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All Eyes on the Smith as Storms Limit Winter Steelhead Options

Sisters, Oregon, resident Taylor Robertson landed this beautiful winter steelhead back in January of 2023 on the Smith River. Recent storms have left the Smith River as the only fishable river for the next couple weeks. Photo courtesy of Josh Smith Guide Service

If you’re looking to tangle with your first coastal winter steelhead between now and the end of the year, your options will likely be limited to the Smith River. It’s currently the only river on the coast running green and fishable, and it’s expected to remain that way as the region stays locked into a wet weather pattern over the next couple of weeks.

A larger rise is forecast for Friday, which could make the river unsafe to drift, but plunking will be an excellent option. Weekend conditions are shaping up well, with the river expected to hover in the 11- to 12-foot range. Beginning Monday and continuing through next week, flows are forecast to range from 11 to 13 feet on the Jed Smith gauge—ideal plunking conditions from both the bank and a boat. Drifting from the forks down should also be a good option on the lower end of those flows.

Elsewhere on the coast, from the Mad River south to the South Fork Eel, green water appears unlikely before 2026. Multiple storm systems are expected to bring rain this weekend, followed by additional rainfall next week that will keep rivers high and off color.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, moderate to heavy rainfall will begin spreading into Del Norte County late Thursday as the next IVT plume sags south. Mean HREF and RRFS hourly rainfall rates are 0.3 to 0.5 inch per hour, with locally up to 0.6 inch per hour over the higher and windward facing terrain through a large portion of Del Norte County.

The front and focus of moderate to heavy rainfall and chances for minor flooding will then progress southward through North California throughout the day Friday. South of Del Norte, the heaviest rainfall rates will be mostly along the windward slopes of the higher terrain. All main stem rivers are forecast to remain below action or monitor stages, however rivers in narrow basins will likely once again quickly rise. Creeks and streams will also quickly rise and could result in nuisance flooding. Ponding on roadways is also likely throughout the duration of heavy rainfall. Rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches are forecast for Del Norte County, with 1 to 3 south through Northern Mendocino County. Outside of Del Norte, there is up to a 70% chance for 24-hour rainfall over 3 inches for southwest facing slopes of Cape Mendocino and some higher interior ridges of Humboldt.

Rainfall will turn much lighter Friday afternoon with a transition to lighter rain or showers. Rainfall will then begin trending higher Saturday south through Lake and Mendocino counties.”

Oregon sport bottomfish regs set for 2026
In a press release issued Dec. 12, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission finalized the 2026 recreational bottomfish season and regulations.

Bag Limits

General Marine Species:
- 4-fish bag limit (new in 2026)
- Canary rockfish: 2-fish sub-bag limit (new in 2026)
- Cabezon: 1-fish sub-bag limit
  - 16-inch minimum size limit
  - Opens July 1
Lingcod: 3-fish bag limit (new in 2026)
- 22-inch minimum size limit
Flatfish: 25-fish bag limit
Sablefish: 10-fish bag limit
Offshore long-leader fishery: 10-fish bag limit
- Canary rockfish: 2-fish sub-bag limit (new in 2026)
- For a 10-fish bag limit to apply, long-leader gear must be used outside (seaward) of the 40-fathom regulatory line
- 10 midwater rockfish species only
Retention of yelloweye and quillback rockfishes remain prohibited.

The bottomfish fishery will again be open at all-depths year-round (no seasonal depth restriction).

Beginning in 2026, an Ocean Endorsement is required for most anglers fishing in the ocean from beaches, jetties, and boats except when taking shellfish or when fishing for and retaining salmon or steelhead unless other marine finfish are retained. For more information on requirements and fees, please visit myodfw.com/articles/ocean-endorsement.

Recreational Red Abalone fishery to remain closed until 2036
In a press release issued Thursday, the California Fish and Game Commission has extended the Red Abalone recreational fishery closure.

CDFW Commission Statement:

“In a move to protect red abalone populations that have suffered drastic population decline, the California Fish and Game Commission at its Dec. 10-11 meeting extended the red abalone recreational fishery closure 10 years.
The Commission unanimously voted to adopt regulatory amendments to extend the red abalone recreational fishery closure in Northern California until April 1, 2036. The Commission determined that continuing the closure is necessary to protect red abalone and help facilitate its restoration.
California’s red abalone population suffered a drastic decline, approximately 85%, following the 2014 kelp forest collapse triggered by a marine heatwave. The loss of kelp greatly contributed to this decline and the increase in purple sea urchin densities prevent kelp recovery, abalone’s primary food source. CDFW will be supporting abalone restoration through the development of a statewide red abalone restoration plan that will include robust and adaptive strategies to support abalone populations.”

Guy Mitchell from Laytonville with a nice ling cod caught over the weekend out of Shelter Cove. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell, Sea Hawk Sport Fishing

Shelter Cove update
“Fishing and crabbing was great over the weekend, until the weather turned,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Both Sunday and Monday we had limits or rockfish, lings, and crab and were off the water by 11 am. The crabs aren’t really big, but they’re nice and full.”

Brookings update
According to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters, Lingcod fishing has been good out of Brookings, but rough weather is expected for the next week.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all rivers subject to low flow fishing closures are open. This includes the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Mad, Van Duzen, Redwood Creek, and Smith. The low-flow closure telephone hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast. Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

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, 2026.

Mad
The Mad is high and off color, sitting at just over 9 feet on Thursday. With more rain in the forecast, it will likely remain that way through all next week and weekend. The likelihood of seeing green water is slim between now and the new year. Once the flows do recede, we should be off and running on the steelhead season.

Main Eel
After reaching 48,000 cfs Wednesday night, the man Eel was on the drop Thursday. The next round of storms will put it back on the rise Friday, with flows predicted to reach 65,000 Monday morning. Needless to say, it will need a couple weeks of dry weather before it rounds into shape. When the river drops down to a fishable height and color, we should see some pretty good steelhead fishing.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork Eel is big and muddy, and temporarily on the drop. It peaked Wednesday at over 21,000 cfs, but was right around 5,000 cfs Thursday. With more rain on the way, it will likely remain too high and off color all next week and through the weekend. There should be some winter steelhead around once it drops and clears.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen peaked at over 8,700 cfs Wednesday morning, but has dropped quickly. It was down to 1,600 cfs Thursday, but was still dirty. More rain Friday and throughout the weekend will keep the river off color. It’s not forecast to drop down to a fishable height between now and the first of the year.

Smith
The Smith jumped to over 21 feet Wednesday, but has since dropped down to a fishable height. As of Thursday afternoon, it was just above 10 feet, perfect for drifting. However, more rain is predicted for Friday, which could push flows to high to drift. The weekend looks plenty fishable, as does next week. It’s forecast to remain in the 10-12-foot range all next week, and will likely be the only game in town. Should be some steelhead making their way in.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The few boats fishing the Chetco before Tuesday’s rain were finding decent numbers of adult steelhead, but high water will now have the river blown out of at least a week,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “River levels jumped 10 feet overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, from 1,500 cfs to nearly 20,000 cfs. Another big storm on Thursday may blow the river out for the rest of the year. Prior to the storms, ODFW crews doing salmon spawning surveys observed impressive numbers of adult steelhead spread throughout the river. Plunkers could have a chance between Christmas and New Year’s, while drift boaters may have to wait for the first week of January. The Elk and Sixes also blew out Tuesday night, with the Elk jumping to nearly 7.5 feet. Both rivers close to salmon fishing Dec. 31.”

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.

Storms Set Stage for Winter Steelhead Kickoff

Eureka angler Bob White shows off a quality winter steelhead from last year. Incoming storms are expected to jump-start this season’s run. Photo courtesy of Kenny Priest/Fishing the North Coast Guide Service.

Winter steelhead season has been slow to ignite on the North Coast, but that’s about to change. A series of storm systems is lining up over the Pacific, and the impacts could be significant beginning next week and beyond.

According to the National Weather Service, rain is expected to arrive Monday and persist for several days, with a few inches forecast along the coast — exactly what the rivers need. Steady rainfall and resulting pulse flows should be enough to draw the first major push of winter steelhead out of the salt. If the storms materialize as predicted, the Smith River could be in excellent shape sometime next week. The Chetco is projected to spike to around 9,000 cfs and will likely remain unfishable through the week.

Elsewhere, the Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Mad rivers are expected to take on plenty of color and will probably need some time before dropping back into shape. Once all the rivers crest and begin to recede to fishable levels, the first wave of winter steelhead should follow.

After a standout late-fall salmon season, seeing the rivers fill with bright winter steelhead would be a welcome encore.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, Sunday is expected to start to see conditions transition to a wetter pattern. “Winds start to turn southerly and increase Sunday morning. High clouds are expected to start to move into the area as well. There is a slight chance for rain in Del Norte county Sunday evening, but the rain will likely stay to the north of the area.

Monday the wet pattern is expected to return. The first system is expected to move through Monday afternoon or evening with a second Tuesday afternoon or evening. The ECMWF and ensembles keep the heavier rain a bit farther north for the first one, but is in better agreement with the GEFS on the second one. Some areas may not see much of a break between the systems and it this point it is hard to time a break out. Confidence is growing that we will see 1 to 3 inches of rain over Monday and Tuesday in Humboldt and Trinity counties with more like 2 to 3 inches in Del Norte County. In Mendocino and Lake counties rainfall amounts drop off quickly with amounts ranging from a quarter of an inch in southern Lake County to 1.5 inches in northern Mendocino County. These amounts may continue to rise.

Later in the week there is the potential for continued wet weather, but details are low at this point. There are some indications that this could be a colder storm with some snow at the higher elevations.”

Shelter Cove update
“The rockfish and lingcod fishing continues to be great,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We’ve been having some excellent December weather to go with it. We’re spending most of our time at the Hat and the Old Man.”

Brookings update
According to Martin, lingcod action has been very good out of Brookings, while sport crabbing also is excellent. “Crabbing will remain good through Saturday, and then likely drop off sharply with the commercial opener and incoming storm. Calm conditions are expected through Saturday. A major winter storm arrives Sunday night.”

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, the main stem Eel and Smith were open to fishing. The Mad, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, and Redwood Creek remained closed due to low flows. The low-flow closure telephone hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast. Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

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, 2026.

Mad
The Mad remains closed, but changes are on the way. Rain is in the forecast for Monday, and we should see the river start to rise early Tuesday. It’s predicted to stay in the 9-to-10-foot range through at least next Sunday. Once the flows recede, we should see the first push of winter steelhead. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge.

Main Eel
The main Eel remains open, but is now under 700 cfs as of Thursday. The next rise is forecast to start late Monday or early Tuesday and will likely turn the river muddy. There should be some late kings and coho making their way in along with the first round of steelhead when the river drops down to a fishable height and color. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork Eel remains closed to fishing, but some much-needed water is on the way. With rain starting Monday, the South Fork is forecast to rise early Tuesday morning and will likely blow out. Flows are predicted to be above 3,000 cfs by next Sunday. We should see a few winter steelhead show up on the next rise.Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen is currently closed due to low flows, but that will soon change. The river is predicted to rise Monday evening, and will likely blow out soon after. It’s predicted to be high and off color through next week. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.

Smith
The Smith remains open as of Thursday, but is low and clear with very little fishing pressure. There’s a chance it could close prior to the rain coming late Monday as flows were 620 cfs at Jed Smith Park Thursday. It’s predicted to rise starting Monday evening and could be in plunkable or in drifting shape throughout next week as it should be in the 10-to-12-foot range. The next rise should bring in the last of the kings as well as some bright winter steelhead. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
Salmon fishing has been slow on the Chetco, Elk and Sixes with prolonged low water reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “A big boost in flows is expected Sunday night, but the river will quickly blow out and could be high for more than a week,” said Martin. “Expect steelhead fishing to kick into gear as the river drops. Flows are expected to approach 10,000 cfs by early next week. Flows were between 500 and 650 cfs this week.

Salmon Season Fades — Now It’s Time to Chase Steelhead

Point Reyes resident Anastacia Gonzalez shows off an Eel River Steelhead from a couple of seasons ago. It’s getting to be steelhead time on the coast, but we’ll need some rain to kick things off. Photo courtesy of Kenny Priest/Fishing the North Coast Guide Service.

With the late-fall king salmon season all but wrapped up on the North Coast, anglers are already shifting their attention to winter steelhead. Unfortunately, flows are running low across all the coastal rivers, and significant rain doesn’t appear likely until at least late next weekend — and even that remains uncertain. Despite the dry spell, a smattering of early steelhead has been reported from most rivers, a promising sign that fish are staged and ready for better conditions.

The salmon season itself delivered flashes of excellent fishing mixed with long stretches of low water. Both the Smith and Eel rivers saw solid returns of fall kings. At the Eel River fishway at Cape Horn Dam, salmon counts through the end of November were the highest recorded since the 2012-13 season. The Chetco also posted strong numbers of returning kings, helping round out a generally positive year for coastal fall salmon runs.

But with December now on the calendar and rain beginning to show up—however faintly—in the extended forecast, anglers are eager for the first real rise of the season. Once the rivers get a much-needed shot of water, winter steelhead season should finally get rolling.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, Thursday night into Friday morning a shortwave coming over the ridge is expected to start bringing more cloudiness to the area. “This will likely keep temperatures warmer. It is possible this could bring some drizzle to the northern coastal areas, but confidence is low on this. Friday afternoon looks like the first chance for some light rain and this may continue through the weekend. The big question is how far south this rain will come. The current forecast keeps most of it in Del Norte County with less than a quarter of an inch in northern Humboldt County. Del Norte count may see over a half inch. However, this is a small system and a slight shift farther north or south could really change the rainfall totals. The 25th percentile for Crescent City shows 0.2 inches while the 75th percentile shows 1.1 inches. In Eureka and much of Humboldt and Trinity counties those amounts range from 0.00 to 0.5 inches. Farther south and east in southern Trinity, Mendocino and Lake counties even the high ends amounts are less than a quarter inch. Even if the heavier amounts make it farther south, there aren`t expected to be many impacts.”

Shelter Cove update
“We had some really good ocean conditions last week and we made a few trips up to Gorda,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing.“The fishing was fantastic, with a great grade of lingcod and rockfish. We were able to put limits onboard pretty quickly.”

Brookings update
According to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters, sport crabbing was good out of Brookings during the Dec. 1 opener, while lingcod and rockfish action also has been good. “Calm weather is expected through the end of the week,” said Martin. The best crabbing was in 100 feet of water near the whistle buoy.”

Mad
The Mad was closed as of last week and looks to remain closed throughout the weekend and into early next week. Prior to closing, fresh kings were making their way into the lower river. With the next rise, we should see the first push of winter steelhead. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge.

Main Eel
The main Eel remains open, but is getting low and clear. There are still a few kings around, along with quite a few coho. Winter steelhead should begin to show on the next rise. Over 1,200 Chinook have been counted as of Nov. 23 at the Van Arsdale fishery station, the most since 2012. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork Eel was closed as of last week and looks to remain closed throughout the weekend and next week. Prior to closing, there were quite a few coho moving through. We should see a few winter steelhead show up on the next rise. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen has been closed since last week and will likely remain closed through next week. Most of the kings have moved through, expect to see some winter steelhead on the next rise. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.

Smith
The Smith remains open, but is low and clear with very little fishing pressure. As of Thursday, flows were 650 cfs at Jed Smith Park and it looks to remain open through the weekend. A slight bump in flows is forecast for Saturday, but it won’t last long. If the predictions are correct, it could close early next week. The next rise should bring in the last of the kings as well as some bright winter steelhead. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
Low, clear water has stalled late-season salmon fishing on the Elk, Sixes and Chetco, as well as the start of steelhead fishing, but rain over the weekend could give just enough of a boost to make side-drifting worthwhile reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Steelhead season opened Dec. 1, as well as the upper section of the Chetco above Nook Creek,” said Martin. “Salmon fishing has been slow the past week. Flows are expected to jump from 500 cfs to 1,500 cfs or more next week, if the forecast materializes. King tides this week could draw in late kings on the Elk and Sixes.”

Eel River Chinook salmon returns
For the week of November 17 – 23, 305 Chinook salmon (female 109, male 87, unknown 25, jack 84) were observed moving upstream through the fishway at Cape Horn Dam. The season total for upstream migrating Chinook salmon now stands at 1,274 (female 424, male 393, unknown 115, jack 342), through Sunday, November 23. This is the highest number since the 2012/13 season. For more information, visit https://eelriver.org/the-eel-river/#fishcount.

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.

Another Storm, Another Miss: North Coast Still Waiting on a Real Rise

Sol Gallaway with a Smith River king landed last Friday. Photo courtesy of Fishing the North Coast Guide Service.

Another week, another dismal atmospheric river has come and gone. The storm door cracked open back in early October, but it hasn’t been kicked open much farther since. Instead, we’ve seen a parade of modest systems — just enough rain to bump flows, but not nearly enough to produce the kind of full-blown rises anglers hope for this time of year. It’s been one little storm after another, keeping the rivers barely high enough to remain open and allowing salmon to trickle in rather than charge upriver in big bunches.

Despite the lack of a true gully-washer, the small rises we’ve had have created windows of very fishable conditions. Those brief lifts in flow have turned out some pretty good scores for boats and bank anglers who were able to time their outings around the modest pulses of water. Fish continue to move on each rise, albeit in smaller and smaller numbers.

For now, the pattern remains the same: light rains, marginal rises, and steady but unspectacular fishing. Anglers will be watching closely for a stronger system that could finally open the door all the way and push the bulk of the late-fall fish into the rivers as well as some early-arriving steelhead. Until then, the trickle continues — and so does the opportunity for those willing to watch the gauges and take advantage when conditions line up.

Weather ahead
According to the Eureka’s National Weather Service, moderate to locally heavy rainfall ended late Wednesday with the passing of the front. “A chillier airmass has moved in behind the front. Overnight lows will bring chances for interior frost and some freezing temperatures, but values will be close to climatological norms. After the recent rains, and building high pressure, the environment will be favorable for poorly modeled radiational fog over at least the next couple of mornings. An additional system is possible early next week, but ensembles continue to trend this system northward. Even high-end precipitation amounts are only showing 0.25 amounts clipping Del Norte County. After the passage of an associated cold front, cooler overnight lows will return Tuesday morning. Precipitation chances are currently not forecast to trend higher until mid to late next week.”

CDFW awaits new domoic acid test results for North Coast crab
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted additional domoic acid sampling late last week, deploying a vessel out of Eureka to collect crabs for both retesting and initial toxicity checks. The effort included a retest of the Trinidad area, which previously returned elevated domoic acid levels. Under state health guidelines, any area that tests high must produce two consecutive clean results, collected at least one week apart, before restrictions can be lifted.

According to a CDFW, test results from the most recent round of sampling are expected to be available on Nov. 20 or Nov. 21. These findings will help determine whether the Trinidad zone is trending toward reopening and will provide the first assessment of crab condition in the Eureka area.

Shelter Cove update
“It’s been a little slow without being able to fish for crab, but things are picking up,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Rock fishing has been really good lately, and the lingcod action has been excellent as well. Haven’t been going too far, just around the Old Man and the Hat.”

Brookings update
According to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters, lingcod and rockfish action is good out of Brookings when the weather cooperates. “Last weekend produced limits,” said Martin. “Winds calm down this weekend, although the swell is borderline at 10 feet.”

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mad, and Smith were open to fishing. Only Redwood Creek remained closed due to low flows. The low-flow closure telephone hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast.

Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

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, 2026.

Mad
The Mad was on a slight rise as of Thursday morning and is forecast to reach 1,100 cfs in the afternoon. It’s forecast to drop through the weekend and into early next week before the rain returns mid-next week. There are reportedly fresh salmon making their way into the river. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Main Eel
Following Tuesday’s rise, the main stem was on drop Thursday and flowing just above 4,000 cfs. It’s predicted to drop through the weekend and could be fishable next week when flows will dip below 2,000 cfs. The next rise is predicted for the end of next week. There should be some late arriving kings around as well as some fresh coho. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was running at 1,000 cfs Thursday morning and it looks like it won’t reach 1,200 cfs as predicted. It will be on the drop through the weekend and all next week. Last weekend, with flows under 1,000, the river remained off color. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was on a very slight rise Thursday morning, but it won’t amount to much. Flows were right around 575 cfs and will be on the drop through mid-next week. It’s predicted to get down to 200 cfs late next week prior to the next rain event. It should be fishable by the weekend. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Smith
The Smith was on a slow rise Thursday morning, but likely to peak at less than predicted. As of noon it was around 2,290 cfs and may not go much above 2,300 cfs. Rain last Sunday brought flows up Monday and the fishing was decent. Some fresh fish were caught, but the majority are now dark and there’s some nice coho around. The ensemble forecast shows the river dropping through next Tuesday, with the next small rise predicted for Wednesday. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

Eel River Chinook salmon returns
According to the Friends of the Eel website, the first Chinook salmon arrived at the Van Arsdale Fisheries Station (VAFS) on Wednesday, November 5. Salmon arrivals were steady throughout the week and peaked on Thursday, November 6, with 111 arrivals. Over the week (November 3 – 9), 251 Chinook salmon (female 73, male 85, unknown 27, jack 66) were observed migrating upstream through the fish passage facility at Cape Horn Dam. The season total for upstream migrating Chinook salmon stands at 251 (female 73, male 85, unknown 27, jack 66), through Sunday, November 9. For more information, visit https://eelriver.org/the-eel-river/#fishcount.

Nov. 28 and 29 free fish days in Oregon
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is waiving all fishing licensing requirements on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving to encourage people to experience fishing with friends and family during the long holiday weekend. All fishing, crabbing and clamming in Oregon will be free for both Oregon residents and non-residents. No licenses, tags or endorsements are needed on those days, but all other fishing regulations apply. Visit https://myodfw.com/articles/2025-free-fishing-days-and-events

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“Salmon fishing has slowed on the Chetco,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “After a decent weekend, catch rates dropped significantly to begin the week. A few late fish are expected after the next rain, but many anglers will turn their attention to the Dec. 1 steelhead opener. A few steelhead have already been released.

The Elk and Sixes need a big rain event to jumpstart the action. Expect decent fishing on the Elk after the next rise to 4 feet. The river was 2.3 feet on Wednesday.”

Last Call for Kings — Steelhead Season on Deck

Ferndale resident Iver Skavdal with a nice king caught last week on the Smith River. Photo courtesy of Alan’s Guide Service

As another weakening storm approaches the North Coast, it’s safe to say we’re now on the backside of the late-fall coastal king salmon run. This fall still hasn’t delivered the kind of big storm needed to give the rivers a full blowout, and most have been teetering between open and closed. On the bright side, salmon returns to the coastal rivers appear strong. Plenty of kings have been caught on the Smith, from the tidewater up to the forks, over the past few weeks, and schools of traveling salmon have been spotted pushing through the smaller coastal streams as well.

If conditions hold, anglers should have another week or two of opportunity to hook a bright king. We’re also starting to see good numbers of coho moving into the rivers, which is usually a sign the king run is winding down.

With the salmon now taking care of business in their home tributaries, we’ll turn our attention to what’s next — the first signs of the winter steelhead run.

Weather ahead
According to the US National Weather Service Eureka, 2 to 3 inches of rain is most likely across Mendocino and Lake Counties with only about 1 inch of rain in Humboldt Bay and Crescent City. “Rain amounts may peak over 4 inches in some isolated high mountain areas in the King Range and Trinity Alps. Some showers could linger Thursday evening into early Friday. Additional rainfall will most likely be no more than 0.1 inches with less than 10% chance of additional total rainfall over 0.2 inches. A drier and cooler air mass will quickly build behind the front with mostly clear skies by Friday afternoon. Another, weak rain event is expected later in the weekend. Current rain amounts will most likely be less than 0.5 inches, focused along the North Coast.”

2025 Recreational Pacific Halibut Fishery to Close Nov. 15
The 2025 recreational Pacific halibut fishery will close after Saturday, Nov. 15, according to state and federal fishery managers. As of Oct. 26, California anglers had harvested 19,110 net pounds of halibut — about 49 percent of the state’s 39,280-pound share of the Area 2A quota, which is jointly managed with Washington and Oregon.

Of California’s allocation, 500 pounds are reserved for the waters south of Point Arena. Despite the underage, the fishery will still close as scheduled under the season structure approved earlier this year.

Shelter Cove update
“Rock fishing has been excellent and the lingcod bite has gotten really good the last week or so,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We’ve been fishing the Old Man lately. There’s been some decent albacore fishing out of Fort Bragg the last few days, but no Cove boats made the trek.”

Brookings update
According to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters, boaters have been able to get out of Brookings this week for lingcod and rockfish, although choppy seas have limited success for lings to some extent. “Quality rockfish are as close as Chetco Point. Saturday’s forecast looks fishable,” said Martin.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, and the Smith were open to fishing. The Mad, and Redwood Creek remained closed due to low flows. The low-flow closure telephone hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast.

Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

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, 2026.

Mad
The Mad was around 165 cfs as of Thursday morning and is forecast for a steep rise throughout the day, peaking at 3,100 cfs in the evening. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Main Eel
The main Eel as flowing at 1,690 cfs as of Thursday morning and starting to rise. With the rain, it’s predicted to peak at 8,460 cfs Friday night and will likely be muddy It should drop into fishable shape late in the weekend or the first of next week. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
The South Fork opened to fishing Thursday morning as flows were 470 cfs and rising quickly. It should be fishable throughout the weekend, with the next, smaller rise forecast for Monday. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen has been open since mid-last week. It was on a steep rise Thursday morning and expected to peak at nearly 5,000 cfs later in the evening. It should drop in to fishable shape by later in the weekend before the next rise begins Monday morning. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Smith
Flows and fishing both peaked last Thursday as the river peaked at over 11 feet on the Jed Smith gauge. Since then, it’s been getting low and clear. Back bouncing roe in the spots that have current has been the ticket this week and will be the case through the weekend. A slight rise is predicted for Friday, but it’s predicted to remain under 7 feet. There are likely a few bright kings still making their way in, along with some darker fish. Quite a few coho have been caught this week. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The Chetco has been fair for salmon, but slower than expected considering this week’s prime conditions,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Many of the salmon have already moved upriver to spawn. Spawning salmon can be seen throughout the upper river. Leaves challenged anglers over the weekend, making it difficult to run plugs as the biggest number of kings move through. By Monday, the action had slowed, but anglers back-bouncing roe or bobber fishing were catching a mix of bright and dark salmon. This week’s rain will help for the weekend, although the lower river could get muddy.

The Elk and Sixes had a brief window on Sunday and Monday, but will fish well again with rain late this week. The Elk was slower than expected, but plenty of fish should still be coming. The Sixes fished well with good flows to begin the 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 www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Prime Weekend for Late Fall Kings

Matt Vanoli landed a bright king while fishing the Smith River Wednesday. Excellent conditions are on tap for the next few days on the Smith. Photo courtesy of Michael Poly.

If you haven’t gotten in on the late fall king action yet, this should be your weekend. River conditions are lining up nicely for both the Smith and Chetco — and with the run possibly winding down, now’s the time to go.

Earlier rain put plenty of water back into both systems. Boats were back on the Smith by Wednesday, while the Chetco was still too muddy. That should change soon — the Smith is prime right now, and the Chetco should come around by Saturday. It may start off a bit high, but by Sunday it should be in great shape and fishing well into next week.

Closer to home, the main stem Eel could be fishable by late in the weekend or early next week, depending on how dirty the creeks get. It’s forecast to peak around 7,940 cfs Friday but was already dropping Thursday and running below projections — a good sign. The South Fork was a little off-color Thursday but could be in shape by the weekend, with flows expected just under 1,200 cfs Saturday morning. The Van Duzen has one more rise coming Friday, but if it falls short, it could be fishable by the weekend too.

Weather ahead
According to the US National Weather Service Eureka, high pressure and upper-level ridge will build in quickly Friday over the West Coast in the wake of the front. Any lingering showers are expected to dissipate Friday morning as the flow aloft shifts to northwest and dryer airmass moves in. Dry and seasonably high temperatures are expected on Friday.

Dry offshore regimen will promote a drying and warming trend this weekend through at least early next week. Ensemble and deterministic models’ guidance’s are in a good agreement with the high pressure persisting over the area this weekend. High pressure breakdown begins to shift eastward on Tuesday as an upper-level trough approaches.”

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith, and Van Duzen. The low-flow closure telephone hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast. Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

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, 2026.

Mad
The Mad was down to 1,375 as of Thursday morning and dropping. It’s predicted to rise early Friday morning, peaking at 2,980 cfs. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Main Eel
Peaked at 5,960 cfs early Thursday morning, but came in below projections. Another half-inch of rain is forecast for late Thursday, but it remains to be seen if that will be enough to put it back on the rise. It could drop into shape late in the weekend and should be in good shape early next week. The next significant rise is predicted for Thursday. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
The South Fork opened to angling Tuesday, and peaked at 2,300 cfs Wednesday afternoon. It’s predicted to drop – though it could see a slight bump in flows Friday – through the weekend and into next week. Conditions should be good for the weekend and there are salmon spread throughout the river. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen opened to angling Wednesday as flows climbed to 2,530 cfs. It has been on the drop since, with the next rise forecast for Friday where it could reach 2,900 cfs. It’s predicted to drop through the weekend and into next week. Flows should be right around 980 cfs Saturday morning. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Smith
The Smith opened back up Tuesday and boats were back on the water Wednesday. Even on the steep rise, plenty of fish were caught. Conditions should be excellent Friday as the river will be on the drop from 10 feet at the Jed Smith gauge. It will continue to drop through mid-next week when the next round of rain is forecasted. Expect clearing conditions this weekend. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The Chetco fished well Monday and Tuesday, before blowing out Tuesday evening,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “It was high and muddy Wednesday, and expected to remain blown out Thursday before dropping for the weekend. A mix of bright and dark adults and jacks are being caught, with hatchery and wild fish in the mix. Tuesday’s all-tackle opener lives up to its billing, with a good bite for drift boaters back-bouncing roe. Lots of leaves and muddy water kept everyone away Wednesday. Flows below 4,000 cfs are fishable, with flows below 3,000 ideal. The Ice Box gate is now open for launching and bank fishing access. The Elk and Sixes also blew out Wednesday and were full of leaves. They will be in shape for the weekend, but expect a crowd.”