Smith River

Plenty of River Options for the Week Ahead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Better Late Then Never – Rivers Finally Turning Green

Portland resident Lauren Dustin holds a nice bright winter steelhead landed Wednesday on the Smith River. Conditions on the Smith should be excellent through the weekend. Photo courtesy of Mike Stratman/Redwood Coast Fishing

The rain persisted a little bit longer than anticipated last weekend, putting the river conditions a few days behind where we thought they’d be this week. But there is finally light at the end of the dark, wet, tunnel. With no significant rain in the forecast for the next 10 days, green water is finally within reach for all the coastal rivers. The Smith was the first to round into shape and produced some quality fish for those drifting from the forks down Wednesday. The Chetco is green as well, and boats flocked to the river Thursday. It was still a little on the high side, but the color was pristine. The South Fork Eel, which started to turn green earlier in the week, will be very popular location this weekend. It will still be a little pushy, but plenty fishable. Conditions should be excellent all next week. The same can be said for the Van Duzen. The Mad is also coming around, and should a hint of green by the weekend or early next week. The hatchery is seeing some solid returns, so there’s plenty of fish in the river. The main stem of the Eel River will be the last to turn green. It will likely need every bit of the 10-dry spell before it drops to a fishable height. If you’re looking to try and catch a winter steelhead, you’ll have plenty of options coming soon.

Commercial crab season to open Jan. 15
The commercial Dungeness crab season in Fishing Zones 1 and 2, from the California Oregon Border to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line, will open on Jan. 15, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. under a 25 percent trap reduction. A pre-soak period will begin on Jan. 12, 2025, at 8:01 a.m. More information can be found here.

Mad River Steelhead Reward Program Returns for 2025
For the Mad River steelhead fishery in the upcoming 2025 season, the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will once again attach reward tags to a small subset of hatchery-origin (i.e., adipose-clipped) adult steelhead upon their return to freshwater. This is in effort to estimate the steelhead harvest on the Mad River. According to John Deibner-Hanson, a Northern Region Environmental Scientist for CDFW, a number of fish will be captured in the lower river using tangle nets and affixed with spaghetti tags worth $20, $50 or $100 rewards. Once the tags are applied on their backs behind the dorsal fin, the fish will be released.
Upon capturing a reward tag, anglers will need to follow one of the methods outlined below to answer a series of questions about how the tag was acquired (e.g., caught on fish, found on dead fish, found on bank). Anglers will have until April 15, 2025 to report tags and claim rewards, after which reward tags from this season will expire. To attain accurate harvest estimates, we must assume 100% tag return rates on harvested steelhead, so getting the word out for our tagging program will be vital to its success.

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

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

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

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

Mad
The Mad is still high and off color, running at just under 10 feet as of Thursday. With dry conditions persisting, it will continue to drop and should be at a fishable height and color by mid next week. Quite a few fish are returning to the hatchery, including a few pushing 20-pounds. The river fishes best between 7 and 8 feet.

Main stem Eel
The main stem is dropping fairly quickly. After topping 132,000 cfs at the end of December at Scotia, flows were down to 15,000 cfs by Thursday. It will likely need another 10 days of dry weather before it’s green and at a fishable height.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork above and below Benbow has started to turn green as of Tuesday. It will be plenty fishable by the weekend, but it will still be a little pushy. Conditions next week should be prime as flows drop towards 1,500 cfs at Miranda.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was running at 950 cfs at Bridgeville Thursday afternoon, and should start to come around color-wise by the weekend. Predicted to be below 800 cfs by Saturday morning. Conditions should be excellent next week.

Smith River
The Smith dropped into perfect shape Wednesday and quite a few fish were caught by the dozen or so boats on the water. Scores ranged from one to three fish per boat. Conditions should be excellent through the weekend, and boat pressure should lighten up as boats headed to the Chetco Thursday. As of Thursday afternoon, the Smith was just above 10 feet on the Jed Smith gauge and dropping slowly.

Chetco/Rogue
After weeks of high water, the Chetco is finally dropping into shape, with prime conditions expected this weekend reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Plunkers have been catching steelhead since the weekend at Social Security Bar and Loeb Park on the Chetco, which should be fishable for drift boats by Thursday,” said Martin. “A mix of wild and hatchery steelhead are being caught. Steelhead also are being caught on the Lower Rogue by plunkers, despite high, muddy water. This weekend should be prime throughout Southern Oregon.”

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

To fish for steelhead in the Rogue/So. Coast, all anglers will need:

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

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

  • AND 2. Rogue-South Coast Steelhead Validation.

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

  • All the above

And Rogue-South Coast Wild Steelhead Harvest Tag:
Wild steelhead kept are recorded here, not the statewide combined angling tag.
Not needed for catch-and-release or keeping hatchery steelhead only.
Bag limit: 1 wild steelhead/day, 3 per season (Dec. 1 – Apr. 30).
Check the sport fishing regulations or myodfw.com to know where and when wild steelhead may be kept. Return or report paper tags to ODFW after each winter steelhead season and before the next begins Dec. 1.
COST: Validation: $2 residents, $4 non-residents.
Harvest Tag: $10 residents, $20 non-residents.
Validation and harvest tag are valid for one full season (Dec. 1 through April 30), even when using daily or multi-day licenses.

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, ocean conditions are expected to be calm enough for boats out of Brookings on Thursday, before strong northwest winds arrive. “Lingcod and rockfish are open year-round out of Brookings. With commercial crab season well underway, sport crabbing has been slow.”

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

Dry Conditions and Green Water Headed Our Way

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Smith River Best Option for Holiday Steelhead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • AND 2. Rogue-South Coast Steelhead Validation.

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

  • All the above

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

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

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

Storms and Steelhead Headed Our Way

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winter Steelhead Season Knocking on the Door

Fresh kings still coming into the Chetco, Smith likey done for the year

McKinleyville resident Alyssa Brooke Cardoza landed this hefty king salmon over the weekend while fishing the Chetco River. Photo courtesy of Curtis Wilson.

With the late-fall king season all but wrapped up on the coastal rivers, it’s time to turn our attention to winter steelhead, likely the most popular fishery on the North Coast. With the last storm providing plenty of water to all of the rivers, anglers are primed and ready to do battle with the gray ghosts. There’s been a smattering of steelhead caught on most coastal rivers already, but few more good rain events should get the season underway.

With regards to the salmon season, it was definitely one to remember. Or to put it another way, it was much like the old days. The Smith and Eel rivers both saw good returns of kings. There’s also a good number of returning coho to the Eel basin. The Chetco also saw numbers they haven’t seen in some time. And they’re still coming. Schools of big, fresh kings have been moving through the lower river all week. And more and more steelhead are being seen and caught.

But now with more rain in the forecast next week and the calendar saying December – it’s time to get our steelhead on!

Weekend marine forecast
The next couple of days look good before the wind picks up on Saturday evening. As of Thursday, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots with west waves 6 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday is looking similar, with winds coming out of the north 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 6 feet at 14 seconds. Winds will strengthen beginning Sunday, coming out of the north 15 to 20 knots with north waves 6 feet at seven seconds and west 9 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.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, the high pressure ridge will build back behind the front that moved through on Thursday and will keep Humboldt mostly dry through the weekend, Northern Humboldt and Del Norte counties could see some light rain this weekend, but it won’t add up to much. A more active weather pattern is developing for later next week that could bring higher rain totals.

Eureka/Trinidad sport crabbing
Sport crabbing continues to be excellent out of Eureka. Boats fishing either side of the entrance in roughly 100 feet of water were averaging 10 to 15 keepers on an overnight soak. Conditions look good through the Saturday before the wind and seas pick up on Sunday. Up in Trinidad, the crabbing has slowed down. Anglers are having to go a little further outside the harbor area to get their limits.

Shelter Cove update
We had a really good week of weather at reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “We spent the last few days of the nearshore rockfish season up around Rodgers Break for quick limits each day. Once it switched back to deep water, we fished outside the Hat, where the fishing was pretty decent as well. Crabbing is still going strong. It’s slowed down a little since the start, but still getting easy limits.”

Young deckhand Mason Mitchell holds a nice yellowtail rockfish caught out of Shelter Cove while fishing with his dad Jake. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell/Sea Hawk Sport Fishing

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mad
The Mad was just above 700 cfs Thursday and dropping slowly. The water is turning green with about a foot of visibility. Should be in excellent shape by the weekend. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/madStages.html

Main stem Eel
Flows were just under 5,000 cfs Thursday morning as it continues to drop. If it continues to drop as predicted, it will be plenty fishable by the weekend. Flows will be a little high, but the color should be good. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is in perfect shape, running at 1,750 cfs at Sylvandale Thursday. It’s dropping slowly, and will be in prime shape this weekend. It’s a little early for big numbers of steelhead, but there could be some late-arriving kings and coho around. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

Van Duzen
Like the Sf Eel, the Van Duzen is fishable, but it’s starting to get low. As of Thursday, flows were just above 200 cfs. With no rain in the immediate forecast, it could close after the weekend. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/eelStages.html

Smith
The Smith is low and clear, registering 7.5 feet at the Jed Smith gauge Thursday morning. The salmon season is all but wrapped up, and some rain is needed to bring in the steelhead. A few were caught last week. Current river conditions: cdec.water.ca.gov/river/smithStages.html

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The Chetco had a surprising number of bright kings on Thanksgiving weekend, with several fish over 40 pounds caught, along with a 52-pounder,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Plug fishing has been good on the lower river. A handful of steelhead also have been caught, both by plunkers and boaters side-drifting. While rivers to the north are low and clear, the Chetco still had plenty of flow and color on Tuesday.”

Brookings rockfish update
According to Martin, the lingcod and rockfish action has been good out of the Port of Brookings. “Recreational crabbing opened back up Wednesday after two consecutive tests indicated levels of domoic acid were below the safety threshold. Calm conditions are expected through the week, but choppy seas are possible this weekend.” 

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

‘Offshore Only’ Rockfish Season Begins Dec. 1

Nearshore season ends Saturday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Atmospheric Rivers Put an End to Late-Fall King Season

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Smith and Chetco Best Bets for the Weekend

John Curry of Reno with a chrome-bright Chetco king caught Tuesday on a 5.0 MagLip with guide Andy Martin.

If you haven’t gotten in on the late fall king action on the coast, this is your weekend to do it. Not only are the river conditions lining for both the Smith and Chetco, it’s getting towards the end of the run. The rain earlier in the week shot both rivers well above projections, and by the weekend they should be in really good shape. If the projections are correct, the Smith could be clearing, but still at a very fishable height and flow. The Chetco blew out on Wednesday, but will come around by the weekend. It may start off a little high Saturday, but by Sunday it should be prime. Another small bump in flows is predicted for Sunday afternoon, which should keep both rivers humming along. Here locally, the main stem Eel could remain fishable this weekend, depending on how dirty the creeks get. It’s predicted to peak Friday at just over 1,600 cfs. That could be a good option if it doesn’t muddy up. The Mad did just that Thursday afternoon, and was still rising. It will likely be off color for the weekend.

Weather ahead
According to the US National Weather Service Eureka, rain will continue through Thursday, with up to a .25 inch predicted. Rain will taper off by Friday morning and we should remain dry through most of Saturday. Rain is forecast to return early Sunday morning and will persist through the night. Rainfall totals from Saturday through Monday morning are anticipated to be between a .5 and 1 inch in Humboldt and up to 2 inches in the Smith basin.

Weekend Marine Forecast
Ocean conditions look to be improved by Saturday, with the south wind returning by Sunday. Saturday’s forecast is calling for east winds 5 to 10 knots with north waves four feet at 5 seconds and northwest seven feet at 12 seconds. Sunday is looking a little worse, with winds out of the south 10 to 15 knots and southwest waves four feet at 5 seconds and northwest six feet at 11 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Sport crab fishing update
Crabbing has been good when the boats can get offshore out of Eureka. Both sides of the entrance have been fishing well and averaging roughly 10 to 15 keepers per pot. The crabs are reportedly in really good shape, with some nice jumbos in the mix. Ocean conditions don’t look good for the weekend, and even worse early next week. Crabbing inside Humboldt Bay has been slow.

Shelter Cove update
“We had some good weather last week and took advantage by running north to Rodgers Break for some excellent rockfish and ling cod action,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Crabbing has been excellent as well, and they’re nice and full. There’s still some albacore around and boats did fairly well on them 20 miles out last week. We even ran out Friday afternoon and landed 21. No one has been out since then due to weather, but the water still looks good though.”

Brookings update
According to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters, ocean fishing is very good out of Brookings on calm weather days, which are few and far between right now. He said, “Lingcod are already in spawning mode, while rockfish are schooled up over shallow reefs. Big swells have kept boaters at the docks for the most part.”

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

Mad
The Mad was still rising and starting to color up Thursday morning and was headed above projections. It should begin to drop Friday, but will likely be too dirty for the weekend. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Main Eel
Forecasted to reach 1,200 cfs Friday morning. The color was good Wednesday when it opened and some salmon were caught. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
Flows are predicted to peak at around 485 cfs Thursday afternoon. Forecast for a quick drop and will be closed to angling Friday. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was peaking just above 700 cfs Thursday afternoon and will drop quickly. Flows are predicted to stay above the threshold before the next storm hits Sunday morning. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Smith
The Smith went well over predictions and peaked at just under 16 feet on the Jed Smith gauge Wednesday evening. With very little rain the next three days, it will drop quickly. It’s forecast to be down to 8.5 feet by Sunday morning when the rain returns. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

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

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“Heavy rain blew out the Chetco, Elk and Sixes rivers Wednesday morning,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The Chetco was low and clear prior to the storm, with fair fishing for late-season kings. New fish should move up with the storm. The Elk and Sixes were too low for drift boats. A few boats drifted the Sixes on Tuesday with good results. Good conditions are expected on all three rivers this weekend. The Elk should have big numbers of hatchery fish, based on results of the ocean bubble season off of Port Orford.”

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

Coastal King Season Off and Running

Smith and Chetco both kick out big kings

Haley Richards, who grew up in Crescent City but now lives in Salem, Ore., holds a salmon caught over the weekend with guide Rye Phillips of Brookings Fishing Charters.

The season’s first big storms hit North Coast over the weekend and the Smith and Chetco both kicked out good numbers of kings. Both rivers have been loaded with kings in their lower sections for quite some time, and when the rivers finally rose, they were on the move.

On Friday evening, the Smith went well over river level projections, but peaked and was on the drop Saturday morning, providing nearly perfect conditions from the forks to below the 101 Bridge. Fishing was wide-open, with most drift boats putting up double-digit scores on salmon of all sizes and colors. Fishing continued to be excellent through the weekend, but the river dropped quickly.

With the Smith dropping and clearing, the focus Sunday was squarely on the Chetco. After going over river level projections and peaking at 10,000 cfs Friday, it needed Saturday to clear up and by Sunday it was game on with wide-open fishing. By Monday the river had dropped to under 4,000 cfs and was clearing quick. Fishing has been decent all week, with most of the action on the lower end.

Both rivers are now low and clear and in need of rain. And it’s on the way. Large rises are predicted starting Monday, and both should see a push of fresh salmon.

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

Smith
Fishing slowed this week on the Smith as the river dropped and cleared quickly. Flows were down to 850 cfs by Thursday, and it could close prior to the weekend. If it does close, it will be short lived as the next storm is forecast to hit Sunday night. The river is expected to peak at 7,300 cfs Tuesday morning. Rain is in the forecast for most of the week, so conditions should be good. The daily bag limit is one Chinook salmon per day and no more than five wild Chinook salmon over 22 inches per year. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

Mad
Forecast to reach 880 cfs by Tuesday and should have some color. Rain is in the forecast for much of next week. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Main stem Eel
Flows are predicted to surpass 800 cfs Tuesday morning, and could be fishable. With more rain in the forecast next week, it could remain open to fishing all week. The Eel River is open to catch and release of salmon in 2024/25. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
As of Thursday, it looks like the South Fork could rise above the minimum flow requirements by mid next week. Flows are predicted to peak next Tuesday and could remain above the minimum flow threshold all week. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
If the storm prediction is correct, the Van Duzen should approach 250 cfs by next Tuesday morning. It’s predicted to remain above the minimum flow threshold all week. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“Salmon fishing has been decent on the Chetco, with hot fishing following last week’s rain, and plenty of fish with tougher conditions as it drops out this week,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Back-bouncing roe is accounting for most of this fish as the river becomes low and clear. Plugs worked well over the weekend. The river crested at 10,000 cfs, and was down to 3,900 cfs the next morning. It is now down to 600 cfs. More rain is expected to begin next week, which should kick the Elk and Sixes into high gear.”

Sixes River low flow angling closure lifted
Beginning Nov. 1, the Sixes River low flow angling closure was lifted according to a press release issued by the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. It states, “ODFW closed a portion of the river to angling Oct. 1 to protect wild fall chinook salmon vulnerable to snagging or poaching while staging between Crystal Creek and Hughes House Boat Ramp. With increased flows, salmon are now migrating upstream.

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

Sport crabbing update
The sport Dungeness crab season opened Saturday, but the weather failed to cooperate. Boats didn’t make it offshore out of Eureka due to large swells. The ocean finally laid down enough Wednesday, and Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing was one of the boats setting gear for Thursday’s crab trips. With a 24-hour soak, Klassen needed just 4 pots to get 60 crabs. “The crabs were all good size, we only had a couple shorts,” said Klassen. “The crabs were really clean and looked pretty full.”

Inside Humboldt Bay, which is typically a good plan B, was reportedly slow for the handful of boats that braved the weather. Offshore conditions look decent for Friday, but a south wind is predicted for the weekend with seven to eight-foot swells.

Nicole McCain of Carson City NV., holds a nice ling cod caught this week out of Shelter Cove. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell, Sea Hawk Sport Fishing

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, rock fishing was pretty good over the weekend in marginal conditions. He said, “The lingcod bite was really good. Crabbing started a little on the slow side, but we managed limits and the meat quality was excellent. Conditions look good the next few days before they start to deteriorate towards the end of the weekend.”

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