Recent Columns

If you’re looking to catch and keep big, ocean-bright kings, you’ll want to keep Chetco River estuary on your radar. Salmon have been staging in the tidewater since early September and they’ll be there until enough rain falls and allows them to make their way upriver. And according to Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing, the season at the mouth of the Chetco is now in full swing. “Catch rates improved over the weekend to a fish per rod or better, with plenty of kings topping 25 pounds,” said Martin. “A few fish in the upper 30-pound range, or bigger, have been caught. A rise in flows could stall the action for a few days, but expect fresh kings to show up as flows drop the end of the week. The Chetco rose from 50 cfs to more than 600 cfs on Monday. It’s still too early for decent fishing upriver, although jacks were already schooling at Tide Rock and Social Security Bar, and adult kings are likely to arrive with the heavy rain on Monday. Bobber fishing is allowed above the estuary. For trolling, the last few hours of the incoming tide and first few hours of the outgo have been best. Most of the fish are being caught near the tips of the jetties.” Trolling 360 flashers with spinner blades or anchovies has been effective this season.

The daily bag limit for salmon on the Chetco is two adult fish per day, no more than one adult wild Chinook. Anglers may harvest adult hatchery Chinook until the daily bag limit has been met. Once the adult daily limit is harvested, anglers cannot continue to fish for jack salmon. Angling restricted to fly fishing (must include a strike indicator) or bobber fishing from RM 2.2 to Nook Creek Sep 1 – Nov 3. For additional Chetco regulations, visit eregulations.com/oregon/fishing/southwest-zone.

Weekend marine forecast
Northerly winds will redevelop beginning Wednesday and will trend up heading into the weekend. As of Thursday, out 10 to 60 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the north 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 6 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday, winds will be out of the north 25 to 35 knots with north waves 14 feet at 10 seconds. Sunday doesn’t look much better with winds coming from the north 15 to 25 knots and north waves 11 feet at nine 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 fishing closures
As of Wednesday, all reaches of the Smith River were open to fishing. However, they will all be closed beginning Thursday, Sept. 28 due to descending river flows.

All other North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen remain closed. 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, 2024.

2023 Smith and Eel River salmon regulations
In an emergency action in response to historic lows in abundance of California stocks of Chinook salmon, the Fish and Game Commission acted to close all recreational Chinook Salmon fisheries in the Smith and Eel Rivers. According to the 2023-2024 California Supplemental Sport Fishing Regulations, the Smith is closed to all salmon fishing except for 1 Chinook Salmon and no more than 5 wild Chinook Salmon over 22 inches per year by federally recognized tribes while fishing under existing inland sport fishing regulations. The Eel River is closed to salmon fishing except catch and release by federally recognized tribes.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The deep-water rock fishing remains excellent when conditions allow us to get out according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “We tried to make it out on Saturday, but it was a little too rough,” said Klassen. “Sunday was quite different day as it was completely flat and the fishing was wide-open. Limits came very easily, with canary, yellowtail, and widow rockfish making up the majority of the catch. The tuna water has moved out and there’s a good chance it’s done for the season. I heard a boat or two went over the weekend, but didn’t find any tuna.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, they had a pretty good blow last week that kept them off the water. He said, “We were able to get back out Friday and had easy limits of rockfish outside the Hat, but only one lingcod. Saturday, we ran up to Rodgers Break where we had excellent rock fishing, but came up a couple lings short of limits.  A few boats made it out for tuna on Saturday and the high boat had 14.  Looks like we have pretty crappy weather for the remainder of the week.”

Crescent City
According to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, there isn’t much happening in Crescent City at the moment. “The weather hasn’t been nice enough to get out for deep-water rockfish,” said Carson. “The tuna has pretty much dried up and the California halibut bite has been nonexistent as well.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Dirty water from the weekend storms found its way to the lower Klamath Wednesday, but it didn’t deter some decent fishing. There’s still some steelhead and salmon around to make for a good day. A reminder that there is a zero bag limit for salmon. The daily bag limit for hatchery steelhead is two 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. For more information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=202686&inline

Kenny Priest (he/him) 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.

Last week I mentioned that Crescent City would a been the port of choice for albacore anglers. Well, that turned out to not be true. Fort Bragg was the overwhelming top port if you’re looking at the numbers of tuna landed as well as the variety. There were plenty of boats that landed well over 40 albacore and putting 30 aboard put you in the average category. And there was also an abundance of Bigeye tuna hooked, with quite a few hitting the decks. There were also a couple marlin brough back to the dock. Looking ahead, Fort Bragg again looks to be the spot. The warm water is now even closer and ocean conditions are lining up for Saturday – all signs are pointing to another blood bath out of the picturesque Mendocino port. Here locally, the warm water has begun to break up and dissipate. On top of that, the fishing last weekend just wasn’t good when everything lined up. So, if you’re headed south, expect some company, along with plenty of tuna.

Weekend marine forecast
After strong offshore winds mid-week, they will trend weaker beginning Thursday and Friday. As of Thursday, the forecast out 10 to 60 nautical miles for Friday is calling for winds out of the northwest 5 to 15 knots with north waves 7 feet at six seconds. Saturday is calling for winds from the south 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 5 feet at 10 seconds. Sunday the winds will increase, and come from the south 20 to 30 knots and south waves 7 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.

The Oceans:
Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, the tuna bite was slow last Saturday. “I think only four boats went, and the scores weren’t very good. The high boat had 10 and the others had a handful. The water is still sitting to our north, but it doesn’t look as good. Saturday’s ocean conditions look good, so I’m sure there will be some more effort. The deep-water rock fishing is still really good when conditions allow us to get out.”

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, “The lingcod, however, are becoming even harder to come by in the deep. We spent the last few days offshore tying for tuna around the Vizcaino Canyon.  We averaged 24 per trip over the three days. We boated mostly peanuts with some really nice ones mixed in.”

Crescent City
According to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, it’s been pretty quiet this week as tuna has been the only game in town. “Boats went out last weekend but the fishing was pretty slow,” said Carson. “Most boats went out 20 to 30 miles and scores were pretty low. Six to seven per boat were some of the top scores, and most had less. The water is still sitting offshore, and it looks like the weather will again cooperate this weekend.”

Brookings
Halibut fishing was good over the weekend, but windy weather will keep boaters in close for a few days reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Calmer weather is expected Friday and Saturday,” said Martin. “Anglers are waiting a decision by ODFW on transferring unused quota from the northern Oregon Coast as the South Coast quota is on the verge of being reached. Lingcod and rockfish action is fair to good.”

Chetco bubble season a no-go
Back in June, the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) proposed an ocean king salmon season off the mouth of the Chetco, known as the “bubble season.” At Friday’s Commission meeting, ODFW did not recommend the fishery to the commission.

The commission did adopt regulations for ocean terminal area fall Chinook seasons for both the recreational and commercial troll salmon fisheries in the ocean waters immediately adjacent to the Elk River. These seasons will be open from November 1-30 within the established boundaries of the Elk River Fall Chinook Terminal Area.

Recreational Season Regulations:

• Open November 1-30 within the Elk River Fall Chinook Terminal Area: defined as shoreward of a line drawn from Cape Blanco (42°50‘20″ N Lat.) to Black Rock (42°49‘24″ N Lat. / 124°35‘00″ W. Long.) to Best Rock (42°47‘24″ N Lat. / 124°35‘42″ W. Long.) to 42°40’30”N / 124°29’00” W to Humbug Mt.
• Daily bag limit of 1 Chinook per angler with a minimum length of 24″
• Terminal tackle limited to no more than 2 single point barbless hooks
• Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve is closed to all fishing

For more information, visit https://www.dfw.state.or.us/mrp/salmon/#Updates

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Salmon fishing remains good for both jacks and adults on the lower Klamath. Side-drifting soft beads in the riffles and slots has produced fish from the Glen to Johnson’s. A reminder that there is a zero bag limit for salmon. The daily bag limit for hatchery steelhead is two 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. For more information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=202686&inline

Chetco/Lower Rogue
According to Martin, salmon fishing remains decent at the mouth of the Chetco. “A dozen or so kings are being caught most days, with anchovies fished behind 360 flashers working best. Seals have been problematic along the jetties. Salmon fishing has been good in the Rogue Bay.”

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 wind and currents have done wonders for the warm water placement, and for those looking to get in on the tuna action. And no port looks better right now than Crescent City. The warm water has moved right to their doorstep, well within 20 miles. The only thing that could play spoiler is the ocean conditions. As of Wednesday, conditions looked good through Sunday, but things can change quickly. Based on last weekend’s scores, we know the fish are there. Boats traveled from 30 to 65 miles offshore, with scores all over the board. Boats that went the furthest did best, with some putting in over 40 albacore. There was even an encounter with a marlin. Closer to home, the water is now well within reach of both Eureka and Trinidad. However, different weather models are painting different pictures. It will likely come down to a gametime decision. If you’re looking to head south to Fort Bragg, be prepared for a crowd if the forecast holds. The hard edge is right at 30 miles and boats will be lined up at both ramps.

Weekend marine forecast
Winds remain light each day near the coast Thursday into the weekend, while northerlies of about 10 to 15 knots persist in the outer zones. Northerlies may then ramp back up into the low to mid 20 knots range early next week. As of Thursday, the forecast from 10 to 60 nautical miles for Friday is calling for winds out of the north 5 to 15 knots with north waves 6 feet at six seconds and south 3 at 15 seconds. Saturday is calling for winds from the north 5 to 15 knots and north waves 5 feet at six seconds and south 3 feet at 14 seconds. Sunday the winds will be from the north 10 to 20 knots and north waves 7 feet at eight seconds and northwest 3 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.

Trinidad launch closing for the season
According to the Humboldt Tuna Club website, the floating dock and moorings will be removed on Thursday and the launch is closed for the season.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Conditions were once again excellent over the weekend and early this week and a few boats made the run out deep to target rockfish. Scores were very good, with most getting all they needed along with some big lingcod. A couple boats took advantage of the weather Sunday and made the long run for tuna. One of the boats found a good bite out nearly 75 miles. The warm water has moved within 30 miles of Eureka, but the forecast models are not yet in agreement if conditions will be doable.

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, deep-water fishing outside the Hat has been productive. He said, “When the weather allowed us to get out, the rock fishing was pretty good with easy limits of mostly yellowtails and a few widows, Boccaccio and vermilion mixed in.  The lingcod fishing has been very slow out there in the deep, and we’re just averaging a few per trip. If the forecast holds, we should have some good opportunities for tuna over the weekend.”

Crescent City
According to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, a few boats went out for tuna over the weekend. “Some boats ran as far as 65 miles, and they did better than the boats that fished closer,” said Carson. “Reported scores ranged from high twenties to the mid-forties. The boats that fished closer scored mostly in the teens. The weather and water are shaping up nicely for the weekend. The California halibut bite remains slow, with just a few being caught by the boats trolling South Beach. The bank fishery has pretty much dried up. There are a few boats fishing out past 50 fathoms for rockfish, and they’re catching a few. I haven’t heard of any limits reported.”

Brookings
“After striking out on Friday and Saturday, boats venturing out of Brookings for tuna found schools of fish on Sunday, with an average of 20 albacore per boat 30 to 35 miles out,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Halibut fishing remains good, with a fish per rod or better. The best fishing has been in 180 to 220 feet of water. Lingcod and rockfish action also has been good. A few California halibut are being caught near the port beach.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
River conditions have improved dramatically in the past couple weeks, and there’s plenty of visibility and green water. Both salmon and steelhead are making their migration upriver. Fishing pressure is 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. For more information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=202686&inline

Chetco/Lower Rogue
Salmon fishing is fair in the Chetco estuary, and good in the Rogue Bay according to Martin. “Fresh kings are arriving daily in both systems. Salmon fishing also has improved near Grants Pass on the Middle Rogue.”

Kenny Priest (he/him) 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 warm water that holds all types of tuna continues to sit well offshore from Eureka, Trinidad, and Crescent City. But that hasn’t stopped a few dedicated and hardcore anglers. On Sunday, ocean conditions were ideal and a few boats made the long run leaving from Eureka and Trinidad. The boats needed to travel over 60 miles out, but it was worth the effort. Scores that were reported ranged from 20 to nearly 50 per boat. A handful fished out of Crescent City as well, with most of the boats getting skunked. Reportedly there were four tuna landed between the small fleet. Local boats are once again keeping an eye on Sunday for another possible weather window. Ports to our north and south continue their assault on the longfins. Fort Bragg was one of the hot spots. Boats fishing within 40 miles of port did really well, with the high boat reportedly bringing over 80 albacore aboard. With borderline conditions here locally, many are hitting the road and headed north to Coos Bay where the edge is within 40 miles and the fishing has been consistently good.

Weekend marine forecast
A small mid period northwest swell and a long period southerly swell will persist into the weekend. Out 10 to 60 nautical miles north of the cape, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 10 to 15 knots and waves out of the north 5 feet at 5 seconds and south 3 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday is calling for north winds to 5 to 10 knots and waves north 4 feet at five seconds and south 3 feet at 14 seconds. Sunday, winds will be out of the north 5 to 15 knots and waves north 5 feet at five seconds and south 5 feet at 17 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Conditions were excellent over the weekend and a handful of boats targeted deep-water rockfish. Scores were reportedly very good, with most getting all they needed along with limits of lingcod. A few boats also took advantage of the weather and made the long run for tuna. Most of the boats ran out at least 60 miles, but he fishing was good. Scores ranged between 20 and 50 albacore per boat.

Shelter Cove
“We spent the last couple days of the nearshore rock fishing season right in front in 40 feet of water,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We had easy limits of rockfish and even got limits of lings both of those days.  We had a one-day window Sunday to get offshore and chase tuna. We fished around the Knoll, roughly 36 miles from port, where we had a very good early morning bite, but it died off late morning. We ended the day with 29 mixed grade albacore. The weather doesn’t look good the rest of the week so we’ll likely be deep-water rock fishing.”

Crescent City
A few Thresher sharks are being caught at South Beach, according to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “Guys who are doing best are sitting on the anchor with chum lines to bring the sharks to them. I know of at least five caught last week, including one that weighed 198 pounds. The California halibut bite has slowed a little, but the guys who know what they’re doing are still catching. Trolling anchovies along South Beach has been the ticket. A few boats have been rock fishing out past 50 fathoms when possible and are doing ok.

Brookings
Tuna fishing has been slow out of Brookings, as the albacore are 80 to 100 miles out reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Some Brookings-based boats have been trailering to Coos Bay to fish 15 to 30 miles off Charleston with better success,” said Martin. “Halibut fishing remains good, especially on calmer weather days. Lingcod fishing is fair, while rockfish action has been wide open. Ocean salmon is now closed out of Brookings.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The river has cleared enough to fish, but it’s still not green. Reportedly there are some fish, both salmon and steelhead, making their way upriver. Fishing pressure is 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. For more information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=202686&inline

Lower Rogue/Chetco
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay remains solid for fall salmon, with a mix of adult kings, jacks and now wild and hatchery coho. “Cooler water temperatures have allowed bigger numbers of salmon to move upriver. Salmon are now being caught by bank anglers near Grants Pass. The Chetco estuary is slow to fair for salmon, with a handful of kings caught each day.”

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 over the weekend were about perfect, and there was tuna to be had. But you had to travel a long way, which plenty of boats did. Starting in Fort Bragg, where boats had the shortest run at 35 miles, at least one charter boat loaded the boat both Friday and Saturday. They were big fish too, with a few over 30 pounds. Plenty of private boats got in on the bite as well. One boat put in 30 jumbos with a solid 25-pound average. Shelter Cove boats did well too, with scores ranging from 10 to 40 per boat roughly 40 miles out. Closer to home, the Eureka boats put on some serious miles starting Friday. Jeff Stackhouse of Stackhouse Guide Service made an 80-mile run straight west and was rewarded with a couple nice Bigeye tuna and a handful of albacore. Saturday saw a couple of other charters venture far offshore. Eric Justesen of 707 Sportfishing ran slightly southwest 75 miles and boated 38 tuna and a Dorado. Marc Schmidt of Coastline Charters headed south to the Gorda Valley where he put 37 albacore in the box. Up in Trinidad, one private boat ran 70 plus miles offshore and boated 42 albacore. The common theme here is no distance is too far for these tuna guys. Looking ahead, the weekend is shaping up to be another chance at tuna. Hopefully the water will be a little closer.

Weekend marine forecast
Stronger northerlies are in the forecast at least through Friday. Saturday winds will decrease and come out of the south. Out 10 to 60 nautical miles north of the cape, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 10 to 20 knots and waves out of the northwest 9 feet at nine seconds. Saturday is calling for southeast winds 5 to 10 knots and waves northwest 5 feet at 10 seconds and northwest 4 feet at 20 seconds. Sunday, winds will be out of the north 5 to15 knots and waves northwest 5 feet at nine seconds and northwest 5 feet at 15 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.

Trinidad boat launch info
The Trinidad boat launch is open Thursday through Monday, opening at 7 a.m. If no boats or mooring customers show up, the crew typically will stick around until at least 10 a.m. The bait shop will be open in the morning, call for information between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. The launch may close for the season as early as Sept 13.

Low Flow River Closures begin Sept. 1
North Coast rivers that are regulated by low flow closures, including the Eel, Mad, Mattole, Redwood Creek, Smith and Van Duzen begin angling restrictions on Sept. 1 and will run through April 30 2024. As a reminder, in 2022, a low-flow angling restriction was added to the section of the Eel River from the mouth to Fulmor Road (Eel estuary) at its paved junction with the south bank of the Eel River. When a low-flow closure occurs in this section of the Eel, it will be closed to hook-and-line fishing; other legal fishing methods are allowed during this timeframe. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2024.

Areas subject to low flow closures:

Mad River: The main stem Mad River from the Hammond Trail Railroad Trestle to Cowan Creek. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. The Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream is closed until Jan. 1, 2024.

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

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

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

Mattole River: The main stem of the Mattole River from the mouth to Honeydew Creek. Minimum flow: 320 cfs at the gauging station at Petrolia.

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

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

Saturday is statewide Free Fishing Day
The last chance of the year to fish for free arrives over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Free Fishing Day is offered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Saturday, Sept. 2. 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

The oceans:
Eureka
“The good news is the warm water has slid in 8 or 9 miles, but the bad news is it may blow back out with the wind we’re seeing now,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The weather doesn’t look great for tuna for the next 10 days, but there are conflicting reports. It doesn’t help us that the water is sitting over 50 miles offshore. There are opportunities and locations for rockfish at 50 fathoms, but again, you need some good weather days to pull it off.”

Shelter Cove
Rock fishing was good this week around the Hat reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We were able to make it offshore towards the Knoll a couple days for tuna and it was decent, with scores ranging from 10-40 fish per boat,” said Mitchell. “The warm water was roughly 40 miles offshore. The weather looks pretty sloppy during the week, but looks like we may get a decent day or two this weekend to head offshore for tuna again.”

Crescent City
The tuna water was a little out of reach over the weekend reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “It moved offshore and was out at least 60 miles, and I don’t think anyone went out,” said Hegnes. “The California halibut has been pretty slow along South Beach, with anglers catching just a few trolling anchovies.”

Brookings
Halibut fishing is peaking out of Brookings, with charter boats getting two-fish limits when weather conditions are calm reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “The best fishing has been in 180-250 feet of water, with tuna bellies, herring and squid working best,” said Martin. “The season runs through Oct. 31. Lingcod and rockfish action also has been solid out of Brookings. California halibut are being caught close to the beach at the mouth of the Chetco.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The river has been muddy and blown out since early last week due to thunderstorms upriver near Happy Camp. It may be some time before it clears enough to be fishable. Just prior to the blowout, fall kings and steelhead were entering the river in good numbers. 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. For more information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=202686&inline

Lower Rogue/Chetco
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay is fishing well, with lots of fish and lots of boats trying to catch them. “Catch rates have been good for the past several weeks. Big numbers of kings are stacked up in the bay because of hot weather inland. A few salmon also are being caught in the Chetco estuary.”

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

A short weather window off the North Coast has piqued the interest of local tuna anglers. With the closure of Pacific halibut, salmon, and now nearshore rockfish, we’re slowly running out of fish to target. So, excuse us if we’re a little more excited than usual when the tuna conditions align. The water sitting off Eureka is a little further out than one would like, but I’d bet some will give it a go starting Friday. As of Tuesday, it was roughly 50 miles to the edge. Fort Bragg looks to be one of the better options, with the warm water sitting 30 to 35 miles straight west. Crescent City and Brookings are also looking at longer runs, with the water sitting roughly 50 miles offshore. Conditions in Coos Bay are also aligning. As of Wednesday, you’re looking at about 45 miles to the break. With the number of angling options running thin, expect plenty of boats from all ports along the coast to be out in force chasing albacore as well as bluefin tuna this weekend.

Weekend marine forecast
Relatively calm conditions are forecast starting Friday and through the weekend. From Pt. St. George to Cape Mendocino out 10 to 60 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds 5 to 10 knots out of the west and northwest waves 3 feet at seven seconds and south 2 feet at 14 seconds. Saturday is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots and waves out of the northwest 3 feet at seven seconds and south 2 feet at 15 seconds. Sunday’s forecast looks a little better, with winds out of the north 5 to 10 knots and waves northwest 3 feet at eight seconds and south 2 feet at 15 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.

Nearshore Groundfish Fisheries to close in Mendocino, San Francisco and Central Management Areas
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Monday that as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, the 50-fathom Rockfish Conservation Area boundary line will take effect for the following areas.

Mendocino Groundfish Management Area (GMA) – Cape Mendocino to Point Arena

San Francisco GMA – Point Arena to Pigeon Point

Central GMA – Pigeon Point to Point Conception

In these management areas, recreational boat-based groundfish fishing will be ‘offshore only’ and allowed only seaward of the 50-fathom boundary line, defined by straight lines connecting waypoints (50 CFR Part 660, Subpart G). Shelf rockfish, slope rockfish and lingcod may be taken seaward of the 50-fathom boundary line, while it will be unlawful to take or possess nearshore rockfish, cabezon or greenlings at any depth.

In the Southern Management area from Pt. Conception to the U.S.-Mexico border, these same rules will take effect as originally planned on Sept. 16.

The press release states that “during the ‘offshore only’ fishery, fishing gear shall not be deployed shoreward of the 50-fathom RCA boundary line when shelf rockfish, slope rockfish or lingcod are possessed onboard the vessel, however vessels may transit shoreward of the 50-fathom RCA boundary line with these species in possession if no gear is deployed. Additionally, vessels fishing in the adjacent Southern GMA and transiting back to the Central GMA must adhere to the ‘offshore only’ provisions effective in the Central GMA and shall not return with nearshore species aboard. These changes do not apply to shore-based anglers or divers.”

“CDFW is carefully monitoring the harvest of quillback rockfish from both the recreational and commercial fisheries throughout the state and has taken a series of steps in an effort to reduce quillback rockfish mortality. On Aug. 7, retention of quillback rockfish was prohibited statewide, followed by closure of the recreational nearshore fishery in the Northern GMA, on Aug. 21. Newly available recreational data from the Mendocino, San Francisco and Central GMAs for the second week of August showed double the estimated recreational take and indicated the 2023 quillback rockfish harvest limit specified in federal regulations has been exceeded. This additional in-season action authorized by Title 14, Section 27.20 (e) to adjust the fishing depth is necessary to prevent further overage.”

“CDFW urges anglers to use best fishing practices to reduce impacts to quillback rockfish and other prohibited groundfish species. These include reducing mortality when releasing fish by utilizing a descending device and relocating to different fishing grounds or switching targets if quillback rockfish or other prohibited species are encountered. CDFW recommends reviewing the Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations page before each trip to ensure anglers are up to date on the most recent groundfish regulations, including a complete list of authorized species.”

For more information regarding the quillback population estimates and how these changes were developed, please see CDFW’s Quillback Rockfish In-Season Informational Briefing. For information on all groundfish regulations visit CDFW’s Marine Region Groundfish page.

The Oceans:
Eureka
According to Tim Klassen, of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, the tuna water is still a ways offshore. “It looks like it pushed out a bit since late last week,” said Klassen. “As of Tuesday, it was sitting about 52 miles from Eureka to the good edge off of Cape Mendocino. Ocean conditions look good for Friday and Saturday, so I’m sure there will be some boats that make the run.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell, of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, boats were able to target tuna last Sunday through Thursday. He said, “Boats fished straight out 30 miles and scores ranged from 10 to 30 fish per boat.  The good weather allowed us to make it up to Rodgers Break a few days for rockfish. The rockfish bit really well and even the lingcod fishing was great.”

Brookings
“Nice weather conditions could allow boats to get out for tuna Friday and Saturday, but the best water appears to be 50 miles from the harbor toward Gold Beach,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Halibut fishing remains good in 180 to 220 feet of water, with herring and squid combos working best. Rockfish action is solid and lingcod action is fair, but better the further north boats travel. California halibut are biting at Crissy Field and Sporthaven Beach.”

The Rivers
Lower Klamath
Flows on the lower Klamath are peaking Wednesday following the releases from Lewiston last Friday. As of Wednesday, flows were 5,220 cfs and leveling off. Reportedly, there is muddy water headed downriver from the Happy Camp area from the flash floods over the weekend. When that hits, it will be a few days before the river will be fishable again.

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay is fishing well, but is crowded. “Sunday had one of the best bites of the year, with the majority of boats getting multiple fish. Be prepared for fishing in close quarters. Action has been spotty on the Coos and Umpqua.”

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 California Department of Fish and Wildlife projects the combined recreational and commercial take of quillback rockfish will exceed the harvest limits specified in federal regulation for 2023 is prohibiting retention of the fish statewide in both the recreational and commercial fisheries effective Aug. 7.

From the CDFW July 28 announcement:

“The 2021 stock assessment for quillback rockfish off California indicated severe population declines. As a result, a recreational one-fish limit and reduced commercial limits were implemented in 2022 to reduce catch. Further constraints to the groundfish seasons for 2023 have not sufficiently reduced catch for quillback rockfish to meet federal harvest guidelines.

CDFW urges anglers to use best fishing practices to reduce impacts to quillback rockfish and other prohibited species. These include reducing mortality when releasing fish by utilizing a descending device and relocating to different fishing grounds or switching targets if you are catching and releasing quillback rockfish or other prohibited species.

The Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) complex bag and possession limit will remain 10 fish daily, with a one-fish sub-bag limit for copper rockfish, and a four-fish sub-bag limit for vermilion rockfish. Along with quillback rockfish, take of bronzespotted rockfish, cowcod and yelloweye rockfish continue to be prohibited year-round at all depths.

To better assist anglers with identifying rockfish species while fishing, CDFW has prepared informational flyers to distinguish quillback rockfish from similar looking species, such as China and black-and-yellow rockfish. Additional fish identification materials on rockfish and other species can be found on CDFW’s Fish and Shellfish Identification web page.

CDFW will continue to monitor groundfish species of concern, such as quillback rockfish. If the current in-season change prohibiting take of quillback rockfish is not sufficient to reduce harvest, additional in-season actions such as modifications to the season dates and/or depth constraints may be implemented. Anglers are strongly encouraged to minimize catch of quillback rockfish and other prohibited species to reduce the possibility of further in-season actions in 2023 and beyond. CDFW recommends reviewing the Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations web page before each trip to ensure anglers are up to date on the most recent groundfish regulations.”

For information, visit content.govdelivery.com/accounts/CNRA/bulletins/367d83d

Weekend Marine Forecast
Within 10 nautical miles, ocean conditions look to remain fishable through the weekend, though the wind will pick starting Friday. Friday’s forecast is calling for winds 5 to 15 knots out of the north and north waves 5 feet at six seconds. Saturday is calling for winds 5 to 15 knots from the north and waves from the north 6 feet at seven seconds. Sunday, winds will be from the north 5 to 15 knots with waves north 6 feet at eight seconds and west 2 feet at 10 seconds These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Recreational Pacific halibut fishery to close August 4
The recreational Pacific halibut fishery will close statewide on Friday, Aug. 4 at 11:59 p.m., the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced in a press release Aug. 2. Based on the latest catch projections, CDFW expects the 2023 California recreational quota of 39,520 net pounds will be reached by this date. For more information, visit https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/CNRA/bulletins/3689d1e

Tuna Update
Thursday’s calm forecast has North Coast tuna anglers on alert. The closest water is sitting roughly 35 miles off of Crescent City and quite a few boats are planning a run. Same goes for the Brookings fleet. Prior, Charleston and all the ports to the north have been getting some decent scores. A couple Dorado have been landed out of Garibaldi, where boats are getting 20 to 30 albacore per trip.

The Oceans:
Eureka
A few fishable days provided some good Pacific halibut fishing, according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The bite has been excellent and limits have been coming quickly, if you’re located in a good spot,” said Klassen. “Most of the action has been between the 45 and 52 lines, and there’s fish scattered throughout. Most are still coming between 250 to 300 feet. The good news is the black cod seem to have lessened, but there’s still plenty of Hake to deal with. Rock fishing remains excellent at the Cape, but the lingcod bite is still on the slow side.”

Shelter Cove
“Fishing was a little slower for a few days this week, but we still managed limits of rockfish each day,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We did have a couple days of lingcod limits as well, but overall lingcod fishing remains slow. We’ve been fishing off the Ranch House and down as far as Mistake Point. There are lots of anchovies in the harbor, but so far not very many California halibut. The salmon are thick in there as well so it’s hard to get a presentation on the bottom. Ocean conditions have been crappy for weeks and no one has gone Pacific halibut fishing since the Fourth of July week.”

Crescent City
According to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, quite a few California halibut are now being caught daily. “On a good day, we’re seeing 10 to 15 caught along South Beach,” said Carson. “And we’re seeing some big ones too. I’ve seen quite a few better than 30 inches, including one that measured 42. There hasn’t been much effort for Pacific halibut lately, seems that everyone has what they need. The rockfish and lingcod bite are still wide open when the boats can get out. Both reefs are producing quality limits.”

Brookings
“Lingcod and rockfish action has been good out of Brookings, but many anglers are turning their attention to Thursday’s calm offshore forecast to run for tuna,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Several Brookings-based boats are heading out for albacore on Thursday. Salmon fishing has been slow in the ocean but a few kings are biting in the Chetco estuary.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
As of the weekend there weren’t any big concentrations of steelhead, but reportedly adults started to show up mid-week. 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. For more information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=202686&inline

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay is kicking out big numbers of bright kings, but since it’s the only show in town, there are plenty of boats fishing. “Upwards of 100 boats are day are kegged up in the bay, but many are catching a fish per rod or better. Anchovies fished behind large Pro Troll 360 flashers are working best.”

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.

After a solid week of fishable ocean conditions, the end is near for our Pacific halibut season. With more good weather forecast through the weekend, it will be a close call whether we make it until the first of August. The hope was the halibut quota would carry well into August and coincide with the arrival of tuna season, but that doesn’t look to be the case. Between fishable conditions, plenty of fish and anglers getting good at catching, we’re looking at a shortened season. As of July 23, California’s share of Area 2A’s quota, which includes Washington and Oregon, is at 84 percent, with 33,119 net pounds harvested against the 39,520 quota. Once the quota is met, rockfish will be the only option for offshore anglers until the tuna arrive, which is looking like it’ll be soon. To monitor the in-season tracking, visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/pacific-halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking.

Marine Forecast
Out 10 nautical miles, ocean conditions look to remain fishable through the weekend. As of Wednesday, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 15 knots and waves north 4 feet at six seconds. Saturday, the winds will be the same with waves north 4 feet at five seconds. Sunday, winds will be out of the north 5 to 15 knots with waves out of the northwest 4 feet at five 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.

Ruth Lake parking lot closure
According to the Ruth Lake Community Service District, the marina parking lot will be closed to the public July 28-Aug. 4 due to asphalt repair. Boat launching will be available at Ruth Rec Campground. For more info, call (707) 574-6194 or visit ruthlakecsd.org.

Sport Crab season coming to a close
The 2023 sport Dungeness crab season in Humboldt, Mendocino and Del Norte counties will close July 30. The season is expected to reopen Nov. 4.

California halibut bite heating up
The California halibut bite is heating up and more and more are being 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 swim baits and frozen bait are also catching their share. The fishing seems to really improve when we have the smaller tide swings, which we’ve had this week. The minimum size is 22 inches and the daily bag and possession limit is two.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The Pacific halibut bite is still going strong, although the bite was a little tougher for some Monday, reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “It was definitely a mixed bite Monday, some got them and some didn’t,” Klassen said. “There’s fish scattered over a large area from the Eel Canyon up to the 54-line. But overall, the fishing is still really good and quite a few limits are being caught each day. There’s also been some nice Canary rockfish showing up in the halibut grounds. The rockfish bite is still excellent at the Cape when boats can get there.”

Shelter Cove
“Ocean conditions have been pretty bad and have kept us close to home a couple of days,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “On top of that, the rock fishing was tough. The days the weather allowed us to get to the Hat, we did pretty well. Lingcod fishing remains pretty slow. Crabbing is still good and we’re getting easy limits each day fishing below the bell.”

Crescent City
A few California halibut are being caught along South Beach, according to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “Small boats trolling anchovies have had some good success this week,” said Carson. “The effort on Pacific halibut has definitely slowed down, but the fishing hasn’t. The rockfish bite is as good as ever and we’re seeing some big lings being caught. We had a couple up to 35 pounds come in. The thresher shark bite slowed down, I haven’t heard of any caught this week. A few boats are still targeting them.”

Brookings
“The first albacore of the season were caught out of Brookings on Monday, less than 20 miles from the harbor,” said Andy Martin, of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Water temperatures are as high as 62 just 18 miles from shore. Windy weather could limit success this week. Halibut fishing is fair to good out of Brookings. Lingcod fishing has improved.”

Lower Rogue
Salmon fishing is kicking into high gear on the Rogue Bay, according to Martin. “Catch rates have improved as the run builds. Most guides had multiple fish over the weekend. The bay also is crowded, with few salmon options elsewhere.”

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.