Pikeminnow Derby

Big Push of Salmon and Steelhead Follows Klamath Flow Increase

Eureka resident Tim Call landed a nice steelhead on a recent outing on the Klamath River. Photo courtesy of Alan Borges/Alan’s Guide Service

As soon as increased flows hit the lower Klamath, big schools of salmon and steelhead charged upriver. Fishing was excellent earlier in the week, and small pulses of fish should continue moving in over the next few weeks. Flows peaked at 4,172 cfs Wednesday and are now dropping but will remain high through the holiday weekend, around 3,100 cfs Saturday morning. Angling pressure has been light so far, but expect that to change as the holiday crowd arrives.

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.

Yurok gill net quota reached
On Monday, the Yurok Tribe announced that their fall personal subsistence gill net quota has been reached within the Yurok Reservation. Tribal fishery employees will continue to gill net for the 300 elder’s fish quota.

Weekend marine forecast
Conditions are looking excellent the next few days for those looking to hit the tuna grounds. Out 10 to 60 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for southeast winds up to 5 knots and waves out of the northwest 2 feet at seven seconds and south 2 feet at 16 seconds. Saturday is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots and waves north 1 foot at 6 seconds and south 3 feet at 16 seconds. Sunday, winds will be out of the south 10 to 15 knots and waves north 3 feet at 5 seconds and northwest 2 feet at 10 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Pikeminnow Fishing Derby ends Saturday
There are just a few days remaining to bring home some cash as the Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing Derby ends after Sunday, Aug. 31. Visit https://tribresearch.org/pikeminnow/ to learn more, sign up for the derby, and submit your catch to the contest before it ends.

Saturday is statewide Free Fishing Day
The last chance of the year to fish for free arrives over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Free Fishing Day is offered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Saturday, Aug. 30. While no fishing license is required on free fishing days, all fishing regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. Every angler must have an appropriate report card if they are fishing for steelhead or sturgeon anywhere in the state or salmon in the Smith River system. For more information, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

Bay Area ocean salmon season reopens Sept. 4
The ocean sport salmon season will re-open on Sept. 4 in two Bay Area subareas.

  • Point Reyes to Pigeon Point (San Francisco Subarea):
    • September 4-7 & 29-30; October 1-5 & 27-31 – Minimum size limit: 20 inches total length. Two salmon of any species except coho
  • Pigeon Point to Point Sur (Monterey Subarea)
    • September 4-7 & 29-30 – Minimum size limit: 20 inches total length. Two salmon of any species except coho

Fall Harvest Guideline: 7,500 Chinook. In-season action may be taken to close remaining September – October days when the total harvest is approaching a statewide limit of 7,500 Chinook salmon. More information can be found here.

The oceans:
Eureka
Tuna anglers reported Thursday that the warm water is now at least 60 miles out of Eureka. They also reported the fishing wasn’t very good. Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, along with many others were planning on heading out Friday, but plans are likely changing for some. “The weather looks excellent for Friday and Saturday, hopefully we get a good SST shot to see where the water is,” said Klassen. The Pacific halibut bite has been good when we can get out. Quite a few limits are being caught near the 55-line. Cape Mendocino has been producing some really good rock fishing, and it should be an easy ride down there the next few days.”

Shelter Cove
“Rock fishing remains solid, with limits coming every day,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Most of the effort this week was around the Old Man. Pacific halibut has been slow, although there were a couple caught this week. Boats will be trying for albacore the next couple days for the first time in a week. We haven’t had a good satellite shot in a week or so, we’re expecting to close to 50 miles out.”

Crescent City
According to Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, the fishing effort has slowed. He said, “There’s been a couple boats out for tuna, but the fishing hasn’t been. Most guys are headed north to Charleston. The rockfish and lingcod bite remain excellent, no change there. The California halibut bite has slowed down as well as the effort. There have been a couple Thresher sharks caught off of South Beach last few weeks.”

Brookings
“The best halibut fishing of the season is happening right now,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Boats are focusing on 200 to 250 feet of water off of Bird Island. Combinations of squid and herring are working best. Lingcod and rockfish action also is good, while sport crabbing has improved in recent weeks.” 

Low Flow River Closures begin Sept. 1
North Coast rivers that are regulated by low flow closures, including the Eel, Mad, Mattole, Redwood Creek, Smith and Van Duzen begin angling restrictions on Sept. 1 and will run through April 30 2026. As a reminder, in 2022, a low-flow angling restriction was added to the section of the Eel River from the mouth to Fulmor Road (Eel estuary) at its paved junction with the south bank of the Eel River. When a low-flow closure occurs in this section of the Eel, it will be closed to hook-and-line fishing; other legal fishing methods are allowed during this timeframe.

The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2026.

Areas subject to low flow closures:

Mad River: The main stem Mad River from the Hammond Trail Railroad Trestle to Cowan Creek. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. The Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream is closed until Jan. 1, 2026.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Rivers
Lower Rogue/Chetco
According to Martin, the first kings of the season have been caught in the Chetco estuary. “Salmon to 25 pounds have been weighed in, along with numerous jacks. Bottom fish anglers are encountering salmon along the coast of Brookings, but the ocean is now closed to both kings and coho. The Rogue Bay has been fair, with lots of boats and a few good days each week. Labor Day Weekend is peak season on the Rogue Bay.”

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

Eureka Kicking Out Some Big Butts

John Lanz scored the biggest Pacific halibut of the season with this 91-pounder. It was caught on July 4th out of Trinidad fishing with Don Galusha. Photo courtesy of John Lanz

Anglers fishing out of Eureka enjoyed some of the best Pacific halibut fishing of the season this week. Not only was there a good volume of fish, there were some big ones in the mix. The leaderboard for Englund Marine’s big fish contest consists of 71, 75, and 88 pounders. Not to be outdone, Trinidad checked in with a 91-pounder over the fourth of July weekend.

Ocean conditions were excellent the last several days, and that played a big role in anglers success. Out of Eureka, boats have congregated around the 50-line in 250 to 270 feet of water. But halibut have also been caught south at the edge of the Eel River canyon and we’re starting to see more come out of Trinidad. But just as soon as we get on a roll, the wind machine fires back up. North winds are expected to reach near gale force through the weekend.

Weekend marine forecast
After a nice stretch of calm seas, the wind is forecast to pick up over the weekend. According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “surface high pressure is forecast to re-build toward the Northwest California coast through Thursday. This will enhance the pressure gradient and once again strengthen the northerlies. Gale force winds and large steep waves are probable over the outer waters Thursday afternoon through Friday night. Gale force winds and/or very large steep waves will likely persist into at least Saturday for the northern outer waters. Closer to shore and across the inner waters, gale force gusts are probable around and downwind of Cape Mendocino and Pt St George.

As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 20 to 25 knots with gusts up to 45 knots. Waves will be from the north 9 feet at nine seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for north winds 15 to 20 knots with gusts up to 35 knots. North waves will be 9 feet at nine seconds and west 2 feet at 12 seconds. Winds will decrease slightly Sunday, blowing 10 to 15 knots from the northwest with waves northwest 7 feet at eight seconds and northwest 3 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.

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.

Nathan Teasley of Rio Del with a monster California Halibut caught Tuesday out of Humboldt Bay. The big fish measured 43 inches.

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.

Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing Derby now underway
After a successful Eel River Pikeminnow derby in 2024, CalTrout is back with another derby that started July 1 and will run through Aug. 31. The derby, which is put on with the help of CDFW, will offer $2,500 worth of prizes for:

  • Most pikeminnow greater than six inches
  • Most pikeminnow greater than 12 inches
  • Biggest fish (length)
  • Drawing for kids (under 18) that entered a pikeminnow in the contest.

Rules:
Contestants will follow all CDFW fishing regulations, including no bait, barbless artificial lures only.
Prohibited actions: Throwing fish on the bank or into the river, any blatant waste of fish.

All waters open to angling on the South Fork Eel River downstream of the Humboldt County line to the confluence with the mainstem. The mainstem Eel from Dos Rios to the mouth of the Van Duzen. The Van Duzen from Grizzly Creek to the mouth of the Van Duzen.

  • Submit entries online using one email address. All entries for the “most pikeminnow” will be tallied by participant name. Photos from poor angles or of bad quality are subject to disqualification.
  • Mail in forms must be postmarked on or before September 3. Send a copy of your photo(s), minimum size 3”x5” each, along with completed entry form to: CalTrout 1380 9th St. Arcata, CA 95521
  • Individual contestants can win no more than one prize category. In the case of multiple wins, the largest prize amount will be awarded.
  • Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification.

For more information, visit https://tribresearch.org/pikeminnow/

Warning against consumption of Sport-Harvested Bivalve Shellfish from Del Norte County
In a press release issued July 3rd, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is advising consumers not to eat sport-harvested mussels, clams, scallops, or oysters from Del Norte County.   ​

Statement:
“Dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins have been detected in mussels from Del Norte County. The naturally occurring PSP toxins can cause illness or death in humans. Cooking does not destroy the toxin. 

This shellfish safety notification is in addition to the warnings against eating sport-harvested bivalve shellfish in Marin, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange counties due to marine biotoxins, and to the ​annual mussel quarantine. The annual quarantine prohibits the sport-harvest of mussels for human consumption and applies to all species of mussels harvested for human consumption along the California coast, as well as all bays and estuaries, and will continue through at least October 31. Additionally, there are razor clam advisories for Del Norte and Humboldt counties due to domoic acid.

This warning does not apply to commercially sold mussels, clams, scallops, and 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.”

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
“There is a little bit of a Pacific halibut bite going on right now,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “It’s not wide-open, but there are limits to be had. It’s about being at the right place at the right time. The tide change has been the key, with most of the bites coming just prior to high tide. Most of the action is coming just a little north of the entrance in 270 feet of water. But I’m sure there are fish in other places as well. Herring has been the bait of choice. The fish are ranging from 20 to 50-pounds, with the occasional bigger one. The wind is coming back up starting Thursday and looks to stick around through the weekend.”

Shelter Cove
“The rock fishing and lingcod got a little tougher this last week with the increased pressure over the holiday weekend,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We still got limits every day, but really had to work for them. We fished all over from the whistle down to the Ranch House. We still have not caught a halibut, but there are a few California halibut being caught.”

Crescent City
“Both the rockfish and lingcod bite have been over the top, with limits coming easily,” said Chris Hegnes, of Crescent City’s Englund Marine.” The reefs along with the Sisters have been productive. The California halibut bite has improved, with five landed off the rock wall on Tuesday. The Pacific halibut bite remains non-existent; I haven’t heard of one caught yet. There hasn’t been much effort.”

Brookings
“Salmon fishing has shown signs of busting open out of Brookings, but every time there is a day or two of good fishing, strong winds return,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Wednesday was the best day so far this season, with numerous boats returning with multiple kings and hatchery coho. The best fishing has been in 140 to 300 feet of water. The fish are close to the surface. Windy weather returns for the weekend. Halibut fishing has been decent out of Brookings, while lingcod and rockfish action has been good. Surfperch continue to bite at beaches around Brookings.”

Michael Cowan with a hatchery king salmon caught Wednesday with Capt. Rye Phillips of Brookings Fishing Charters.

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay has been slow, but typically improves by mid-July. “A handful of fish a day are being caught.”

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.

Catch Limit Met – Salmon Season Won’t Reopen on the North Coast

David Gould, of St. Helena, with a nice Shelter Cove Chinook salmon landed during the June 7-8 season. CDFW determined the 7,000 quota has been met, which closes the remaining July and August dates for the North Coast. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell/Sea Hawk Sport Fishing

I think we all saw this coming. All you had to do was open up any social media platform and take a gander at the huge numbers of salmon flying over the rails or laying on the docks. From Bodega Bay all the way to San Luis Obispo, anglers experienced some of the best salmon fishing in recent memory. And it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that our season wasn’t going to last beyond the initial two-day season of June 7-8.

And on Monday, California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) made it official. Citing excellent ocean conditions up and down the coast, along with over 10,000 anglers, it’s easy to see why the 7,000 quota was gobbled up so quickly. The official estimate from CDFW was 9,165 Chinook salmon were harvested statewide. What this means for the North Coast is the remaining summer dates of July 5-6, July 31-August 3, and August 25-31 are canceled.

What’s next: The recreational ocean salmon fishery is set to reopen September 4-7 under a separate fall harvest guideline of 7,500 Chinook in waters between Point Reyes and Point Sur. If the harvest guideline isn’t reached, the season will continue September 29-30. If any fish remain after this date, the fishery will continue in waters between Pt. Reyes to Pigeon Point on October 1-5 and October 27-31.

Weekend marine forecast
Northerly winds will increase again and spread north on Friday and through the weekend. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds at 10 to 15 knots and waves northwest 4 feet at five seconds and west 3 feet at nine seconds. Saturday forecast is calling for north winds at 15 to 20 knots and waves north 5 feet at six seconds and south 2 feet at 10 seconds. Winds will be out of the north Sunday 10 to 15 knots with north waves 6 feet at seven seconds and northwest 2 feet at 10 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

Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing Derby starts July 1
After a successful Eel River Pikeminnow derby in 2024, CalTrout is back with another derby that starts July 1. The derby, which is put on with the help of CDFW, will offer $2,500 worth of prizes for:

  • Most pikeminnow greater than six inches. (1st-$250, 2nd-$150, 3rd-$100)
  • Most pikeminnow greater than 12 inches. MUST include tape measure in photo. (1st-$500, 2nd-$350, 3rd-$250)
  • Biggest fish (length). MUST include tape measure in photo. (1st-$250, 2nd-$150, 3rd-$100)
  • Drawing for kids (under 18) that entered a pikeminnow in the contest. (8 winners – $50/each)

Rules:
Contestants will follow all CDFW fishing regulations, including no bait, barbless artificial lures only.
Prohibited actions: Throwing fish on the bank or into the river, any blatant waste of fish.

All waters open to angling on the South Fork Eel River downstream of the Humboldt County line to the confluence with the mainstem. The mainstem Eel from Dos Rios to the mouth of the Van Duzen. The Van Duzen from Grizzly Creek to the mouth of the Van Duzen.

  • Submit entries online using one email address. All entries for the “most pikeminnow” will be tallied by participant name. Photos from poor angles or of bad quality are subject to disqualification.
  • Mail in forms must be postmarked on or before September 3. Send a copy of your photo(s), minimum size 3”x5” each, along with completed entry form to: CalTrout 1380 9th St. Arcata, CA 95521
  • Individual contestants can win no more than one prize category. In the case of multiple wins, the largest prize amount will be awarded.
  • Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification.

For more information, visit https://tribresearch.org/pikeminnow/

Eel River fish counts
As of May 18, 2025, the final counts for salmonids are: 361 steelhead (163 female, 117 male, 81 unknown adults, 42 subadults). 893 Chinook (320 female, 309 male, 94 unknown adults, 170 jacks). These counts don’t reflect the entire population; only the fish who travel over 150 miles to the fish ladder at Cape Horn Dam. Historic fish count numbers can be found here.

California halibut update
The CA halibut bite has been slow, but we’re starting to see an uptick according to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors. He said, “The wind and water clarity have been an issue. There is a lot of bait around, which is good. Most of the fish are being caught in the third channel.”

The California halibut bag and total possession limit is two in California waters north of Point Sur, Monterey County. The minimum size limit is 22 inches total length.

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
Conditions were up and down this week. According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, when the boats were able to make it out to the halibut grounds, the fishing has been really good. “There were quite a few limits reported,” said Klassen. “Most of the action has been straight out in 250 to 300 feet of water. Looks like the wind may keep the boats off the water this weekend.”

Shelter Cove
“It was pretty windy this week, but we made it out a few days and luckily we were able to get limits before the wind really kicked up,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “The rock fishing and lingcod fishing has been really good around the Old Man. We’re still getting boat limits of crab every day as well.”

Crescent City
“Not much has changed up here, the rockfish bite is still really good,” said Kevin Hooper of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “The Pacific halibut bite, however, is still non-existent. I haven’t heard of any caught so far this season. The California halibut has also been slow the last couple weeks. The redtail bite remains steady at Kellogg and South Beach.”

Brookings
Ocean salmon remains slow out of Brookings, with a few hatchery coho and plenty of wild silvers reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “There are good numbers of kings close to the harbor, which must be released, but chinook may be kept the first two weeks of July,” said Martin. “A few halibut are being caught, but effort has been light. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good, with sport crabbing also picking up. Surfperch action has been very good.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, salmon fishing has slowed to very few fish being caught in the Rogue Bay, and a few late springers upriver. “Expect action to improve with the next heat wave inland.”

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.