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The boat-based rockfish season on the North Coast won’t open until May 15 but that certainly doesn’t mean fish tacos can’t be on the menu. The jetties, the breakwater constructed to protect Humboldt Bay, are starting to provide some good fishing opportunities for both rockfish and lingcod. Over the last couple weeks, the North Jetty has started giving up some nice rockfish, along with the occasional big lingcod. While no limits have been reported as of yet, most are catching enough to make plenty of fish tacos. The South Jetty hasn’t been as good, but that will likely change as water and weather conditions improve.

There are a few different techniques anglers use on the jetties. One of the most popular is fishing with small swimbaits or scampi jigs. You can use a half-ounce or three-quarter ounce, depending on the tide and depth of water. Another popular method is a two-hook setup rigged with bait. Bait, especially herring, under a float is also a deadly technique for big lingcod.

For bait, squid or shrimp work well. You can also cast and retrieve egg sinkers or banana weights rigged with a herring. This also works well for lingcod. While we wait for the May 15 boat-based rockfish opener, the jetties are always an excellent year-round option to put fresh fish on the table. For a complete list of rockfish regulations, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Groundfish-Summary#north.

Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions look to be improving throughout the week with decent conditions forecast for the weekend. Friday is calling for north winds 5 to 15 knots and west waves 6 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday is calling for winds out of the north 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 5 feet at five seconds and northwest 4 feet at 14 seconds. Sunday looks similiar. Winds will be from the northwest 5 to 15 knots with northwest waves 5 feet at five seconds and west 4 feet at 15 seconds. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka/ or windy.com.

Increased flows coming down the Klamath
In a press release issued Monday, the Bureau of Reclamation, in coordination with PacifiCorp, will increase flows at Link River Dam and below Iron Gate Dam to reduce the risk of disease for salmon in the Klamath River. From April 19 through the end of the month, flows will vary on the Link and Klamath rivers.

Releases from Upper Klamath Lake through Link River Dam will increase to 5,300 cubic feet per second the morning of April 19. The increased flows will reach Iron Gate Dam late in the day, resulting in increased flows below Iron Gate Dam from the current 1,330 cfs up to a peak of around 6,030 cfs beginning late afternoon on April 19. The peak will last for 72 hours. Flows will begin ramping down at Link River Dam the morning of April 22 and that evening at Iron Gate Dam. The rampdown will last through the end of April. The public is urged to take appropriate safety precautions while flows are increased.    

Upon completion of the surface flushing flow event, Reclamation will continue to maintain Klamath River flows in accordance with the 2020 Interim Operations Plan. This surface flushing flow is an environmental compliance requirement and was implemented in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, Tribal Nations, and Klamath Project water contractors.

For more information about Reclamation’s Klamath Basin Area Office’s work to manage and protect water and related resources in Klamath Basin communities, and Klamath Project hydrologic and operations updates visit https://www.usbr.gov/mp/kbao

Spring releases on the Trinity River
The Bureau of Reclamation announced on April 13 that this year’s restoration flow schedule for the Trinity River will begin on April 16. Each year, the Trinity Management Council advances a flow schedule based on the expected amount of water available to support salmon restoration efforts on the Trinity River.

The California Department of Water Resources determined April 10 the Trinity watershed falls into the “wet” category with 1.6 -million-acre feet of projected inflow to the reservoir from the watershed. A “wet” determination is one of five water year types used by the Trinity River Restoration Program to determine how much reservoir water will be released in support of the program’s goals to improve habitat for anadromous fish—fish that migrate to fresh water from salt water to spawn—like salmon and steelhead. ​​​​​​​

The planned release schedule attempts to maximize benefits to the physical and biological character of the Trinity River.

Visitors near or on the river can expect river levels to increase during the flow releases and should take appropriate safety precautions. Landowners are advised to clear personal items from the floodplain prior to the releases.

Key components of the flow release schedule are:

• April 15-16: Increase daily average flows from 3,550 cubic feet per second to 6,750 cfs
• April 17-18: Flows increase to 10,258 cfs then to 10,875 cfs
• April 19-22: Flows decrease to 9,250 cfs then to 6,625 cfs, and then increase to 10,792 cfs
• May 8-June 3: Flows will be maintained between 1,000 to 2,000 cfs
• June 21: Flows will return to 450 cfs summer baseflow, which continues until September 30

Reclamation continues to work cooperatively with multiple federal, state, local agencies, and partners in conserving water, advancing water storage projects, and maximizing regulatory flexibilities to respond quickly to fluctuating conditions.

An up-to-date daily schedule of flow releases is available at the program’s website https://www.trrp.net/restoration/flows/current/. The public may subscribe to automated notifications of Trinity River release changes (via phone or email) at https://www.trrp.net/restoration/flows/flow-release-notifications/.

The Trinity Management Council is the governing body of the Trinity River Restoration Program. The council’s membership includes Hoopa Valley Tribe, Yurok Tribe, Trinity County, state of California, USDA-Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, and the Bureau of Reclamation. For additional information, visit https://www.trrp.net/

Englund Marine Eureka Grand Opening May 5
Englund Marine Eureka will be holding a grand opening celebration on Friday, May 5 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. with the Eureka Chamber of Commerce. There will be sale prices on clothing, boots and raingear all day long. Englund Marine’s new location is 590 West Waterfront Drive, Eureka.

HASA dinner and fundraiser coming May 13
The annual Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers (HASA) fundraiser dinner and auction will be held Saturday, May 13, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Sequoia Conference Center, 901 Myrtle Ave. in Eureka. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for kids. Guest speaker will be Del Stephens on how to improve your albacore fishing skills. There will be a kids raffle and table, as well as other raffles. Tickets are available from Englund Marine and board members. Local sponsors include Englund Marine, RMI Outdoors, and Redwood Coast Spreader Bars. For more information, email hasa6191@gmail.com

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

Smith
The Smith was right around 9.5 feet on the Jed Smith gauge Thursday and should be in excellent shape through the weekend. Fishing reports have been hard to come by as most anglers have moved on for the season. There should be some downers around a few fresh ones still making their way upriver.

Eel (main stem)
As of Thursday, the main Eel was running at 7,750 cubic feet per second on the Scotia gauge and dropping slightly. It’s predicted to drop through Friday before rising again on the weekend, likely due to snowmelt. It’s getting close to being fishable but needs to get down to 5,000 cfs. That could happen next week. The main stem Eel to the South Fork is open all year. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used from Apr. 1 through Sept. 30.

Lower Rogue
Spring salmon fishing has been surprisingly good on the lower Rogue, according to Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Plunkers are catching fish on Spin-N-Glos, 4.0 MagLips and Brads plug cut lures at Huntley Park and Lobster Creek,” said Martin. “Guides anchoring near Elephant Rock and the Willows caught limits of salmon over the weekend with anchovies and spinner blades, as big numbers of hatchery springers moved through. Conditions remain good for this weekend.”

Brookings ocean update
Lingcod and rockfish continue to be good out of Brookings on nice weather days according to Martin. “Lingcod remain in shallow water, while thicker schools of rockfish have moved inshore. The forecast for Friday and Saturday looks promising. Surfperch are biting well at numerous Brookings-area beaches, although fishing along the jetties is slow because of high water in the Chetco. Pacific halibut season opens May 1. Coho salmon season opens in the ocean out of Brookings June 17.”

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

In what was a mere formality, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) put the final nail in the coffin of California’s 2023 ocean Chinook salmon fishery April 6. The PFMC acted unanimously to recommend a full closure of California’s commercial and sport ocean salmon seasons. Options put forward by the PFMC last month for public review, which were developed by industry representatives, all proposed closure of both commercial and sport ocean salmon fisheries off California. This action follows extremely low forecast returns of the Sacramento and Klamath river fall Chinook salmon, which will constrain all seasons from Cape Falcon through California. So, here’s what we know.

• Sport and commercial Chinook salmon fishing will be closed in California in 2023.

Open ocean salmon fisheries in Oregon/Washington:

• Ocean waters off the Columbia River from Leadbetter Pt., Washington to Cape Falcon, Oregon will be open for an all-salmon season North of Cape Falcon beginning June 24 and continue through the earlier of September 30, or quota with a hatchery mark selective coho quota of 79,800. There is also a Chinook guideline in this area of 11,490. The daily bag limit will be two salmon, but no more than one Chinook and all coho must have a healed adipose fin clip.
  
• From Cape Falcon to the Oregon-California border, the recreational hatchery mark selective coho salmon season will open on June 17 and continue through the earlier of Aug. 31 or the quota of 110,000 adipose fin-clipped coho. Chinook retention is prohibited through the end of August. 
  
• From Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain, a non-selective coho season opening on Sept. 1, and will be open seven days per week through the earlier of Sept. 30 or the quota of 25,000 non-mark selective coho. The daily bag limit is two fish, only one of which may be a Chinook.
  
• Beginning Sept. 1 and continuing through Oct. 31 in the area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain, retention of one Chinook salmon per day will be allowed. The season will only be open inside of the 40-fathom management line from Oct 1 through Oct. 31.
  
• In-river fisheries in Oregon will not be affected by low Sacramento and Klamath fall Chinook ocean abundance.

Still to be determined: The fate of the inland Central Valley fall Chinook fishery and the Klamath River fall and spring-run Chinook seasons. At the April California Fish and Game Commission meeting April 19 and 20, season proposals will be heard from California Fish and Wildlife staff. These proposals will be decided upon at the May 17 California Fish and Game Commission meeting.

For more information on the state ocean salmon closure, visit wildlife.ca.gov/News/pfmc-recommends-closure-of-2023-ocean-salmon-fisheries#gsc.tab=0

For information on Oregon salmon fisheries, visit dfw.state.or.us/news/2023/04_Apr/040723b.asp.

Marine forecast
Ocean conditions are looking much improved for the weekend. Friday is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 5 feet at nine seconds. Saturday is calling for winds out of the south 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 5 feet at 14 seconds. Sunday is looking a little worse with winds out of the south 10 to 15 knots and waves southwest 4 feet at five seconds and west 5 feet at 12 seconds. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka/ or windy.com.

Upcoming events
Shelter Cove crab feed coming April 15
Shelter Cove Fishing Preservation will be holding its third annual crab feed fundraiser dinner and silent auction this Saturday, April 15 at the Community Center/Club House in Shelter Cove. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased at the launch office. The event starts at 5 p.m. and live music will be provided by The Breakers. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/scfpinc.

Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor Classes April 19-20
Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) is conducting a Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor class in Eureka, CA. This course is offered at a reduced cost to commercial fishermen thanks to support from NIOSH, the U.S. Coast Guard, and AMSEA members. Classes will be held April 19-20, 2023 at the Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association, # 3 Commercial St. Eureka, CA 95501. Hours are: 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. April 19th, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. April 20^th. Cost is $125 for Commercial Fishermen, $225 for all others. Instructor will be Suzie Howser.
The class will cover these topics: cold-water survival skills, EPIRBs, signal flares, and MAYDAY calls, man overboard recovery, firefighting, flooding & damage control, dewatering pumps, immersion suits and PFDs, abandon ship procedures, helicopter rescue, life rafts, emergency procedures drills, and in-the-water skills practice. This course meets the US Coast Guard training requirements for drill conductors on commercial fishing vessels, 46 CFR 28.270(c). Register online at www.amsea.org or call (907) 747-3287.

Englund Marine Eureka Grand Opening May 5
Englund Marine Eureka will be holding a grand opening celebration on Friday, May 5 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. A ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. with the Eureka Chamber of Commerce. There will be sale prices on clothing, boots, and raingear all day long. Englund Marine new location is 590 West Waterfront Drive, Eureka.

HASA dinner and fundraiser coming May 13
The annual Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers (HASA) fundraiser dinner and auction will be held Saturday, May 13, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Sequoia Conference Center, 901 Myrtle Ave. in Eureka. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for kids. Guest speaker will be Del Stephens on how to improve your albacore fishing skills. There will be a kids raffle and table, as well as other raffles. Tickets are available from Englund Marine and board members. Local sponsors include Englund Marine, RMI Outdoors, and Redwood Coast Spreader Bars. For more information, email hasa6191@gmail.com

“Wet” year designation for Trinity River
On Monday, the California Department of Water Resources designated the 2023 water year as “wet”. A wet year requires 701,000 acre-feet to be released to the river for restoration purposes, out of an estimated inflow to the reservoir of 1.62 million acre-feet. Flows in the Trinity River will increase steeply this weekend as the spring restoration release begins. Visitors near or on the river can expect river levels to increase during the flow releases and should take appropriate safety precautions. Landowners are advised to clear personal items from the floodplain prior to the releases. An up-to-date daily schedule of flow releases is available at the program’s website trrp.net/restoration/flows/current/. The public may subscribe to automated notifications of Trinity River release changes (via phone or email) at trrp.net/restoration/flows/flow-release-notifications/.

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

Eel (main stem)
The main stem Eel is back on a slow decent after Monday’s rise. As of Wednesday, flows were around 14,500 cubic feet per second on the Scotia gauge and dropping. Needless to say, it remains high and off color. It will need a couple weeks of dry weather before it drops to a fishable level. The main stem Eel to the South Fork is open all year. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used from April 1 through Sept. 30.

Smith River
Monday night’s storm pushed flows up and over 14,000 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge early Tuesday morning. It was back in prime condition by Wednesday and should remain that way through the weekend. The latest rise should flush some of the last spawned-out steelhead downriver and could bring in a few fresh ones. The main stem of the Smith will remain open through the end of April from its mouth to the confluence with the Middle and South Forks. The Middle Fork will also remain open through April from its mouth to Patrick’s Creek. The South Fork is open through April, as well, from its mouth upstream approximately 1,000 feet to the County Road (George Tryon) bridge and Craig’s Creek to Jones Creek.

Lower Rogue
“Spring salmon fishing has been decent on the lower Rogue, with plenty of hatchery fish showing up,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Bank anglers are plunking with 4.0 MagLips and catching springers as they swim upstream close to shore. Boaters are anchoring with anchovies and spinner blades. A few late-season steelhead also are being caught by springer anglers. The Chetco, Elk and Sixes are closed for the season.”

Brookings ocean update
Rough weather has limited the window to get out for lingcod and rockfish out of Brookings, but fishing has been good on calm days reports Martin. “Rockfish are keying on smelt, so larger white or gray plastics are working best. Lingcod are still in shallow water spawning. Ocean salmon season opens June 17 out of Brookings for hatchery coho. No chinook may be kept in the ocean this summer.”

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

Spring, along with the accompanying nice weather, will arrive eventually. At least that’s what the calendar says. And when it does, a new set of angling opportunities will come with it. As the number of storms begin to lessen, we’ll see some much-improved ocean conditions. With that, anglers will head to the jetties and beaches in search of rockfish and redtail perch. The California halibut fishery will also begin to take off, especially once the influx of freshwater into Humboldt Bay subsides. The same can be said for those in search of Dungeness crab in the bay. The lagoons, including Big, Stone and Freshwater, will also come into play. Both Big and Stone lagoons broke open numerous times this winter and should be full of trout and steelhead. Spring is also the time for salmon. The lower Rogue is one of the best fisheries on the coast for springers, and it’s just starting to heat up. The Klamath River’s spring-run fisheries fate will be decided in the next couple of weeks by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. It’s been an unusually long and wet winter, but spring angling is right around the corner.

Upcoming meetings
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) and its advisory bodies are meeting now through April 7 to address issues related to groundfish, salmon, Pacific halibut, coastal pelagic species and administrative matters. One of the key agenda items is to adopt final management measures for the 2023 recreational and commercial ocean salmon fisheries. Also on the agenda are the 2023 Klamath River Basin quotas and Sacramento fall Chinook fisheries. It is likely these in-river fisheries will be closed this fall. For more information, visit pcouncil.org/documents/2023/03/april-2023-meeting-agenda.pdf.

The California Fish and Game Commission meeting will be held in Fresno, April 19 to 20 to adopt and discuss changes to the upcoming sport fishing seasons. The meeting will be live streamed for viewing or listening. On the agenda are the proposed changes to Klamath River Basin sport fishing as well as Klamath River regulations related to dam removal. Also on the agenda is the fate of the Central Valley fall Chinook fisheries. For a complete agenda and comment submission, and viewing information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=210870&inline=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.

Weekend marine forecast
South winds are forecast for the weekend along with a large westerly swell. As of Wednesday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the south 10 to 20 knots with west waves 8 feet at nine seconds. Saturday, winds will be out of the south 10 to 20 knots with south waves 6 feet at six seconds and west 8 feet at 16 seconds. Sunday, winds will be 10 to 15 knots out of the south with west waves 12 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 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.

Shelter Cove crab feed
Shelter Cove Fishing Preservation will be holding its third annual crab feed fundraiser dinner and silent auction April 15 at the Community Center/Club House in Shelter Cove. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased at the launch office. The event starts at 5 p.m. and live music will be provided by The Breakers. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/scfpinc.

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

Main stem Eel
The main stem is still a long way from being fishable. As of Wednesday, it was running at 11,500 cubic feet per second at the Scotia gauge. Another rise is predicted for Friday with flows reaching 22,000 cfs Saturday. It will need to get down close to 5,000 cfs before it’s fishable. The main stem Eel, from its mouth to the South Fork is open to fishing all year. From April 1 through Sept. 30, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used.

Smith River
The Smith is in great shape at 9.5 feet at the Jed Smith gauge as of Wednesday. Another rise is predicted to begin Thursday, pushing the river to 12.5 feet by Friday morning. Fishing pressure has been light, but there are some fish around. The main stem of the Smith will remain open through the end of April from its mouth to the confluence with the Middle and South Forks. The Middle Fork will also remain open through April from its mouth to Patrick’s Creek. The South Fork is open through April as well, from its mouth upstream approximately 1,000 feet to the County Road (George Tryon) bridge and Craig’s Creek to Jones Creek.

Lower Rogue
According to Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing, spring salmon are being caught in the lower Rogue River by boaters anchoring close to shore and fishing anchovies. “Plunkers also are getting a few springers from shore with 4.0 MagLips,” said Martin. The Chetco, Elk and Sixes have closed for the season.

Brookings ocean update
Lingcod and rockfish are biting on calm weather days out of Brookings. reports Martin. “This weekend looks 50-50 weather wise. Lings are in shallow water spawning. Federal fishery managers will adopt ocean salmon seasons this week. A June 17 coho salmon opener is a possibility out of Brookings this summer. There also is talk of a return of the October ocean king season at the mouth of the 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.

It’s looking like this year’s winter is refusing to end, but unfortunately, the winter steelhead season will. Enough rain has fallen over the past few days to keep the majority of the coastal rivers high and off-color, essentially washing away the last week of steelhead season.

As of Wednesday, all of the coastal rivers, already swollen from an extremely wet March, were back on the rise. The quick-clearing Smith and Chetco were also feeling the effects of the current storm, but they may come around and fish later in the week. It looks like those are the only two rivers that will fish prior to the season closing after Sunday. Humboldt rivers, including the Mad, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Redwood Creek, are all toast as far as green water goes. As we look back on the season, what a stark contrast to 2022. Last year we started off great with early-season rains bringing in good numbers of steelhead. And then, it quit raining. Quite the opposite this year. The rain never stopped for long, and the steelhead didn’t bother to show up in good numbers.

But as one season comes to a close, more will soon open. As the calendar nears April, it’s time to change gears and look toward the next angling opportunity. The rockfish and Pacific halibut openers are right around the corner and the California halibut will hopefully show up in Humboldt Bay. It’s also time to think about all the spring salmon on the Klamath (hopefully) and the lower Rogue River. There’s redtails to be had from all the local beaches, and the lagoons are full of trout. It’s been a wet and wild steelhead season but I for one am ready for the next adventure. And a little sunshine wouldn’t hurt either.

Steelhead rivers openings/closures
After Friday, March 31, the South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, Mad, Redwood Creek, Mattole and Chetco rivers will all be closed to fishing. Rivers that will remain open to fishing include:

Eel River
The main stem Eel, from its mouth to the South Fork, is open to fishing all year.

From the mouth to Fulmor Road, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used from April 1 through the Friday, May 26. Only barbless hooks may be used from May 27 through Mar. 31, 2024.

From Fulmor Road to the South Fork, it’s open all year. From April 1 through Sept. 30, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. Only barbless hooks may be used from Oct. 1 through Mar. 31, 2024.

Smith River
The main stem of the Smith will remain open through the end of April from its mouth to the confluence with the Middle and South forks.

The Middle Fork will also remain open through April from its mouth to Patrick’s Creek.

The South Fork is open through April as well, from its mouth upstream approximately 1,000 feet to the County Road (George Tryon) bridge and Craig’s Creek to Jones Creek. Only barbless hooks may be used from Sept. 1 through Apr. 30. The bag limit remains the same at two hatchery steelhead per day.

Sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers are open to fishing but are subject to in-season changes. For more information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=209090&inline.

Eel River steelhead returns
Over the past two weeks, March 13 – 26, 2023, a total of 16 adult steelhead (female 7, male 7, unknown 2) were observed migrating upstream through the VAFS fishway according to Andrew Anderson, an Aquatic Biologist with PG&E. Two adult steelhead (female, 1, male 1) were observed during the week of March 13 – 19, and another 14 (female 6, male 6, unknown 2) during the week of March 20-16. This brings the season total for adult upstream migrating adult steelhead to 118 (female 46, male 56, unknown 16). For more information, visit www.eelriver.org/the-eel-river/fish-count/.

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

Main stem Eel
The main Eel is high and dirty and back on the rise. It’s predicted to reach 30,000 cubic feet per second Wednesday. It will take at least a couple weeks of dry weather to drop it back into fishable shape. It starts to fish once it drops to right around 5,000 cfs.

Smith
The Smith will be blown out for a couple days but should be back into fishable shape Thursday and Friday. Flows should be right around 6,900 cfs (10.3 feet) at the Jed Smith gauge Thursday morning. Additional rain forecast for Saturday will put the river back on the rise over the weekend.

Southern Oregon rivers
According to Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing, steelhead anglers will get one final chance to catch fish before the season closes Friday evening on the Chetco. “Rain will blow the river out for a few days before it drops back into shape Thursday and Friday,” said Martin. “The few anglers fishing over the weekend reported big numbers of fish, mainly downrunners with a few bright steelhead. Most of the fish are up high. Springer fishing is fair on the lower Rogue River. Rain has brought early spring salmon and late-season winter steelhead into the Rogue, with shore anglers catching a few fish plunking 4.0 MagLips and boaters anchoring with anchovies and spinner blades.”

Brookings ocean report
According to Martin, rough ocean conditions will keep ocean anglers at the dock most of the week in Brookings, although Thursday’s forecast looks great. “Lingcod fishing has been good. Another storm arrives this weekend. Surfperch fishing has improved at Crissy Field and Lone Ranch

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.

Other than the Smith and Chetco, all of the coastal rivers are currently running high and off-color due to an extremely wet few weeks. And with the potential for more rain and plenty of snow left in the hills still to melt, it’s likely most of the rivers won’t clear in time prior to closing for the season.

These extremely wet winters may not bring much joy to steelhead anglers, but they’re a blessing for the fish. The extra water will go a long way in helping the steelhead reach their spawning grounds and also provide a helping hand for the juvenile salmonids as they begin their journey down to the saltwater.

So, with the final week of the season right around the corner, it’s quite possible the South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, Mad and Redwood Creek, won’t recover prior to closing after March 31. The Smith will remain open through April, and the main stem Eel is open year-round. It would be nice to get a few more days on the river, but I’m not holding my breath.

Weather ahead
According to Doug Boushey of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, we’re not forecasting any substantial rain events for the week and weekend. “We’ll see some showers on Wednesday, but it won’t add up to much,” said Boushey. “We could see a tenth here locally and up to a quarter inch in the hills. A colder system is forecast for Thursday and Friday, but it won’t produce much precipitation. The snow levels could drop to 1,500 to 2,000 feet, however. There may be a few light showers over the weekend, but nothing significant. A wetter system is forecast for Monday and Tuesday of next week, but timing and rainfall amounts are uncertain.”

The Rivers:
Mad
The Mad is still high and off-color, which won’t change anytime soon. With the steelhead season closing after March 31, it’s unlikely it will be anything close to green, especially with Ruth Lake spilling dirty water.

Main stem Eel
The main Eel is still very high and dirty. It’s predicted to be down to 13,000 cubic feet per second at Scotia following the weekend. If we see an extended dry period lasting around 10 days, it could come around into fishable shape. But that doesn’t appear to be the case as rain is back in the forecast for Monday. The river is predicted to rise beginning Monday evening. The main stem Eel, from its mouth to the South Fork, is open to fishing all year. From April 1 through Sept. 30, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is forecast to be near 2,000 cfs at Miranda by Sunday and that may be the only fishable window we get. It’s forecast to rise starting Monday morning and may not drop into fishable shape before it closes after March 31.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen remains high and off-color, but is dropping quickly. It’s expected to be under 1,000 cfs by Sunday, but another rise is forecast for Monday evening. This will likely blow it out for the season as it closes after March 31.

Smith
The fast-clearing Smith dropped into fishing shape late last week and some fish were caught by the handful of boats drifting from the forks to Ruby. Boat pressure was light, and it will probably stay that way until the season is over. It’s predicted to be right around 9-feet on the Jed Smith gauge by Saturday morning. The main stem of the Smith will remain open through April.

Southern Oregon rivers
Spring salmon fishing is kicking into gear on the lower Rogue River, while the Chetco is dropping into shape for the last few days of steelhead season reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. He said, “A handful of hatchery springers were caught just above the head of tide on the Lower Rogue by guides fishing anchovies and spinner blades. Conditions are prime. The Chetco is down to 5,000 cfs. There is a mix of bright steelhead and downrunners around. The Elk, Sixes and Chetco are open for steelhead through March 31.”

Brookings ocean report
According to Martin, lingcod fishing has been wide open out of Brookings, with limits for charter and private boats near Bird Island and Twin rocks. “Although swells will be big, the ocean may fish this weekend. Lingcod and rockfish are open year-round out of Brookings.”

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

The Pacific Fishery Management Council on March 10 provided three options for recreation and commercial salmon fishing from the California/Oregon border all the way south to the California/Mexico border. Unfortunately, but not surprising, all three options included the words “CLOSED.” In an unprecedented decision, the PFMC was left with little choice but to close recreational and commercial salmon fishing this season statewide. Southern Oregon, which also impacts Sacramento and Klamath River fall Chinook, will also be closed from Cape Falcon south.

The sport fishery had been scheduled to open off California in most areas on April 1. The closures were made to protect Sacramento River fall Chinook, which returned to the Central Valley in 2022 at near-record low numbers, and Klamath River fall Chinook, which had the second lowest abundance forecast since the current assessment method began in 1997.

Yet to be determined are the fishing seasons within the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers. It’s widely believed neither will be open to the retention of fall Chinook, but two of the alternatives included both Klamath recreational and tribal allocations. Alternative one and two called for 1,804 recreational quota and 1,872 tribal allocation. Alternative three, which agency representatives and industry advisors view as the most likely, have zero recreational fall Chinook and just 68 for tribal. To view all salmon management alternatives, visit pcouncil.org/annual-salmon-management-process/.

Up next, the PFMC will hold a public hearing March 21 in Santa Rosa to receive public comment on the three proposed regulatory alternatives. The PFMC will then meet April 1 through April 7 in Foster City to procedurally finalize the closures. Details on how to attend the public hearing and PFMC meeting, as well as instructions to provide public comment, can be found at pcouncil.org.

Weekend weather
According to Ryan Aylward of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, we’ll begin to dry out following Tuesday’s rain. “Wednesday and Thursday are looking dry,” said Aylward. “We may see a few showers on Friday and through the weekend, but not enough to raise the river levels. Monday, we’re looking at more widespread rain in the area, and we could see the rivers go back on the rise. And more rain is expected through the week.”

The rivers:
Mad
The Mad nearly reached flood stage, peaking at over 20-feet Tuesday but is now dropping slowly. With only a couple weeks left in the steelhead season, it’s unlikely it will be anything close to green, especially with Ruth Lake dumping over the spillway.

Main stem Eel
The main Eel reached 162,200 cubic feet per second early Wednesday morning on the Scotia gauge. Needless to say, it will be blown out for weeks. The main stem Eel, from its mouth to the South Fork is open to fishing all year. From April 1 through Sept. 30, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork peaked at over 37,000 cfs at Miranda Tuesday and is also big and brown. It’s going need to stop raining soon or it may not be fishable prior to closing at the end of the month.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen topped monitor stage Tuesday, peaking at over 13 feet at Bridgeville. It will be on the drop from Wednesday through the weekend, but more rain is in the forecast next week. Like the SF Eel, it may not have time to turn green before the season ends.

Smith
The fast-clearing Smith reached monitor stage, 25 feet at the Jed Smith gauge, Monday night. As crazy as it sounds, it could be in fishable shape by Thursday. Conditions for Friday and the weekend are looking even better, when it will be under 11-feet. There were some fresh steelhead caught late last week and there should be some downers starting to make their way to the ocean.

Southern Oregon rivers
The Chetco rose 14 feet in one day, cresting at 18 feet, or 40,000 cfs, Monday night reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing, “It was back down to 20,000 cfs Tuesday morning,” said Martin. “The river may briefly be in shape by Friday, before another rise is expected. Steelhead fishing was fair early last week, before the rise. The recent high water should jump start spring salmon fishing on the Rogue. Fishable conditions are expected by the end of the week.”

Brookings ocean report
Stormy conditions have kept boaters at the docks in Brookings according to Martin. “Better conditions are expected this weekend. Salmon season is expected to open June 17 for hatchery coho on Brookings. Halibut opens May 1. Lingcod and rockfish are open year-round.”

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.

I know everyone is pissed about the upcoming salmon closures, but I wanted to provide some hope for a salmon rebound in the coming years. The last closure we had was in 2017, which included the ocean (CA and Oregon KMZ’s) and the Klamath and Trinity rivers. That year, the ocean abundance forecast was for only 54,200 Klamath fall kings. Only 18,400 adults were forecast to return to the Klamath basin, including 12,000 natural-area spawners.

But the fall kings had a little surprise for us. A very large return of jacks (2 year-old males) returned –21,82 to be exact. Add in another 31,682 adults, of which 18,310 were natural-area spawners. Counting a small harvest total of 1,951, the total run size turned out to be 31,683. Still very low, but better than predicted.

Due to the large jack return in 2017, the ocean abundance in 2018 ballooned to 359,200 for fall-run Klamath kings. Still not great, but the rebound was in progress. In 2018, 52,352 natural-area spawners returned to the Klamath basin. Another 18,567 hatchery spawners returned as well. Another 10,872 jacks returned, along with 91,060 adults, bringing the run total to over 101,000.

Hopefully we’ll see something similar in 2024…

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.

If the forecasts from last Wednesday’s salmon information meeting are accurate, Chinook salmon are going to be few and far between this year. It will also likely result in a complete ocean closure to Chinook fishing state-wide in an effort to protect stocks. Currently, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) is meeting in Seattle to decide the fate of our ocean and in-river seasons. While still not finalized, an early version of the three alternatives for our ocean fisheries was released Monday, and all three included the words “closed.” This is far from unexpected as most fishing groups and anglers are urging the PFMC to curtail any Chinook salmon fishing in 2023 in California.

The fate of both the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers will be decided in the coming days but will likely be closed to fishing for fall kings. The last such closure was in 2017, when the Klamath was closed to salmon fishing beginning Aug. 15. That same year our ocean season was also closed within the Klamath Management Zone (California/Oregon border to Horse Mtn.). This year is shaping up to be a whole lot worse, with ocean fall Chinook fishing potentially closed from Southern Oregon to Mexico.

The culprit is the extremely low number of both Sacramento and Klamath fish swimming in the ocean. The forecast estimates Sacramento River fall Chinook, the predominant stock harvested in California fisheries, at 169,767 adults, one of the lowest forecasts since the current assessment method came into play in 2008.

Klamath River Chinook is forecast to be 103,793 adults, the second-lowest forecast since that body of water’s assessment method started in 1997. Please see the ocean salmon webpage at wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon/preseason for a complete calendar of events and contact information regarding the Salmon Preseason Process, including other opportunities for public engagement in the season-setting process. For information on the PFMC meetings, visit pcouncil.org/managed_fishery/salmon/.

The weather ahead
The next round of precipitation will arrive Thursday afternoon according to Matthew Kidwell of Eureka’s National Weather Service office. “We’re looking at 1.5 to 2 inches before the rain starts to taper off on Friday afternoon,” said Kidwell. “The next round of showers is forecast for Saturday where we’ll see off and on rain, but it won’t add up to much. A more noteworthy system will arrive on Sunday and stick around through Tuesday. This will be a fairly warm and wet system. We could see 3 to 5 inches over the course of the three days, with higher totals in the mountains. We may see some flooding in the low-lying areas, but the rivers should remain intact.”

The rivers:
Mad
The Mad reportedly saw a good push of fish come in late last week. River conditions are still far from ideal, and they’re about to get worse. As of Wednesday, flows were right around 2,500 cubic feet per second (9.8 feet). The rain coming Thursday night will push flows up to 7,700 cfs by Friday afternoon. It’s unlikely we’ll see the river green prior to closing at the end of the month.

Main stem Eel
The main Eel has been high and off color since late last week and won’t be fishable anytime soon. It’s predicted to peak at over 80,000 cfs at Scotia early Saturday morning.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork blew out last weekend and it hasn’t been close to fishable since. Another big rise is slated for Friday when flows could reach over 15,000 cfs at Miranda. Will need at least a week of dry weather before the upper reaches drop into fishable shape.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen hasn’t been fishable all week and more rain is on the way. Flows were right around 950 cfs Wednesday, but it’s forecast to peak at 6,800 cfs Friday. With more rain coming next week, it won’t be fishable anytime soon.

Smith
The Smith is clear in spots, but some of the creeks are adding some much-needed color. As of Wednesday, flows at Jed Smith had risen to 3,650 cfs. It will be receding slowly until Friday when it’s predicted to rise quickly to over 12,00 cfs. It’s predicted to drop Saturday and should be in fishable shape before rising again Sunday. Despite the conditions, some steelhead are being caught. Boat pressure has been light. The rise in flows should bring in some fresh fish and could bring some spawners downriver.

Southern Oregon rivers
Late-arriving steelhead boosted catch rates on the Chetco over the weekend, even with cold, stormy weather reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The Chetco has been hovering at 1,600 cfs, but a major rain, and snow melt, is expected to jump flows to over 10,000 cfs by the end of the week,” said Martin. “Steelhead fishing also has been decent on the Elk and Sixes. Rogue River anglers expect the first spring chinook of the season to move into the river after this weekend’s storm. The first big rise of March usually kicks off springer season, although April and May are the peak months.”

Brookings ocean report
Rough ocean conditions have kept Brookings anglers at the dock according to Martin. “A brief break in the weather may allow boats to get out on Wednesday, before another round of winter storms arrive Thursday. Lingcod and rockfish are open year-round out of Brookings.

”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

For Immediate Release

Friday, March 3, 2023 Sacramento, CA

Contacts
George Bradshaw, PCFFA, 707-954-9339 Rick Powers, GGFA, 707-481-4536 James Stone, NCGASA, 530-923-9440

Today, leadership of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, the Golden Gate Fishermen’s Association, and the Northern California Guides and Sportsmen’s Association are calling for an immediate closure of the 2023 salmon season and requesting the Governor Newsom, the State Legislature, and state agencies seek Federal and State disaster assistance funding for affected ocean and inland commercial operators.

On March 1, 2023, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife held their annual pre-season briefing and reported some of the worst fisheries numbers in the history of the state. These numbers follow years of drought, poor water management decisions by Federal and State managers, occasional failure to meet hatchery egg mitigation goals, inaccurate season modeling, and the inability of fisheries managers to meet their own mandated escapement goals.

“Unfortunately we have gotten to a point that we have been warning was coming; another collapse of our iconic salmon fisheries”, said George Bradshaw, President of PCFFA. “The harvest models, escapement goals and model inaccuracies show there is no warranted opportunity to harvest Chinook Salmon in the state of California in 2023. Our organization is asking Federal and State managers to take the required steps to ensure the survival of the resource and close the fishery. We demand we work towards future sustainable solutions so we can once again have robust salmon runs and thriving fisheries. Our coastal communities and generational fisherman deeply rely on the proper management. Therefore this requires our Federal and State leaders lead the effort to secure disaster assistance until we all get through these foreseeable hard times.”

“Inland recreational salmon anglers and salmon fishing guides are the last user group to access the resource every year when salmon return to their natal, spawning grounds and hatcheries”, said James Stone, Executive Director of NCGASA. “We have seen historic low runs in the Sacramento Valley since 2015, with 75% of the last 8 years falling short of the required conservation objective of 122,000 spawning adult fall run salmon. Current salmon management policy and poor water management, without proper hatchery mitigation, has got us to this point of full collapse. Our small rural communities throughout the Delta and upper Sacramento river systems that rely on salmon for food, recreation, sport, and industry have been drastically affected. We need to enact immediate conservation measures and close the fishery in all sectors ocean and inland, coupled with a complete overhaul of our salmon management models and policies that have led to this scenario.”

“After several consecutive years of poor river conditions fishery managers have forecasted near record low salmon returns to the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers”, said Rick Powers, President of GGFA. “With low returns we feel it would be irresponsible to participate in a 2023 season. While we make our living fishing for salmon, we are willing to make a short-term sacrifice to ensure a return of robust salmon populations that our families depend on. Therefore, we suggest that this year’s salmon season be suspended to protect the salmon runs that are vital to California Coastal Communities, and we call for Governor Newsom and state leaders to fight for disaster assistance funding for our communities immediately.”

********

PCFAA, GGFA, and NCGASA comprise the three largest licensed operators and businesses that rely on the Fall Run Chinook fishery. These three organizations have partnered together on numerous previous meetings with each other and Federal and State fisheries managers seeking changes and improvements to California’s fisheries management, with mixed outcomes. While the communities they represent will be irrevocably harmed by a 2023 closure, they believe there is no other conscionable alternative at this time.

George Bradshaw, PCFFA, 707-954-9339, georgebradshaw707@gmail.com

James Stone, NCGASA, 530-923-9440, jstone@ncgasa.org

Rick Powers, GGFA, 707-481-4536, dpamundsend@gmail.com 

For those of you who aren’t yet ready to throw in the towel on this year’s steelhead season, you’ll have limited angling options this weekend. If you’re wanting to head north, you’ll likely run into low and clear conditions. Both the Smith and Chetco did see a rise in flows the past couple days, but will be back on the drop headed into the weekend. If you wanted to head south to the SF, main Eel and Van Duzen, you’ll find rivers that aren’t lacking water. All are currently high and off color but will be headed in the right direction soon. Depending on how quickly they drop and the level of snowmelt, the Van Duzen and South Fork Eel could be fishable by Saturday. At least according to the NOAA’s River Forecast Center. If you want to fish the Mad, you’ll be treated to the same conditions we’ve had most of the season – big and brown water. The Trinity River in the Willow Creek area is sporting the best conditions around, but getting there might be tricky. If you haven’t suffered enough and are dead set on wetting a line this weekend, you may need to look around.

The weather ahead
After a short-term drying trend from Wednesday through Friday, another winter storm is in the forecast for the weekend, according to Jonathan Garner of Eureka’s National Weather Service office. He said, “The storm should roll in Saturday afternoon and could stick around until early next week. We’ll see snow above 1,000 feet, similar to what we’ve seen early this week. We could see some precipitation below 1,000 feet which could impact some of the rivers, mainly to our south.”

Preliminary 2023 ocean salmon abundance forecast
Prior to Wednesday’s Salmon Information Meeting, preliminary 2023 ocean salmon abundance forecasts were announced. For the Klamath, the preseason expectations are for 102,500 adult fall kings to be swimming in the ocean. This forecast is more than 95,000 less than in 2022.

On the Sacramento River, the 2023 ocean abundance forecast is 169,800, which is a whopping 226,700 less than the 2022 forecast.

Based on these numbers, having any kind of ocean or in-river fishery is extremely uncertain. Look for the complete salmon meeting wrap-up in next week’s Fishing the North Coast.

The Rivers:
Mad
There were a few fish caught prior to the latest rise, but we’re now back to high and off-color conditions. As of Wednesday, flows were right around 1,700 cubic feet per second (9.1 feet). It’s predicted to drop through early next week but it’s unlikely we’ll see green water anytime soon.

Main stem Eel
The main Eel produced some of the better fishing of the season late last week with boats getting a chance at three to four fish per trip. Unfortunately, the river succumbed to snowmelt on Saturday and remains high and off color. Flows as of Thursday were 17,000 cfs and it’s predicted to drop for the next few days. It won’t recede to a fishable height before the rain returns.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork blew out on Sunday and was on the rise through Wednesday morning. As of Thursday, it was down to 3,670 cfs and dropping quickly. But the chances of it dropping into fishable shape by the weekend are iffy at best. Saturday would be the only day it would be close to fishable before it starts to rise again Saturday night into Sunday. Forecast to be right around 2,175 cfs by Saturday morning at Miranda.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen also blew out on Sunday and is currently a little high and off color. It’s predicted to drop and could be fishable early next week as more snow than rain will fall into the basin. Flows are predicted to be around 570 cfs by Saturday morning.

Smith
The Smith was on the rise Tuesday, but as of Wednesday was back on the drop. Flows were down to 2,500 cfs (7.5 feet) at the Jed Smith gauge Thursday. The river is still low and clear, but a few fish are being caught. It’s predicted to drop through the weekend and will likely be just above 7 feet by Sunday.

Southern Oregon rivers
Steelhead fishing has been slow on the Chetco, Rogue, Elk and Sixes rivers because of low, cold water, reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “A major boost in flows is needed to bring fresh steelhead in,” said Martin. “A slight boost in flows is expected this week. Catch rates have been poor the last week.”

Brookings ocean report
“Rough ocean conditions have kept Brookings anglers at the dock,” said Martin. “While herring have been thick in Crescent City, they have not shown up at the Port of Brookings. More stormy weather is expected this 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