Anglers Craig Vallely, left, and Steve Cowles with a nice Chinook salmon caught on the Lower Klamath river last Friday. Photo courtesy of Fishing the North Coast Guide Service
Over the Labor Day holiday weekend, we were patiently waiting for the fall run of king salmon to begin their migration upriver. Well, the wait is over. Water temperatures cooled significantly thanks to dam releases and rain, and schools of ocean-fresh kings finally made their way into the lower river in big numbers beginning with Monday’s outgoing tide.
This week, the fishing has been nothing short of spectacular from the Glen to well above Blue Creek. There are plenty of jacks to be had, and some really nice adults have shown up as well. The fish are dime-bright, with plenty still sporting seal lice, and they’re spread throughout the river. Most anglers have been able to quickly catch their limits and get off the water before the afternoon temperatures soar.
As of last Thursday, 665 adults remained to be harvested from the 1,624-fish quota. With this week’s catch rate, the quota could be met after this weekend.
Reminder: The spit area, within 100 yards of the channel through the sand spit formed at the Klamath River mouth, is closed to fishing for the remainder of the year. Fishing is open from the estuary upriver to the State Route 96 bridge at Weitchpec. Once the quota is met, no Chinook salmon greater than 23 inches in length may be retained. Anglers may still retain a limit of Chinook salmon under 23 inches in length.
Anglers can keep track of the Klamath and Trinity river quotas by calling (800) 564-6479. Klamath and Trinity fishing regulations can be found here.
Weekend marine forecast According to the Eureka’s National Weather Service, “the winds will ease Friday and Saturday as a weak front moves through the area. Strong northerlies return Sunday. Along with wind driven seas, a long period south swell from Hurricane Marie at around 2 to 3 feet continues through the waters.” As of Thursday, out 10 nautical miles, the Friday forecast is calling for winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 knots with northwest waves 6 feet at eight seconds and south 2 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday is calling for winds from the south up to 5 knots and south waves 1 foot at eight seconds and northwest 4 feet at 11 seconds. Sunday, the winds will be from the north 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 4 feet at 10 seconds and southwest 2 feet at 14 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.
Pacific halibut quota update As of Sept. 6, California’s share of Area 2A’s quota, which includes Washington and Oregon, is at 21 percent, with just 8,505 net pounds harvested against the 40,040 net pound quota. (500 pounds are set aside for the area south of Point Arena). The Pacific halibut fishery will run through Nov. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. To view the latest catch projection information, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking
Trinidad launch closing for the season The launch facility and water taxi service will close after Sunday, Sept. 13 for the season. The floating dock and moorings will be removed starting Monday.
The Oceans: Eureka According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, there’s been some tuna caught off of False Cape since Sunday. “One of the charters landed 20 last Sunday, and there’s been reports of a few other boats catching a few. We went and looked at the water off the cape Wednesday, and there wasn’t much life out there and no fish. Conditions are shaping up for another run Saturday, with most boats likely going south again. The rockfish bite at the Cape has been wide-open, especially for big blacks. The ling cod has been a little tougher, we’re getting about one per rod on most days. The Pacific halibut bite has been hit and miss, and the effort has definitely dwindled.”
A successful day out of Shelter Cove, with anglers returning to the beach with a mixed bag of albacore and three bigeye tuna.
Shelter Cove Rock fishing is still lights out, reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We made it out a couple days for tuna last week and averaged 50 fish per trip and the grade was really nice,” said Mitchell. Probably a 23-25-pound average. We were fishing straight out about 30 miles. Boats went offshore again Wednesday and had about a 30 fish average per boat. There were also three Bigeye tuna caught on Wednesday. The warm water looks to be sticking around, but the forecast doesn’t look good for us for a while.”
Crescent City “Rockfish and lingcod are all that’s going on right now,” said Will Moore of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “The fishing is still really good, with the Sisters and the South Reef consistently the two top spots. Saturday’s ocean conditions look good, and some boats are gearing up for a tuna run.”
Brookings “Lingcod, rockfish and crab action have been good out of Brookings, while halibut is still slow,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Boats found tuna within 30 miles Labor Day weekend. The grade of fish made up for lighter numbers. Some boats are prepping for trips this weekend.”
The Rivers: Lower Klamath Fishing for salmon busted open this week on the lower Klamath. There’s a mix of adult salmon around, along with plenty of jacks. Flows are dropping slowly after peaking at over 4,000 cfs with the dam releases and rain. As of Thursday, flows were down to 3,300 cfs, and the river is in perfect shape. Fishing should remain excellent through the weekend.
Regulations for the fall fishery include a two-fish daily bag limit, though anglers may retain only one adult salmon ≥ 23 inches per day. The possession limit is six Chinook total, with no more than three adults ≥ 23 inches.
Once individual sub-quotas are met in each section, retention will shift to jack salmon under 23 inches total length only.
Chetco/Lower Rogue According to Martin, salmon action has started on the Chetco estuary, with jacks, small adults and a few larger kings being caught. “The estuary is already crowded. Trolling anchovies behind flashers has accounted for most of the fish. The Rogue Bay continues to fish well, as the peak season has arrived. The bay is still crowded. Fish are also being caught upriver near Agness.”
Eureka resident Michael Marcelli with a nice king salmon taken earlier this week on the lower Klamath. Water conditions, as well as fishing, should be good through the holiday weekend. Photo courtesy of Alan’s Guide Service
Following some excellent salmon fishing in the Klamath estuary over the past few weeks, adult fall-run king salmon are now beginning to make their way upriver. There are a couple of reasons for the push. First, cool water releases from behind Lewiston Dam began last Friday to help reduce the risk of disease in the salmon. The other factor is the weather. Cooler outside temperatures, along with a fair amount of rain, can do wonders for river temperatures.
Combined, these conditions should produce a steady stream of kings moving upriver and staging in the various holes throughout the lower river. But don’t give up on the estuary just yet—the fishing was reportedly pretty wide-open on Monday. I think it’s safe to say we’re smackdab in the middle of what could be a pretty good run of kings.
According to Dan Troxel, an environmental scientist with the Klamath River Project, 432 adult salmon were harvested from the State Route 96 bridge at Weitchpec downstream to the Klamath mouth during the week ending Aug. 26, counting toward the quota of 1,624 fish. As of last Friday, 1,192 adults remained on the quota. Meanwhile, the spit area closed to fishing as of Thursday, Sept. 3.
With excellent conditions and the Labor Day crowd on the water, I’d expect a big dent to be taken out of the remaining quota in the coming days.
Trinity River quotas began on Sept. 1 Fall regulations for Chinook salmon fishing on the Trinity River went into effect on Sept. 1 and run through Dec. 31, with a sport quota of 1,072 adults. The quota will be split almost evenly: 536 adults for the main stem Trinity downstream of the Old Lewiston Bridge to the State Route 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat, and 536 adults for the main stem Trinity downstream of the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar to the confluence with the Klamath. The main stem downstream of the State Route 299 Bridge at Cedar Flat to the Denny Road Bridge in Hawkins Bar is closed to all fishing Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.
Anglers may keep track of the Klamath and Trinity river quotas by calling 800-564-6479. Klamath and Trinity fishing regulations can be found here.
Trinity River water release The Bureau of Reclamation approved an increase to flows below Lewiston Dam to reduce the risk of disease for salmon migrating from the ocean to the Klamath and Trinity rivers. Starting Aug. 28 through Sept. 21, flows below Lewiston Dam will increase from approximately 450 cubic feet per second to as much as 1,200 cfs. This is a planned release and does not affect water supply to agriculture, communities, or other environmental obligations. The public is urged to take all necessary precautions on or near the river while flows are increased during this period.
Weekend marine forecast According to the Eureka’s National Weather Service, “Winds will be light for most of the waters through Saturday. Then, northerlies will strengthen some through the weekend, mainly over the southern water south of Cape Mendocino. The northerlies do not look to fully strengthen again until early next week.”
Out 10 nautical miles north of the cape, Friday’s forecast is calling for south winds 10 to 15 knots and waves out of the northwest 6 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday is calling for north winds up to 5 knots and waves northwest 5 feet at nine seconds and south 2 feet at 11 seconds. Sunday, winds will be out of the north up to 5 knots and waves northwest 4 feet at nine seconds and south 1 foot 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.
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, Sept. 5. 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 and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days.
Del Norte County Razor Clam fishery re-opens In a press release issued Monday, the CDFW has opened the recreational razor clam fishery in Del Norte County following a recommendation from state health agencies that domoic acid no longer poses a significant threat to human health if consumed.
Statement from CDFW:
“The razor clam fishery was closed on July 31 in Del Norte County due to elevated levels of domoic acid. Clams sampled in July and August 2026 from Crescent Beach, Del Norte County, all had domoic acid concentrations lower than the federal action level, allowing the fishery to reopen. The recreational razor clam fishery in Humboldt County remains closed due to elevated levels of domoic acid. The closure, which began in May 2024, remains in effect until state health agencies determine razor clams no longer pose a health risk.
CDFW will continue to work with the California Department of Public Health and Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as they monitor ocean indicators for domoic acid presence and continue to test razor clams from Northern California. This will determine when the recreational razor clam fishery can be reopened safely in Humboldt County while ensuring razor clams are safe to harvest in Del Norte County.
CDFW reminds clammers that the daily bag limit for razor clams is 20 and the first 20 clams dug must be retained regardless of size or condition. The fishery is open south of Battery Point, Crescent City in Del Norte County. Each person is required to keep a separate container for their clams and is not allowed to commingle their take with another person when digging and transporting clams to shore.
Recreational clam fishery regulations can be found in the Ocean Sport Fishing Regulation Guide; refer to Section 29.20 for general clam regulations and Section 29.45 for specific razor clam regulations.
Health advisory information will be updated on CDFW’s fishery information and health advisories website. To get the latest information on current fishing season closures related to domoic acid, please call CDFW’s Domoic Acid Fishery Closure Information Line at (831) 649-2883.”
The oceans: Eureka This past week was quiet out of Eureka due to ocean conditions according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “There was some tuna caught last week out of Eureka, but it wasn’t red-hot,” said Klassen. “The fish that were caught were bigger fish. The warm water looks like it’s pushing in, but the chlorophyll looks to be about 70 miles offshore right now. The Pacific halibut bite has been slow with not much effort right now. It’s possible with the warm water moving in that they went out deeper. Ocean conditions are looking good for this weekend, so hopefully we’ll get some better reports.”
Trinidad “Options are limited, but the option is epic,” said Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing. “No tuna within range. Halibut bite is slow. Salmon season is closed. More giant lingcod than I’ve seen in the better part of decade. We’re starting the morning off by catching live bait for them, then moving in on the remote waters reef and its game on. Multiple fish over 30 pounds this week and more than I can count north of 20. We’re living in the good ole days again.”
Shelter Cove “The rock fishing has been great,” reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “Most the action has been out in a little deeper water by the Hat. A few boats went out for tuna on Tuesday, but I didn’t hear any reports other than it was slow.”
Crescent City “The tuna water moved within 30 miles last week, and some boats made the run, but it sounded like not many fish were caught,” said Andrew Williams of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “The rockfish and lingcod bite are still going strong when the boats can get out. Both the Pacific and California halibut bite have slowed down. A few Thresher’s have been caught the last couple weeks off of South Beach.”
Brookings Ocean salmon season came to a slow end out of Brookings, with a one-day flurry of wide-open action a few days before the closure, and otherwise very hit-and-miss fishing since mid-August reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Brookings had the highest ocean salmon catch totals in Oregon, with more than 6,500 kings landed since the season opened in March, according to ODFW figures,” said Martin. “Around 12,000 kings were landed statewide in the ocean this season. Around 150 kings were caught last week. The best fishing was in July, April and early May.
Lingcod fishing has improved with fish moving into shallow water. The best catch rates of the summer happened late last week and over the weekend, with most boats catching lingcod. Calm weather returns this weekend after a fall-like storm Tuesday night and Wednesday.”
Low Flow River Closures began Sept. 1 North Coast rivers that are regulated by low flow closures, including the Eel, Mad, Mattole, Redwood Creek, Smith and Van Duzen began angling restrictions on Sept. 1 and will run through April 30, 2027. 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 monitors low flow conditions on Mondays for decision days Tuesday and Wednesday, Wednesday for decision days Thursday and Friday, and Friday for decision days Saturday, Sunday, and Monday and will update this message as needed. Please note that the Department may open waters between regularly scheduled updates in response to changing flow conditions. The department will only close waters on decision days Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays for their respective decision windows.
Anglers are advised to check the Department’s Low Flow Fishing Regulations – North Coast website before deciding to fish in any of these low flow restricted waters, and to clean, drain, and dry all fishing gear to prevent the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species.
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, 2027.
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, 2027.
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.
Lower Rogue According to Martin, the Rogue Bay has been fishing well and should see a large number of new fish with this week’s rain. “Fishing also likely will bust wide open upstream near Agness, and kick into high gear next week in the Grants Pass area because of the rain and cooler water temperatures.”
Roseville resident Gregg Motta landed a nice springer on a recent trip to the Klamath River estuary. The fall-run salmon quota begins Saturday on the Klamath. Photo courtesy of Jerry Lampkin/TNG Guide Service
Fall regulations will begin Saturday, Aug. 15 on the Klamath River, triggering the start of the fall salmon quota. The California Fish and Game Commission adopted bag and possession limits for the Klamath Basin based on a quota of 3,248 fall-run adult kings. On the Klamath, the fall season closes Dec. 31. The fall season on the Trinity begins Sept. 1 and closes Dec. 31.
On the Lower Klamath, from the State Route 96 bridge at Weitchpec to the mouth, 1,624 adults will be allowed for sport harvest. The section above the bridge at Weitchpec to the CA/OR border will get 552 adults.
The Spit Area (within 100 yards of the channel through the sand spit formed at the Klamath River mouth) will close when 15 percent of the total Klamath River Basin quota is taken downstream of the U.S. Highway 101 bridge.
IMPORTANT: KNOW THE SPIT RULES
The Spit Area at the mouth of the Klamath will close once 487 adult Chinook have been harvested downstream of the U.S. 101 bridge. The closure applies only to the Spit Area — the remainder of the Klamath estuary below U.S. 101 will remain open.
Anglers fishing the Spit must retain all legally caught Chinook. Once you’ve retained your adult Chinook limit, you must stop fishing in the Spit Area.
On the Trinity side, the quota is set at 1,072 adults. The quota will be split almost evenly: 536 adults for the main stem Trinity downstream of the Old Lewiston Bridge to the State Route 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat, and 536 adults for the main stem Trinity downstream of the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar to the confluence with the Klamath.
The daily bag limit will be two Chinook salmon, no more than one of which may be greater than 23 inches, and a possession limit of six, of which only three may exceed 23 inches. Once these quotas have been met, no Chinook salmon greater than 23 inches in length may be retained (anglers may still retain a limit of Chinook salmon less than 23 inches in length).
Visit Klamath Basin Salmon and Steelhead Fishing Reminders for a complete list of regulations. Anglers may monitor the quota status of open and closed sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers by calling the Klamath information hotline at 800-564-6479. All anglers on the Trinity and Klamath rivers must have salmon harvest cards in their possession when fishing for salmon.
Weekend marine forecast According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “The northerlies will drop even more substantially Friday and especially through the weekend as troughing continues to weaken the pressure gradient. Seas will lower into and through the weekend.” For coastal waters out 10 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast calls for winds from the northwest up to 5 knots with northwest waves 4 feet at seven seconds and southwest 1 foot at 15 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for north winds up to 5 knots and waves out of the northwest 3 feet at eight seconds and southwest 2 feet at 15 seconds. Sunday looks the same, with winds up to 5 knots from the northwest and waves northwest 3 feet at eight seconds and southwest 2 feet at 16 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.
Eel River Pikeminnow fishing derby continues through August The Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing Derby continues through the end of August, giving anglers plenty of time to get involved. The derby, held with help from CDFW, has increased its prize purse this year to $5,000.
Prizes will be awarded in four categories:
Most pikeminnow over 6 inches: 1st $550, 2nd $450, 3rd $400
Most pikeminnow over 12 inches: 1st $800, 2nd $700, 3rd $600. A tape measure must be visible in the photo.
Biggest pikeminnow: 1st $500, 2nd $400, 3rd $300. A tape measure must be visible in the photo.
Kids’ drawing: Six winners will each receive $50. Open to participants under 18 who enter a pikeminnow in the contest.
There’s still time to get out there, catch some pikeminnow and take a shot at the prize money!
Contest Rules
Online entries must be submitted using one email address. Entries in the “most pikeminnow” categories will be tallied by participant email address.
Mail-in entries must be postmarked by September 3. Send completed entry forms and copies of photos, a minimum of 3-by-5 inches, to: CalTrout, 1380 9th St., Arcata, CA 95521.
Individual contestants can win no more than one prize category. If a contestant qualifies for multiple categories, only the category with the largest prize amount will be awarded.
Photos must be geotagged.
Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification.
Photos taken from poor angles or of poor quality may be disqualified.
Contestants must follow all CDFW fishing regulations, including no bait and barbless artificial lures only. Throwing fish onto the bank or into the river, or any other blatant waste of fish, is prohibited.
Eligible waters include:
South Fork Eel River downstream of the Humboldt County line to its confluence with the mainstem
Mainstem Eel River from Dos Rios to the mouth of the Van Duzen River
The Oceans: Eureka Rough seas have kept boats off the tuna grounds, and no tuna reports have come in since last Thursday, according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The ocean is going to be nice for a while, so hopefully we see the warm water push in closer,” said Klassen. “We fished Pacific halibut last Friday and the bite was unusually slow for the fleet. I’m hoping that was just an anomaly. With ocean conditions improving, we should see some better halibut scores, and we’ll also be able to get back down to the Cape.”
Shelter Cove The ending of the salmon season was pretty good, reports Jake Mitchell, of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “We finished out with limits each day. The rock fishing was pretty good too, but the lingcod has been a little tougher lately. We’ve been spending most of our time around the Old Man. I haven’t heard of any Pacific halibut caught in a while.”
Crescent City “The tuna water is still pretty far out there, but it should be moving back in,” said Andrew Williams of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “The rockfish and lingcod bite are still going strong when the boats can get out. There are a few Pacific halibut being caught, with most coming out in 250 feet of water past the South Reef. The California halibut bite remains really slow, we haven’t seen one caught in a couple weeks. The first Thresher shark of the season was landed today on South Beach.”
Brookings Salmon fishing is quickly winding down out of Brooking reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Except for a hot bite on Friday, fishing has been slow, with just an occasional king or hatchery coho,” said Martin. “Rough weather has limited the range of the sport fleet, so this weekend’s better forecast could lead to better catch rates offshore. Halibut fishing remains slow. Lingcod, rockfish and crabbing action has been good, even with the windy weather.”
The Rivers: Lower Klamath Salmon fishing in the estuary has picked back up after slowing down over the weekend. Boats trolling are getting quite a few opportunities every day. There are quite a few steelhead, half-pounders and adults, spread throughout the river, but not many salmon around yet. Fall regulations will go into effect Saturday, Aug. 15. The daily bag limit will be two Chinook, no more than one adult (longer than 23 inches) and the possession limit is six, no more than three adults.
Lower Rogue According to Martin, the Rogue Bay is crowded, but kings are being caught. “Salmon are spread throughout the bay, with a good bite above the bridge at high tide. Anglers will be able to venture across the bar this weekend, with calm weather.”
Marci Yaremko and Mike Stefanak hold a pair of bluefin tuna caught Thursday while fishing out of Eureka. Photo courtesy of Tim Klassen/Reel Steel Sport Fishing.
After nearly a week of strong winds and rough seas, the ocean finally settled down just enough to give North Coast tuna anglers a brief, one-day weather window Thursday. A handful of boats out of Eureka made the 30- to 35-mile run southwest of the Humboldt Bay entrance toward Cape Mendocino in search of albacore.
By mid-afternoon, boats were heading back to port with mixed reports. The bite was slower than many had hoped, with most crews boating five or six tuna. A few Pacific bluefin were also mixed in with the albacore catch, adding a little excitement despite the modest numbers.
While it wasn’t the wide-open action anglers were anticipating, tuna fishermen are a different breed. When there’s even a small weather window, they’ll take advantage of it. A few boats out of Trinidad also made the run, but they encountered similarly slow fishing.
The marine forecast looks favorable for rockfish, halibut, and other nearshore opportunities through Saturday before the wind is expected to ramp back up and keep most offshore anglers tied to the dock for much of next week.
Weekend marine forecast According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “Friday and into the weekend, a more uniform regime of northerly winds are forecast to return to the area. Gales are possible over the weekend into early next week with the likelihood of gusts over 30 knots over 80% for most of the outer waters from Saturday through most of next week. Very steep seas will build in response to this increasing winds and gale watches have been issued for the outer water zones for portions of the weekend. For coastal waters out 10 nautical miles, Saturday’s forecast is calling for north winds 10 to 15 knots and waves out of the northwest 5 feet at seven seconds and southwest 1 foot at 12 seconds. Sunday looks worse, with winds out of the north 15 to 20 knots and waves northwest 7 feet at eight 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.
Del Norte County razor clam fishery closes Following a recommendation from state health agencies that consumption of razor clams in the area poses a significant human health threat for domoic acid exposure, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Acting Director Valerie Termini closed the recreational razor clam fishery in Del Norte County on July 31.
CDFW statement:
“Razor clam sampling from Crescent Beach in Del Norte County in mid-July found clams exceeding the current domoic acid federal action level. In Monterey Bay, however, samples in July show concentrations of domoic acid in northern anchovy and Pacific sardine have fallen below the federal action level that prohibit commercial distribution of seafood products for human consumption.
The recreational razor clam fishery in Humboldt County remains closed due to elevated levels of domoic acid. The closure, which began in May 2024, remains in effect until state health agencies determine razor clams no longer pose a health risk.
CDFW will continue to work with the California Department of Public Health and Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to collect, monitor and analyze razor clams to determine when the recreational razor clam fishery can be reopened safely in these areas.
To get the latest information on current fishing season closures related to domoic acid, call CDFW’s Domoic Acid Fishery Information Line at (831) 649-2883.
For the latest consumption warnings, call the California Department of Public Health’s Biotoxin Information Line at (510) 412-4643 or toll-free at (800) 553-4133.”
The Oceans: Eureka According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, the Pacific halibut bite has been good when the boats have been able to get out. The best bite has been north of the stacks in 270 to 300 feet of water,” said Klassen. “It’s not wide-open with limits everyday, but it’s been really good. The rockfish bite at the Cape has been excellent, with easy limits on rockfish and lings. Ocean conditions Thursday allowed us to get offshore and look for tuna. A handful of boats ran southwest off the Cape. The scores weren’t great, most boats landed five or six with some small bluefin mixed in with the albacore.”
Trinidad Well obviously, the salmon closure kind of blind-sided us but we’re getting along just fine reports Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing. “After couple fun days chasing tuna in the blue water last week, the wind came on fierce by the weekend,” said Sepulveda. “Gusts to 40 plus knots ripped all the way to the beach at times. Heavy upwelling is the result, and the albacore water has receded well out of day range. We’ll hope for another push as things settle.
In the meantime, our remote waters bottom fish run has been stealing the show. The lingcod bite has been as good as I’ve seen in many years. Yesterday we picked through over 30 keeper size lings in just over an hour of bouncing swim baits and jigs to harvest our 12 fish limit for the boat. The rock fishing was just as good with 11 different species boated including some huge canary, vermilion, and coppers.
Pacific halibut have been a good option for boats willing to put the time into trophy hunting. The most consistent bite has been to the southwest in 240 to 300 feet of water. With the tuna and spectacular lingcod bite this week, we never gave it a go but fish as big as 62-pounds were landed last week on private boats.”
Shelter Cove “The salmon bite this week has been pretty decent, but the fish are really spread out,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. Most boats are getting limits, with the best bite at the Bread and Butter. Rock fishing is good. Some guys got tuna yesterday 20 miles out and they went back offshore Thursday as the ocean conditions were good.”
Crescent City The California halibut bite has really picked up reports Will Moore of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “Fish are being caught by boats trolling South Beach and by bank anglers off the rock wall near the boat launch,” said Moore. “The Pacific halibut bite has picked up as well, with quite a few being caught when the boats can get out. The rockfish and lingcod bite are still on fire, with limits coming pretty easily. The Sisters area is producing some big lingcod right now. A few boats went out for tuna Thursday, but I didn’t hear of any being caught.”
Brookings Ocean salmon fishing has slowed out of Brookings, although kings are being caught daily in the estuary by boaters mooching with freshly caught anchovies reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “A few wild coho and an occasional hatchery coho are being caught offshore,” said Martin. “Halibut fishing is still slow. Lingcod and rockfish action have been good.”
The Rivers: Lower Klamath The salmon fishing slowed in the Klamath estuary this week, possibly due to rough ocean conditions. It’s also likely we’re in between seasons for spring and fall-run kings. There were still a few fish caught, and some nice ones are showing up too along with a lot of jacks. The best bite has been at first light. From there, it usually turns on again two hours before high tide through about an hour after. Upriver, the steelhead action has been good, but it’s typically an early morning bite.
Lower Rogue According to Martin, after several days of hot fishing on the Rogue Bay, the action has slowed. “Fish are being caught, but anglers are having to put in a lot of time for each salmon hookup. Hot weather inland will keep the kings kegged up in the bay.”
Jennifer Fike has current bragging rights sitting atop the Englund Marine leaderboard with an 80.5-pound Pacific halibut caught last Thursday out of Eureka.
Well, that was quick.
With the recreational ocean salmon season officially closed in the Klamath Management Zone (KMZ), North Coast anglers will once again turn their attention to Pacific halibut, rockfish, and—hopefully in the very near future—albacore tuna. While there are still plenty of opportunities offshore, it doesn’t make the abrupt end to salmon season any easier to swallow. After all the anticipation leading up to the opener, many anglers were hoping we’d squeeze in at least a few more days before the quota was met.
The good news is there’s no shortage of fish to chase.
Pacific halibut fishing has flown a bit under the radar this season, but the action has been better than many realize. Eureka continues to be the top-producing port, with both private and charter boats regularly returning to the dock with limits. The most consistent bite has been north of the entrance in 240 to 300 feet of water, where anglers willing to put in the time have been rewarded with quality fish.
Rockfish remain the sure thing along the North Coast. Whether you’re fishing out of Crescent City, Trinidad, Eureka, or Shelter Cove, the bite has been consistently strong and should remain that way through the summer. If your goal is to put fresh fillets in the freezer, it’s hard to go wrong with a rockfish trip right now.
Then there’s tuna—the fish everyone is watching for. Weather has been the biggest obstacle, but with El Niño conditions developing, warmer offshore water could be knocking on our door sooner rather than later. That’s already happening farther south, where the Fort Bragg fleet has been enjoying excellent albacore fishing less than 15 miles offshore. If those water temperatures continue to push north, it may not be long before North Coast anglers get their first legitimate tuna shots of the season.
So, while the salmon rods may be headed back into the garage for now, the offshore season is far from over. Halibut are biting, rockfish continue to produce, and tuna season could be just around the corner.
Still, it’s hard not to wonder what might have been. A few more days of salmon fishing would have been welcomed by just about everyone.
Ocean sport salmon season over for KMZ anglers The recreational salmon season in the Klamath Management Zone (California/Oregon border to Horse Mountain) is now closed after anglers reached the area’s harvest guideline.
Preliminary estimates show: • KMZ: 3,968 Chinook landed by 4,830 anglers, surpassing the 3,900-fish guideline. • Fort Bragg Management Area: Reopens August 1-9 only, with approximately 748 Chinook remaining in the area’s harvest guideline.
Anglers planning to fish Fort Bragg should expect a short season, as current catch rates indicate the remaining quota will likely be reached by the August 9 closure.
South of Point Arena, the San Francisco and Monterey management areas will reopen or remain open on August 1 under their respective harvest guidelines.
Pacific halibut quota update As of July 26, California’s share of Area 2A’s quota, which includes Washington and Oregon, is at 11 percent, with just 4,455 net pounds harvested against the 40,040-pound quota. The Pacific halibut season will be open until Nov. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. To monitor the in-season tracking, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking. The daily bag and possession limit for Pacific halibut is one fish. There is no minimum size limit.
Marine Forecast According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “A ridge of high pressure will strengthen through the weekend, bringing increased chances for gale strength northerlies over much of the waters. There is growing confidence for strong northerlies with sustained gale strength winds of 34 knots and gusts approaching or exceeding 40 knots as troughing to the north squeezes against the strong ridge to the southeast. Subsequent steep seas over 15 feet will develop over the weekend and into early next week. Gale conditions could start as early as late Friday in portions of the southern zones.”
Out 10 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 5 to 10 knots and waves north 4 feet at eight seconds and southwest 2 feet at 15 seconds. Winds will begin to increase Saturday, coming from the north 15 to 20 knots with northwest waves 4 feet at eight seconds and southwest 1 foot at 14 seconds. Sunday’s forecast looks worse, with north winds 20 to 25 knots and waves northwest 8 feet at eight 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.
CDPH Lifts Warning for Sport-Harvested Bivalve Shellfish from Del Norte County In a press release issued Wednesday, July 15, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) lifted the shellfish safety notification on July 14, 2026, related to sport-harvested bivalve shellfish from Del Norte County.
Statement from CDFW:
“The safety notification for Del Norte County was issued on May 1, 2026, due to dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in mussels. These naturally occurring toxins can cause illness or death in humans. Recent testing shows paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins have decreased to safe levels in bivalve shellfish in this area.
While this warning for clams, scallops and oysters in Del Norte County has been lifted, the annual mussel quarantine remains in effect. The annual quarantine prohibits the sport-harvest of mussels for human consumption and applies to all species of mussels harvested along the California coast, as well as all bays and estuaries, and will continue through at least October 31. Additionally, there is a razor clam advisory for Humboldt County due to domoic acid.
Sport Crab season coming to a close The 2026 sport Dungeness crab season in Humboldt, Mendocino and Del Norte counties will close after Friday, July 30. The season is expected to reopen Nov. 1.
The Oceans: Eureka The Pacific halibut bite has improved, according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The bite isn’t red-hot, but it’s been good,” said Klassen. “The most consistent action has been between Eureka and Trinidad in 240 to 300 feet of water. Rockfish action at the Cape has been excellent, and the nearshore black rockfish bite has been wide open. Lingcod are biting as well. We haven’t gotten in on the tuna yet, as most of the action has been farther south, but the water is warm close to shore. With the wind expected to pick up this weekend, conditions will change and mix things up.”
Trinidad Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing poked his nose offshore Tuesday looking for tuna, knowing that conditions were less than perfect. “Often, people expect to fill the boat with albacore when we run offshore,” said Sepulveda. “I was pretty sure that wasn’t going to be the case Tuesday given the modeled sea surface temperature and chlorophyll readings. But it was so close I felt like we had nothing to lose by giving it a look. We landed eight, but half of them were pushing 30 pounds. Was fun to hear some reels scream so close to home. Then the lingcod ripped Wednesday on the remote waters run. Limits in one 30-minute drift with the biggest just shy of 30 pounds. And the jumbo rockfish came on two at a time. The wind machine is now ramping up offshore; it will likely be mid-August before we revisit the tuna water. In the meantime, we’ll be busy with lingcod, halibut, and rockfish.”
Shelter Cove We finished out the salmon season on a good note reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “The last day was a little tough and we had to put in a lot of time, but we were able to get our limits. A lot of warm water moved in over this last week with the calmer weather, which made for some nice, short tuna runs. But it’s probably not a good sign for our short-season salmon opener this weekend. The wind has started blowing last couple days so hopefully it mixes things up a little. Rock fishing is still pretty solid. Most of the better action has been out in a little deeper.”
Crescent City “The rockfish and lingcod bite is still really good when the boats can get out,” said Will Moore, of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “Most of the boats are heading south to the South Reef and the Sisters. The Pacific halibut bite has been good, with quite a few being caught past the South Reef in 180 to 220 feet of water. The California halibut bite has yet to materialize. Looks like the wind is going to blow for a while, hopefully we’ll have some tuna conditions when it calms back down.”
Brookings “While plenty of kings and hatchery coho are still being caught out of Brookings, the salmon action has slowed,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “There remains a good early morning bite just outside of the jetties, and then decent action for coho further offshore. Halibut fishing has been slow to fair. Sport crabbing remains excellent.”
The Rivers Klamath River Excellent fishing continues in the Klamath estuary, with big schools of kings pushing in and out with the tides. Boats trolling spinner blade rigs with anchovies are seeing multiple hookups per trip. The best bite has typically come two hours before high tide through about an hour after, though there also seems to be consistent action at first light, regardless of the tide. Upriver, the steelhead action has been good, but it’s typically an early morning bite.
Lower Rogue According to Martin, the Rogue Bay is now producing big numbers of kings. “Many guides are averaging a fish per rod. Anchovies trolled behind 360 flashers are working well.”
A group of happy anglers show off their albacore caught Monday out of Shelter Cove. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell, Sea Hawk Sport Fishing
The words El Niño — or even super El Niño — can mean different things depending on where you are. But for North Coast anglers, they mean one thing: tuna.
We’re already seeing the first signs of warmer ocean conditions as nearshore water temperatures continue to climb. It was only a matter of time before someone found albacore, and on Monday, the wait officially ended.
Running south from Shelter Cove, Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing made the run to about 30 miles southwest of Fort Bragg and found hungry tuna in 61-degree water. The crew boxed 22 albacore, including 14 “peanuts” and eight quality fish in the 20- to 30-pound class. That’s an impressive way to kick off the 2026 tuna season, and news of the catch quickly spread through the Eureka fleet.
Ocean conditions can change quickly, but if the forecast holds, Saturday could provide the first legitimate shot for North Coast boats looking to chase albacore. At the moment, the fish appear to be roughly 35 nautical miles offshore.
One thing is certain—tuna fever has officially arrived on the North Coast.
Marine Forecast According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “winds and seas will have a low impact for the remainder of the week and trend northerly again by late weekend as high pressure fills back in, and the summer pattern returns.” As of Thursday, Friday’s forecast is calling for southwest winds up to 5 knots and waves northwest 4 feet at nine seconds and south 2 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday, winds will be coming from the west up to 5 knots with northwest waves 3 feet at nine seconds and south 2 feet at 13 seconds. Sunday, winds will be out of the north 5 to 10 knots with waves out of the northwest 3 feet at eight seconds and south 1 foot at 12 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.
Sport Crab season coming to a close The 2026 sport Dungeness crab season in Humboldt, Mendocino and Del Norte counties will close after Friday, July 30. The season is expected to reopen Nov. 1.
California Halibut Derby on Humboldt Bay this Saturday The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association will be holding the 2nd annual California Halibut Derby on Saturday, July 25. 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, a 35 qt. cooler, 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 are $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. Entrants will need to be signed up and paid for by July 24 at midnight. Derby information and rules can be found here.
Salmon season set to resume Aug. 1 Though not yet official, it looks like we still have some quota to catch starting Aug 1 within the KMZ. CDFW updated the catch estimates through July 15 and it shows we have 914 left. The final update coming from NMFS is scheduled for July 28. Word on the dock, which comes from a reliable source, is we have roughly 900 left to catch.
The Oceans: Eureka After leaving the salmon biting last Sunday, boats have been back on the rockfish and Pacific halibut reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The lingcod fishing down at the Cape has been excellent,” said Klassen. “I had one of my best days down there Tuesday. We had lings up to 23 pounds and four over 17. The rockfish bite is still good, with a nice variety of blues, blacks, cabezon and coppers. The Pacific halibut are biting as well. Some of the charters were out Wednesday and were able to get limits. There are definitely a lot of fish to be had out there. Most of the boats are right around the 50-line. It looks like we’ll have some excellent ocean conditions for the next few days.”
Shelter Cove Like the rest of the North Coast, the Shelter Cove fleet left the salmon biting on Sunday. And there were some really nice fish in the mix. With the warm water within reach, tuna will likely take center stage now. Ocean conditions are forecast to be excellent this weekend too. The rockfish and lingcod are still chomping baits at the Old Man. There’s also been a few Pacific halibut caught.
Crescent City The Pacific halibut bite is still going well, we’ve seen a few come in this week reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “It really started to get good last week, so this is a good sign. They’ll probably be some more effort now that salmon is closed for a while. Rockfish and lingcod are both still really good. The Sisters and South Reef continue to produce limits. Crabbing off the pier has been excellent, with lots of limits reported this week.”
Brookings “Salmon fishing has been good to very good out of Brookings, with a mix of kings, hatchery coho and wild coho biting close to the harbor and offshore,” said Andy Martin, of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Kings are moving into the estuary to feed on massive schools of anchovies clogging the harbor, allowing anglers to enjoy success mooching freshly caught bait. The king bite also is good in front of the beach, and three to five miles offshore. Bigger numbers of hatchery coho also have arrived. Halibut fishing remains slow, but a few fish a week are being caught. Sport crabbing has been excellent.”
Klamath River The lower Klamath has been fishing well this past week, with big schools of kings pushing in with the tides. Boats trolling spinner blade rigs with anchovies are seeing multiple hookups per trip. The best bite has typically come two hours before high tide through about an hour after, though there also seems to be consistent action at first light, regardless of the tide.
Lower Rogue According to Martin, the Rogue Bay has improved, and crowds have also arrived with triple digit temperatures in the Rogue Valley. “Nice weather this weekend will allow anglers to troll outside of the jetties, where the best action has been.”
Eureka resident Jon Boyer with a nice pair of big kings landed out of Trinidad aboard the Shellback. Photo courtesy of Tony Sepulveda/Shellback Sport Fishing
Salmon fishing has hit full stride across the North Coast, with excellent action both offshore and in the rivers.
Offshore, boats from Shelter Cove to Crescent City are enjoying some of the best fishing of the season. Limits have been coming early at most ports, with anglers finding eager schools of Chinook. Eureka was the lone exception on Wednesday, when the larger fish seemed to disappear and the bite slowed. That proved to be short-lived, however, as the action rebounded Thursday with both steady catches and some quality fish. Chinook in the 20-pound class have become much more common, along with plenty of fish in the mid- to upper-teens—a welcome change from the smaller salmon that dominated catches earlier this season.
Inland, the news is just as encouraging. The Trinity River weir at Junction City continues to show a strong return of spring-run Chinook, with a healthy number of fish already moving through the system and more expected to follow. Downstream, the Klamath estuary is packed with salmon, and anglers trolling anchovies or spinner blades are putting together quick limits on bright kings.
The Trinity River is currently open from the South Fork confluence upstream to the hatchery, while the Klamath River is open from the Highway 96 Bridge downstream to the mouth, providing anglers with plenty of opportunities to enjoy outstanding salmon fishing throughout the region.
Sport ocean salmon season closing The ocean sport salmon season will close after July 19 from the OR/CA border down to Point Arena. This includes the Klamath Management Zone (KMZ) and the Fort Bragg areas. The season is scheduled to open back up August 1 in both zones but will be dependent on the harvest guideline.
Marine Forecast The long run of fishable conditions should continue through the weekend. As of Thursday, Friday’s forecast calls for northwest winds 5 to 10 knots, with northwest waves 4 feet at seven seconds and southwest waves 1 foot at 15 seconds. Saturday’s winds are expected to remain the same, with northwest waves 3 feet at eight seconds and west waves 4 feet at 15 seconds. Sunday’s forecast calls for northwest winds 5 to 10 knots, with northwest waves 4 feet at seven seconds and west waves 3 feet at 15 seconds. Conditions can change by the weekend. For the latest forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the Woodley Island office at 443-6484.
Sport Crab season coming to a close The 2026 sport Dungeness crab season in Humboldt, Mendocino and Del Norte counties will close after Friday, July 30. The season is expected to reopen Nov. 1.
California Halibut Derby on Humboldt Bay next Saturday The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association will be holding the second annual California Halibut Derby on Saturday, July 25. 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 are $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.
Rowana Radnich of Ukiah landed a nice hatchery king while fishing out of Shelter Cove. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell/Sea Hawk Sport Fishing
The Oceans: Eureka Salmon fishing was strong for most of the week, reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “Up until Wednesday, limits came pretty easily each day,” Klassen said. “For whatever reason, boats had a hard time finding fish Wednesday, and when they did, they were small. By Thursday, things were back to normal, with some nice fish caught. Most of the salmon have been holding in 200 to 220 feet of water, though quite a few have also been caught in 120 feet. The fish are moving a little shallower in the water column, with many coming 30 to 50 feet down on the wire. The grade has improved, with about half of the fish in the 6- to 20-pound range and several in the teens. While most boats are targeting salmon, some Pacific halibut are also being caught. “We landed four Wednesday, with the biggest right around 60 pounds,” Klassen said. “They seem to be in the same general area, just to the north in 250 to 320 feet of water.”
Shelter Cove The rockfish and lingcod bite was great this week with most the action being around the Old Man reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “The salmon bite has been hit and miss, good one day and kind of slow the next. Salmon are being caught from the harbor out to the buoys. The grade has been excellent, with most in the 10 to 25 lb. range with the occasional smaller one and bigger one in the mix. A couple Pacific halibut were caught last week.”
Crescent City The Pacific halibut bite has really picked up reports Will Moore of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “We’ve had about a dozen come in this past week, including a couple nice ones. The salmon bite is still going strong, with most boats getting limits. They don’t have to go far, just past the third can in 120 feet of water has been the area. Rockfish and lingcod are both wide open. South Reef and Little South Reef have both been producing.”
Brookings “Ocean salmon fishing busted completely open this week, as a new batch of larger kings arrived off of Brookings, along with schools of coho,” said Andy Martin, of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Kings to 35 pounds are being caught in front of the beach just south of the jetties, while the coho are schooling up in 110 to 150 feet of water out from the buoys. Action was wide open Tuesday and Wednesday. Anchovies fished behind Fish Flash flashers are working best, with some guides relying on 360 flashers. Many boats limited, with kings making up most of the catch, but some anglers fishing further out coming back with coolers of hatchery coho. Lingcod and rockfish action has been fair, while sport crabbing is very good. Halibut remains hit and miss.”
Anglers fishing with Capt. Rye Phillips of Brookings Fishing Charters show off a nice grade of kings caught this week. Photo courtesy of Brookings Fishing Charters
Klamath River The lower Klamath was loaded with kings as of last weekend, with schools pushing in on the tides. Boats trolling spinner blade rigs with anchovies are seeing multiple hookups per trip. The best bite has typically come two hours before high tide through about an hour after, though there also seems to be consistent action at first light, regardless of the tide.
Lower Rogue According to Martin, the Rogue Bay showed signs of life this week, but heavy moss, and shallow water along the jetties and sand spit has limited catches. “Morning minus tides haven’t helped.”
Ten-year-old Henry Schmidt of Eureka has his hands full with a nice salmon caught on a recent trip out of Eureka while fishing with his dad, Marc Schmidt of Coastline Charters. Photo courtesy of Coastline Charters
The Eureka fleet enjoyed some of the best salmon fishing it’s seen in years over the past week, as a welcome stretch of fishable weather and manageable ocean conditions gave anglers plenty of opportunity to get offshore. Boats were able to cover some ground and check multiple areas, and the general consensus was encouraging — there are salmon spread throughout the local grounds.
While fish were found in several spots, much of the fleet focused on the four-mile zone between the 44 and 48 lines, where the most consistent action was reported. It wasn’t a wide-open bite every day, but the fishing was steady enough that nearly every charter boat was coming back to the dock with limits on a regular basis, and private boaters were getting in on the action as well.
As expected, a strong week of fishing has also taken a noticeable bite out of the quota. The last official update came on June 30, when 2,397 Chinook remained available to harvest, but that number has almost certainly dropped significantly over the past week and a half.
Now, attention turns to the possibility of an early closure. Rumors on the docks suggest the California Department of Fish and Wildlife could shut the season down after Sunday, though nothing had been announced as of this writing. If a closure is coming, CDFW would need to make that call by Thursday in order to provide the required three-day notice.
For now, anglers are hoping the rumor mill is wrong and that the Eureka fleet will get a little more time on the water. After waiting a long time for salmon fishing like this, no one is quite ready to see it end.
Weekend marine forecast After a nice stretch of fishable weather, the wind and seas picked up slightly Thursday and Friday. According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “for the northern outer waters, winds of 20 to 25 knots combined with steep 9-foot waves at short 8-second periods satisfy advisory criteria. All coastal marine zones are currently under a Small Craft Advisory.”
As of Friday afternoon, Saturday’s forecast is calling for north winds 10 to 15 knots. Northwest waves will be 4 feet at 10 seconds and southwest 2 feet at 15 seconds. Winds will be the same Sunday, blowing 10 to 15 knots from the north with waves northwest 5 feet at 10 seconds and southwest 2 feet at 14 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. Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing Derby underway After another successful Eel River Pikeminnow derby in 2025, CalTrout is back with another derby that runs from July 1 through Aug. 31. The derby, which is put on with the help of CDFW, has increased the prize money available and will now offer $5,000 worth of prizes for:
Most pikeminnow (greater than 6 inches) caught over the duration of the contest. (1st $550, 2nd $450, 3rd $400)
Most pikeminnow (greater than 12 inches) caught over the duration of the contest. MUST include tape measure in photo. (1st $800, 2nd $700, 3rd $600)
Biggest fish (length). MUST include tape measure in photo. (1st $500, 2nd $400, 3rd $300)
Drawing for kids (under 18) that entered a pikeminnow in the contest. (6 winners – $50/each)
Contest rules
Online form: submit entries using one email address. All entries at the end of the contest for the “most pikeminnow…” will be tallied by participant email address.
Mail in Form: 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.
Photos must be geotagged. The link to turn this on for your iPhone or android is located here.
Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification.
Photos from poor angles or of bad quality are subject to disqualification.
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.
Junior Angler fishing program coming July 12 The Redwood National and State Parks, along with California Fish and Wildlife experts, will be hosting a Junior Angler Fishing Program Sunday, July. 12. The event, which runs from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. will be held at Freshwater Beach with anglers meeting at the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center. Address is 119441 Highway 101 N. in Orick. This is a free event, and fishing equipment will be provided. Participants 16 years and older are required to have a fishing license. For more information, call 707-951-5388.
California Halibut Derby on Humboldt Bay coming July 25 The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association will be holding the second annual California Halibut Derby on Saturday, July 25. 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 are $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.
The Oceans: Eureka “The salmon fishing has been pretty good this past week, with limits coming every trip,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “Some days were wide-open, and some it took a little longer to get limits. We had a nice long stretch of fishable weather, which allowed plenty of boats to get in on the action. The majority of the fish were caught between the 44 to 48 line from 140 to 200 feet, but there seemed to be fish all over. About half of the fish were smaller, and the other half ranged from 8 to 15 pounds. Though most of the focus has been on salmon, there were some halibut caught this week. Boats were focused around the 50-line in 270 to 300 feet of water.”
Shelter Cove “Salmon fishing was pretty good this past week, but the last couple days was a little tougher”, said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Some action has been at the Hat and some right out front. The fish have been a nice grade, averaging 12 to 15 pounds. Rock fishing has been solid with the lings a little harder to get.”
Crescent City |“The salmon bite really improved this week,” said Chuck Blakeslee, of Crescent City’s Englund Marine.” They’ve moved closer to the shore, and they aren’t as deep. The best bite has been between 80 to 200 feet. The rockfish and lingcod bite are still excellent, with the South Reef and the Sisters being a couple top spots. There was also a couple Pacific halibut caught Wednesday out past the South Reef.”
Brookings Salmon fishing has busted wide open again out of Brookings, but the action has been limited to the first hour or two of daylight reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Fish are schooled up along the beach and jetties just outside of the Chetco River entrance,” said Martin. “Fish to 25 pounds are being caught. Most boats are catching multiple fish, trolling anchovies or herring.”
The Rivers: Lower Klamath Spring salmon fishing improved quite a bit for trollers in the Klamath estuary earlier this week. Anchovies rigged with a spinner blade has been the top producer so far, but some are being caught on spinners and Cut Plugs. Best fishing has been on the incoming and a couple hours after the high.
Lower Rogue According to Martin, the Rogue Bay has improved for salmon, with action still slow, but a handful of fish a day being caught. “Action tends to improve rapidly by mid-July.”
Kanyon Cardoza of Garberville holds a nice king salmon caught on a recent trip out of Shelter Cove. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell, Sea Hawk Sport Fishing.
The howling north winds have provided a much-needed break for both the salmon and the quota. Since last Saturday, winds that are all too common in late June and early July have kept boats tied to the docks at every North Coast port. Fortunately, the weather is finally starting to lay down, and the timing couldn’t be much better. The Fourth of July holiday weekend is traditionally one of the busiest of the summer for ocean salmon anglers, and with seas forecast to ease back down to around five feet, there should be no shortage of boats headed offshore in search of kings.
The good news is we know the fish are here, as anglers left them biting last weekend before the wind took over. The only question now is what kind of conditions they’ll find after nearly a week of pounding north winds. The ocean will likely be a much different place than it was a week ago, but if the salmon are still hanging around, the holiday fleet could be in for a productive weekend.
Potentially dangerous bar crossing With large tidal exchanges in effect through the weekend, there could be potential early morning hazardous Humboldt bar conditions. High tides will be over six feet and will drop to minus or very low tides. With a large volume of water flowing out of the bay and running into 5-foot swells, you’ll want to error on the side of caution — even if it means waiting until the out-flowing water from the bay has slowed, which usually occurs within 30 to 45 minutes prior to the tide bottoming out. If you’re planning on hitting the bar at daylight in the next few days, check the conditions first. The latest tide and current predictions can be found here.
Low tides —Fri. July 3 (-.63 at 9:01 a.m.), Sat. July 4 (-.31 at 9:35 a.m.), Sun. (.16 at 10:08 a.m.)
Weekend marine forecast\ According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “the end of the persistent northerly gale is finally in sight. Hazardous seas have certainly been observed in the inner waters with the Humboldt Bay North Spit buoy reading up to 12 feet at 9 seconds as of Wednesday evening. The gales in the outer water and portions of the inners responsible for these seas will wind down into Thursday morning.”
As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 10 to 15 knots and waves northwest 5 feet at seven seconds and southwest 1 foot at 15 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for north winds 10 to 15 knots and waves northwest 5 feet at eight seconds and southwest 1 foot at 15 seconds. The winds will decrease Sunday, coming from the northwest 5 to 10 knots, with northwest waves 7 feet at nine seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.
Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing Derby underway After another successful Eel River Pikeminnow derby in 2025, CalTrout is back with another derby that runs from July 1 through Aug. 31. The derby, which is put on with the help of CDFW, has increased the prize money available and will now offer $5,000 worth of prizes for:
Most pikeminnow (greater than 6 inches) caught over the duration of the contest. (1st $550, 2nd $450, 3rd $400)
Most pikeminnow (greater than 12 inches) caught over the duration of the contest. MUST include tape measure in photo. (1st $800, 2nd $700, 3rd $600)
Biggest fish (length). MUST include tape measure in photo. (1st $500, 2nd $400, 3rd $300)
Drawing for kids (under 18) that entered a pikeminnow in the contest. (6 winners – $50/each)
Contest rules
Online form: submit entries using one email address. All entries at the end of the contest for the “most pikeminnow…” will be tallied by participant email address.
Mail in Form: 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.
Photos must be geotagged. The link to turn this on for your iPhone or android is located here.
Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification.
Photos from poor angles or of bad quality are subject to disqualification.
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. For more information, visit https://tribresearch.org/pikeminnow/
Saturday, July 4 is statewide free fishing day On Saturday, July 4, 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, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information visit, wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days
Junior Angler fishing program coming July 12 The Redwood National and State Parks, along with California Fish and Wildlife experts, will be hosting a Junior Angler Fishing Program Sunday, July. 12. The event, which runs from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. will be held at Freshwater Beach with anglers meeting at the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center. Address is 119441 Highway 101 N. in Orick. This is a free event, and fishing equipment will be provided. Participants 16 years and older are required to have a fishing license. For more information, call 707-951-5388.
California Halibut Derby on Humboldt Bay coming July 25 The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association will be holding the second annual California Halibut Derby on Saturday, July 25. 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 are $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.
The Oceans: Boats fishing out of Shelter Cove, Eureka, Trinidad, and Crescent City have all been mostly tied since last weekend due to high winds. Better conditions will begin Friday, and the long weekend looks plenty fishable.
Brookings “After a month of very good salmon fishing, the king action suddenly slowed down out of Brookings late last week, in part because of windy weather limiting where anglers can fish,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Except for a brief daylight bite, fishing has slowed considerably near the mouth of the Chetco. Strong winds and big wind waves are preventing anglers from getting offshore. The first albacore of the season were caught last week out of Brookings by a sport boat that ventured 70 miles out and returned with four small albacore. Commercial fishermen are finding tuna 100 miles offshore. Halibut fishing is slow, but several fish were caught during a brief offshore weather window last week.”
The Rivers Salmon season now open on parts of Klamath and Trinity Rivers The spring Chinook salmon fishery on the lower Klamath River (downstream of the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec) and Trinity River (upstream of the confluence of the South Fork Trinity River) opened on July 1 and will run through Aug. 14 on the Klamath River and through Aug. 31 on the Trinity River. The daily bag limit has been set to one Chinook salmon (no size restrictions), and the possession limit set at two Chinook salmon.
Lower Rogue According to Martin, The Rogue Bay is producing a few salmon, but windy weather, and a morning minus tide have limited the chances to troll in recent days.
A happy pair of Eureka anglers hold a nice Pacific halibut caught this week out of Eureka. The Eureka Pacific halibut bite kicked into high gear this week. Photo courtesy of Gary Blasi/Full Throttle Sport Fishing
It’s beginning to feel like the old days out of Eureka. Salmon and Pacific halibut are both biting, and rockfish are providing easy limits at ports all along the North Coast.
Everyone wants to talk about salmon—and for good reason. After a three-year closure, the return of the king salmon fishery has anglers fired up. But the biggest story this week may be the resurgence of the Pacific halibut bite. After an incredibly slow start to the season with very little to get excited about, Eureka has come alive. Plenty of boats have been returning to the dock with limits of halibut, and anglers are once again enjoying the kind of action they’ve been waiting for.
For the first time in what feels like forever, the North Coast has three outstanding fisheries firing on all cylinders. Salmon, halibut, and rockfish are all producing, making combo trips one of the hottest tickets around.
The only thing that could slow the momentum is the weather. Unfortunately, the forecast calls for the north wind to come roaring back next week, which could limit opportunities on the water. Until then, anglers should take advantage of one of the best stretches of fishing the North Coast has seen in years.
Salmon and Pacific halibut quota updates As of June 15, CDFW has projected 503 Chinook salmon have been harvested in the Klamath Management Zone (KMZ) towards the guideline of 3,900 fish. In the Fort Bragg area, 938 have been harvested against the 5,100 quota. More information can be found here.
As of June 14, California’s share of Area 2A’s quota, which includes Washington and Oregon, is at 2.5 percent, with just 993 net pounds harvested against the 40,040-pound net quota. The Pacific halibut fishery will run through Nov. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. To view the latest catch projection information, visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/pacific-halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking.
Weekend marine forecast Ocean conditions have been mostly favorable this week, but that looks to change by the weekend. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for southwest winds up to 5 knots and waves northwest 3 feet at seven seconds and southwest 2 feet at 15 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 10 to 15 knots and waves northwest 5 feet at nine seconds and southwest 2 feet at 17 seconds. The winds will increase dramatically Sunday, coming from the north 20 to 25 knots, with northwest waves 8 feet at 10 seconds and southwest 2 feet at 17 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.
Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing Derby starts July 1 After another successful Eel River Pikeminnow derby in 2025, CalTrout is back with another derby that runs from July 1 through Aug. 31. The derby, which is put on with the help of CDFW, has increased the prize money available and will now offer $5,000 worth of prizes for:
Most pikeminnow (greater than 6 inches) caught over the duration of the contest. (1st $550, 2nd $450, 3rd $400)
Most pikeminnow (greater than 12 inches) caught over the duration of the contest. MUST include tape measure in photo. (1st $800, 2nd $700, 3rd $600)
Biggest fish (length). MUST include tape measure in photo. (1st $500, 2nd $400, 3rd $300)
Drawing for kids (under 18) that entered a pikeminnow in the contest. (6 winners – $50/each)
Contest rules
Online form: submit entries using one email address. All entries at the end of the contest for the “most pikeminnow…” will be tallied by participant email address.
Mail in Form: 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.
Photos must be geotagged. The link to turn this on for your iPhone or android is located here.
Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification.
Photos from poor angles or of bad quality are subject to disqualification.
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. For more information, visit https://tribresearch.org/pikeminnow/
July 4 is statewide free fishing day On Saturday, July 4, 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, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information visit, wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days
Junior Angler fishing program coming July 12 The Redwood National and State Parks, along with California Fish and Wildlife experts, will be hosting a Junior Angler Fishing Program Sunday, July. 12. The event, which runs from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. will be held at Freshwater Beach with anglers meeting at the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center. Address is 119441 Highway 101 N. in Orick. This is a free event, and fishing equipment will be provided. Participants 16 years and older are required to have a fishing license. For more information, call 707-951-5388.
California Halibut Derby on Humboldt Bay coming July 25 The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association will be holding the second annual California Halibut Derby on Saturday, July 25. 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 are $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.
Freshwater Lagoon/Fish Lake trout plants According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website, Freshwater Lagoon was last planted with trout the week of June 6. Fish Lake also received a fresh batch of trout during the last week of May. Both are open to fishing year-round and the limit is 5 trout per day and 10 in possession. For more information, visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants/Default.aspx?county=Humboldt&time or call (530) 225-2146.
Hank Mautz of Redding holds a beautiful 20-pound king salmon caught Thursday while fishing out of Eureka. Photo courtesy of Tim Klassen/Reel Steel Sport Fishing
The Oceans: Eureka “The salmon bite has been really good the last few days,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The action has been good until 9:30 or 10, then it slows way down and the few fish we do catch are smaller. You really need to make the morning bites count. The fish are on the small side, but we’re starting to see bigger ones show up now. I’d say most are falling in the 6-to-15-pound range with the occasional bigger one. Most of the action is coming straight out in 180 to 250 feet of water. Boats are working the areas roughly a mile and a half north or south and are doing well. There’s not much sign out there, very few birds and no whales and not a ton of bait, but the fish are there. The Pacific halibut bite has really turned on as well. Several of the charters have gotten limits the last few days. Like the salmon, the bite has been best earlier in the morning. Most are being caught just north of where the salmon have been in 250 feet of water. Looks like we’ll have really good ocean conditions Friday before the wind starts to come up Saturday. Sunday and next week aren’t looking good.”
Shelter Cove The salmon bite has been good according to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “The grade of fish has been really good too, averaging between 12 and 15 pounds. Most of the fish are coming from the whistle down to the Hat. Rock fishing overall was a little tougher this last week. We’re still getting limits but taking more time than usual. We’ve been fishing out in deeper water outside of the Hat.”
Trinidad “It’s been a building salmon bite through the week out of Trinidad,” said Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing. “What started out as picking away at a few fish here and there, turned into flat out wide-open Wednesday and picked up where it left off Thursday morning. I’ve been focusing my attention north of the point and up to Stone Lagoon. We wrapped up Thursday with limits of salmon, limits of rockfish, limits of Dungeness crab along with five lingcod.”
Crescent City “King salmon fishing has slowed way down,” said Will Moore, of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “There’s a lot of silvers around, but the kings have moved somewhere, and no one has found them yet. The good news is the Pacific halibut bite has really picked up as a few were caught this week. The bite is coming in roughly 250 feet of water. The rockfish and lingcod bite continues to be excellent, with easy limits. A couple California halibut have been caught, but it’s still pretty slow. Quite a few more boats are trying now.”
Brookings Salmon fishing has been wide-open to start each morning out of Brookings, with big numbers of kings feasting on anchovies just outside of the harbor reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “There also has been a very good late afternoon and evening bite,” said Martin. “The kings are running 10 to 20 pounds, with bigger fish mixed in. Coho fishing has been slow. A few halibut were caught this week. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good. Sport crabbing also is good.”
Capt. Andy Martin holds a 19-pound lingcod caught Wednesday aboard the Nauti-Lady by his wife, Sarah, who joined the day’s charter.
Lower Rogue According to Martin, a few kings have been caught on the lower Rogue, but overall action has been slow.
