Recent Columns | Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest

Winter Steelhead Season Knocking on the Door

Fresh kings still coming into the Chetco, Smith likey done for the year

McKinleyville resident Alyssa Brooke Cardoza landed this hefty king salmon over the weekend while fishing the Chetco River. Photo courtesy of Curtis Wilson.

With the late-fall king season all but wrapped up on the coastal rivers, it’s time to turn our attention to winter steelhead, likely the most popular fishery on the North Coast. With the last storm providing plenty of water to all of the rivers, anglers are primed and ready to do battle with the gray ghosts. There’s been a smattering of steelhead caught on most coastal rivers already, but few more good rain events should get the season underway.

With regards to the salmon season, it was definitely one to remember. Or to put it another way, it was much like the old days. The Smith and Eel rivers both saw good returns of kings. There’s also a good number of returning coho to the Eel basin. The Chetco also saw numbers they haven’t seen in some time. And they’re still coming. Schools of big, fresh kings have been moving through the lower river all week. And more and more steelhead are being seen and caught.

But now with more rain in the forecast next week and the calendar saying December – it’s time to get our steelhead on!

Weekend marine forecast
The next couple of days look good before the wind picks up on Saturday evening. As of Thursday, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots with west waves 6 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday is looking similar, with winds coming out of the north 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 6 feet at 14 seconds. Winds will strengthen beginning Sunday, coming out of the north 15 to 20 knots with north waves 6 feet at seven seconds and west 9 feet at 14 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.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, the high pressure ridge will build back behind the front that moved through on Thursday and will keep Humboldt mostly dry through the weekend, Northern Humboldt and Del Norte counties could see some light rain this weekend, but it won’t add up to much. A more active weather pattern is developing for later next week that could bring higher rain totals.

Eureka/Trinidad sport crabbing
Sport crabbing continues to be excellent out of Eureka. Boats fishing either side of the entrance in roughly 100 feet of water were averaging 10 to 15 keepers on an overnight soak. Conditions look good through the Saturday before the wind and seas pick up on Sunday. Up in Trinidad, the crabbing has slowed down. Anglers are having to go a little further outside the harbor area to get their limits.

Shelter Cove update
We had a really good week of weather at reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “We spent the last few days of the nearshore rockfish season up around Rodgers Break for quick limits each day. Once it switched back to deep water, we fished outside the Hat, where the fishing was pretty decent as well. Crabbing is still going strong. It’s slowed down a little since the start, but still getting easy limits.”

Young deckhand Mason Mitchell holds a nice yellowtail rockfish caught out of Shelter Cove while fishing with his dad Jake. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell/Sea Hawk Sport Fishing

Mad River Steelhead Reward Program Returns for 2024-25
For the Mad River steelhead fishery in the upcoming 2024-25 season, the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will once again attach reward tags to a small subset of hatchery-origin (i.e., adipose-clipped) adult steelhead upon their return to freshwater. This is in effort to estimate the steelhead harvest on the Mad River. According to John Deibner-Hanson, a Northern Region Environmental Scientist for CDFW, a number of fish will be captured in the lower river using tangle nets and affixed with spaghetti tags worth $20, $50 or $100 rewards. Once the tags are applied on their backs behind the dorsal fin, the fish will be released.

Upon capturing a reward tag, anglers will need to follow one of the methods outlined below to answer a series of questions about how the tag was acquired (e.g., caught on fish, found on dead fish, found on bank). Anglers will have until April 15, 2025 to report tags and claim rewards, after which reward tags from this season will expire. To attain accurate harvest estimates, we must assume 100% tag return rates on harvested steelhead, so getting the word out for our tagging program will be vital to its success.

There are three ways an angler may report their tag for reward:

Scan the QR code posted on message boards and signage around the river or carried by CDFW creelers
Visit: https://forms.office.com/g/jjWnw9t7Ss
Return the tag to CDFW at: 50 Ericson Ct., Arcata, CA

Using options 1 and 2 above, anglers will not submit the physical tag, only needing to provide the unique tag number and answering the accompanying questions online. For this reason, anglers are strongly urged to retain the tag after submittal until all rewards have been claimed, as only one reward will be paid for each uniquely numbered tag. For questions, please email MadRiverRewards@wildlife.ca.gov.

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 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 Mad was just above 700 cfs Thursday and dropping slowly. The water is turning green with about a foot of visibility. Should be in excellent shape by the weekend. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/madStages.html

Main stem Eel
Flows were just under 5,000 cfs Thursday morning as it continues to drop. If it continues to drop as predicted, it will be plenty fishable by the weekend. Flows will be a little high, but the color should be good. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is in perfect shape, running at 1,750 cfs at Sylvandale Thursday. It’s dropping slowly, and will be in prime shape this weekend. It’s a little early for big numbers of steelhead, but there could be some late-arriving kings and coho around. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

Van Duzen
Like the Sf Eel, the Van Duzen is fishable, but it’s starting to get low. As of Thursday, flows were just above 200 cfs. With no rain in the immediate forecast, it could close after the weekend. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

Smith
The Smith is low and clear, registering 7.5 feet at the Jed Smith gauge Thursday morning. The salmon season is all but wrapped up, and some rain is needed to bring in the steelhead. A few were caught last week. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/smithStages.html

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The Chetco had a surprising number of bright kings on Thanksgiving weekend, with several fish over 40 pounds caught, along with a 52-pounder,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Plug fishing has been good on the lower river. A handful of steelhead also have been caught, both by plunkers and boaters side-drifting. While rivers to the north are low and clear, the Chetco still had plenty of flow and color on Tuesday.”

Brookings rockfish update
According to Martin, the lingcod and rockfish action has been good out of the Port of Brookings. “Recreational crabbing opened back up Wednesday after two consecutive tests indicated levels of domoic acid were below the safety threshold. Calm conditions are expected through the week, but choppy seas are possible this weekend.”

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.

‘Offshore Only’ Rockfish Season Begins Dec. 1

Nearshore season ends Saturday

Redding resident Tyler Somonis holds a nice vermilion rockfish caught Wednesday while fishing out of Crescent City. The nearshore rockfish season will close after Saturday. Photo courtesy of Crescent City Fishing/Steve Huber’s Guide Service.

Following a month of mostly unfishable conditions, the month of December will once again force rockfish anglers back to deep water. With the opening of sport Dungeness crab season and rockfish within reach, hopes were high for a November full of combo trips. But Mother Nature had other plans and failed to provide many fishable days. The past few days have been the best we’ve seen all month.

But now, starting Sunday Dec. 1 within the Northern Management Area, which includes ocean waters between 42°00’ N. latitude (CA-OR Border) and 40°10′ N. latitude (near Cape Mendocino), fishing for rockfish will only be allowed seaward of the 50-fathom boundary line, and only shelf rockfish, slope rockfish and lingcod may be retained. Take and possession of nearshore rockfish, cabezon and greenling are prohibited during the offshore fishery.

In the Mendocino Management Area, which includes Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg, all the seasons are the same as the Northern Management Area. The only change is the daily bag limit is two vermilion rockfish per person.

Regulation change reminder for 2024
Changes to the sub-bag limits within the 10-fish daily Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) complex bag and possession limit include a new statewide ban on possession of quillback rockfish. Also new in 2024 is the mandatory possession of descending devices . No person shall take or possess any federal groundfish from any boat or other floating device in ocean waters without having a descending device in possession and available for immediate use to assist in releasing rockfish to the depth of capture.

Daily bag limit
In the Northern Management Area, the RCG complex includes all species of rockfishes, Cabezon and Greenlings. You are allowed 10 fish in combination per person EXCEPT:

A sub-bag limit for copper rockfish of one fish
A sub-bag limit for vermilion rockfish of four fish

Minimum size for Cabezon is 15 inches total length and for Kelp and/or rock greenlings it’s 12 inches.

The daily bag limit of lingcod remains at two per person and they must be 22 inches in length. The take and possession of cowcod, bronzespotted rockfish and yelloweye rockfish is prohibited statewide. Petrale sole and starry flounder can be retained year-round at all depths with no size limit.

Important reminder:
In waters where groundfish species or species groups are closed to take or possession but authorized for take or possession in other areas, those species or species groups may be possessed aboard a vessel that is anchored, drifting, or transiting in or through that closed area. While anchored, drifting, or transiting through an area closed to take or possession of these groundfish species or species groups, no gear may be deployed other than for the take of crustaceans with hoop nets, Dungeness crab traps, and dip nets.

For more information about recreational groundfish regulations within the northern management area, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/GroundfishSummary#north

Weekend weather and marine forecast
According to the Eureka’s National Weather Service, high pressure will continue to build over the area, bringing mostly clear skies and chilly overnight temperatures. By early next week some warmer valleys could see temperatures in the 70’s. There is no clear end in sight for this pattern yet. Ridging to will likely continue to dominate the west coast for the next seven days.

The weekend marine forecast is looking good for offshore crabbing and/or rockfish. As of Friday, Saturday’s forecast is calling for northeast winds up to 5 knots with northwest waves 3 feet at seven seconds and 2 feet at 12 seconds. Sunday looks similar, with northwest waves 2 feet at 11 seconds and 5 feet at 18 seconds. Conditions early next week also look favorable. 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.

Eureka/Trinidad sport crabbing
After the storms, boats were finally able to get back on the water Tuesday. And the reports were excellent with boats reporting easy limits of big crab. Boats fishing either side of the entrance in roughly 100 feet of water were averaging 10 to 15 keepers on an overnight soak. Conditions look good through the weekend.

Sport crabbers are also doing well in Trinidad, averaging 10 to 12 per trap for an overnight soak. The quality has been excellent. Expect the beach to be crowded over the holiday weekend and the last few days of the inshore rockfish season.

Shelter Cove update
“We finally got back on the water Tuesday, and the fishing was excellent,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We had limits of rockfish, lingcod, and crab and back at the dock by noon. Rogers Break has been good for rockfish and lingcod, while we’re crabbing off Black Sands Beach. On an overnight soak, we’re getting 10 to 20 keepers per pot.”

The Rivers:
As of Friday, 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 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 Mad is dropping quickly and should be at a fishable height by mid-week. There should be some early steelhead making their way into the lower river this week. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/madStages.html

Main stem Eel
Flows were down to 12,800 cfs Friday as it continues to drop. With a mostly dry week forecasted, it could be fishable by next weekend. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was just above 3,000 cfs Friday and should be fishable by the first of the week. It’s a little early for steelhead, but there could be some late-arriving salmon around. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

Van Duzen
Like the Sf Eel, the Van Duzen should be fishable by the early next week. As of Friday, flows were right around 800 cfs. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

Smith
The Smith was just above 9.5 feet at the Jed Smith Park Friday morning. The river is forecast to drop slowly through the week. The salmon run is mostly done for the season, and we should start to see a few early steelhead show up. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/smithStages.html

Nov. 29 and 30 free fish days in Oregon
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is waiving all fishing licensing requirements on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving to encourage people to experience fishing with friends and family during the long holiday weekend. All fishing, crabbing, and clamming in Oregon will be free for both Oregon residents and non-residents. No licenses, tags or endorsements are needed on those days, but all other fishing regulations apply. Visit https://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2024/11_Nov/111324.asp for more info.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
The Elk River was back in shape on Tuesday, and fresh hatchery kings were spread throughout the river reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The Elk River could be low by the end of the week,” said Martin. “The Chetco remains blown out but should fish by the end of the week. Steelhead season opens Dec. 1 on the Chetco, Elk and Sixes. The Chetco also will open to fishing, steelhead only, for the first time this fall above Nook Bar.”

Brookings rockfish update
According to Martin, the ocean out of Brookings calmed down this week, with flat conditions expected this weekend. Lingcod fishing was good before the latest storms.

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.

Atmospheric Rivers Put an End to Late-Fall King Season

Guide Sam Stover of Brookings Fishing Charters holds a hefty Smith River king that was released Saturday after smacking a 5.0 MagLip.

This week’s report will be mostly about water, because there’s a lot more water at the moment than fishing opportunities. In case you haven’t heard, the North Coast is smackdab in the middle of some severe storms that are taking aim at the coast with heavy winds and copious amounts of rain. Several rivers are forecast to exceed monitor and approach flood stage in the coming hours. These high flows will signal the end of the late fall salmon fishing season on the Eel and Smith rivers, and make available spawning habitat that wouldn’t normally be accessible in drier years. With both rivers seeing strong returns of kings, coupled with an abundance of prime spawning habitat, this really bodes well for the future. While we kick the kings up the tributaries, we now begin to think about winter steelhead. November is typically a little early to see big numbers – but it won’t be long. My hunch is after a few more good storms over the next couple weeks, the uber popular winter steelhead run will be afoot.

Weather ahead
According to the Eureka’s National Weather Service, the atmospheric river storm system will continue to bring prolonged moderate to heavy rainfall tonight through Friday. “An additional 4 to 6 inches with isolated 8 inches is forecast Wednesday night through Friday, with the bulk falling Thursday through Thursday Night. After the passage of the secondary cyclone Thursday, most ensemble guidance shifts the parent trough westward on Friday, which would put Northwestern California in the cold sector and shut off our subtropical moisture tap, marking a change from persistent moderate rainfall to showery rainfall. Rain will likely continue during this period through the weekend, however be generally less, and with more sparse coverage.”

Sport crab trap restrictions stay put, delays for Commercial
In a press release issued Thursday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is continuing the temporary recreational crab trap restriction from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Lopez Point (Fishing Zones 3 and 4) due to presence of humpback whales and the potential for entanglement from trap gear. They also continued the delay for the recreational opener in the northern portion of Fishing Zone 1 (from the CA/OR border to the southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Reserve) due to unhealthy levels of domoic acid.

“CDFW is continuing the Commercial Dungeness crab fishery delay in Fishing Zones 3-6 due to the presence of humpback whales and risk of entanglement. This delay is necessary due to the high number of entanglements that have occurred this year, four of which involved the commercial fishery. The delay will allow whales to continue their migration to winter breeding grounds and away from the fishing grounds, thereby reducing entanglement risk.

Given the high abundance of whales and entanglements that have occurred this year, CDFW will assess entanglement risk again in early December. It is expected that the next risk assessment will take place on or before Dec. 5, 2024, at which time Director Bonham will re-evaluate the temporary recreational crab trap restrictions and statewide commercial fishery delay.” More information can be found here.

There are three ways an angler may report their tag for reward:

Scan the QR code posted on message boards and signage around the river or carried by CDFW creelers
Visit: https://forms.office.com/g/jjWnw9t7Ss
Return the tag to CDFW at: 50 Ericson Ct., Arcata, CA

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 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 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. More information can be found here.

Mad
The Mad is forecast to reach minor flood stage Friday morning, with flows expected to reach nearly 34,000 cfs. More rain is in the forecast next week, fishable conditions won’t be coming any time soon. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/madStages.html

Main stem Eel
Flows were over 62,000 cfs Thursday and rising. It’s predicted to peak at over 252,000 cfs Friday afternoon, which surpasses action/monitor levels. It’s forecast to be down to 33,000 cfs by early next week, but with more rain it’s not going to drop into fishing shape in the near future. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was peaking Thursday morning at roughly 24,000 cfs, but that will be short-lived. With another four inches or rain in the forecast, it’s predicted to surpass action/monitor stage Friday morning, peaking at over 59,000 cfs. It will need a week of dry weather before it’s close to fishable. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

Van Duzen
Like the rest of the coastal rivers, the Van Duzen is predicted to surpass monitor stage. Flows Thursday morning were 16,000 cfs, with peak flows expected to reach 33,350 cfs early Friday morning. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

Smith
The Smith is likely the only river on the coast that is actually on the drop. Flows were just under 30,000 cfs Thursday, with the next rise forecast for Friday morning. It’s predicted to peak Friday at over 46,000 cfs Friday, and will be on the drop through the weekend. Depending on how much rain falls next week, it could drop into fishable shape at some point. The salmon run is likely done for the season and we should start to see a few early steelhead show up. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/smithStages.html

Nov. 29 and 30 free fish days in Oregon
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is waiving all fishing licensing requirements on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving to encourage people to experience fishing with friends and family during the long holiday weekend. All fishing, crabbing and clamming in Oregon will be free for both Oregon residents and non-residents. No licenses, tags or endorsements are needed on those days, but all other fishing regulations apply. Visit https://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2024/11_Nov/111324.asp for more info.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“Salmon fishing was decent on the Chetco and Elk, and good on the Sixes River before the latest series of storms,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The Chetco will now likely be blown out until at least Thanksgiving Day, with a crest of more than 40,000 cfs expected. Snow fell at higher elevations before the big storm hit, so that could add to even more runoff. The average size of the kings on the Chetco, Elk and Sixes has been above recent averages. The first couple steelhead of the season also have been released on the lower Chetco.”

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.

Smith and Chetco Best Bets for the Weekend

John Curry of Reno with a chrome-bright Chetco king caught Tuesday on a 5.0 MagLip with guide Andy Martin.

If you haven’t gotten in on the late fall king action on the coast, this is your weekend to do it. Not only are the river conditions lining for both the Smith and Chetco, it’s getting towards the end of the run. The rain earlier in the week shot both rivers well above projections, and by the weekend they should be in really good shape. If the projections are correct, the Smith could be clearing, but still at a very fishable height and flow. The Chetco blew out on Wednesday, but will come around by the weekend. It may start off a little high Saturday, but by Sunday it should be prime. Another small bump in flows is predicted for Sunday afternoon, which should keep both rivers humming along. Here locally, the main stem Eel could remain fishable this weekend, depending on how dirty the creeks get. It’s predicted to peak Friday at just over 1,600 cfs. That could be a good option if it doesn’t muddy up. The Mad did just that Thursday afternoon, and was still rising. It will likely be off color for the weekend.

Weather ahead
According to the US National Weather Service Eureka, rain will continue through Thursday, with up to a .25 inch predicted. Rain will taper off by Friday morning and we should remain dry through most of Saturday. Rain is forecast to return early Sunday morning and will persist through the night. Rainfall totals from Saturday through Monday morning are anticipated to be between a .5 and 1 inch in Humboldt and up to 2 inches in the Smith basin.

Weekend Marine Forecast
Ocean conditions look to be improved by Saturday, with the south wind returning by Sunday. Saturday’s forecast is calling for east winds 5 to 10 knots with north waves four feet at 5 seconds and northwest seven feet at 12 seconds. Sunday is looking a little worse, with winds out of the south 10 to 15 knots and southwest waves four feet at 5 seconds and northwest six feet at 11 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.

Sport crab fishing update
Crabbing has been good when the boats can get offshore out of Eureka. Both sides of the entrance have been fishing well and averaging roughly 10 to 15 keepers per pot. The crabs are reportedly in really good shape, with some nice jumbos in the mix. Ocean conditions don’t look good for the weekend, and even worse early next week. Crabbing inside Humboldt Bay has been slow.

Shelter Cove update
“We had some good weather last week and took advantage by running north to Rodgers Break for some excellent rockfish and ling cod action,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Crabbing has been excellent as well, and they’re nice and full. There’s still some albacore around and boats did fairly well on them 20 miles out last week. We even ran out Friday afternoon and landed 21. No one has been out since then due to weather, but the water still looks good though.”

Brookings update
According to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters, ocean fishing is very good out of Brookings on calm weather days, which are few and far between right now. He said, “Lingcod are already in spawning mode, while rockfish are schooled up over shallow reefs. Big swells have kept boaters at the docks for the most part.”

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures, including the Smith, the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek and Van Duzen are open to angling. The South Fork Eel will be closed beginning Friday according to the CDFW hotline. 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.

Mad
The Mad was still rising and starting to color up Thursday morning and was headed above projections. It should begin to drop Friday, but will likely be too dirty for the weekend. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Main Eel
Forecasted to reach 1,200 cfs Friday morning. The color was good Wednesday when it opened and some salmon were caught. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
Flows are predicted to peak at around 485 cfs Thursday afternoon. Forecast for a quick drop and will be closed to angling Friday. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was peaking just above 700 cfs Thursday afternoon and will drop quickly. Flows are predicted to stay above the threshold before the next storm hits Sunday morning. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Smith
The Smith went well over predictions and peaked at just under 16 feet on the Jed Smith gauge Wednesday evening. With very little rain the next three days, it will drop quickly. It’s forecast to be down to 8.5 feet by Sunday morning when the rain returns. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

Nov. 29 and 30 free fish days in Oregon
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is waiving all fishing licensing requirements on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving to encourage people to experience fishing with friends and family during the long holiday weekend. All fishing, crabbing and clamming in Oregon will be free for both Oregon residents and non-residents. No licenses, tags or endorsements are needed on those days, but all other fishing regulations apply. Visit https://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2024/11_Nov/111324.asp for more info.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“Heavy rain blew out the Chetco, Elk and Sixes rivers Wednesday morning,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The Chetco was low and clear prior to the storm, with fair fishing for late-season kings. New fish should move up with the storm. The Elk and Sixes were too low for drift boats. A few boats drifted the Sixes on Tuesday with good results. Good conditions are expected on all three rivers this weekend. The Elk should have big numbers of hatchery fish, based on results of the ocean bubble season off of Port Orford.”

Coastal King Season Off and Running

Smith and Chetco both kick out big kings

Haley Richards, who grew up in Crescent City but now lives in Salem, Ore., holds a salmon caught over the weekend with guide Rye Phillips of Brookings Fishing Charters.

The season’s first big storms hit North Coast over the weekend and the Smith and Chetco both kicked out good numbers of kings. Both rivers have been loaded with kings in their lower sections for quite some time, and when the rivers finally rose, they were on the move.

On Friday evening, the Smith went well over river level projections, but peaked and was on the drop Saturday morning, providing nearly perfect conditions from the forks to below the 101 Bridge. Fishing was wide-open, with most drift boats putting up double-digit scores on salmon of all sizes and colors. Fishing continued to be excellent through the weekend, but the river dropped quickly.

With the Smith dropping and clearing, the focus Sunday was squarely on the Chetco. After going over river level projections and peaking at 10,000 cfs Friday, it needed Saturday to clear up and by Sunday it was game on with wide-open fishing. By Monday the river had dropped to under 4,000 cfs and was clearing quick. Fishing has been decent all week, with most of the action on the lower end.

Both rivers are now low and clear and in need of rain. And it’s on the way. Large rises are predicted starting Monday, and both should see a push of fresh salmon.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, the Smith River was the only river open to fishing. But that should change as the rest of the North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the main stem and South Fork Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen, could open to fishing next week. 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.

Smith
Fishing slowed this week on the Smith as the river dropped and cleared quickly. Flows were down to 850 cfs by Thursday, and it could close prior to the weekend. If it does close, it will be short lived as the next storm is forecast to hit Sunday night. The river is expected to peak at 7,300 cfs Tuesday morning. Rain is in the forecast for most of the week, so conditions should be good. The daily bag limit is one Chinook salmon per day and no more than five wild Chinook salmon over 22 inches per year. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

Mad
Forecast to reach 880 cfs by Tuesday and should have some color. Rain is in the forecast for much of next week. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Main stem Eel
Flows are predicted to surpass 800 cfs Tuesday morning, and could be fishable. With more rain in the forecast next week, it could remain open to fishing all week. The Eel River is open to catch and release of salmon in 2024/25. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
As of Thursday, it looks like the South Fork could rise above the minimum flow requirements by mid next week. Flows are predicted to peak next Tuesday and could remain above the minimum flow threshold all week. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
If the storm prediction is correct, the Van Duzen should approach 250 cfs by next Tuesday morning. It’s predicted to remain above the minimum flow threshold all week. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“Salmon fishing has been decent on the Chetco, with hot fishing following last week’s rain, and plenty of fish with tougher conditions as it drops out this week,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Back-bouncing roe is accounting for most of this fish as the river becomes low and clear. Plugs worked well over the weekend. The river crested at 10,000 cfs, and was down to 3,900 cfs the next morning. It is now down to 600 cfs. More rain is expected to begin next week, which should kick the Elk and Sixes into high gear.”

Sixes River low flow angling closure lifted
Beginning Nov. 1, the Sixes River low flow angling closure was lifted according to a press release issued by the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. It states, “ODFW closed a portion of the river to angling Oct. 1 to protect wild fall chinook salmon vulnerable to snagging or poaching while staging between Crystal Creek and Hughes House Boat Ramp. With increased flows, salmon are now migrating upstream.

Anglers are reminded the bag limit for wild adult chinook in the Sixes River is one adult chinook per day, 10 for the season. Elk River, just south of Sixes River is closed to retention of wild fall chinook this year.” For more information, check the ODFW Recreation Report.

Sport crabbing update
The sport Dungeness crab season opened Saturday, but the weather failed to cooperate. Boats didn’t make it offshore out of Eureka due to large swells. The ocean finally laid down enough Wednesday, and Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing was one of the boats setting gear for Thursday’s crab trips. With a 24-hour soak, Klassen needed just 4 pots to get 60 crabs. “The crabs were all good size, we only had a couple shorts,” said Klassen. “The crabs were really clean and looked pretty full.”

Inside Humboldt Bay, which is typically a good plan B, was reportedly slow for the handful of boats that braved the weather. Offshore conditions look decent for Friday, but a south wind is predicted for the weekend with seven to eight-foot swells.

Nicole McCain of Carson City NV., holds a nice ling cod caught this week out of Shelter Cove. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell, Sea Hawk Sport Fishing

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, rock fishing was pretty good over the weekend in marginal conditions. He said, “The lingcod bite was really good. Crabbing started a little on the slow side, but we managed limits and the meat quality was excellent. Conditions look good the next few days before they start to deteriorate towards the end of the weekend.”

Sport Crab Opens Saturday South of Reading Rock

Crescent City opener delayed due to domoic acid

Eureka resident Joey Sullivan holds a Dungeness crab caught a couple seasons ago aboard the *Reel Steel*. The sport Dungeness crab season will open this Saturday statewide, except for Crescent City. Photo courtesy of MackGraphics Humboldt

In a last minute twist to the Dungeness crab season opener, it was announced Wednesday the sport crab season will open statewide Nov. 2 with the exception being from the CA/OR state line (42° 0.00’ N latitude) south to the southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Reserve (41° 17.6’ N latitude) in Humboldt County. State health agencies determined that Dungeness crab in the Crescent City area have unhealthy levels of domoic acid and recommended the delay.

For Trinidad, Eureka, Shelter Cove, and Fort Bragg, it’s business as usual and the use of recreational crab traps will be allowed when the season opens Saturday. The season’s first traps can legally be deployed at 12:01 a.m. Saturday morning. Anglers, weather permitting, will get their first peek into the health and weight of this season’s crop as the pre-season quality tests have not taken place or the results have yet to be made public.

Also, due to the presence of whales, ports to our south will be temporarily restricted to the recreational take of Dungeness crab using crab traps between the Sonoma/Mendocino County line and Lopez Point, Monterey County (Fishing Zones 3 and 4) when the season opens on Saturday. Recreational take of Dungeness crab by other methods, including hoop nets and crab snares, is not affected by the temporary trap restriction in these areas.Sport crabbers should also implement best practices, as described in the Best Practices Guide.

The season runs from Saturday, Nov. 2 through July 30, 2025. The minimum size is 5 ¾ inches measured by the shortest distance through the body from edge of shell to edge of shell directly in front of and excluding the points (lateral spines). The limit is 10 and a valid California sport fishing license is required along with the new annual crab trap validation ($2.98).

CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place on or around Nov. 15, 2024, at which time the Director will re-evaluate risk for the Dungeness crab fisheries. That risk assessment is expected to inform the potential for a statewide commercial fishery opener on Dec. 1, 2024, and the potential to modify the recreational trap restriction.

On the commercial side, the season south of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line was scheduled to open on Nov. 15, 2024.This fishery has been delayed in zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 due to presence of high numbers of humpback whales. More information can be found here.

Top crabbing locations
With offshore conditions looking rough over the weekend, you can still find plenty of crab. One of the top spots to soak a few rings is Crab Park, located at the end of Cannibal Island Road in Loleta. There’s access to launch a kayak or canoe in the estuary of the Eel River. You can also launch your boat at Pedrazzini Park at the end of Cock Robin Island Road and make your way up the estuary towards the mouth of the Eel.

Humboldt Bay also has a few good locations to catch some crab. Out in front of the PG&E plant is a good spot as well as the flat off of the South Jetty parking lot. Another top location is either side of the channel leading into the South Bay. Up north, inside Trinidad Harbor is another popular spot among the locals. You can launch your small boat, kayak or drift boat right off the beach and head out to Prisoner Rock, where the bottom is sandy and 40 to 50-ft deep. Launching here requires a relatively calm ocean, which doesn’t look to be the case for the weekend.

Weekend Marine Forecast
Ocean conditions don’t look good for Saturday’s crab opener. As of Thursday, north winds and six to nine-foot swells are in the weekend forecast. Saturday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 9 feet at 11 seconds with a chance of showers. Winds will increase Sunday, coming out of the north 10 to 15 knots with north waves 5 feet at six seconds and northwest 6 feet at 10 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.

Weekend Tides – Humboldt Bay
• Sat., Nov. 2: high: 1:41 a.m. and 12:37 p.m.; low: 7:59 a.m. and 8:56 p.m.

Standard time begins at 2:00 a.m. Sunday
• Sun., Nov. 3: high: 2:23 a.m. and 1:03 p.m.; low: 8:29 a.m. and 9:33 p.m.

Mussel quarantine lifted for most of the California coast
In a press release issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Wednesday, the statewide annual quarantine on mussels taken for human consumption by sport-harvesters from California’s ocean waters ends at midnight Thursday, October 31, 2024, for all coastal counties except Del Norte, Marin, and Monterey.

CDPH statement
“CDPH warns against eating sport-harvested bivalve shellfish (including mussels, clams, and scallops) from Del Norte, Marin, and Monterey counties, due to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins detected in mussels from these counties and/or absence of recent data to lift the advisories. The naturally occurring PSP toxins can cause illness or death in humans. Unfortunately, cooking does not destroy the toxins.

The annual quarantine on sport-harvested mussels for human consumption, which typically runs May 1 through October 31, is intended to protect the public from shellfish poisoning caused by marine biotoxins. There have been no reports of shellfish related poisonings in California during this quarantine period.” More information can be found here.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, the Smith River was the only river open to fishing. But that should change as the rest of the North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the main stem and South Fork Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen, could open to fishing prior to the weekend. 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.

Smith
The Smith opened to fishing last Sunday afternoon after topping out at 1,130 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge. There was a good push of fish moving above Rowdy Creek on the rise. By Monday, conditions were stable and the fishing was excellent with fish stacked in the holes from the forks down. There were lots of jacks being caught, along with some nice adults. Some bright fish were in the mix as well. Flows were on the drop Tuesday and the bite slowed. The river closed to fishing Wednesday, but that was short lived. Rain began to fall Wednesday afternoon, and the river opened back up Thursday. With a couple days of good rain, the Smith is forecast to peak at 7,300 cfs (10.3 feet) on the Jed Smith gauge late Saturday morning. Conditions should be prime for Saturday and Sunday. The daily bag limit is one Chinook salmon per day and no more than five wild Chinook salmon over 22 inches per year. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station. www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

Carrie McNeill landed her first-ever Smith River salmon on Saturday. The king weighed in at 16 pounds. Photo courtesy of Jesse McNeill,

Mad
Forecast to reach 335 cfs by Saturday afternoon and may have some color. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Main stem Eel
Flows are predicted to hit 700 cfs Sunday morning, and could be fishable. The Eel River is open to catch and release of salmon in 2024/25. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.
www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
As of Thursday, it looks like the South Fork could open to fishing by Saturday, but flows are expected to fall under the minimum by Sunday. There’s a good chance it will stay closed. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda. www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
If the storm prediction is correct, the Van Duzen won’t reach the flow threshold in order to open to fishing. It’s forecast to peak at 115 cfs Saturday afternoon. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.
www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Chetco
“Big numbers of jacks were caught on the Chetco Sunday and Monday before fishing slowed dramatically Tuesday as river levels dropped,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Lower river holes were plugged full of salmon before the weekend rains, and by Tuesday the fish appeared to have shot upriver. Fresh schools of kings moved into the tidewater on Tuesday evening. Heavy rain this week should result in prime conditions the beginning of next week. Ice Box is expected to open after the big rains. Launch permits are available at the Chetco Outdoor Store.”

Fort Bragg Plugged with Albacore

Garberville resident Tim Bently holds a large albacore caught over the weekend while fishing out of Fort Bragg. Photo courtesy of Dennis Cordova

At most of the coastal ports still holding out hope for late season tuna, the fat lady has already sung. But not in Fort Bragg where the albacore bite has been wide-open when the boats are able to get out. The bite really kicked in last Tuesday, and on fishable days, boats have been catching all they can handle. And the fish are close too. Fifteen to 25 miles offshore has been the general area where the water temps are running 55 to 57 degrees. The fish have been big too, with lots of fish over 20 pounds coming over the rails. One of the local charter boats put in 88 tuna on a trip mid last week, and the sport fleet are reporting scores up to 35 fish. And they’re leaving em’ biting! Even Shelter Cove got in on the bite last Tuesday. A sport boat was heading south to Fort Bragg after hearing the reports, but instead found fish right out front of the Cove 15 miles offshore. They boated 40 fish and were surrounded by jumpers all day.
Earlier in the week, conditions were looking prime for Friday and Saturday, but the forecast has taken a turn for the worse. The updated forecast is now calling for south winds, which isn’t good and can make for a very bad trip.
No one know how much longer these fish will be around, and there’s a large number out there. So, if a weather window opens up, you’ll want to be there.

Weekend marine forecast
As of Thursday, winds are creating small craft advisory conditions in the outer waters due to wind waves. The driving force behind these winds will wane Thursday night due to an incoming warm front. This warm front is forecast to create southerly winds in our area from Friday through Saturday with the strongest forecasted in the northern outer water Friday evening. By Saturday morning, another front will send fairly steep waves into our waters through the weekend.

As of Thursday, the forecast out 10 to 60 nautical miles for Friday is calling for winds out of the south 15 to 20 knots with north waves 4 feet at six seconds and west 2 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday is calling for winds from the south 10 to 15 knots and south waves 5 feet at five seconds and west 11 feet at 12 seconds. Sunday the winds will come from the west up to 10 knots and south waves 3 feet at four seconds and west 7 feet at 11 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.

Dungeness crab domoic acid testing continues
Domoic acid testing in Dungeness crabs continues on the California coast. To date, samples from Half Moon Bay/San Francisco (Pidgeon and Pillar Point), four collection sites off Bodega Bay, Monterey, and Eureka have been reported. Two of the sites, the Russian River and Eureka LP site, have exceeded the action level of 30 parts per million. For more information, visit www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/DomoicAcid.aspx

Dungeness crab season could open under Fleet Advisory
Along with the emergence of domoic acid, the start to the recreational crab fishery will likely open under a fleet advisory due to the number of humpback whale sightings. Under a fleet advisory, traps are prohibited but hoop nets will still be allowed.

It is anticipated that the delay and trap prohibition for commercial and recreational fishery would be in place until at least the next Risk Assessment, which is expected to occur on or around November 15, 2024. That assessment will inform a potential commercial fishery opener on December 1, 2024, and/or a lifting of the trap restriction for the recreational fishery.

Expired marine flare collection events
In an Oct. 9 press release issued by California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC), the Make the Electronic Marine Flare Switch campaign have partnered with CalRecycle, and the California State Parks and Coastal Commission’s California Boating Clean and Green Program to collect expired marine flares and educate residents about marine flare management safety, including the advantages of reusable distress signals, to protect California communities and the local environment.
Residents and boaters berthing their boats in Alameda County, Del Norte County, Humboldt County, West Contra Costa County, Marin County, the City of Morro Bay, the Port of LA, and the Port of San Diego can take their expired marine flares to their county’s designated marine flare collection events in the fall.

A collection date for Del Norte and Humboldt County has been set for Saturday, November 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1700 State Street, Crescent City. For more information, visit www.calpsc.org/marineflareswitchcampaign

The Oceans:
Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, there hasn’t been much activity from the Eureka fleet. “I’ve heard a few guys have been out for Pacific halibut, but it sounded slow,” said Klassen. “A couple were reportedly caught. We went out Wednesday and landed one on a short day. There hasn’t been much effort on the deep-water rockfish lately.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, rock fishing has been good with easy limits in the deep water. He said, “Most of the effort has been outside of the Hat. There hasn’t been any tuna action since last Sunday when boats went southwest 15 to 30 miles. Scores tanged from zero to 12, with only a couple boats landing over 10. Some boats will likely try again Friday.”

Brookings
Halibut continue to be caught on calm-weather days out of Brookings, although catch rates have dropped reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Plenty of nice fish were brought in over the weekend,” said Martin. “Rockfish action has been very good, while lingcod fishing has been slow to fair. Sport crabbing is now closed. There is a weather window Thursday and Friday before stormy weather is expected on Saturday.”

North Coast river closures
Currently, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith and Van Duzen are closed. Sections of rivers that are open include the main stem Smith River from its mouth to the mouth of Rowdy Creek.

The Department of Fish and Game 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 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:
Main Eel
Over three-quarters of an inch of rain is predicted between Saturday night and Monday. Flows are predicted to peak at 575 cfs early Tuesday morning at Scotia. Could potentially open up to fishing. Minimum flows are 350 cfs to lift angling restrictions.

South Fork Eel
Currently closed to fishing as flows were just above 25 cfs. If the forecast holds, not enough rain will fall to open it up to fishing. Predicted to reach 278 cfs Monday. Minimum flows are 340 cfs to lift angling restrictions.

Smith River
The Smith was running at 275 cfs as of Thursday and closed to fishing above Rowdy Creek, but rain is on the way. Nearly 2 inches is in the forecast starting Saturday. Flows are predicted to peak at 700 cfs, which could open it to fishing. Minimum flows to lift angling restrictions are 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station.

Eliot Gavin of Eureka landed his first-ever salmon while drifting the Trinity River with guide Damon Albright. The salmon was safely released after a quick photo.

Lower Klamath/Trinity
Water conditions on the lower Klamath have improved, but the season is pretty much done for the fall. On the Trinity, the steelhead fishing has reportedly been excellent throughout the river. There’s plenty of half-pounders in the mix and some nice adults.

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. The recreational fall salmon fishery is closed to the take of Chinook. More information, can be found here.

Chetco/Lower Rogue
According to Martin, salmon are spread throughout the Chetco, but low water has limited opportunities for drift boaters. “Ambitious bank anglers are catching fish just above the tidewater. There is a mix of dark and bright adults and jacks. The Chetco estuary is still producing good numbers of fish. Around 30 kings were landed Tuesday, with a few fish in the upper 40s. Rain is coming, but the river could still be low next week.”

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.

North Coast Rivers Likely to Remain Closed

Incoming Storm Won’t Pack Enough Punch To Open Rivers

The Chetco estuary continues to be the hot spot for kings, with plenty of big ones being landed daily. Pictured above is Capt. Rye Phillips, right, of Brookings Fishing Charters holding a client’s salmon. Photo courtesy of Brookings Fishing Charters

The good news is we’re about to see a weather pattern shift, bringing with it the first rainstorm of the season. Unfortunately, it looks like it will fall well short of what we need to open up the rivers to fishing. The bulk of the rain is forecast to fall south of the Mad River. The main stem Eel could see up to a half inch on Saturday while the South Fork Eel may see up to three-quarters of an inch. While this will help, the parched rivers will need inches of rain along with consistent storms to open them up. Hopefully this is just the beginning and the storm door has been pushed open. In the meantime, the Chetco continues to be the bright spot on the coast for kings. If you’re looking for big fish, you’ll want to get there before the rains come and they all make their way upriver.

Weekend marine forecast
South winds, albeit slight, are in the forecast for Friday and Saturday. As of Thursday afternoon, out 10 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the south 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 4 feet at 11 seconds and southwest 2 feet at 14 seconds. Saturday, winds will be out of the southeast 10 to 15 knots with south waves 4 feet at five seconds and west 6 feet at 11 seconds. Sunday, winds will be up to 5 knots out of the northwest with west waves 6 feet at 11 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 https://www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Expired marine flare collection events
In an Oct. 9 press release issued by California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC), the Make the Electronic Marine Flare Switch campaign have partnered with CalRecycle, and the California State Parks and Coastal Commission’s California Boating Clean and Green Program to collect expired marine flares and educate residents about marine flare management safety, including the advantages of reusable distress signals, to protect California communities and the local environment.
Residents and boaters berthing their boats in Alameda County, Del Norte County, Humboldt County, West Contra Costa County, Marin County, the City of Morro Bay, the Port of LA, and the Port of San Diego can take their expired marine flares to their county’s designated marine flare collection events in the fall.

A collection date for Del Norte and Humboldt County has been set for Saturday, November 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1700 State Street, Crescent City. For more information, visit www.calpsc.org/marineflareswitchcampaign

Warnings lifted for some shellfish in Humboldt County
According to a press release issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), shellfish safety notifications have been lifted for sport-harvested mussels, scallops, and most types of clams from Humboldt County. A warning against eating sport-harvested razor clams from Humboldt County remains in effect as razor clams are a high risk for long-term elevated levels of domoic acid. Razor clams are known to retain domoic acid toxin in their meat and tissues much longer than other species of bivalve shellfish. More information can be found here.

Dungeness crab testing continues
Domoic acid testing in Dungeness crabs continues on the California coast. To date, samples from Half Moon Bay/San Francisco (Pidgeon and Pillar Point) and four collection sites off Bodega Bay have been reported. Only the Russian River site exceeded the action level of 30 parts per million. For more information, visit www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/DomoicAcid.aspx

The Oceans:
Eureka
“Excellent ocean conditions last weekend allowed boats to venture out to the deep water for rockfish where the fishing was excellent,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The Pacific halibut bite was slow over the weekend, but there wasn’t much effort. “Ocean conditions are looking good again this weekend.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, the deep water rock fishing was really good over the weekend with easy limits, but only a lingcod per rod. “Looks like we have some decent weather coming up this weekend again,” said Mitchell. “Most of the effort was along the edge of the canyon.”

Brookings
Halibut fishing remains decent out of Brookings, while lingcod and rockfish action has been good reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Sport crabbing also is good,” said Martin. “The forecast looks promising this weekend.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Water conditions on the lower Klamath remain off color and unfishable. Conditions should begin to improve soon as dam removal work has finished and water clarity is improving upriver. It’s not likely conditions will improve enough for steelhead fishing before the rains come.

Chetco/Rogue
According to Martin, lots of big salmon are being caught in the Chetco estuary, while a few salmon also have moved into the tidewater. “The good fishing has attracted big crowds, with more than 30 boats crammed into the small area between the jetties. Fish to 40 pounds are being caught daily. With no major rain in the forecast, the estuary fishing is expected to last for another few weeks. Salmon fishing has slowed in the Rogue Bay, but kings and coho are still moving through.”

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.

Waiting For Rain – and Late Fall Kings

Late fall kings, like the one pictured with angler Ryan Galovic, will begin to make their way into the coastal rivers once the winter rains begin. Anglers will be able to harvest Chinook salmon this fall on the Smith while sections of the Eel will be open to catch and release. Photo courtesy of Kenny Priest/Fishing the North Coast Guide Service

While we wait for rain to fill our coastal rivers with much-needed water and late fall Chinook salmon, the North Coast is not without angling options.
Offshore, the boat-based rockfish and lingcod season will run through the end of the year. For the months of October and December within the Northern Management Area, which includes ocean waters between 42°00’ N. latitude (CA-OR Border) and 40°10′ N. latitude (near Cape Mendocino), fishing for rockfish will only be allowed seaward of the 50-fathom boundary line, and only shelf rockfish, slope rockfish and lingcod may be retained. The nearshore fishery will be open Nov. 1, coinciding with the Nov. 2 sport Dungeness crab opener. Crab and rockfish combo trips are uber-popular and you’ll want to take advantage while you can.

Rockfish and federally managed groundfish for diving and shore-based anglers is allowed year-round, in line with current regulations.

If you haven’t got your fill of Pacific halibut, there’s plenty of quota still left on the table. As of Sept. 8, only 18,157 pounds have been harvested against the 38,220 net pound quota. The season closes Nov. 15, so there’s a couple weeks to run some crab and halibut combo trips.

When the rain does begin to fall and the rivers open, the Smith will be popular as it will be the only place in California where you can legally harvest a salmon. You are allowed one Chinook salmon per day and no more than 5 wild Chinook over 22 inches per year. The Smith is currently closed to fishing above Rowdy Creek. Minimum flows are 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station for the river to open to fishing. Sections of the Eel and Van Duzen will be open to the catch and release of Chinook salmon in 2024. On the Eel, catch and release is legal from the mouth to Cape Horn dam. The South Fork from its mouth to Rattlesnake Creek is also open to catch and release as well as the Van Duzen from its junction with the Eel River to the end of Golden Gate Drive near Bridgeville. All of these sections are restricted under low-flow fishing closures. The Chetco estuary is another good option as it continues to produce big kings to anglers trolling anchovies. Hopefully the wait for rain won’t be a lengthy one, but if it is, you’ve got options.

Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions look to be much improved heading into the weekend. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast out 10 to 60 nautical miles is calling for winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 5 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday, winds will be out of the north 10 to 15 knots with north waves 4 feet at five seconds and northwest 4 feet at nine seconds. Sunday, the winds will be 10 to 15 knots out of the north with north waves 4 feet at five seconds and 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 https://www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Dungeness crab testing getting started
Domoic acid testing in Dungeness crabs is just getting started on the California coast. To date, only samples from Half Moon Bay/San Francisco (Pidgeon and Pillar Point) have been reported. None of the tested crabs exceeded the action level of 30 parts per million. For more information, visit www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/DomoicAcid.aspx

The Oceans:
Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, there hasn’t been any offshore opportunities the past couple weeks due to weather. “It looks like we’ve finally have some decent ocean conditions starting Friday and through the weekend,” said Klassen. “Pacific halibut and deep-water rockfish should be within reach.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, it was another quiet week at the Cove due to ocean conditions. “The outlook for later this week and the weekend is much improved,” said Mitchell.

Brookings
“Halibut action has slowed, but fish are being caught on calm weather days,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Lingcod action is fair, with limits of rockfish for most boats. Be ready to release king salmon if fishing near the beaches and mouth of the river. Sport crabbing has been good.”

Willow Creek weir counts
For the week ending Sept. 23, a total of 101 adult kings were counted at the Willow Creek weir. The jack count for the week was 49. For the season to date, 285 (adults and jacks) have been counted, including both hatchery and wild. The totals are for only 23 trapping days.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Water conditions on the lower Klamath continue to be dirty and unfishable, but that should begin to change soon. All the work in the river for dam removal was complete as of Tuesday. The water below the old dam sites is still dirty, but improving. It’s not likely conditions will improve enough for steelhead fishing before the rains come.
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. The recreational fall salmon fishery is closed to the take of Chinook. More information, can be found here.

Chetco/Rogue
|According to Martin, salmon fishing has been good at times in the Chetco estuary, with numerous fish caught daily, including some large adults and plenty of jacks. “Fish to 35 pounds or bigger are being caught each week, with lots of fish over 20 pounds. Salmon also are holding in the tidewater areas of the river now. The bay is crowded, and most fish are being caught near the end of the jetties, so be ready for combat fishing. Kings also are being caught on the Rogue Bay.”

‘Offshore Only’ Rockfish Season Begins Oct. 1

Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing and client hold a nice vermilion rockfish from a recent trip to Cape Mendocino. As of Oct. 1, the inshore fishery will close and the offshore only fishery will take place for the month. Angling for rockfish will only be allowed seaward of 300 feet throughout Oct. Photo courtesy of Tim Klassen/Reel Steel Sport Fishing

After a productive, fun-filled five-month season of nearshore rock fishing, the month of October will force anglers back to deeper water. Beginning Oct. 1 within the Northern Management Area, which includes ocean waters between 42°00’ N. latitude (CA-OR Border) and 40°10′ N. latitude (near Cape Mendocino), fishing for rockfish will only be allowed seaward of the 50-fathom boundary line, and only shelf rockfish, slope rockfish and lingcod may be retained. Take and possession of nearshore rockfish, cabezon and greenling are prohibited during the offshore fishery. In the Mendocino Management Area, which includes Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg, all the seasons are the same as the Northern Management Area.

Divers and shore-based anglers will continue to be exempt from boat-based season restrictions affecting rockfish and other federally managed groundfish, which allows for year-round diving and shore-based angling, in line with current regulations.
Just in time for crab/rockfish/halibut combo trips, the Northern Management Area will once again open to inshore fishing on Nov. 1. where take is prohibited seaward of the 20 fathom (120 feet) boundary line.

Weekend marine forecast
Breezy conditions will continue in the outer waters through the weekend. As of Thursday, the forecast out 10 to 60 nautical miles for Friday is calling for winds out of the north 20 to 25 knots with north waves 5 feet at five seconds and northwest 8 feet at 13 seconds. Saturday is calling for winds from the north 20 to 25 knots and north waves 10 feet at eight seconds and northwest 9 feet at 12 seconds. Sunday’s winds will be similar, blowing 25 to 30 knots with gusts to 40 knots and north waves 12 feet at 10 seconds and northwest 5 feet at 11 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.

Low flow river closures in effect since Sept. 1
As Sept. 1, 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.

Pacific halibut quota update
As of September 8, California’s share of Area 2A’s quota, which includes Washington and Oregon, is at 47 percent, with just 18,157 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
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, boats have been tied up all week due to rough seas. “It looks like it will start to come down by Tuesday or Wednesday,” said Klassen. “The tuna water looks to be long gone, but there are plenty of Pacific halibut left to catch. In the meantime, the California halibut bite in the bay is still pretty good. We ran a trip on Tuesday and caught limits up to 32 inches on live bait.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, the rockfish bite has been really good. He said, “The lingcod bite has been good as good as well, and seems to be getting better. The Pacific halibut action is decent, a friend of mine landed a 73-pounder Tuesday.”

Crescent City
According to Dan Moore of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, the weather has been a little iffy, but when the boats can get out the rockfish bite has been good. “Limits are still coming pretty easily,” said Moore. “The lingcod bite has been a little tougher. Ocean conditions the last couple weeks have kept boats from targeting Pacific halibut. The perch bite is excellent when the conditions are right.”

Brookings
Halibut fishing has been slow out of Brookings, while lingcod and rockfish action remains good reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Crabbing also has improved,” said Martin. “Nice weather the middle of this week could boost halibut catches. Even during last week’s strong winds, limits of rockfish were caught close to the harbor.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Water conditions on the lower Klamath continue to be dirty and unfishable due dam removal work upriver. There are fish making their way into the river, but most anglers and guides have moved to other rivers. Hopefully water conditions start to improve at some point, but it remains to be seen if it happens before the king run is over.
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. The recreational fall salmon fishery is closed to the take of Chinook. More information, can be found here.

Customers fishing with Capt. Rye Phillips of Brookings Fishing Charters show some of the kings they caught Tuesday in the Chetco estuary, with fish to 38 pounds. Photo courtesy of Brookings Fishing Charters

Chetco/Lower Rogue
According to Martin, salmon fishing remains fair to good on the Rogue Bay, and good at times on the Chetco estuary. “Days with high catch rates have been followed with slow action the next as the fish move in and out with the tides. Tuesday was good, with most guides getting one to two fish a rod. Lots of fish over 25 pounds are being caught. Ocean anglers are encountering salmon while bottom fishing, indicating plenty of kings are staging near the mouth of the river.”

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.