steelhead | Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fort Bragg Plugged with Albacore

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Low-Flow River Information for the North Coast – 2024/2025

Low Flow River Closures begin Sept. 1 and run through April 30, 2025.
North Coast rivers that are regulated by low flow closures, including the Eel River, Mad River, Mattole River, Redwood Creek, Smith River and Van Duzen River will begin angling restrictions on September 1st, and run through April 30th 2025. . As a reminder, in 2022, a low-flow angling restriction was added to the section of the Eel River from the mouth to Fulmor Road (Eel estuary) at its paved junction with the south bank of the Eel River. When a low-flow closure occurs in this section of the Eel, it will be closed to hook-and-line fishing; other legal fishing methods are allowed during this timeframe. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at anytime. Rivers will not automatically open to fishing once minimum flows are reached. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2025.

Section of river that is open to fishing is the main stem Smith River from the mouth of Rowdy Creek to its mouth.

Areas subject to low flow closures:

Mad River: The main stem Mad River from the Hammond Trail Railroad Trestle to Cowan Creek. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. The Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream is closed until Jan. 1, 2025.

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

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

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

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

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

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

North Coast Rivers Likely to Remain Closed

Incoming Storm Won’t Pack Enough Punch To Open Rivers

The Chetco estuary continues to be the hot spot for kings, with plenty of big ones being landed daily. Pictured above is Capt. Rye Phillips, right, of Brookings Fishing Charters holding a client’s salmon. Photo courtesy of Brookings Fishing Charters

The good news is we’re about to see a weather pattern shift, bringing with it the first rainstorm of the season. Unfortunately, it looks like it will fall well short of what we need to open up the rivers to fishing. The bulk of the rain is forecast to fall south of the Mad River. The main stem Eel could see up to a half inch on Saturday while the South Fork Eel may see up to three-quarters of an inch. While this will help, the parched rivers will need inches of rain along with consistent storms to open them up. Hopefully this is just the beginning and the storm door has been pushed open. In the meantime, the Chetco continues to be the bright spot on the coast for kings. If you’re looking for big fish, you’ll want to get there before the rains come and they all make their way upriver.

Weekend marine forecast
South winds, albeit slight, are in the forecast for Friday and Saturday. As of Thursday afternoon, out 10 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the south 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 4 feet at 11 seconds and southwest 2 feet at 14 seconds. Saturday, winds will be out of the southeast 10 to 15 knots with south waves 4 feet at five seconds and west 6 feet at 11 seconds. Sunday, winds will be up to 5 knots out of the northwest with west waves 6 feet at 11 seconds and south 2 feet at 13 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or https://www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

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

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

Warnings lifted for some shellfish in Humboldt County
According to a press release issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), shellfish safety notifications have been lifted for sport-harvested mussels, scallops, and most types of clams from Humboldt County. A warning against eating sport-harvested razor clams from Humboldt County remains in effect as razor clams are a high risk for long-term elevated levels of domoic acid. Razor clams are known to retain domoic acid toxin in their meat and tissues much longer than other species of bivalve shellfish. More information can be found here.

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

The Oceans:
Eureka
“Excellent ocean conditions last weekend allowed boats to venture out to the deep water for rockfish where the fishing was excellent,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The Pacific halibut bite was slow over the weekend, but there wasn’t much effort. “Ocean conditions are looking good again this weekend.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, the deep water rock fishing was really good over the weekend with easy limits, but only a lingcod per rod. “Looks like we have some decent weather coming up this weekend again,” said Mitchell. “Most of the effort was along the edge of the canyon.”

Brookings
Halibut fishing remains decent out of Brookings, while lingcod and rockfish action has been good reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Sport crabbing also is good,” said Martin. “The forecast looks promising this weekend.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Water conditions on the lower Klamath remain off color and unfishable. Conditions should begin to improve soon as dam removal work has finished and water clarity is improving upriver. It’s not likely conditions will improve enough for steelhead fishing before the rains come.

Chetco/Rogue
According to Martin, lots of big salmon are being caught in the Chetco estuary, while a few salmon also have moved into the tidewater. “The good fishing has attracted big crowds, with more than 30 boats crammed into the small area between the jetties. Fish to 40 pounds are being caught daily. With no major rain in the forecast, the estuary fishing is expected to last for another few weeks. Salmon fishing has slowed in the Rogue Bay, but kings and coho are still moving through.”

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.

Nearshore Rockfish Season Set to Close Aug. 21

Iowa resident Gina Schmidt holds a nice black rockfish caught on a recent trip out of Crescent City. The nearshore rockfish season will come to a close starting Aug. 21. Photo courtesy of Steve Huber/Crescent City Fishing

First ocean and river salmon, then Pacific halibut, and now in what feels like a knockout blow to our fishing community, CDFW has closed the nearshore rockfish season beginning Monday, Aug. 21 for boat-based anglers. In the Northern Groundfish Management Area (GMA), which runs between the CA/OR border and Cape Mendocino, anglers will only be allowed to fish seaward of 50 fathoms (300 feet). Anglers will be able to target lingcod and deepwater shelf and slope rockfish. Nearshore rockfish, cabezon, and greenlings cannot be targeted, taken or possessed. The reason for the shutdown is the reduced number of quillback rockfish. CDFW took in-season action and prohibited the retention of quillbacks starting Aug. 7. But clearly that wasn’t enough as the harvest limit, at least according to CDFW, has been exceeded in the Northern GMA.

CDFW anticipates that additional action may be needed for this and other GMAs for the remainder of 2023 and in 2024, in response to the most recent quillback rockfish stock assessment indicating the population is in severe decline.

Specific information for groundfish anglers within the Northern GMA:

Changes described above do not apply to shore-based anglers or divers.
The 50-fathom Rockfish Conservation Area boundary line is defined by straight lines connecting a set of waypoints as adopted in federal regulations (50 CFR Part 660, Subpart C).
Fishing gear may not be deployed shoreward of the 50-fathom Rockfish Conservation Area boundary line when shelf rockfish, slope rockfish or lingcod are possessed on the vessel.
Vessels may transit shoreward of the 50-fathom Rockfish Conservation Area boundary line with shelf rockfish, slope rockfish, or lingcod in possession if no fishing gear is deployed.
Vessels fishing in the adjacent Mendocino GMA and transiting back to the Northern GMA must adhere to the ‘offshore-only’ provisions in effect in the Northern GMA, and may not return with nearshore rockfish, cabezon, and/or greenlings on board.

Some of the more widely-caught nearshore rockfish that are now off limits include: Blue, Black, China, Copper, Brown, Gopher, and Olive.

Some examples of Shelf rockfish include Bocaccio, Widow, Canary, Vermilion, and Chilipepper.

Common Slope rockfish include: Splitnose, Darkblotched, Bank, Aurora, Blackgill, and Sharpchin.

CDFW urges anglers to use best fishing practices to reduce impacts to quillback rockfish and other prohibited groundfish species. These include reducing mortality when releasing fish by utilizing a descending device and relocating to different fishing grounds or switching targets if quillback rockfish or other prohibited species are encountered.

For recreational groundfish regulations, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Groundfish-Summary. You can read the official press release announcing the depth change here.

Weekend marine forecast
Northerly winds are expected to increase Wednesday afternoon and then remain steady through the weekend. Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 15 knots and northwest waves 8 feet at nine seconds and west 3 feet at 13 seconds. Saturday is calling for similar winds and waves. Sunday’s forecast is better, with winds out of the north 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 6 feet at nine 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.

Nicole Schaefer of McKinleyville landed a nice California halibut this week while fishing out of Humboldt Bay. Photo courtesy of Lawrence Sobolewski.

California halibut bite remains steady
The California halibut bite has been consistent, with fish being caught daily. Anchovies are starting to show in the bay, and there seems to be plenty of shiner perch for those wanting live bait. Anglers fishing dead bait and even jigs and swimbaits are having plenty of success. The minimum size is 22 inches and the daily bag and possession limit is two.

Trinity River water release
Beginning Friday, Aug. 18, the Bureau of Reclamation will begin to increase flows to the Trinity River for the Hoopa Valley Tribe’s Ceremonial Boat Dance. Lewiston Dam releases are scheduled to gradually increase from the summer base flow of 450 cubic feet per second and are expected to reach a peak flow of 2,000 cfs on Aug. 20 before gradually returning to summer base flows later in the week.

River recreators can expect a higher volume of water and increased turbidity in the Trinity River during the ceremonial flow. As always, the public is urged to exercise caution when recreating in or around the Trinity River. For more info, visit www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4598

The Oceans:
Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, the rockfish bite at Cape Mendocino has been really good, with plenty of variety. “We made a couple trips down last week, and we’ll try and get a few more in before the closure,” said Klassen. “The tuna water is sitting roughly 36 miles out, but the weather looks marginal this week. There’s a chance you could sneak out a day this week to see what’s out there.”

Shelter Cove
“The weather finally laid down late last week and we were able to make it to Rodgers Break for rockfish,” said Jake Mitchell, of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “It was really good and we were even able to get our lingcod limits fairly easily a couple of days. Sunday and Monday we ran for albacore straight out 25 to 30 miles. Sunday, they didn’t seem to bite very good and we only ended up with six, but we quit a little early. Monday was a little better and we ended up with 28. Most boats had 15-25 fish. Tuesday was a pretty good too. Boats averaged in the high teens. I heard the low boat had 5 and high boat had 33.”

Crescent City
According to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, it was another good weekend for California halibut anglers. “Boats did well trolling anchovies along south beach, with some limits reported,” said Carson. “There were also a few Threshers caught. The rockfish and lingcod bite are still really good when they can get out. Unfortunately, that will come to an end after Sunday.”

Brookings
Tuna has been decent out of Brookings on calm weather days reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “The best fishing is to the north, off of Pistol River or Gold Beach,” said Martin, “Boats venturing uphill to the 125 line are getting 50 fish per boat. Straight out along the border, catches are much lighter. Windy weather likely will keep boats away from the tuna grounds this week. Halibut fishing remains good with a fish per rod in 180 to 250 feet of water. Lingcod and rockfish action has been fair to good. California halibut are biting in front of the harbor.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Steelhead fishing has slowed on the lower Klamath the last few days as the water temperatures have increased. It’s been best first thing in the morning and it gets tough when the sun comes out. We should see some improvement next week when the water arrives from the Trinity. Fishing pressure continues to be light. The daily bag limit is two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout per day on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers, with a possession limit of four. Anglers must have a Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card in their possession while fishing for steelhead trout in anadromous waters. For more information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=202686&inline

Lower Rogue “The Rogue Bay remains solid for salmon, but expect a crowd,” said Martin. “With fishing slow on other systems, and closed to the south, the word has gotten out about the big salmon run in the Rogue. Anchovies fished behind 360 flashers are working best.”

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.

Pacific Halibut Season Closes, Tuna and Rockfish on Deck

Customers of Brookings Fishing Charters hold tuna caught aboard the Papa B on Aug. 3. Photo courtesy of Brookings Fishing Charters

One of the better Pacific halibut seasons came to a close last Friday, with boats catching limits right up until the end. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Friday’s closure late last week with the expectation that quota would be exceeded if the season remained open. And I don’t think they were wrong.

But as the halibut season fades in the rearview mirror, albacore tuna season is dead ahead. The warm water that tuna seek isn’t too far offshore of Eureka, and coupled with south winds starting early next week, it won’t be long. Wednesday’s calm seas provided a window for boats out of Crescent City and Brookings. And we know there’s fish out there. Ports from Charleston to Ilwaco have been hammering the longfins all week. Soon, it will be our turn.

Weekend marine forecast
Winds slowly increase in speed through the end of the week with moderate breezes across the waters by Friday. Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 15 knots and north waves 5 feet at six seconds. Saturday is calling for north winds 5 to 15 knots and waves out of the north 6 feet at seven seconds. Sunday gets a little rougher, with winds out of the north 5 to 15 knots and waves northwest 8 feet at nine seconds and southwest 3 feet at 15 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.

CDFW offshore fishing closures/openings

Pacific halibut season closed
The recreational Pacific halibut fishery closed statewide on Friday, Aug. 4 at 11:59 p.m., CDFW announced August 2. Based on the latest catch projections, CDFW expects the 2023 California recreational quota of 39,520 net pounds will be reached by this date. For more information, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/recreational-pacific-halibut-fishery-closure-2023#gsc.tab=0

Quillback rockfish closed for retention
Retention of quillback rockfish is prohibited statewide in both the recreational and commercial fisheries effective Aug. 7, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced July 28. For more info, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/quillback-rockfish-retention-prohibited#gsc.tab=0

Razor clam fishery reopens
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has reopened Humboldt County beaches to sport clammers seeking tasty North Coast razor clams, effective August 7, 2023. CDFW reopened the fishery following a recommendation from state health agencies that eating razor clams from this area no longer poses a significant public health threat. In odd-numbered years, between Moonstone Beach and north of the boundary line due west from the Clam Beach south parking lot trailhead (40° 59.67′ N. lat.) is open. The limit is 20 and the first 20 clams dug must be retained as the bag limit regardless of size or broken condition. For more information, visit https://cdfwmarine.wordpress.com/2023/08/07/cdfw-reopens-humboldt-county-razor-clam-fishery/

The Oceans:
Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, the halibut season ended on a high note. “The last four days of the season was pretty wide-open action,” said Klassen. “The ocean was too rough over the weekend to head south for rockfish, but excellent conditions look to begin Wednesday. I’m sure there will be plenty of boats headed to the Cape for rockfish. The tuna water is still a little too far out there for us, but we have some southerly winds starting early next week which should bring the warm water closer.”

Shelter Cove
Spending most of this week fishing off the Ranch House, Jake Mitchell, of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing reports a pretty good rockfish bite. “We had easy limits every day, but the lingcod are still hit and miss,” said Mitchell. “A couple of days we had limits while others were a struggle.”

Crescent City
According to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, one boat did well last Thursday on tuna, landing 16. “If the weather holds, boats will be headed out Wednesday as the warm water looks to be only 25 miles out,” said Carson. “The California halibut bite exploded over the weekend, with plenty of limits being caught along South Beach. They were really thick, and anglers trolling anchovies did really well. The rockfish and lingcod bite are still going strong, with both reefs and the lighthouse giving up plenty of nice limits.”

Brookings
Charter boats out of Brookings found big schools of tuna last week, but had to venture well offshore to get them,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters “The five boats fishing out of the Brookings Fishing Charters office averaged 50 fish a boat last Thursday, fishing halfway between Brookings and Gold Beach, 30 miles offshore. Pockets of warmer water along the border didn’t produce for private boaters from Brookings that headed south instead of turning north. A break in the weather Wednesday and Thursday will give anglers another shot at tuna. Pacific halibut fishing has been good, with the best action in 180 to 240 feet of water. Combinations of herring and squid are working best.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Steelhead fishing has improved on the lower Klamath, but it’s still not red hot. Fishing pressure has been light, and the few boats out are catching a handful of adults each day. Some more half-pounders are finally starting to show up. Fishing should only get better as we head into the first few weeks of August. The daily bag limit is two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout per day on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers, with a possession limit of four. Anglers must have a Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card in their possession while fishing for steelhead trout in anadromous waters. For more information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=202686&inline

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay is fishing well, but is crowded. “Most fish are coming on 360 flashers and anchovies. Lots of big fish are being caught, with salmon topping 40 pounds showing up daily at Jots or Lex’s Landing.”

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.

Low-Flow River Information for the North Coast – 2025/2026

Chris Hall, left, and Raj Desai with a late season steelhead taken on the South Fork Eel River earlier in March. Photo courtesy of Fishing the North Coast

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

The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is no longer in service. You can now find river openings and closures in real time online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast. The rivers can be opened up at anytime. Rivers will not automatically open to fishing once minimum flows are reached. 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.

Section of river that is open to fishing is the main stem Smith River from the mouth of Rowdy Creek to its mouth.

Areas subject to low flow closures:

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

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

Salmon stymied by shifting Klamath mouth

Photo Caption: The Klamath River mouth, seen here from the overlook on the north side of the river, has been opening and closing since the weekend, making it difficult for salmon to enter the river. Large swells are predicted for the weekend and hopefully the mouth can blow wide-open allowing what’s left of the fall run to make their way upriver. (Photo courtesy of Sara Borok, Klamath River Environmental Scientist)

Fishing the North Coast
by Kenny Priest/For the Times-Standard

Low Flow closures on North Coast rivers start Tuesday

Along the lines of the ’80s TV commercial for Wendy’s where the old lady shouts, “Where’s the beef?” Klamath salmon anglers have been wondering, “Where’s the salmon?” In truth, no one really knows. What we do know is 11,538 have been harvested below the 101 bridge and another 1,009 have been caught by sport anglers above the bridge. Throw in approximately 54,000 fish that have been harvested by the Yurok tribe and what you’re left with is a lot of missing fish. Sure, there’s a few fish that have squirted through and are now entering tributaries like the Trinity, Shasta, and Scott rivers, but with an in-river return at well over 250,000 predicted, the numbers aren’t adding up. A big part of the problem has been the mouth of the river. Flowing to the south and running narrow and shallow, conditions have been less than ideal for huge pushes of fish to enter the river. And with last week’s storms and big tide swings, it went from bad to worse. Since the weekend, it’s been opening and closing and has created a lake that can be felt all the way to Blakes’ riffle. At the moment, very few fish are entering the lower river and guides are lucky to catch a few a day.

According to Sara Borok, an Environmental Scientist on the Klamath River, we’ve been down this road before. “Back in 2001 we also had a south mouth that hampered the fish coming into the river. “It blew open on September 21 and we had a huge surge of fish pour in,” Borok said. “Although there’s no way to know for sure, my guess it there are still quite a few fish in the ocean waiting for the right conditions to enter.” With big swells again predicted for the weekend, there’s a chance the mouth can finally blow out enough to allow the remaining kings to enter the system and start their journey upriver. Let’s hope so.

Weekend marine forecast
If you’re hoping to fish offshore this weekend, Saturday will be your best bet. South winds are forecasted 5 to 15 knots with swells to 8 feet at 11 seconds. Sunday isn’t looking as good with south winds to 20 knots and waves out of the west to 14 feet at 14 seconds. For up-to-date weather forecasts, visit http://www.weather.gov/eureka/. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

HASA meeting
A general membership meeting will be held Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. in Scott McBain’s office at 980 7th Street in Arcata. According to Cliff Hart, President of HASA, discussions will include urgent issues related to Pacific Halibut. “All fisherman and fisherwomen from the North Coast are invited to come and give feedback. We NEED to hear from you. If you can’t make the meeting, please email your comments about the current Pacific Halibut situation and what options you would like to see to: hasa6191@gmail.com. We are in an unfortunate situation where we will lose some halibut fishing. We don’t like any of the options dealt, but we have the ability to recommend. Public comment is open with PFMC, and we may call upon you to write letters and emails.” Hart added. The due date is 10/9/13. For more information, visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pacifichalibut.asp

The Oceans:

Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, the rough ocean we’ve had this week has kept the boats off the water. “The last fishable day was Sunday and we were able to run to the Cape for Rockfish. Since then, nobody’s been out. Friday and Saturday are looking fishable, but it’s coming back up again on Sunday. Hopefully we’ll be able to go one of those days and drift for halibut as the bite has been pretty good. Last Thursday we were able to limit out our four customers” Klassen said.

Crescent City
Little if any angling is happing offshore out of Crescent City reports Chris Hegne’s of Englund Marine. “We’ve had some pretty rough seas this week and no one’s been out. The weekend isn’t looking much better,” Hegnes added.

Low Flow River Closures begin Oct. 1
North Coast rivers that are regulated by low flow closures, including the Eel River, Mad River, Mattole River, Redwood Creek, Smith River and Van Duzen River will begin angling restrictions on October 1st, except for the Mad River, which went into effect September 1st. 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 anytime. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2014

Areas subject to low flow closures:

Mad River: The main stem Mad River from the Hammond Trail Railroad Trestle to Cowan Creek. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge.

The main stem Eel River from the paved junction of Fulmor Road with the Eel River to the South Fork Eel River. Minimum flow: 350 cfs at the gauging station near Scotia.

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

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

Mattole River: The main stem of the Mattole River from the mouth to Honeydew Creek.

Minimum flow: 320 cfs at the gauging station at Petrolia.

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

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

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath
According to Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service, with the mouth opening and closing since the weekend, very few fish are coming in. The big swells aren’t helping much either,” Coopman said.

Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service, who’s also working the lower river, reports guides are still struggling to catch fish in any numbers. “The ones we are catching are fresh with sea lice. Hopefully the ocean calms a bit and we can truly see if there are any good numbers of fish left to come in,” Borges added.

Lower Trinity
Curt Wilson of Curt Wilson Fishing Guides reports the rain and fluctuating flows brought a good amount of fish up the Trinity early this week. “The last few days, steelhead have taken over the show around the Willow Creek area. It seems as we are finally seeing the lack of kings we have been hearing about down low really catch up with us. Hopefully a few more decide to show up. The Willow Creek weir counted 140 fish on Tuesday, but most of them were steelhead,” Wilson added.

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Ocean conditions slow North Coast salmon bite

Kenny Priest/For the Times-Standard

August 22, 2013

Ceremonial water coming Sunday from the Trinity

We all knew this was coming — the out-of-this-world salmon action that we’ve enjoyed since May has finally started to taper off — at least for the last couple of days. After a not so hot bite this past weekend, the action really slowed to a crawl Tuesday and Wednesday. Charter boat scores ranged from nine fish to one fish kept, and everywhere in between. That doesn’t sound horrible on paper, but compared to the salmon fishing we’ve grown accustomed to over the last three months, this rates as headline news. This begs the question — where did the fish go? Well, no one really knows. The reports I heard from Wednesday is there were quite a few biters that just didn’t stick, so maybe the fish are still there. The water temperatures surely played a role in the slowdown. The warm water, which reached 62 degrees out front, pushed all the way to the beach. When this happens, the salmon typically head straight down in search of the cool water they crave. And that’s where the majority of the fish have been coming the last couple days, anywhere between 100 to 200 feet on the wire. With calm seas predicted through the weekend, maybe the large sport fleet can do a little searching and find the schools again.

Marine forecast

Calm seas are predicted through the weekend. Friday’s forecast is calling for winds 5 to 10 knots with 4-foot swells at 8 seconds. The forecast for Saturday is calling for winds 5 to 10 knots, with swells to 3-feet at 7 seconds. Sunday is looking very similar, with winds 5 to 10 knots and seas to 4-feet at 8 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For up-to-date weather forecast, visit http://www.weather.gov/eureka. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Ceremonial water release from the Trinity

Beginning this Sunday at 8 a.m., flows out of the Trinity will increase from 450 cfs to 2,650 cfs. After peaking at midnight Sunday, they will be reduced slowly until reaching 450 cfs on Thursday, August 29 at 8 p.m. The flow increase is due to the Hoopa Valley Tribe’s Boat Dance Ceremony. Hopefully, the 62,000 acre-feet of water that’s currently in the hands of the court will follow closely behind. If it doesn’t, a fish kill could be on the horizon.

Klamath River quota update

According to Sara Borok, an Environmental Scientist on the Klamath River Project,

407 adult Chinook salmon have been harvested on the Lower Klamath as of Tuesday. The quota is 20,003. Of those, 395 were caught below the Hwy. 101 bridge. The trigger number to close the spit fishery is 3,000 adult Chinook salmon.

Klamath salmon health being closely monitored

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking help from the public in monitoring the health of Chinook salmon in the Klamath River and its tributaries. Drought conditions mixed with a larger than normal return of salmon elevate concerns of fish die offs. Small numbers of dead fish are expected this year as an estimated 272,000 fall-run Chinook salmon return. CDFW, in conjunction with The Klamath Fish Health Assessment Team (KFHAT) is asking the public to report any unusual numbers of dead fish they see by contacting Sara Borok at 707-822-0330.

The Oceans:

Eureka

Slow but steady fishing best describes the salmon action out of Eureka this past weekend. Most of the charter boats were able to grind out limits, but they didn’t necessarily come easy. Captain Tim Klassen on the Reel Steel had limits both days before the bite tanked on Monday. “There’s still a wide variety of fish out there, anywhere from 10-inches to 40-pounds. With the ocean calming down over the weekend, we’ll be able to take a look around and see if we can find some colder water. I know there’s some down at the Cape and up closer to Trinidad,” Klassen added. After having the weekend off, Captain Gary Blasi of Full Throttle Sportfishing was back on the water Monday and was able to get a box full before noon. “We found a pretty good school of fish and were able to land five over 20-pounds. The fish were coming deep, about 130-feet down. We definitely need some wind to blow the warm water out of here,” Blasi said. After a weekend in which Phil Glenn skippered the Shellback, Captain Tony Sepulveda was back at it this week. With all the Eureka boats tied up at the dock, he ventured out into pretty rough seas on Tuesday and was able to land six keepers. “The fishing definitely slowed on Tuesday. The water is warm, but I think it will cool itself in the next few days. I don’t think the fish are gone, they’ll show up again,” Sepulveda added.

Trinidad

The salmon bite was wide-open over the weekend, but slowed Monday as the ocean got rough reports Curt Wilson, who runs the Wind Rose Charter out of Trinidad. “We tried to go on Monday, but it got real nasty so we turned around with all the other charter boats. The action on Tuesday and Wednesday was spotty at best. The halibut and rockfish were biting over the weekend, but not much effort over the last few days on either. The weather is suppose to lay down real nice over the weekend, so maybe we can go look around for some salmon,” Wilson added.

Shelter Cove

Fishing in general has slowed out of Shelter Cover reports Russ Thomas of Mario’s Marina in Shelter Cove. “We’re launching maybe three or four boats per day and most are targeting rockfish. The salmon action has slowed way down; not very many are still trying. The few that are being caught are nice ones however,” Thomas added.

Crescent City

Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine reports the Pacific halibut bite has been steady, with fish being landed daily. “Most of the boats are fishing the back side of the South Reef in 190 to 210 feet of water. The Big Reef is also producing a few as well. The salmon has slowed out front, with not many anglers still trying. The best action has been coming around the mouth of the Smith. There have been some real big ones landed the last few days, with a few in the 40-pound class and some 30’s. The lingcod is still red hot and the snapper bite has been sporadic,” Carter added.

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

Guide Mike Coopman reports the Lower Klamath is fishing decent, with most of the fish landed being steelhead. “There’s not many kings in the river due to the water temps, and that probably won’t change until it cools. The morning bite has been best, and if you choose the right spot first thing, it can make your day,” Coopman added.

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.