South Fork Eel | Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest

Prime Weekend for Late Fall Kings

Matt Vanoli landed a bright king while fishing the Smith River Wednesday. Excellent conditions are on tap for the next few days on the Smith. Photo courtesy of Michael Poly.

If you haven’t gotten in on the late fall king action yet, this should be your weekend. River conditions are lining up nicely for both the Smith and Chetco — and with the run possibly winding down, now’s the time to go.

Earlier rain put plenty of water back into both systems. Boats were back on the Smith by Wednesday, while the Chetco was still too muddy. That should change soon — the Smith is prime right now, and the Chetco should come around by Saturday. It may start off a bit high, but by Sunday it should be in great shape and fishing well into next week.

Closer to home, the main stem Eel could be fishable by late in the weekend or early next week, depending on how dirty the creeks get. It’s forecast to peak around 7,940 cfs Friday but was already dropping Thursday and running below projections — a good sign. The South Fork was a little off-color Thursday but could be in shape by the weekend, with flows expected just under 1,200 cfs Saturday morning. The Van Duzen has one more rise coming Friday, but if it falls short, it could be fishable by the weekend too.

Weather ahead
According to the US National Weather Service Eureka, high pressure and upper-level ridge will build in quickly Friday over the West Coast in the wake of the front. Any lingering showers are expected to dissipate Friday morning as the flow aloft shifts to northwest and dryer airmass moves in. Dry and seasonably high temperatures are expected on Friday.

Dry offshore regimen will promote a drying and warming trend this weekend through at least early next week. Ensemble and deterministic models’ guidance’s are in a good agreement with the high pressure persisting over the area this weekend. High pressure breakdown begins to shift eastward on Tuesday as an upper-level trough approaches.”

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith, and Van Duzen. The low-flow closure telephone hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast. Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2026.

Mad
The Mad was down to 1,375 as of Thursday morning and dropping. It’s predicted to rise early Friday morning, peaking at 2,980 cfs. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Main Eel
Peaked at 5,960 cfs early Thursday morning, but came in below projections. Another half-inch of rain is forecast for late Thursday, but it remains to be seen if that will be enough to put it back on the rise. It could drop into shape late in the weekend and should be in good shape early next week. The next significant rise is predicted for Thursday. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
The South Fork opened to angling Tuesday, and peaked at 2,300 cfs Wednesday afternoon. It’s predicted to drop – though it could see a slight bump in flows Friday – through the weekend and into next week. Conditions should be good for the weekend and there are salmon spread throughout the river. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen opened to angling Wednesday as flows climbed to 2,530 cfs. It has been on the drop since, with the next rise forecast for Friday where it could reach 2,900 cfs. It’s predicted to drop through the weekend and into next week. Flows should be right around 980 cfs Saturday 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 opened back up Tuesday and boats were back on the water Wednesday. Even on the steep rise, plenty of fish were caught. Conditions should be excellent Friday as the river will be on the drop from 10 feet at the Jed Smith gauge. It will continue to drop through mid-next week when the next round of rain is forecasted. Expect clearing conditions this weekend. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

Nov. 28 and 29 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://myodfw.com/articles/2025-free-fishing-days-and-events

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The Chetco fished well Monday and Tuesday, before blowing out Tuesday evening,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “It was high and muddy Wednesday, and expected to remain blown out Thursday before dropping for the weekend. A mix of bright and dark adults and jacks are being caught, with hatchery and wild fish in the mix. Tuesday’s all-tackle opener lives up to its billing, with a good bite for drift boaters back-bouncing roe. Lots of leaves and muddy water kept everyone away Wednesday. Flows below 4,000 cfs are fishable, with flows below 3,000 ideal. The Ice Box gate is now open for launching and bank fishing access. The Elk and Sixes also blew out Wednesday and were full of leaves. They will be in shape for the weekend, but expect a crowd.”

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.

Weekend Rains Briefly Open North Coast Rivers

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

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

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

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

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, except the main stem Eel are closed to fishing. This includes the Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith, and Van Duzen. The low-flow closure telephone hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast.

Low-flow information for all North Coast rivers is available here.

NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2026.

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

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

Main stem Eel
The river was open as of Thursday with flows right around 670 cfs and dropping. With dry weather on tap for the next several days, it may close to fishing later in the weekend of early next week. The next rise, which is forecast for Wednesday could open it back up to fishing. The Eel River is open to catch and release of salmon in 2025/26. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
The South Fork didn’t receive enough rain over the weekend to open it up. That could change late next week with the arrival of the next storm. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coastal Rivers Done in by Rain Once Again

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

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

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

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

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

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

From the CDFW January 7 announcement:

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

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

Tomales Bay
Humboldt Bay
Crescent City Harbor
San Francisco Bay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

North Coast Set to Receive Some Much-Needed Rain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Upcoming salmon information meetings
The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will hold the annual Salmon Information on Wednesday, February 26 starting at 10 a.m. The meeting will be via webinar only and covers 2024 spawner abundances returning to the Central Valley and Klamath Basins, 2025 abundance forecasts, and management context guiding the development and implementation of 2025 ocean salmon fisheries.
The public are invited to learn about pertinent data and management context shaping the upcoming ocean salmon season. The meeting link, agenda and other materials will be posted here as they become available.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.