klamath

Smith and Chetco Only Green Water on the Coast

Brody and his father Jeremy from Monterey County with a nice Smith River steelhead caught Wednesday with guide JD Richey. Photo courtesy of JD Richey Sportfishing.

While the rest of the North Coast rivers were nearing monitor or even flood stage this week, the Smith and Chetco remained green and fishable. And were actually on the drop. You can chock that up to the frigid temperatures up north that turned rain to snow. These two rivers should remain in good shape, though they will start to clear, until the rain returns by mid-next week. The local rivers won’t be fishable anytime soon and next weeks rain will set them back a few more days. Hopefully we’ll be able to get back on these rivers before the end of the month, but I’m not holding my breath.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, showers will gradually dissipate into the weekend. “A period of dry weather is then expected this weekend into early next week. Dry conditions, clear skies, and gentle offshore flow will all help contribute to unusually cool temperatures each night. Even along the coast, highs are expected to drop below freezing with lows in the teens for much of the interior. There is high model confidence that moist weather will return around mid-next week, but few ensemble members show a proper atmospheric river or anything more than light rain. Only as far out as February 17th do around 50% of ensemble members show another, stronger rain system.”

Upcoming salmon information meetings
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.

The Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) will hold its Ocean Salmon Industry Group Meeting on Friday, February 28. This meeting will provide a review of the 2024 seasons, take a first look at the 2025 salmon forecasts, and begin the development of Oregon preferred recreational and commercial ocean salmon season concepts via public input to take forward through the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) regulation setting process. The meeting will be held both in person and virtually this year. This meeting is open to all ocean sport fishing anglers and charter operators, commercial salmon troll fishers, and any others interested in participating in the development of the 2025 ocean salmon seasons. For those attending in person, the meeting will be held in Newport, Oregon.
Links to the agenda and briefing materials for the meeting will be posted on the ODFW Ocean Salmon Management website as they become available.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek, Van Duzen, Mattole and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. More information can be found here.

Low-flow open and closed river regulations now online
Rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures and whether they are open or closed to fishing can now be found online. The site includes three districts, North Coast, Central Coast, and South Central Coast. All rivers, creeks, and streams subjected to low flow fishing closures are listed along with their respective minimum flows. Questions can be sent via email to LowFlows@wildlife.ca.gov.

Mad
The Mad peaked at 21.4 feet (30,500 cfs) Monday evening, and is big and muddy. It’s predicted to drop through the weekend, but another rise is expected early next week. With Ruth spilling over muddy water, it will be some time before the river turns green again.

Main stem Eel
The main stem was flowing at roughly 55,000 cfs at Scotia Thursday after peaking at over 156,000. It’s predicted to drop through early next week before the next round of storms hit. Will need a couple weeks of dry weather before it’s green. It will start to fish once it gets below 5,000 cfs.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork peaked at over 35,000 cfs at Miranda Tuesday morning. After a small rise Friday, it’s predicted to drop through mid-next week before the next storm hits. It will need a solid week of dry weather to get it close to fishable, and that doesn’t look likely any time soon.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen peaked at nearly 21,000 cfs Monday evening and is back on the drop. Flows are predicted to drop through mid-next week and will be under 1,000 cfs when the next round of rain is predicted to hit. It will need at least a week of dry weather before it’s fishable.

Smith River
The Smith continues to be the lone fishable river on the North Coast. While the rest of the coastal rivers headed towards flood stage, the Smith was holding steady, or even dropping. You can chalk that up to the cold temperatures, which turned the rain to snow in the hills. As of Thursday, it was right around 9 feet at the Jed Smith gauge. A very small rise is predicted for Friday, but after that it will be dropping through mid-next week. Rain is predicted to return next Wednesday, and it remains to be seen if it will blow out for a day or two. Boat traffic has been light, as most have moved to the Chetco. A few fish are being caught daily.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
The Chetco dropped into prime shape for steelhead this week, but cold weather, and water temperatures close to 40 degrees, made fishing tough reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Plunkers did well over the weekend, but drift boaters reported slow fishing Tuesday and Wednesday, after a good bite on Monday,” said Martin. “The river should be in good shape through most of next week, before more heavy rain returns. The Elk and Sixes have been slow, also because of cold water. The Rogue is dropping into prime shape for the weekend.”

Brookings ocean report
According to Martin, lingcod and rockfish are biting out of Brookings, with limits for charter boats heading north of Twin Rocks. “Crabbing has been decent, with big numbers of females and some keeper males. There is a weather window Friday and Saturday. Surfperch have arrived at beaches close to 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.

North Coast Set to Receive Some Much-Needed Rain

McKinleyville resident Myka Nannizzi is all smiles after hooking, fighting, and landing her first Mad River steelhead all by herself. Photo courtesy Mathew Nannizzi.

After nearly a month of dry weather, rain is finally returning to the North Coast. And just in the nick of time. Some of the smaller rivers like the Van Duzen, Mad, Mattole and Redwood Creek were creeping slowly towards their respective low flow closure thresholds.

As it stands now, most all the North Coast rivers are running low and clear, with the exception of the bigger rivers like the Eel and Klamath. Needless to say, a good shot of rain is just what we needed. As is typically the case when the rivers are rejuvenated with fresh flows, you can bet we’ll see a real good push of steelhead bolting in from the saltwater. Per usual, the Smith will be the first to drop into shape and conditions are looking excellent for early next week. The Chetco will be just a couple days behind the Smith. As for the Humboldt rivers, it will depend on how much rain we get and how much snow falls in the hills. Hopefully they’ll start rounding into shape in a couple weeks as we head into the peak of the season.

Weather outlook
According to the Eureka’s National Weather Service office, the first of a series of wet weather with gusty southerly winds will begin Thursday night. “Southerly winds in advance of the storm will become gusty on coastal headlands and ridgetops late tonight and early Friday morning in Del Norte and Humboldt counties where winds could exceed 50 knots.

The rain with this first system will approach the area near midnight and expand across the entire region Friday morning. Widespread rainfall amounts exceeding an inch are likely with this first system tonight through Friday night. Locally, higher amounts over 3 inches will occur in the King Range and other favored, windward mountain locations. This front will move through the region by Saturday.

The big question is then what happens with the next atmospheric river to hit the coast late in the weekend into early next week. This system has more moisture and the potential to bring at least localized flooding if rain falls on the same areas that receive the rain Thursday night through Friday night. Currently two possibilities are favored with the first being more likely as confidence has gained with the latest model runs.

Scenario 1; the next system aims farther south into the Bay Area and west into the Sierra Nevada, reducing rainfall considerably across our region.

Scenario 2; calls for the atmospheric river to aim directly into Northwest California and bring heavy rain to our region. Rainfall totals from the combination of the two systems currently range from 3-5 inches in the drier solution to over a foot of rain in some areas for the wetter solutions. Thus, uncertainty is very high for what occurs after Saturday and impacts from these two scenarios are drastically different.”

Upcoming salmon information meetings
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.

The Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) will hold its Ocean Salmon Industry Group Meeting on Friday, February 28. This meeting will provide a review of the 2024 seasons, take a first look at the 2025 salmon forecasts, and begin the development of Oregon preferred recreational and commercial ocean salmon season concepts via public input to take forward through the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) regulation setting process. The meeting will be held both in person and virtually this year. This meeting is open to all ocean sport fishing anglers and charter operators, commercial salmon troll fishers, and any others interested in participating in the development of the 2025 ocean salmon seasons. For those attending in person, the meeting will be held in Newport, Oregon.
Links to the agenda and briefing materials for the meeting will be posted on the ODFW Ocean Salmon Management website as they become available.

Eel River steelhead returns
Over the past week, January 13 – 19, 42 adult steelhead (female 17, male 16, unknown adult 9) were observed moving upstream through the fishway at Cape Horn Dam according to Andrew Anderson, an Aquatic Biologist with PG&E. Additionally, one subadult steelhead was observed moving upstream during this time frame. The season total for upstream migrating adult steelhead now stands at 90 (female 38, male 32, unknown adult 20). The season total for subadult steelhead (<40cm) now stands at 24.

No Chinook salmon were observed over the same period; the season total for upstream migrating Chinook salmon still stands at 893 (female 320, male 309, unknown adult 94, jack 170).For more information, visit https://eelriver.org/the-eel-river/#fishcount

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek, Van Duzen, Mattole and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. More information can be found here.

Mad
According to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors, the fishing has slowed a bit due to the low water. “The river isn’t clear though, it’s actually a perfect green,” said Kelly. “The fish seem to be scattered throughout the river, both below and above the hatchery. Larger soft beads in the 16mm-20mm sizes seem to be working best. Roe with a Spin-N-Glo is also producing.” With rain coming Friday morning, that will likely be the last day we’ll see fishable water. It’s predicted to surpass 12.35 feet (6,950 cfs) Monday afternoon.

Main stem Eel
Conditions on the main stem have been perfect all week, with some really good scores being reported. Boats have been spread out from the top to bottom, and there seems to be good numbers of fresh steelhead scattered throughout. Unfortunately, it will all come to an end Friday. Several inches of rain will push the flows past 77,800 at Scotia by Tuesday afternoon.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is low and clear, running at 700 cfs at Miranda as of Thursday. Despite the conditions, fish are being caught, though the crowds have thinned. With the rain coming Friday morning, it will likely blow out Saturday. It’s predicted to reach 12,700 cfs by Tuesday morning.

Van Duzen
Friday looks to be the last fishable day on the Van Duzen for a while. Flows were down to 215 cfs Thursday, but that will change by the weekend as it’s predicted to peak at 6,300 cfs Monday morning. It will likely need 10 or so dry days before it drops into fishable shape.

Smith River
The Smith is low and clear and in need of some rain. And it’s on the way. As of Thursday, it was just under 6.5 feet (1,330) at the Jed Smith gauge. If the predictions are right, it should begin to rise Friday morning and peak sometime before noon on Saturday at 12.4 feet. It should be back to fishable conditions by Sunday. We should see quite a few new fish enter the system on the rise, but once it settles down, it should be good fishing.

Customers of guide Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters hold two of the steelhead they caught this week on the Chetco. 

Chetco
“After three weeks of dry weather, rain is expected this weekend on the Chetco, likely blowing the river out to start February, but setting up prime conditions for the peak season,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Low, clear water hampered fishing for a while, before a bunch of new fish came in on the tides over the weekend. Fishing has been good for the handful of local guides fishing this week. The rain also will give fishing a boost on the lower Rogue, Elk and Sixes.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, nice ocean conditions led to a wide-open lingcod bite out of Brookings this week. “Rough weather returns on Thursday, with big swells through the weekend.”

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

Coastal Rivers Could Use Some Rain

Nine-year-old Kai Mykham is all smiles after landing his first-ever steelhead while fishing the Mad River with his father Jeperson. Photo courtesy of Jeperson Mykham

It’s been nearly three weeks since we’ve seen any substantial precipitation, and most of the coastal rivers could sure use a good shot. Other than the main stem Eel and the Mad, which are both in great shape, all the rivers are now getting low, clear and in need of a good blowout. The Smith and Chetco clear the quickest, and have the biggest need for rain. The South Fork Eel and Van Duzen remain fishable, but could use rain. It should be noted that all our rivers are currently holding a decent number of winter steelhead. But a few inches of rain will do wonders. Not only will the increased flows allow steelhead to make their way upriver to their spawning tributaries, it will also bring in the fresh fish from the ocean.

Weather outlook
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, we’ll see mostly dry conditions for the next seven days with the exception of potential light rain or snow late Friday night into Saturday morning for parts of central and southern Lake County. “Chilly nights and mornings for this weekend. Potential for gusty winds return to the area Friday through Sunday, focusing on the coast Friday, and then including interior locations Saturday into Sunday.”

Mad River Steelhead Reward Program Returns for 2024-25
For the Mad River steelhead fishery in the upcoming 2025 season, the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will once again attach reward tags to a small subset of hatchery-origin (i.e., adipose-clipped) adult steelhead upon their return to freshwater. This is in effort to estimate the steelhead harvest on the Mad River. According to John Deibner-Hanson, a Northern Region Environmental Scientist for CDFW, a number of fish will be captured in the lower river using tangle nets and affixed with spaghetti tags worth $20, $50 or $100 rewards. Once the tags are applied on their backs behind the dorsal fin, the fish will be released.

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

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

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

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

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek, Van Duzen, Mattole and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River are all now open to fishing. More information can be found here.

Mad
The Mad is in good shape and steelhead are finally showing up according to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors. “Excellent conditions drew plenty of bank anglers and boats this week and the fishing was good,” said Kelly. “Steelhead are currently spread out from top to bottom, and conditions should continue to get better throughout the week.” As of Thursday, it was right at 7.25 feet and holding good color. If you’re looking to catch a steelhead, it’s a good option.

Main stem Eel
The main stem dropped into shape this week and is nice and green. It was running at 3,800 cubic feet per second as of Thursday and should be in great shape through the weekend and likely through the end of the month. There are some steelhead around but the bite isn’t wide open.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is running at just under a 1,000 cfs at Miranda as of Thursday. It’s been in really good shape for over a week, and has provided some pretty good fishing from the top to the bottom. It should continue to fish through the weekend, but will continue to clear, making fishing a little tougher. It was fairly crowded over the weekend, but has since thinned out.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was down to 290 cfs Thursday and is in great shape. Catch reports are hard to come by, but it’s a great option if you’re looking for a spot to bank fish.

Smith River
Flows were less than 1,800 cfs (6.9 feet) on the Jed Smith gauge Thursday. Fishing has been tough as the river is low, clear and snaggy. Fishing pressure has been very light as a lot of anglers have moved to other rivers. There are some fish around but again, you’ll need to be stealthy.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The Chetco is low and clear, with a handful of steelhead a day being caught,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Plunkers are landing a fish or two a day at Social Security Bar, but most shore-based anglers are going home fish less. Drift boats also are reporting low catch rates, with a few fish a day being landed. Trees in the river at Emily Creek, above Ice Box and below Miller Bar could making drifting anywhere above Loeb Park difficult this weekend. A few late salmon also surprised anglers this week on the lower river. Rain isn’t expected until the very end of the month. The Elk and Sixes are low and clear, while the Rogue also is slow, although a few fish a day are being caught by boaters anchoring a running plugs.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, the lingcod, rockfish and crab action has been good out of Brookings on calm weather days. “Windy weather is in the forecast this weekend.”

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

Plenty of River Options for the Week Ahead

A couple of happy anglers with a nice South Fork Eel River steelhead caught last weekend. Photo courtesy of Blake Manning/Redwood Fishing Adventures

It’s been a solid couple of weeks since we’ve had any measurable precipitation, and most of the coastal rivers are now feeling the effects. Some good, others not so much. First the good. The Mattole, South Fork Eel, and Van Duzen are all in great shape at the moment and should be through the weekend and into next week. However, it won’t be long before they’ll need a shot of rain. The main stem Eel and the Mad River are just on the cusp of dropping into prime shape. By the end of next week, both should be emerald green. The Smith and Chetco, which are the quickest to clear, could use a few inches of rain as both are now getting low and clear. Reportedly, dry weather is predicted to persist through the end of the month. However, some ensemble forecasts are showing some potential river rises next weekend. I for one am hoping for some rain sooner rather than later.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek, Van Duzen, Mattole and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River are all now open to fishing. More information can be found here.

Mad
The Mad is starting to come around, both in color and height. As of Thursday, it’s dipped below 1,000 cfs (8.15 feet) and should be in decent shape by the weekend with a couple feet of visibility. It may still be a little on the pushy side. Steelhead returning to the hatchery slowed this week, but anglers have been catching a few.

Main stem Eel
The main stem is still big, but starting to turn green as of Thursday, flowing at just above 6,000 cfs at Scotia and dropping. It should be down to a fishable height, though still big, by next week. It’s forecast to be under 5,000 cfs by late in the weekend. With no rain in sight, will be a good option for the next couple weeks.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is green, and was holding right around 1,500 cfs at Miranda Thursday. It dropped into shape over the weekend, but boat traffic wasn’t too bad. Not a wide-open bite by any means, but there were some nice fish caught.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was down to 325 cfs as of Thursday and has been fishable since last week. It should be a good option for the weekend, especially for bank anglers. Flows are predicted to be just above 280 cfs by Saturday morning.

Smith River
The Smith is getting low and clearing, sitting at just below 8 feet at the Jed Smith gauge as of Thursday. There are fish to be had, but you’ll need to be stealthy with these conditions. Most anglers have moved north to the Chetco where conditions are a little better. Predicted to be 7.6 feet on the Jed Smith gauge by Saturday morning.

Chetco/Lower Rogue
Steelhead are spread throughout the Chetco, but catch rates have been best on the lower half reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Fishing is fair, with most guide boats getting one to three fish a day, and plunkers getting fish at Social Security Bar,” said Martin. “The river is dropping fast, but still had good color. No rain is in sight. The lower Rogue has yet to take off for steelhead. Plunkers have caught a few fish, but overall fishing has been slow.”

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.

Dry Conditions and Green Water Headed Our Way

Corbin Green of Eureka holds a winter steelhead caught Tuesday on the Smith River. Conditions are looking excellent for drifting the Smith next week. Photo courtesy of Alan’s Guide Service.

A couple more days of heavy rain, then it’s finally time to watch the rivers come into fishable shape. The ‘last hurrah’ of rain is forecast for Friday and into the early hours of Saturday morning before we see an extended shift in the weather. We’ll finally see the coastal rivers, other than the Smith, full of green water. Plunking conditions will persist on the Smith this weekend, but will be in prime drifting shape by early next week. The Chetco and the upper section of the South Fork Eel should drop into shape mid next week, with the other rivers not too far behind. Depending on when the next round of storms arrive, the main Eel may be fishable soon. It will take a couple weeks of dry conditions to get there. According to reports, it’s sounding like we’re off to a really good start numbers-wise, now we just need the conditions. And we’re about to get em…

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “the heaviest rain is forecast to occur late Thursday into Friday morning in Del Norte and far northern Humboldt. Moderate to locally heavy rainfall rates will then spread southward into Mendo and Lake counties through the day on Friday as the boundary weakens. The Extreme Forecast Index (EFI) continues to signal potential for an anomalous rain event compared to the reforecast analysis for Del Norte/Northern Humboldt for the 24-hour period 4 p.m. Thursday to 4 p.m. Friday. This does raise concerns for possible urban and small stream flooding late tonight into Friday morning. High pressure is expected to develop over the weekend and much drier weather is expected next week.”

Mattole River opened to fishing Jan. 1
The Mattole River opened to fishing Jan. 1 from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stanberry Creek. Only artificial lures may be used, and barbless hooks are required. The Mattole is also regulated by low-flow closures, with a minimum flow of 320 cfs at the Petrolia gauging station.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek, Van Duzen and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River are all now open to fishing. More information can be found here.

Mad
The Mad has one big rise left before it begins to drop. It’s forecast to surpass monitor stage (15 ft.) Friday afternoon, then it will be on the drop through next week. Without any additional rain, the color could come around late next weekend. Quite a few steelhead have already made their way back to the hatchery.

Main stem Eel
The Eel was under 30,000 cfs at Scotia Thursday, but expected to go back over 53,000 cfs following Friday’s storm. Will need a couple weeks of dry weather once it starts to drop before it comes down to a fishable height.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is predicted to reach 15,500 cfs at Miranda Friday evening, but will be on the drop starting Saturday and all next week. If the predictions come true, it could fish above the East Fork late next week and below Benbow by the weekend.

Van Duzen
The Duzen is still on the big side, flowing at 3,300 cfs at Bridgeville as of Thursday. Friday’s storm will put it back on the rise, where it’s predicted to peak just under 11,000 cfs Friday evening. Like the rest of the coastal rivers, it will drop through the weekend and all next week. If the predictions hold, we could see some green water late next week or by the weekend.

Smith
The river dropped into shape Tuesday and the plunkers did well. Both bank and boat anglers reported multiple hookups. The river was on the rise Wednesday, but the handful of boats out caught fish. A few were also caught drifting from the forks down. With more rain on the way through Friday, it will be on the rise and forecast to peak Friday afternoon at just under 20 feet at the Jed Smith gauge. It should be plunkable through the weekend, with prime conditions on tap for next week.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The Chetco, Elk and Sixes all blew out Christmas week and just as they are dropping to plunkable levels, more rain is expected this week,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Next week, however, should have prime conditions on the Southern Oregon Coast. Steelhead were being caught in the Chetco before the storms, and plenty of fish should be around next week.”

Capt. Sam Stover helps a young angler hold a lingcod caught Tuesday aboard the Nauti-Lady of Brookings Fishing Charters.

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, the ocean has been rough most of December out of Brookings, but a brief break in the weather New Year’s Eve led to limits of rockfish and quite a few lingcod for the handful of boats that ventured out. “Sunday may be fishable after rough weather most of this week.”

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

Smith River Best Option for Holiday Steelhead

Bay Area resident Francesco Latini with an Eel River winter steelhead taken from a previous season. Photo courtesy of Kenny Priest/Fishing the North Coast

If you’re looking to tangle with a 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 that’s green and fishable, and likely will remain that way as we navigate through these extremely rainy next couple of weeks. Flows through this weekend will be on the upper end of safely drifting, but plunking will be an excellent option. Beginning Monday and through next week, flows are predicted to range from 12 feet on the Jed Smith gauge to 17 feet. Again, these are perfect plunking conditions from either a boat or off the bank.

As for the other coastal rivers from the Mad to the South Fork Eel, it’s looking like we won’t see green water prior to 2025. Two storm fronts will bring rain this weekend, followed by additional rain next week where we could see some potential river flooding.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, dry conditions will develop and skies will be clear through Thursday. “By Friday, the ridge will quickly be pushed east as a very deep trough develops over the eastern Pacific Ocean. Lower temps and high southerly winds are forecast for Friday bringing a slight chance of rain over Humboldt and Del Norte counties. A more potent front will then approach the region Friday night into Saturday. Widespread rain is expected to expand over the region and stronger southerly winds to develop on Saturday morning.

The Weather Prediction Center has placed much of Northwest California in a marginal risk of extreme rainfall in their day 4 Saturday outlook while the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is favoring above normal precipitations for Northwest California and the Pacific Northwest in their 6-10- and 8-14-day outlooks. Additionally, the CPC is highlighting our region for heavy precipitation from the 26th through the 27th with flooding possible.”

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

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

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

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

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

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek, Van Duzen and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2025. More information can be found here.

Mad
The Mad was down to 8.8 feet on Thursday and will continue to drop through Friday. The incoming storms will keep it high and off color through next week and likely through the end of the year.

Main stem Eel
The main Eel is dropping, but still high and off color running just above 17,000 cfs Thursday. The next round of storms, including next week, will keep it from being fishable through the end of the year.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is on the drop, flowing at 3,600 cfs at Sylvandale Thursday. The river was green and in great shape Wednesday above the East Fork, but off color below. The lower river could fish Saturday, with flows down to 2,650 cfs. However, Saturday’s storm is forecast to put it back on the rise in the afternoon, likely blowing it out for the rest of the year.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was down under 900 cfs Thursday and will be dropping slowly through Saturday morning. The next round of storms will likely do it in for the rest of the year. Flows are predicted to hit 8,600 cfs Tuesday morning with more rain predicted for most of next week.

Smith
The quick-clearing Smith is in perfect shape as of Thursday, sitting at 10.45 feet on the Jed Smith gauge. It’s predicted to drop through Saturday morning before it goes on the rise throughout the day. Sunday and Monday are looking like fishable conditions before it goes on a bigger rise Tuesday. The 10-day forecast shows the river being just above being driftable, but good conditions for plunking from shore or a boat. There should be some steelhead moving in with the next few storms.

Chetco/Elk
“Plunkers are catching a few steelhead on the Chetco, which has been too high for drift boats the past week and is expected to remain high through Christmas,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Flows could subside enough for a brief period this weekend. A few late kings are being caught on the Elk River, where flows have been low enough to fish, but strong winds have made fishing difficult. More stormy weather is expected through the week.”

Chetco/Rogue steelhead harvest requires Validation and Tag
As a reminder, if you want to harvest a winter steelhead from the Chetco or Rogue River this winter, all anglers will need a harvest tag in addition to a Rogue-South Coast Steelhead Validation.
To fish for steelhead in the Rogue/So. Coast, all anglers will need:

  • Annual angling license (12 years and older) and combined angling tag
  • OR Daily or multi-day angling license with valid ODFW ID number.

Purchasing daily or multi-day licenses through “guest checkout” doesn’t include the ID number (a full account is required to purchase a validation). Pre-paid daily licenses do not qualify to purchase a validation.

  • AND 2. Rogue-South Coast Steelhead Validation.

To KEEP wild winter steelhead, anglers (regardless of age) will need:

  • All the above

AND Rogue-South Coast Wild Steelhead Harvest Tag:
Wild steelhead kept are recorded here, not the statewide combined angling tag.
Not needed for catch-and-release or keeping hatchery steelhead only.
Bag limit: 1 wild steelhead/day, 3 per season (Dec. 1 – Apr. 30).

Check the sport fishing regulations or myodfw.com to know where and when wild steelhead may be kept. Return or report paper tags to ODFW after each winter steelhead season and before the next begins Dec. 1.
COST: Validation: $2 residents, $4 non-residents.
Harvest Tag: $10 residents, $20 non-residents.
Validation and harvest tag are valid for one full season (Dec. 1 through April 30), even when using daily or multi-day licenses.

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 and Steelhead Headed Our Way

Chris Silkowski of Portland holds a steelhead caught last week on an M2 FlatFish while fishing with guide Rye Phillips of Brookings Fishing Charters.

Winter steelhead season isn’t in full swing yet on the North Coast, but that is about to change. A few storm systems are currently impacting the rivers, putting them all on the rise. According to the National Weather Service, three separate storms will hit the coast between Wednesday and Monday, which is just what we needed. Steady rain and pulse flows should do the trick in enticing the first big wave of winter steelhead from the salt. If the rains come as predicted, the Smith should be in great shape early next week followed closely behind by the Chetco.

The Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Mad are all on the rise as of Thursday and will be blown out from some time. Once all the rivers crest and begin to recede to fishable levels, we should see the first wave of winter steelhead. After a stellar late-fall salmon season, seeing the rivers loaded with bright steelhead would be icing on the cake.

Weather ahead
Thursday, showers are expected behind Wednesday’s main front, according to Eureka’s National Weather Service office. “Snow levels will be lower across the area, likely dropping to around 4,000 feet or even slightly lower for much of the area. Models are still not in very good agreement on how much rain will fall with these showers.

The next system starts to move into the area Friday. The models are showing a warm frontal boundary out ahead of the main cold front. Rainfall amounts for Friday look to range from over an inch in the King Range to a quarter of an inch in southern Lake County. This looks like a highly favorable pattern for low elevation snow, with levels down to 2,500 to 3,500 feet across most of the inland areas Friday morning. Breezy south winds are expected, but these look to mainly be over the higher terrain due to the fairly stable temperature profile.

Friday evening and Friday night the cold front is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the area. Rainfall amounts from Friday morning through Saturday afternoon look to be around 2 to 4 inches across much of the area. This may cause some minor flooding due to the fairly short period of time that it is expected to fall over. This flooding is expected to be exacerbated around they bays where streams will have trouble draining during high tide. Sunday there is expected to be some lingering showers around, but overall, it looks like it will be a break in the rain. Another fairly strong system is expected on Monday with additional rain, wind and snow. At this point it looks weaker than the Friday night system, but it is still 5 days out.”

Sport Dungeness crab season now open to CA/OR border
As of Dec. 9, the sport Dungeness crab season is now open from the California/Oregon border (42° 0.00’ N latitude) to the southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Reserve (41° 17.6’ N latitude). State health agencies determined that consuming the meat of Dungeness crab no longer poses a significant threat for domoic acid exposure. More information can be found here.

Commercial Dungeness crab season delay continues
The ocean commercial Dungeness crab season for Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties remains closed due to poor quality crab. Crab meat quality tests were not conducted due to continued high domoic acid concentrations at one of the northern sampling locations. The season is currently closed until 12:01a.m. Dec. 31, 2024. Another round of testing is anticipated to occur around Dec. 15 to determine whether the fishery may open on Dec. 31, or be delayed an additional 15 days until Jan. 15, 2025. For more information, visit the Marine Management News Blog.

Shelter Cove update
“We only fished a couple days this week, and the rockfish bite was a little tougher, but still good,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We spent most of our time just outside the Hat. Crabbing is still going strong, with easy limits of nice crab.”

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing, except for the Van Duzen. (The recording should be updated sometime today) This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek, and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2025. More information can be found here.

Mad
The river has been in great shape this week, but that’s going to come to an end sometime Thursday as the river was on the rise. Flows are predicted to peak at 13,400 cfs Saturday afternoon. It will likely be blown out for quite a while, especially with Ruth Lake being full. A few steelhead have been caught, and there’s been quite a few coho around. Look for that to change once the flows come back down.

Main stem Eel
Flows dipped under 3,500 cfs Wednesday and the river was in perfect shape. Unfortunately, Wednesday was probably the last fishable day for a while as lots of rain is in the forecast. Flows are predicted to reach nearly 113,000 cfs early late Saturday. It will be off color for some time if the predictions are correct. There have been a few adult steelhead caught and quite a few coho.

South Fork Eel
River conditions were about perfect as of Wednesday, but that is going to change Thursday. The river is predicted to rise beginning Thursday afternoon, with flows peaking at 32,900 cfs at Miranda Saturday evening. The river has been full of coho as well as some older kings. No big numbers of steelhead have entered the river yet, but that could change after the latest round of storms. A week of dry weather could get it back to fishable shape, but that may not be in the cards.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen has been closed the last few days due to low flows, but that is changing Thursday. The CDFW recording still said the river was closed, even though flows were well above 400 cfs in the morning. It’s predicted to peak at nearly 33,000 cfs Saturday evening. Will likely be blown out the next couple weeks.

Smith
The Smith had been low and clear, but it’s now receiving some much-needed rain. As of Thursday morning, flows were 4,000 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge and starting to peak. The next round of rain will be more substantial, and should see flows reach roughly 16,500 cfs (13.8 ft.) by Saturday afternoon. If the rain comes as predicted, it should be fishable by Sunday and all next week. We should see the first wave of steelhead by the weekend or early next week.

Eel River Chinook salmon returns
From Nov. 25 through Dec. 1. 497 Chinook salmon (female 162, male 179, unknown 56, Jack 100) were observed moving upstream through the fishway at Cape Horn Dam. The season total for upstream migrating Chinook salmon stands at 713 (female 244, male 249, unknown 78, Jack 142). The last year the Chinook count went over 500 at Van Arsdale Reservoir was during the 2014-15 season. For more information, visit https://eelriver.org/the-eel-river/#fishcount.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“A mix of late salmon and early steelhead were caught the past week on the Chetco, but fishing likely will come to a standstill beginning Saturday as heavy rain is expected to blow the river out for several days,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “More than a week of high water conditions are expected. There could be a window to fish the Elk between storms, while the Sixes is also expected to be blown out. The number of early steelhead caught by drift boaters and shore-based plungers is promising for the latter part of this month, when the river drops back into shape.”

Brookings rockfish update
According to Martin, sport crabbing has been very good out of Brookings, but catches likely will drop significantly once the commercial crab season begins Monday. “Commercial fishermen may drop pots as early as Friday. Rockfish and lingcod action has been good out of Brookings. High surf conditions and stormy weather begins Friday.”

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

‘Offshore Only’ Rockfish Season Begins Dec. 1

Nearshore season ends Saturday

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

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

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

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

Divers and shore-based anglers will continue to be exempt from boat-based season restrictions affecting rockfish and other federally managed groundfish, which allows for year-round diving and shore-based angling, in line with current regulations. Rockfish season for boat anglers will close statewide after Dec. 31.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The weekend marine forecast is looking good for offshore crabbing and/or rockfish. As of Friday, Saturday’s forecast is calling for northeast winds up to 5 knots with northwest waves 3 feet at seven seconds and 2 feet at 12 seconds. Sunday looks similar, with northwest waves 2 feet at 11 seconds and 5 feet at 18 seconds. Conditions early next week also look favorable. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

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

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

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

The Rivers:
As of Friday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek, Van Duzen and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2025. More information can be found here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Atmospheric Rivers Put an End to Late-Fall King Season

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek, Van Duzen and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2025. More information can be found here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fort Bragg Plugged with Albacore

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

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

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

As of Thursday, the forecast out 10 to 60 nautical miles for Friday is calling for winds out of the south 15 to 20 knots with north waves 4 feet at six seconds and west 2 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday is calling for winds from the south 10 to 15 knots and south waves 5 feet at five seconds and west 11 feet at 12 seconds. Sunday the winds will come from the west up to 10 knots and south waves 3 feet at four seconds and west 7 feet at 11 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any river will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2025.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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