Humboldt County

Weekend Rains Briefly Open North Coast Rivers

Brady Smith of Klamath Falls holds a 41-inch king caught Monday on the Smith River with guide Andy Martin. He was fishing a 5.0 MagLip with a tuna wrap. Photo courtesy of Wild Rivers Fishing

The season’s first atmospheric river was forecast to hit the North Coast last Friday and into the weekend, but it came in well under predictions. What was expected to deliver 4 to 6 inches of rain ended up producing just 2 to 2.5 inches. Still, it was enough to briefly open several rivers — the Smith for three days, and the Mad and Van Duzen for just one. The main stem Eel opened Sunday and remains the only North Coast river subject to low-flow closures that’s still open. Across the border, the Chetco is open, though anglers are required to fish with a bobber through Nov. 3.

The good news is there’s plenty of salmon around. Unfortunately, most of the fish caught in North Coast rivers have been dark and past their prime. The Smith produced good numbers Sunday and Monday, but chrome-bright fish were scarce. The Chetco also saw a solid bite, with a more even mix of dark and fresh salmon.

Looking ahead, the next storm is forecast to arrive Tuesday. The Climate Prediction Center’s 8–14-day outlook calls for above-normal precipitation — hopefully the next round of rain will bring more fishable water and a few more bright kings.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, except the main stem Eel are closed to fishing. This includes the 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.

Smith
Fishing was good Sunday and Monday prior to closing Tuesday. Most of the fish were dark, but there were some bright ones caught. There should be more bright fish coming with the next rise, which should happen next Tuesday. The daily bag limit is one Chinook salmon per day and no more than five wild Chinook salmon over 22 inches per year. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

Mad
The Mad was open Monday, but quickly closed Tuesday due to low flows. There were reportedly quite a few salmon seen moving up from the tide water. The ensemble forecast shows the river beginning to rise late Tuesday. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Main stem Eel
The river was open as of Thursday with flows right around 670 cfs and dropping.  With dry weather on tap for the next several days, it may close to fishing later in the weekend of early next week. The next rise, which is forecast for Wednesday could open it back up to fishing. The Eel River is open to catch and release of salmon in 2025/26. 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 didn’t receive enough rain over the weekend to open it up. That could change late next week with the arrival of the next storm. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen opened, and closed, last Monday as flows quickly fell below 150 cfs. If the forecast is correct, it could open to fishing next Wednesday. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Chetco
“The Chetco River was in good shape for fall kings over the weekend and the beginning of the week, with lots of fish spread throughout the river,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “By Tuesday, the river was already low and clear and challenging to drift. Boats were bumping bottom on most riffles on Wednesday. A mix of bright and dark fish were caught early in the week, before action dropped sharply on Tuesday. Fishing was slow Wednesday, and will likely remain so until next week’s rain. Gear restrictions requiring a bobber remain in effect through Nov. 3. Several anglers and some guides were ticketed by state troopers at the beginning of the week.”

Sixes River low flow angling closure to be lifted
Beginning Nov. 3, the Sixes River low flow angling closure will be lifted. ODFW typically closes a portion of the river to angling Oct. 1 to protect wild fall chinook salmon vulnerable to snagging or poaching while staging between Crystal Creek and Hughes House Boat Ramp.

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

Sport Dungeness crab season delayed on the North Coast
In a press release issued Oct. 24 by CDFW, the recreational Dungeness crab season will open beginning Nov. 1, 2025, except in northern California where it has been delayed due to a public health hazard.

CDFW Statement:
“State health agencies determined that Dungeness crab in northern California have unhealthy levels of domoic acid and recommended delaying the opening of the recreational fishery in state waters from the California/Oregon border (42° 0.00’ N latitude) south to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line (38° 46.125’ N latitude). Following this recommendation, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has delayed the opening of the recreational Dungeness crab fishery in northern California. Recreational take and/or possession of Dungeness crab is prohibited in these closed waters.

In the area between the Sonoma/Mendocino County line and Point Reyes (37° 59.73’ N latitude), state health agencies are advising the public not to consume crab viscera (guts) to avoid potential domoic acid exposure. In addition, the use of crab traps will be temporarily restricted between the Sonoma/Mendocino County line and Lopez Point, Monterey County (36° N latitude, Fishing Zones 3 and 4) when the season opens due to the presence of humpback whales and potential for entanglement from recreational crab traps.

A Fleet Advisory has also been issued for all Fishing Zones for the recreational fishery and crabbers should avoid setting any gear in areas where whales are present. Also, all hoop nets must be serviced every two hours and cannot be left unattended for longer periods.

Recreational take of Dungeness crab by other methods, including hoop nets and crab snares, is not affected by the temporary trap restriction in these areas. Crab traps cannot be used south of Point Arguello.
The delay of the northern recreational fishery shall remain in effect until the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, in consultation with the State Public Health Officer of California Department of Public Health (CDPH), determines that domoic acid no longer poses a significant risk to public health.

Expired marine flare collection events
The California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) and the Make the Electronic Marine Flare Switch campaign have partnered with CalRecycle, and the California State Parks and Coastal Commission’s California Boating Clean and Green Program to collect expired marine flares and educate residents about marine flare management safety, including the advantages of reusable distress signals, to protect California communities and the local environment.

Residents and boaters berthing their boats in Alameda County, Del Norte County, West Contra Costa County, Marin County, and Santa Cruz County can take their expired marine flares to their county’s designated marine flare collection events in the fall. Click here for all the Bay Area times and locations.

A collection date for Del Norte has been set for Saturday, November 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1700 State Street, Crescent City. For more information, visit www.calpsc.org/marineflareswitchcampaign

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, rock fishing has been good for the few boats that made it out this week. “Looks like we may have some decent weather at the end of the week,” said Mitchell.”

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.

Big Storms on the Way — and So Are the Kings

Big kings, like this one caught by Whitney Floyd on the Smith River, should be showing up after this weekend’s storms. Photo courtesy of Seth Waters Fishing

The season’s first major storms are headed for the North Coast, and they’re shaping up to be impressive. According to the National Weather Service office in Eureka, a deep and expansive Aleutian low will drive an atmospheric river–type system into the Pacific Northwest beginning Friday. Multiple disturbances rotating off this low will impact Northern California, bringing moderate to heavy precipitation from late Friday through Sunday.

Oceanic-to-coastal thunderstorms are also possible from Saturday afternoon into Sunday across Northern Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Rainfall totals are forecast to range from 4 to 6 inches in Del Norte County and 1.5 to 3.5 inches in Humboldt and Trinity counties. Another disturbance is expected to pass through on Sunday, with additional systems following into Monday. These will likely carry weak to moderate atmospheric river characteristics, especially on Sunday.

For salmon anglers, that’s welcome news. Fresh-from-the-salt king salmon — big, bright, and full of energy — will begin making their way up all of our coastal rivers starting this weekend. If you notice a line of drift boats heading north on U.S. Highway 101, this is the reason.

Following an early rise Saturday morning, both the Smith and Chetco rivers could be fishable by Sunday, though anglers should expect off-colored water, plenty of debris, and continued rising flows. Fresh kings should be moving through both systems.

As of Thursday, the Smith River is forecast to peak just over 4,000 cfs at the Jed Smith gauge early Monday morning before beginning a steady drop through the week. The Chetco is expected to follow a similar pattern, peaking around 1,500 cfs Saturday before leveling out and offering good conditions Sunday through Tuesday. Another round of storms predicted for next weekend could push Chetco flows above 2,300 cfs, bringing another pulse of fresh fish upriver.

As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith, and Van Duzen were closed to fishing. The 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 River
Predicted to peak at 545 cfs Monday morning. Minimum flows are 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge to lift angling restrictions.

Main Eel
Forecasted to reach 1,050 cfs early Monday morning. Minimum flows are 350 cfs on the Scotia gauge to lift angling restrictions.

Van Duzen
Predicted to peak at 340 cfs Monday morning Minimum flows are 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park to lift angling restrictions.

South Fork Eel
Flows are predicted to peak at 445 cfs Monday morning. Minimum flows are 340 cfs at Miranda to lift angling restrictions.

Smith
The Smith is likely to see heavy boat traffic this weekend. If the predictions hold, it could open sometime Saturday morning. It’s forecast for a steep rise through Sunday, but could be fishable in the afternoon. Monday is looking like the day. It could be a little dirty and leafy, but fish should be coming. Minimum flows are 600 cfs at Jedediah Smith State Park to lift angling restrictions.

Chetco/Rogue
“The Chetco should be high enough to float with a drift boat by the weekend, although bobber restrictions remain in place until early November,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The estuary has slowed as big schools of kings have moved into the tidewater. Generally, boats can get down river with a little dragging at 800 cfs. Above 1,500 cfs, the lower river is an easy drift, although boats may bump bottom at Willow Riffle and above Moffit Rock. The gate at Ice Box is expected to remain closed until Nov. 3. Flows of 1,000 to 1,500 cfs are expected this weekend and early next week. At flows less than 2,000 cfs, boaters will have to fish next to bank anglers on the lower river. 

If rain comes in a little more than expected, the Elk and Sixes could become fishable, although a big surf could reduce the number of kings that move in from the ocean. The Rogue Bay is slow, with an occasional late king or coho moving through. Steelhead fishing has been disappointing upriver.”

Dungeness crab testing continues
Domoic acid testing in Dungeness crabs has begun on the California coast. To date, samples from Trinidad, Crescent City, and Monterey have been reported. Of the five crabs from Trinidad and Crescent City, one or more have exceeded the action level of 30 parts per million. Crabs tested out of Monterey Bay all came back clean. More information regarding Domoic Acid and the latest test results can be found here.

Expired marine flare collection events
The California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) and the Make the Electronic Marine Flare Switch campaign have partnered with CalRecycle, and the California State Parks and Coastal Commission’s California Boating Clean and Green Program to collect expired marine flares and educate residents about marine flare management safety, including the advantages of reusable distress signals, to protect California communities and the local environment.
Residents and boaters berthing their boats in Alameda County, Del Norte County, West Contra Costa County, Marin County, and Santa Cruz County can take their expired marine flares to their county’s designated marine flare collection events in the fall. Click here for all the Bay Area times and locations.
A collection date for Del Norte has been set for Saturday, November 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1700 State Street, Crescent City. For more information, visit www.calpsc.org/marineflareswitchcampaign

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.

Storm Door Cracking Open on the North Coast

The Chetco estuary continues to be the hot spot for kings, with plenty of big ones being landed daily. Pictured above is one of the kings caught this week with guide Rye Phillips of Brookings Fishing Charters. Photo courtesy of Brookings Fishing Charters

The good news is we’re starting to see a shift in the weather pattern, bringing with it the second rainstorm of the season. Unfortunately, it looks like it will still fall short of what’s needed to open the coastal rivers to fishing. The one possible exception could be the main stem Eel River, where flows are predicted to surpass the 350 cfs threshold at Scotia.

From the Smith down to the South Fork Eel, roughly three-quarters to an inch of rain is forecast between Friday and Saturday. Another small storm is expected Monday, but it doesn’t appear strong enough to make much of a difference. While this rain will help, our parched rivers will need several inches and a series of consistent storms before they open up. Hopefully this is just the beginning and the storm door has been pushed open.

As a reminder, the low-flow hotline has been disconnected. River openings and closures can now be tracked in real time at wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast. Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

In the meantime, the Chetco continues to be the bright spot on the coast for fall kings. If you’re looking for big fish, now’s the time to go — before the rains come and the salmon make their move upriver.

Weekend marine forecast
South winds, albeit slight, are in the forecast for Friday and Saturday. As of Thursday afternoon, out 10 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the south 10 to 15 knots with south waves 4 feet at five seconds and northwest 5 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday, winds will be out of the south up to 5 knots with west waves 3 feet at seven seconds and northwest 4 feet at 10 seconds. Sunday, winds will be 5 to 10 knots out of the north with northwest waves 2 feet at five seconds and northwest 6 feet at 10 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit 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.

Warnings lifted for some shellfish in Humboldt County
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has lifted the shellfish and seafood safety notification today related to certain sport-harvested bivalve shellfish from Humboldt County. The warning no longer applies to scallops, oysters and clams (except for razor clams). An advisory for razor clams in Humboldt County remains in effect.

CDFW Statement:

The safety notification for Humboldt County was issued on September 9, 2025, due to dangerous levels of domoic acid in mussels. This naturally occurring toxin can cause illness or death in humans. Recent testing shows domoic acid has decreased to safe levels in shellfish other than razor clams in this area. 

A warning against eating sport-harvested razor clams from Humboldt County remains in effect as razor clams are at high risk for long-term elevated levels of domoic acid. Dangerous levels of naturally occurring domoic acid, also referred to as amnesic shellfish poisoning, have been detected in the razor clams. Razor clams are known to retain domoic acid toxin in their meat and tissues much longer than other species of bivalve shellfish. The annual mussel quarantine also remains in effect, which means that while scallops, oysters, and most types of clams can be harvested from Humboldt County, mussels remain under quarantine. The annual quarantine prohibits the sport-harvest of mussels for human consumption and applies to all species of mussels harvested along the California coast, as well as all bays and estuaries, and will continue through at least October 31.  This warning does not apply to commercially sold mussels, clams, scallops, or oysters from approved sources. State law permits only state-certified commercial shellfish harvesters or dealers to sell these products. Shellfish sold by certified harvesters and dealers are subject to frequent mandatory testing to monitor for toxins. More information can be found here.

The Oceans:
Eureka
“Excellent ocean conditions earlier this week allowed boats to make it down to the Cape for the first time in a while,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “We fished down there on Tuesday and the bite was excellent. We landed a really good variety of rockfish along with some nice lings. There’s been just a few boats fishing for halibut, and it sounds like they’re still biting. Most of the action has been north of the entrance. Ocean conditions for the weekend don’t look great, with the south wind returning on Friday.”

Jesse Mela and Shaun Mitchell of Benbow with a couple Albacore landed Monday out of Shelter Cove. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell/Sea Hawk Sport Fishing

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, the rock fishing was good as usual. He said, “It’s been really quick and easy limits. We also got some nice weather Monday and Tuesday and we were able to get back offshore and look for tuna. It was a 45-mile run but the fish were there and bit pretty good. We ended the day with 36 and the boats that went Tuesday landed between 20 and 30. We fished outside the Knoll.

Brookings
“Lingcod, rockfish and crab action remains good out of Brookings, with halibut biting on calm weather days,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “This weekend looks decent. Lingcod are already staging in shallow water for the winter spawn.”

Low flow river closures in effect since Sept. 1
As Sept. 1, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith, and Van Duzen were closed to fishing. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures in real time 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.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The Klamath is back under 3,000 cfs as of Thursday, but the mouth reportedly remains plugged or severely restricted. There hasn’t been much in the way of new fish entering the lower river for quite some time. Rain is on the way, hopefully it will be enough to blow it out. There should be quite a few more kings, along with coho, still waiting to make their way into the river. Fishing pressure has been very light.

The daily bag limit is two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout per day on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers, with a possession limit of four. Anglers must have a Steelhead Report/Restoration Card in their possession while fishing for steelhead trout in anadromous waters. Both the Klamath and Trinity rivers are open to fishing, but take and possession of Chinook salmon is prohibited. More information, can be found here.

Chetco/Rogue
According to Martin. salmon fishing has been good at the mouth of the Chetco, but the estuary is crowded with upwards of 30 boats a day along the jetties. “Salmon to 30 pounds are being caught daily, with wild and hatchery adults and lots of jacks. Salmon also are biting bobbers and eggs in the tidewater. 
The Rogue Bay is still a solid bet, with late kings, lots of wild coho and a few hatchery coho. Crowds also have thinned out.”

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.

Rains Tease Salmon Anglers, But Rivers Stay Closed

Late fall kings, like the one pictured with angler Craig Nunley, will begin to make their way into the coastal rivers once the winter rains begin. Anglers will be able to harvest Chinook salmon this fall on the Smith while sections of the Eel will be open to catch and release. Photo courtesy of Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing

With more than an inch of rain falling across most coastal watersheds, late-fall salmon anglers were quick to take notice. After such a long summer dry spell, the excitement is understandable —but it will take far more than an inch to open the rivers. None came close to fishable levels, so the wait continues for enough rain to get flows rising, salmon moving, and rivers open.

In the meantime, offshore options remain strong. The boat-based rockfish and lingcod season runs through year’s end, and NOAA recently opened all depths from the Oregon/California border south to Point Conception. With Dungeness crab season set to open Nov. 1, rockfish/crab combos will soon be popular.

Pacific halibut is also still in play, with just 16,176 pounds of the 39,280-pound quota taken. The season closes Nov. 15, leaving a couple more weeks for halibut/rockfish/crab combos.

When the rivers do open, the Smith will draw the most attention as the only North Coast river open to salmon harvest — one Chinook per day, with no more than five wild fish per year. The Smith must reach 600 cfs at Jedediah Smith State Park to open, and remains closed above Rowdy Creek. The Eel and Van Duzen will allow catch-and-release for Chinook in 2025, with sections subject to low-flow closures.

The Chetco estuary is another good option as it continues to kick out big kings for trollers working anchovies. Until the rain comes, anglers still have plenty of solid options.

Weekend marine forecast
Northerly winds will return Friday, but ocean conditions remain sporty. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast out 10 nautical miles is calling for winds out of the north 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 7 feet at 11 seconds and west 2 feet at 16 seconds. Saturday, winds will be out of the north 10 to 15 knots with north waves 3 feet at five seconds and northwest 5 feet at nine seconds. Sunday, the winds will be 10 to 15 knots out of the north with north waves 5 feet at seven seconds and west 3 feet at 12 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or 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.

Ruth Lake Fall Bass tournament this Saturday
The Alderpoint Volunteer Fire Department is hosting the Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Bass Tournament on Saturday October 4th at Ruth Lake. Check in is Friday night between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at Ruth Lake Marina or at Journey’s End between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. This is a catch and release tournament with a 13-inch minimum length. Blast off is 6 a.m. or at first safe light. For more information, call Thomas Bruce at 707-223-6258 or Roger Coleman Jr. at 707-223-3858.

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

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, not a lot of effort the last few days due to weather. “When we got out earlier in the week, it was good fishing,” said Mitchell. “We fished in close by the whistle over the weekend and it was quick easy limits on the rockfish and lingcod.”

Brookings
Halibut season runs through Oct. 31 out of Brookings reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Rough weather has kept boats closer to shore, away from the halibut grounds,” said Martin. “Lingcod and rockfish action, long with sport crabbing, has been good.”

Willow Creek weir counts
For the week ending Sept. 23, a total of 345 adult kings were counted at the Willow Creek weir. The jack count for the week was 148. For the season to date, 1,280 (adults and jacks) have been counted, including both hatchery and wild. The totals are for only 17 trapping days. In 2024, 720 kings (adults and jacks) were trapped over 57 trap days.

Low flow river closures in effect since Sept. 1
As of Sept. 1, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith, and Van Duzen were closed to fishing. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures in real time online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast.

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.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
After reaching 3,600 cfs Wednesday, the Klamath is back on the drop. The increase in flows has reportedly opened the mouth back up. There should be fresh steelhead and salmon making their way into the lower river. Fishing pressure remains light.

The daily bag limit is two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout per day on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers, with a possession limit of four. Anglers must have a Steelhead Report/Restoration Card in their possession while fishing for steelhead trout in anadromous waters. Both the Klamath and Trinity rivers are open to fishing, but take and possession of Chinook salmon is prohibited. More information, can be found here.

Chetco/Rogue
According to Martin, salmon fishing picked up at the mouth of the Chetco before this week’s rain. “Stormy weather, with a rough bar and gusting south winds, stalled action for a few days, but conditions are expected to be prime by week’s end. A mix of wild and hatchery adults and jacks are being caught. A few jacks also have been caught upriver on bobbers. Despite the rain, the Chetco is still well below drifts levels for boats above tidewater. 
Coho salmon fishing has been good on the Rogue Bay, where kings also are still showing up in the catch. Fishing has slowed, however, as the main long run blasts upstream.”

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.

All-Depth Groundfish Fishing Now Open Statewide

Fresno resident Jerry Urzua landed a nice lingcod on a recent trip out of Shelter Cove. Lingcod, as well as rockfish, cabezon, greenlings can now be harvested at all depths through Dec. 31st. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell/Sea Hawk Sport Fishing

Just in time for the ever-popular crab/rockfish/halibut combo trips starting in November, NOAA Fisheries announced on Sept. 18 that in state and federal waters between the Oregon/California border and Point Conception (34° 27′ N. Lat.), anglers may now take the RCG Complex (rockfish, cabezon, greenlings) and lingcod at all depths through December 31, 2025.

New scientific data show stronger-than-expected numbers of quillback rockfish off California, prompting the California Fish and Game Commission to take emergency action on August 28 to reopen access in state waters. NOAA Fisheries / NMFS matched those changes in federal waters effective Sept. 18, 2025.

Key changes for recreational anglers:

  • Two-fish sub-bag limit on canary rockfish statewide.
  • Vermilion and sunset rockfish combined: both species count toward the same sub-bag limit.
  • Prohibited species remain closed: no retention of quillback rockfish, bronzespotted rockfish, cowcod, or yelloweye rockfish.
  • Management area realignment: the Lopez Point boundary has been removed, creating the new Central Groundfish Management Area from 37° 11′ N. (Pigeon Point) to 34° 27′ N. (Point Conception).
  • Descending devices required: all vessels taking or possessing federal groundfish must carry one to minimize barotrauma and safely return fish to depth.

For the most up-to-date regulations, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Groundfish-Summary.

Weekend marine forecast
Some rough ocean conditions are on tap for the next several days. As of Thursday, the forecast out 10 nautical miles for Friday is calling for winds out of the north 20 to 25 knots with northwest waves 9 feet at nine seconds. Saturday is calling for winds from the northwest 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 9 feet at 15 seconds. Sunday the winds will be out of the south 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 7 feet at 12 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Ruth Lake Fall Bass tournament coming Oct. 4
The Alderpoint Volunteer Fire Department is hosting the Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Bass Tournament on Saturday October 4th at Ruth Lake. Check in is Friday night between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at Ruth Lake Marina or at Journey’s End between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. This is a catch and release tournament with a 13-inch minimum length. Blast off is 6 a.m. or at first safe light. For more information, call Thomas Bruce at 707-223-6258 or Roger Coleman Jr. at 707-223-3858.

CDPH lifts warning for sport-harvested Del Norte County Bivalve Shellfish
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has lifted the shellfish safety notifications today related to sport-harvested bivalve shellfish from Del Norte County.

CDPH Statement:

“The safety notification for Del Norte County was issued on July 3, 2025, due to dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in mussels. These naturally occurring toxins can cause illness or death in humans. Recent testing shows paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins have decreased to safe levels in mussels in this area. 

While this warning has been lifted, the annual mussel quarantine remains in effect, which means that while scallops, clams, and oysters can be harvested from Del Norte County, mussels remain under quarantine. The annual quarantine prohibits the sport-harvest of mussels for human consumption and applies to all species of mussels harvested along the California coast, as well as all bays and estuaries, and will continue through at least October 31. 

A safety notification issued September 9, 2025, for sport-harvested mussels, scallops, clams, and oysters from Humboldt County remains in effect due to the presence of domoic acid in mussels. 

This warning does not apply to commercially sold mussels, clams, scallops, or oysters from approved sources. State law permits only state-certified commercial shellfish harvesters or dealers to sell these products. Shellfish sold by certified harvesters and dealers are subject to frequent mandatory testing to monitor for toxins

Paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins affect the nervous system, producing a tingling around the mouth and fingertips within a few minutes to a few hours after eating toxic shellfish. These symptoms are typically followed by loss of balance, lack of muscular coordination, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing. In severe poisonings, complete muscular paralysis and death from asphyxiation can occur.”

You can get the most current information on shellfish advisories and quarantines by calling CDPH’s toll-free Shellfish Information Line at (800) 553-4133 or viewing the recreational bivalve shellfish advisory interactive map. For additional information, please visit the CDPH Marine Biotoxin Monitoring web page. ​​​

The Oceans:
Eureka
It’s been a fairly quiet week for the Eureka fleet since last Saturday’s tuna run. A handful of boats made a 55-mile run south and after several hours of nothing, the bite turned on. One of the local charters boated 24 albies, all between 15 and 25 pounds. It doesn’t look like we’ll see another opportunity for quite a few days. Pacific halibut are still being caught north of the entrance near the 51 line, but the effort has slowed. Weather permitting, the rockfish bite at the Cape is still good.

Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing submitted a proposal at the recent PFMC meeting to open up the Pacific halibut season in April instead of May. According to Klassen, the proposal was approved, and will be voted on at the Nov. Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting. It would then need approval by International Pacific Halibut Commission.

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, rock fishing has been excellent with quick limits of rockfish and lingcod every day this week. “Most of the effort was at the Hat,” said Mitchell. “Pacific halibut remains slow and there was a one-day tuna window on Saturday, but the boats that went did not do very well.”

Crescent City
“Not much has changed since last week, the weather hasn’t been great and not many boats are getting out,” said Will Moore of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “When the boats do get out, the rockfish and lingcod bite is still really good. We haven’t seen the bite slow down at all. Both the California and Pacific halibut effort has dwindled to nothing.”

Brookings
According to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters, the Pacific halibut fishing is fair out of Brookings. He said, “Winds subside this weekend, but bigger swells could stall the action. Rockfish action is good, with plenty of lingcod in the mix. Sport crabbing remains very good.”

ODFW Hosting Public Meetings on 2026 Bottomfish and Halibut Seasons
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will hold a series of in-person meetings Oct. 6–8 to discuss the 2026 recreational bottomfish and Pacific halibut seasons with anglers. The Oct. 8 meeting in Newport will also offer a virtual option via Microsoft Teams.

Meeting Schedule:

  • Oct. 6 – Brookings: 5:30–7:30 p.m., Port Meeting Room, Port of Brookings, 16330 Lower Harbor Rd.
  • Oct. 7 – North Bend: 6–8 p.m., North Bend Public Library, 1800 Sherman Ave.
  • Oct. 8 – Newport: 6–8 p.m., Hatfield Marine Science Center, Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building, Classroom 176, 2030 SE Marine Science Dr. (Virtual option available)

Topics for Discussion

  • Review of 2025 bottomfish harvest with lower guidelines and stricter bag limits for black rockfish and canary rockfish.
  • Pros and cons of a year-round fishery vs. a four-fish daily marine species limit with a one-fish sub-bag limit for canary rockfish.
  • Pacific halibut proposals including:
    • Restructuring the Columbia River subarea nearshore fishery.
    • “Frontloading” the Central Oregon Coast quota to the spring all-depth fishery for added flexibility.

ODFW will post meeting materials on its recreational bottomfish and Pacific halibut webpages by Friday, Oct. 3. More information can be found here.

Low flow river closures in effect since Sept. 1
As Sept. 1, All North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith, and Van Duzen were closed to fishing. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. You can also find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast.
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.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The fishing slowed dramatically this week on the lower Klamath, with the bulk of the run now upriver. The mouth also has been sanding over, which has slowed the numbers of fish making their way in. With some rain in the forecast, the mouth should open back up and we should we some fresh fish enter the system. To date, there hasn’t been much, if any, coho in the river, which typically means the king run is nearing the end.
The daily bag limit is two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout per day on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers, with a possession limit of four. Anglers must have a Steelhead Report/Restoration Card in their possession while fishing for steelhead trout in anadromous waters. Both the Klamath and Trinity rivers are closed to the take and possession of Chinook salmon. More information, can be found here.

Chetco/Lower Rogue
Salmon fishing is fair on the Chetco, with a handful of nice adults and numerous jacks being caught daily by boaters trolling along the jetties reports Martin. “The estuary has been crowded. Still too early for bobber fishing upriver. 
Salmon also are still being caught on the Rogue Bay, with a mix of wild and hatchery kings, lots of wild coho and a few hatchery coho. Crowds have thinned, but there is still plenty of boat activity. Summer steelhead are beginning to show upriver near Agness.”

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.

Halibut Anglers Have Plenty of Quota to Fill

Dave Brazil, along with buddies Jim Collins and Larry Kryla, landed this monster halibut while fishing out of Eureka on July 9. The big halibut is currently sitting atop the leader board at Englund Marine big halibut contest. Photo courtesy of Larry Kryla

Though we’ve had some spectacular ocean conditions the last several days, it’s been a fairly breezy summer. Which is by no means out of the ordinary. The one upside of a summer full of windy, non-fishable weather – a Pacific halibut quota that still has plenty of poundage left to fill. Maybe the catch-rates have been too low that CDFW didn’t feel the need to update the in-season tracking “Thermometer.” Whatever the reason, CDFW finally posted last week the first catch estimate since the season started back on May 1. As of July 31, California’s share of Area 2A’s quota, which includes Washington and Oregon, is at 26 percent, with only 10,122 net pounds harvested against the 39,280 quota. (500 pounds are set aside for the area south of Point Arena). There’s a real good chance the quota will last through the summer and into fall, especially if the warm tuna water comes within reach.

The Pacific halibut season will be open until Nov. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. To monitor the in-season tracking, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking. The daily bag and possession limit for Pacific halibut is one fish. There is no minimum size limit.
When angling, no more than one line with two hooks attached may be used. A harpoon, gaff, or net may be used to assist in taking a Pacific halibut that has been legally caught by angling.

Weekend Marine Forecast
After a pretty good stretch of calm seas, the breeze is returning to the North Coast. Although the winds won’t be strong, it will make for some choppy seas. Out 10 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots and waves north 4 feet at five seconds. Saturday, the winds will be from the northwest 5 to 10 knots with north waves 3 feet at five seconds. Sunday’s forecast looks to be a repeat of Saturday. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Razor Clam fishery opens back up in Del Norte
In a press release issued Wednesday, July 30, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has re-opened the recreational razor clam fishery in Del Norte County following a recommendation from state health agencies that domoic acid no longer poses a significant threat.

Statement from CDFW:

“The razor clam fishery was closed in Del Norte County due to elevated levels of domoic acid in November 2023. State health agencies have continued to monitor domoic acid levels in razor clams since the closure, but test results consistently showed elevated levels, exceeding the federal action level (≥20 parts per million (ppm)). Clams collected in June and July 2025 from Crescent Beach, Del Norte County all had domoic acid concentrations lower than the federal action level, allowing the fishery to reopen.

DFW reminds clammers that the daily bag limit for razor clams is 20 and the first 20 clams dug must be retained regardless of size or condition. The fishery in odd-numbered years is open north of Battery Point, Crescent City in Del Norte County. Each person is required to keep a separate container for their clams and is not allowed to commingle their take with another person when digging and transporting clams to shore.”

Sport Crab season comes to a close
The 2025 sport Dungeness crab season in Humboldt, Mendocino and Del Norte counties is closed as of Wednesday, July 30. The season is expected to reopen Nov. 1.

Junior Angler fishing program coming this Sunday
The Redwood National and State Parks, along with California Fish and Wildlife experts will be hosting a Junior Angler Fishing Program this Sunday, Aug. 3. The event, which runs from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. will be held at Freshwater Beach with anglers meeting at the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center. Address is 119441 Highway 101 N. in Orick. This is a free event and fishing equipment will be provided. Participants 16 years and older are required to have a fishing license. For more information, call 707-951-5388.

The Oceans:
Eureka
We’ve had a good stretch of weather, but the Pacific halibut bite hasn’t been red hot out of Eureka reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “There’s been days where some boats limited out, but it wasn’t every day,” said Klassen. “There’s been an early morning bite, then it’s been really slow until the afternoon. I don’t think there’s big concentrations of fish. You’ll fish a spot and do really well one day and the next day it’s dried up. They’ve been caught from Trinidad all the way to Blunt’s reef, so they seem really spread out. We’re also starting to see some fish caught in closer now, around 240 feet. So, they may be moving in. The rockfish bite at the Cape has been really good. The variety of fish has been excellent with lots of blacks, and blues in shallow and plenty of canaries and vermillion out deeper. Looks like we’re going to be dealing with choppy conditions the next few days, which isn’t good for the chance at tuna. The water has been sitting about 46 miles out for a few days now.”

Shelter Cove
“Rock fishing remains very good and were still getting limits of ling cod most days as well,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “The Pacific halibut bite slowed down a little this week, but the weather wasn’t that great. Most rock fishing effort was in tight right out front.”

Crescent City
The rockfish bite is still wide-open reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “Boats going down to the Sisters or north to the lighthouse are finding easy limits of rockfish,” said Hegnes. “The lingcod bite has been really good too. A half-dozen Pacific halibut were caught this week, including a 65-pounder. The California halibut bite has slowed down.”

Brookings
Ocean coho fishing has been slow out of Brookings, but a few hatchery silvers are being caught reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “The bulk of the coho have now migrated north off of Coos Bay and Winchester Bay,” said Martin. “A few keepers are being caught near Mack Arch in 300 feet of water, near the surface. Halibut fishing has been good at times off of Brookings, but large schools of small black cod have slowed catch rates, and made it difficult to fish baits without getting hooks picked clean soon after reaching the bottom. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good, while sport crabbing also is good out of Brookings.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay slowed in recent days, with fish seen splashing and rolling, but overall catch rates slow for late July. “Hot weather inland has kept salmon schooled up in the bay. Anglers are now awaiting a fresh wave of fish.”

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.

Eureka’s Pacific Halibut Bite Heating Up

Eureka resident Richard Moody landed this dandy halibut Tuesday while fishing aboard the Sea Weasel II out of Eureka. Photo courtesy of Gary Blasi/Full Throttle Sport Fishing

With the two-day salmon season now in the rearview, Eureka anglers have again set their sites on Pacific halibut. And that looks to be a good call. While the rest of the North Coast has been void of halibut catches, the Eureka fleet has had a pretty good run the last couple weeks. They aren’t flying over the rails quite yet like a couple years ago, but the catch rates have definitely improved over the last few weeks. After a pretty rough go for us on the salmon, it’s nice to have a go-to fishery that’s producing some solid action. It looks like the only obstacle to putting up some really good numbers is the weather. It’s been marginal at best, and that looks to continue through the weekend.   

Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions look iffy for the upcoming weekend. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 5 to 10 knots and waves northwest 6 feet at 11 seconds, along with a chance of rain. Saturday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 5 to 10 knots and waves northwest 6 feet at nine seconds. The winds will be out of the north Sunday 10 to 15 knots, with northwest waves 6 feet at nine seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

July 5 is statewide free fishing day
On Saturday, July 5, people may fish California’s waters without a sport fishing license. All regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. On Free Fishing Days, every angler must have the appropriate report card if they are fishing for steelhead, sturgeon, spiny lobster, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information visit, wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

Freshwater Lagoon/Fish Lake trout plants
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website, Freshwater Lagoon was last planted with trout the week of June 1. Fish Lake also received a fresh batch of trout during the week of June 8. Both are open to fishing year-round and the limit is 5 trout per day and 10 in possession. For more information, visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants/Default.aspx?county=Humboldt&time or call (530) 225-2146.

California Halibut Derby on Humboldt Bay coming July 19
The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association will be holding the first annual California Halibut Derby on Saturday, July 19. The fishing event will be held within the waters of Humboldt Bay. Check-ins, Weigh-ins and Awards Ceremony will be held at Woodley Island, 601 Startare Drive at the East-I Lot Grass Area.

This is a slot size derby, a measurement will be drawn in the morning before the derby and posted to the event’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Adult payouts will be $500 for 1st place, $300 for 2nd place, and $150 for 3rd place. Youth Payouts – $100 for 1st place, $75 for 2nd place, $50 for 3rd place. Youth payouts will be in the form of gift cards. All Youths registered in the Derby will receive a rod and reel combo! Raffle prizes will include fishing trips, rods and reels, fishing tackle and gear, merchandise and more.

Big Fish Prize: entries will be California Halibut 30” and above. ONLY ONE Big Fish can be entered per entrant. In case of a tie, winner will be determined by weight. For the big fish, adult and youth divisions will be combined. Winner to be announced at event.

Entry Fees for adults is $60 (comes with a $30 NCGASA Membership). Youth entry fees are $40, 13 years and under (comes with a $10 NCGASA Membership)

*If you are a current NCGASA member, you will receive $20 in raffle tickets at check-in.

You can register online at https://ncgasa.org/shop. Entrants will need to be signed up and paid for by July 18 at midnight. Derby information and rules can be found here.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The wind continues to keep the Eureka fleet tied up on most days. Conditions were good Tuesday, and there were lots of boats on the halibut grounds and quite a few went south to the Cape. Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing made the left turn and reported some good rockfish action at Cape Mendocino. “The fishing was good, but not great,” said Klassen. “We caught limits of rockfish, but it wasn’t wide-open. The lings were a little tougher to get, we ended up with just half limits. There’s definitely a lot of feed down there right now, which could be slowing down the bite. I haven’t been halibut fishing in a while, but it sounds like the bite is pretty good for a few boats and quite a few limits were reported.”

Shelter Cove
Not much to report out of the Cove this week. Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing was only able to get out a few times due to the weather. “The rock fishing remains solid along with a very good lingcod bite,” said Mitchell. “Most of the action has been around the Old Man. The Pacific halibut bite remains slow.”

Crescent City
“We’ve had some really windy weather this week, so not a lot of boats have been getting out,” said Kevin Hooper of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “When they can get out, boats are finding a good rockfish bite. I haven’t heard of any Pacific or California halibut caught in the last week and a half. The redtail perch bite is really good at South and Kellogg Beach when the wind isn’t blowing.”

Brookings
Fishing for coho salmon has been fair out of Brookings, with large numbers of wild silvers and some hatchery fish being caught close to the surface in 220 to 300 feet of water,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters.  “Windy weather has limited the offshore opportunity, but nicer conditions are expected this weekend. Anglers trolling closer to shore are finding plenty of salmon, but they are nearly all kings, which cannot be kept until June 30. Fishing for halibut is fair on calm weather days. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good. Surfperch are still biting at most beaches around Brookings and Gold Beach. Commercial trollers have been switching gear to albacore, with several boats about to depart to search for tuna.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, salmon fishing is already picking up in the Rogue Bay, with a handful of kings caught every day this past week. “A mix of adults and jacks has anglers excited about the end of June and early July, when fishing begins to rapidly improve.”

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

With Much Excitement – Salmon season Opens Saturday

Following a two-year closure, salmon season will open Saturday for two days. Anglers are hoping for a couple salmon like the one pictured with Calvin Wagner of Boulder City, Nevada, who boated this nice king back when the season was open in 2022. Wagner was fishing out of Shelter Cove with Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell/Sea Hawk Sport Fishing.

After a two-year hiatus, the recreational ocean salmon fishery will open statewide for two days on June 7-8, 2025. Even though the ocean abundance of Sacramento and Klamath Chinook are well below average, there’s still a good chance to catch a king based on good return numbers of other Chinook stocks last fall. Taking into account the low Chinook abundance, CDFW will implement a statewide quota of 7,000 Chinook salmon for a series of potential short seasons scheduled between June and August. If the quota isn’t reached in the June 7-8 opening weekend, the summer season will reopen statewide July 5-6, July 31-August 3, and August 25-31, or until the harvest guideline is reached.

CDFW has hired field staff to monitor vessels returning to launch and dock sites to collect catch and effort information and coded wire tag data that is essential to managing California’s salmon fisheries. CDFW will be collecting heads from hatchery salmon, which contain coded wire tags that have information about the salmon’s hatchery of origin, release strategy, brood year, and run type. Anglers are required by law to relinquish the head of any adipose fin-clipped salmon upon request by a CDFW representative.

Here on the North Coast, expect every boat ramp to be plugged, and boats loaded with smiling anglers headed out Saturday morning. What will they find? No one really knows as the windy conditions have kept boats tied up and unable to do any advanced scouting. But no one really cares. After two consecutive years of salmon closures, we’re all just looking forward at the chance to catch and keep a salmon.

Important reminder:
When fishing for halibut, rockfish and salmon, or any combination of the three, the more restrictive gear and depth restrictions apply. When targeting salmon, or once salmon are aboard and in possession, anglers are limited to using barbless hooks when fishing for other species.
When targeting rockfish, cabezon, greenling and lingcod, or once any of these species are aboard and in possession, anglers are limited to fishing in waters shallower than 120 feet when fishing for other species.

General sport salmon regulations:
The minimum size limit is 20 inches total length. The daily bag limit is two Chinook salmon per day. No more than two daily bag limits may be possessed when on land. On a vessel in ocean waters, no person shall possess or bring ashore more than one daily bag limit. All salmon must be brought ashore prior to the end of any open season. Retention of coho (silver salmon) is prohibited in all ocean fisheries off California; information on how to distinguish coho from Chinook salmon can be found here. While salmon fishing north of Point Conception, anglers are required to use barbless hooks, and once salmon are aboard, barbed hooks may not be used to target other species. Anglers are encouraged to visit the Ocean Salmon Project’s webpage for details and complete regulatory information, or call the Ocean Salmon Regulations Hotline at 800-662-9825. 

Weekend Marine Forecast
Gale force winds have turned the ocean upside down, but that all looks to change Saturday for the salmon opener. Saturday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the west up to 5 knots and waves northwest 5 feet at 8 seconds. The forecast is a little better on Sunday, with winds coming out of the NW up to 5 knots and northwest waves 3 feet at eight seconds and 4 feet at 11 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Humboldt Bay weekend tides
The tidal exchanges when boats will be headed out in the morning should be relatively low, which should make for safe bar conditions. Recreational anglers can provide bar reports on VHF channel 68 while the Coast Guard emergency channel is 16 on the VHF.

Saturday June 7: Low 4:36 a.m. (.31 ft.) and High: 11:19 a.m. (4.6 ft)
Low: 3:50 p.m. (2.8 ft.) and High 10:20 p.m. (7.1 ft.)

Sunday June 8: Low 5:15 a.m. (.18 ft.) and High: 12:12 p.m. (4.8 ft)
Low: 4:32 p.m. (3.1 ft.), High 10:54 p.m. (7.2 ft.)

Fish for free this weekend in Oregon
Oregon will be having a Free Fishing Weekend June 7 and 8. On those two days, no license, tag or endorsement is required to fish, crab or clam anywhere in Oregon. This applies only to waters already open to fishing, crabbing or clamming. All other regulations, such as bag limits, still apply. More information can be found here.

California Halibut Derby on Humboldt Bay coming July 19
The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association will be holding the first annual California Halibut Derby on Saturday, July 19. The fishing event will be held within the waters of Humboldt Bay. Check-ins, Weigh-ins and Awards Ceremony will be held at Woodley Island, 601 Startare Drive at the East-I Lot Grass Area.
This is a slot size derby, a measurement will be drawn in the morning before the derby and posted to the event’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Adult payouts will be $500 for 1st place, $300 for 2nd place, and $150 for 3rd place. Youth Payouts – $100 for 1st place, $75 for 2nd place, $50 for 3rd place. Youth payouts will be in the form of gift cards. All Youths registered in the Derby will receive a rod and reel combo! Raffle prizes will include fishing trips, rods and reels, fishing tackle and gear, merchandise and more.

Big Fish Prize: entries will be California Halibut 30” and above. ONLY ONE Big Fish can be entered per entrant. In case of a tie, winner will be determined by weight. For the big fish, adult and youth divisions will be combined. Winner to be announced at event.

Entry Fees for adults is $60 (comes with a $30 NCGASA Membership). Youth entry fees are $40, 13 years and under (comes with a $10 NCGASA Membership)

*If you are a current NCGASA member, you will receive $20 in raffle tickets at check-in.

You can register online at https://ncgasa.org/shop. Entrants will need to be signed up and paid for by July 18 at midnight. Derby information and rules can be found here.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Like every other port on the North Coast, there hasn’t been much activity out of Eureka because of the wind. “The Eureka fleet hasn’t been offshore all week,” said Skipper Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The wind has been blowing and it’s just been too rough. Looking ahead to salmon, it looks like the wind will die down for the weekend. The last time we were on the water, the salmon signs looked pretty good. We were marking all kinds of bait, seeing some nice edges with birds, and seen salmon swimming on the surface. But all of that may be gone due to the wind. The good news is there’s lots of upwelling keeping the water temps cold. We’ll probably head straight out to 180 feet and see if there’s any fish. If not, we’ll head south to the canyon where there’s usually all kinds of life.”

Trinidad
We haven’t fished since last Sunday due to weather reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. He said, “The rockfish bite is really good, way better than last year. Same with the lingcod. And we’re not having to travel very far. There’s a lot of unknowns with the salmon opener Saturday. There was a lot of life out there before the last round of wind, but that could have changed. I imagine the water will be dirty, so I’d be looking for some cleaner water out in 30 to 40 fathoms,” added Wilson.

The Trinidad Harbor boat launch is offering a “Salmon Season Mooring Special” for $135. You can launch your boat on Friday and pick it up on Monday. There are limited spots available. To reserve your mooring, call or message 707-677-3625.

Shelter Cove
Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing reports he was only able to get out a couple days this week and they stayed pretty close to the buoys, but still managed to get limits of rockfish and lings pretty quickly. “The weather looks pretty good this weekend for the salmon opener,” said Mitchell. “So far, I haven’t seen hardly any salmon sign, but we did have some dirty water show up a couple days ago so hopefully something will show up.  There will be lots of boats out trying so we should be able to find something.”

Crescent City
“It’s been windy all week, and nobody has really been out,” said Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “All signs are pointing to a good salmon opener. The water temps are good, and there’s lots of bait around. There are anchovies right on the beach. And a few salmon have been incidentally caught rock fishing. A good place to start would be between the Sisters and the South Reef in 30 fathoms. There’s been a few California halibut caught off the rocks at South Beach by guys tossing swimbaits.”

Brookings
Coho season opens Saturday out of Brookings reports Andy Martin, of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Fishing for kings has been slow, with anglers encountering coho while targeting chinook salmon,” said Martin. “Coho have also been seen by halibut anglers fishing deeper water the past two weeks. Coho season runs through late August. Two hatchery coho a day may be kept.
Halibut fishing is fair out of Brookings, with a few fish a day being caught when the weather is calm. Best action has been in 200 to 250 feet of water along the border, with combinations of herring and squid working best. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue is now open to wild kings, but windy weather kept anglers off the water. “Expect a few boats trolling the bay this weekend with light winds expected. Late springers are being caught at first light upriver by plunkers, but low, clear water has made for slow fishing the rest of the day.

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

Klamath King Numbers Plummet in 2024

Our 2025 ocean sport and commercial seasons could potentially be canceled or heavily restricted for a third consecutive year based on the river return numbers the PFMC provided this week. Photo courtesy of Gary Blasi/Full Throttle Sport Fishing

The Pacific Fishery Management Council released its “Review of 2024 Ocean Salmon Fisheries” report Wednesday, and the news was not good for the Klamath Basin.

Based on an ocean abundance of 178,200 Klamath River fall Chinook thought to be swimming in the ocean last fall, forecasters predicted roughly 65,138 adults would return to the river. Unfortunately, the run fell well short of the preseason predictions. A total of 36,568 adults returned to the river. Of those, just 24,032 escaped to natural spawning areas, which was 66 percent of the preseason prediction of 36,511 adults and well below the 40,700 floor escapement goal.

The estimated hatchery adult return was 4,489 compared to 21,964 in 2023. Jack (2-year-old kings) returns to the Klamath basin were 7,085, including 5,959 that escaped to natural spawning areas. In 2023 11,673 Jacks returned to the basin.

Spawning escapement to the upper Klamath River tributaries (Salmon, Scott and Shasta rivers), where spawning was only minimally affected by hatchery strays, totaled 7,317 compared to 7,765 in 2023. The escapement in 2024 to the Shasta River was 4,951 adults. Escapement to the Salmon and Scott rivers was 1,520 and 846 adults, respectively.

The above river return and escapement numbers reflect no ocean commercial or recreational salmon fishing as well as salmon closures on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers. According to the report, an estimated 136 fall Chinook were harvested in the Klamath River basin recreational fishery in 2024. Tribal adult harvest was 7,249 (Yurok: 4,963 adults; Hoopa Valley: 2,286 adults), which was 113 percent of the tribal allocation of 6,434.

The report also states:

“In 2024, four dams were removed from the Klamath River which allowed salmon to move volitionally upstream from the site of Iron Gate Dam for the first time in many years. Newly available mainstem and tributary habitats were occupied by salmon following dam removal. Substantial monitoring efforts Oregon and California provided age-specific spawner estimates for the 2024 run. The estimated run size in the Klamath mainstem and its tributaries from of Iron Gate (California) to Keno Dam was 1,494 adults and 151 jacks in 2024.”

In 2024, recreational angling for salmon in the Sacramento River and its tributaries was closed as well. A total of 99,274 hatchery and natural area adult spawners were estimated to have returned to the Sacramento River Basin in 2024, substantially lower than the 180,061 predicted. Fall Chinook returns to Sacramento River hatcheries in 2024 totaled 26,834 adults and 8,301 jacks, and escapement to natural areas was 72,440 adults and 10,864 jacks.

With the Klamath Dam removal project now completed, what our ocean and river salmon seasons will look like in the coming year is still a work in progress and will be flushed out in the coming weeks.

Next up is the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Annual Salmon Information Meeting, which will be held via webinar on Wednesday, Feb. 26, starting at 10 a.m. The meeting will be via webinar only and covers 2024 spawner abundances returning to the Central Valley and Klamath Basins, 2025 abundance forecasts, and management context guiding the development and implementation of 2025 ocean salmon fisheries.

Following the Salmon Information Meeting webinar, California representatives will work together to develop a range of recommended ocean fishing season alternatives at the March 5-11 Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Vancouver, WA. Final season recommendations will be adopted at the Council’s April 9-15 meeting in San Jose, CA.

Salmon information meeting details can be found on the CDFW’s Ocean Salmon web page.

The weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, a long fetch of moisture emanating from the subtropics will get ingested into a frontal system that will approach the west coast on Saturday. “The front will most likely stall offshore or just to the north of the OR/CA border containing warm fronts producing bouts of moderate to locally heavy rain across Del Norte County. The brunt of this atmospheric river will be aimed north of the area with Del Norte on the southern edge. Thus, expect mostly beneficial rainfall. Minor nuisance flooding will be possible and as we have seen with multiple rainstorms, possible landslides in steep terrain on 199. Heaviest rain appears to arrive Saturday night (4pm-4am). Otherwise, expect mild temperatures with a chance for light rain for the remainder of the area during the weekend.

Gusty winds will also occur with this stationary boundary and minor impacts are possible especially over the coastal headlands. A frontal wave is forecast to develop early next week (Monday) and stronger wind gusts to 40 mph or more are more probable as a cold frontal boundary pushes across the area.”

The Rivers:
Mad
As of Thursday, the Mad was just above 11 feet (5,500 cfs) and starting to drop. It’s forecast to drop to 9.45 feet by Saturday evening, but a smaller system will bump up the flows back over 10 feet Sunday. It will need at least a week of dry weather before it turns green. That doesn’t appear to be in the cards for the next 10 days.

Main stem Eel
The main stem Eel was running at 20,500 cfs as of Thursday, and is still big and muddy. If the forecast is correct, it could be fishable sometime within the first or second week of March.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork should be down to a fishable height by early or mid-next week. As of Thursday, it was down to 4,500 cfs at Miranda and predicted to be around 2,200 cfs by Tuesday. Whether it’s fishable will be contingent on the slide in the Confusion Hill area. It was spilling mud earlier in the week.

Van Duzen
Similar to the South Fork Eel, the Van Duzen is on the drop following a peak of 2,500 cfs Wednesday near Bridgeville. This will likely be short-lived as more rain is in the forecast for the weekend which will push flows up to roughly 3,000 cfs. Will need a solid week of dry weather before it starts to fish.

Smith River
The Smith dropped into shape Wednesday, when some boats chose to plunk and other drifted the high flows. With no rain until the late Saturday, conditions should be excellent the next few days. Another big rise is forecast for Sunday, with flows reaching 21,000 cfs (15.2 feet) at the Jed Smith gauge. Boat traffic should be lighter as the Chetco will begin to fish on Friday.

Southern Oregon rivers
Steelhead fishing continues to be fair at best on the Chetco reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Guides are getting a couple fish a day, while plunkers are finding an occasional steelhead at Social Security Bar and Loeb Park,” said Martin. “Good conditions are expected just before the weekend. Steelhead fishing also is fair on the Elk and slow on the Rogue. Fishing has been much slower than normal on the entire Oregon Coast.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, rough weather has kept boats at the dock in Brookings. “Calm winds are in the forecast Thursday and Friday before another round of stormy weather.”

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.

Coastal Rivers Done in by Rain Once Again

Three-year old River Beer, along with dad Jack, hold a nice winter steelhead landed on a recent drift down the Mad River. Photo courtesy of Jack Beer

Another Atmospheric River has turned our coastal rivers high and muddy, again. Prior to Thursday, we were getting oh so close to seeing some green water on the Humboldt rivers, but that door is now firmly slammed shut for at least a week, or more. The upper South Fork Eel near Leggett had already turned green, along with sections of the Mattole. The Van Duzen and the Mad were getting there, but now we’re back to square one. The Smith and Chetco will be out of commission for a couple days as well, but should be back to fishable shape by Saturday. Looking ahead, a potential drier pattern is on the horizon for next week. If that holds, we should see some green water before the end of the month.

The weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, the storm system will continue to promote moderate to locally heavy rainfall and gusty southerly winds through Thursday night, with shower activity through Friday afternoon. “There is a slight risk of urban and small stream flooding for the southern half of the area. Heavy snow above 2,000 feet in Trinity County, before rise above 3500 feet this afternoon and evening. A break in precipitation is expected over the weekend, before a series of frontal systems impacts the area Sunday through early next week. Currently only about 20 percent of the models show it being any stronger than a weak Atmospheric River. This second event will most likely be focused on the northern half of the area.”

2025 Salmon information meeting coming Feb. 26
The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will hold the annual Salmon Information on Wednesday, February 26 starting at 10 a.m. The meeting will be via webinar only and covers 2024 spawner abundances returning to the Central Valley and Klamath Basins, 2025 abundance forecasts, and management context guiding the development and implementation of 2025 ocean salmon fisheries.

The public are invited to learn about pertinent data and management context shaping the upcoming ocean salmon season. The meeting link, agenda and other materials will be posted here as they become available.

CDFW looking for Herring spawning reports
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has a long history of managing these fisheries, and now invites the public to participate by identifying and reporting Pacific herring spawning activity in California. 

From the CDFW January 7 announcement:

“If you see Pacific herring spawning activity, please email herring@wildlife.ca.gov with the general location information and the date. Photos are highly encouraged! Reports from the public will aid CDFW in monitoring herring spawning activity as part of the state’s effort to manage the commercial and recreational herring fisheries.

Although areas of shoreline preferred by spawning herring tend to vary over time, the major herring spawning areas in northern California include:

  • Tomales Bay
  • Humboldt Bay
  • Crescent City Harbor
  • San Francisco Bay

For more information about Pacific herring, take a look at the Pacific Herring Fishery Management Plan and the Pacific Herring Enhanced Status Report. CDFW’s Marine Management News blog has a collection of articles covering Pacific herring spawning events and fishery management news as well. Questions about this data collection effort can be directed to herring@wildlife.ca.gov.”

Free fishing days this weekend in Oregon
It’s free to fish, crab or clam on the Saturday and Sunday of President’s Day Weekend, Feb. 15-16. During these two days, no fishing licenses or tags (including a Combined Angling Tag and a Columbia River Basin Endorsement) are required to fish, crab or clam anywhere in Oregon. Although no licenses or tags are required, all other regulations apply including closures, bag limits and size restrictions. For more information, visit https://myodfw.com/articles/2025-free-fishing-days-and-events

The Rivers:
Mad
The Mad was creeping towards decent color, but was back on the rise as of Thursday morning. The river height is predicted to reach 14.75 feet (11,700 cfs) by Friday morning. Quite a few new fish returned to the hatchery this week, but it did slow the last few days. The rain should bring in some new fish from the salt. The river fishes best between 7 and 8 feet.

Main stem Eel
The main stem had was down to 15.5 feet at Scotia Thursday morning, but now it’s big and muddy and on the rise. It’s predicted to peak Friday afternoon at nearly 74,000 cfs. It will start to fish once it gets below 5,000 cfs, and will need a couple weeks of dry weather to get there.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was emerald green in the Leggett area before the rains returned overnight Wednesday. Now it’s back to high and muddy, with flows over 6,000 cfs at Miranda Thursday and rising quickly. Flows are predicted to peak at 17,800 cfs Friday morning, but it’s predicted to drop just as quick. If the forecasts are correct, it could be fishable by next weekend. There is a new slide in the Confusion Hill area that has the potential to keep the river off color.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen had dipped under 850 cfs, but Thursday’s rain put it back on the rise and turned it muddy. It’s predicted to reach 11,500 cfs early Friday morning. It will need a week to 10 days before it’s green.

Smith River
The Smith was just beginning a slow rise Thursday morning. It’s predicted to rise all of Thursday and through Friday morning, finally reaching 13.5 feet at the Jed Smith gauge Friday around noon. Conditions should be excellent Saturday, though still a little pushy, as it should be on the drop all day. Another small rise is forecast for Sunday, but the river should remain fishable. There’s been fish caught daily, including quite a few “blue backs” or smaller adult steelhead. This rain could start to bring some of the downers out of the tributaries and should bring in some new fish as well.

Southern Oregon rivers
Steelhead fishing remains sluggish on the Chetco, but there are a few fish around reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Guides are getting one to three fish a day, with long stretches of river without fish,” said Martin. “More hatchery fish arrived with this week’s tides. Rain will raise flows over the weekend, but the Chetco may remain fishable. Fishing also is fair at best on the Rogue and Sixes, while the Elk is low. Plunkers did well on the Chetco when it first came into shape a week ago, and likely will have good catch rates with rains beginning Thursday.”

John Mitchell of Eureka with a nice steelhead caught over the weekend on the Chetco with guide Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. He was using roe and a Corky.

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, ocean fishing has been very good out of Brookings for lingcod and rockfish. “Sport crabbing is fair. Ocean salmon options will be developed the first week of March. Surfperch fishing is already underway at beaches around 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.