’re still a few California halibut being caught off the rock wall, depending on the water temperatures. The redtails are biting too, with Kellogg and South beach being the best spots. There were a few stripers caught last week toward the end of South Beach.”

Brookings
A few salmon were caught in the ocean out of Brookings over the weekend and again on Monday reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Kings from 10 to 20 pounds were biting from Salmon Rock to the red buoy, said Martin. “Windy weather prevented boats from getting offshore, although nicer conditions are expected this weekend. Big schools of bait are balled up near the mouth of the Chetco. The salmon caught in recent days have been on anchovies fished with spreaders and lead, or divers, within 25 feet of the surface. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good, while a few halibut showed up in the catch over the weekend.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue River has slowed for spring salmon, but a few fish are still trickling in. “Action is slow on the bay, but anglers are now trolling, encouraged by hot weather inland, which has warmed river temperature. Wild kings may now be kept.”

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

Relentless storms, one after the other, have steelhead anglers sitting idly by. And that’s about all there is to do at the moment, and in the near future. The only chance to throw a line into anything resembling green water has been on the Smith River. And even that has been hit and miss. Flows finally receded enough Tuesday and Wednesday, providing drift boats with one of the handful of days of prime conditions. Come Wednesday, the river will be back on the rise and likely too big to drift by Thursday. It will remain green, so it will likely be a plunking show through the weekend. As for the local rivers, all I can say is patience.

Weather outlook
According to Jonathan Garner of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, a series of storms systems are on tap for the next seven days. “We’ll see a break Tuesday night but another front is approaching Wednesday that is a little more uncertain,” said Garner. “In the Smith basin, between Tuesday and Sunday, 5 inches of rain are predicted. Here locally, we could see up to 5 inches around Humboldt Bay, with 6 to 8 inches likely in the higher elevations. In the Eel basin, we’re looking at another 5 to 7 inches through Sunday. The next seven days look to be wet, but the 10-day outlook is potentially showing a dryer pattern.”

CDFW lifts trap restrictions in the commercial and sport Dungeness crab fisheries
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will lift the Dungeness crab trap prohibition in Fishing Zones 3-6 (all areas south of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line) for the recreational fishery on Jan. 14, 2023 at 8:01 a.m. CDFW will lift the 50 percent commercial fishery trap reduction in Fishing Zones 3-6 on Jan. 15, 2023 at 8:01 a.m. The current 50 percent trap reduction for the commercial fishery and trap prohibition in the recreational fishery will remain in place until lifted on the respective dates.

Based on available data and as indicated by historical migration patterns, humpback whale abundance is at or near a seasonal low within the Dungeness crab fishing grounds. As a result, CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham is lifting the trap restrictions in Fishing Zones 3-6 for both fisheries because of lowered entanglement risk. However, a Fleet Advisory will be issued for the recreational fishery and will be continued for the commercial fishery to remain vigilant and avoid setting gear in areas where whales are transiting or foraging. All anglers are also strongly encouraged to follow best practices, as described in the Best Practices Guide. CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place in mid-February 2023.

The Rivers:
All North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures including the Mad, Smith, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek and Van Duzen were open to fishing. The Department of Fish and Wildlife will make the information available to the public no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any river 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. For more information, visit fishingthenorthcoast.com/2021/09/22/2021-2022-low-flow-information-for-north-coast-rivers/.

Mad
The Mad receded to 8,000 cubic feet per second Wednesday, but with additional rain this week, the drop will be short-lived. Flows are predicted to rise throughout the week and top out at just about a half a foot above monitor stage at 13,700 cfs (15.5 feet) Sunday morning. It will need a couple weeks of dry weather to be fishable, especially with Ruth Lake full and spilling.

Main stem Eel
The main Eel remains extremely high and muddy as flows were over 90,000 cfs as of Thursday. Additional rain in the coming days will push flows to nearly 124,000 cfs by early Sunday morning. Fernbridge is predicted to remain at or above monitor stage through the weekend.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was flowing at 15,500 cfs as of Thursday, but flows will be headed back up and down over the next few days. Flows are predicted to peak at 33,000 cfs Saturday evening before receding into Sunday. If and when the rain subsides for a few days, the South Fork would be one of the first coastal rivers to come into play. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case anytime soon.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was down to 7,000 cfs Thursday, but is forecast to be up and down the next few days before peaking at 12,500 cfs Saturday. Expected to drop through Sunday, but will remain high and off color.

Smith
Tuesday and Wednesday provided the best conditions to drift the Smith as flows dropped below 12 feet on the Jed Smith gauge. These conditions will likely be short-lived as more rain during the week will keep flows above 13 feet beginning Thursday and through Monday. The river will likely continue to hold its green color and plunking will be the best option through the weekend. Steelhead fishing has yet to take off as just a handful of fish have been caught this past week.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“Plunkers are catching a mix of hatchery and wild steelhead on the Chetco as flows drop, but drift boaters are waiting for the river to drop below 4,000 cfs,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “That won’t happen any time soon, as another storm is expected by the weekend. Driving to the Elk or Sixes also isn’t an option, as U.S. Highway 101 is closed because of a major slide between Gold Beach and Port Orford. Road officials have estimated one lane could be open by 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