weather

All Eyes on the Smith as Storms Limit Winter Steelhead Options

Sisters, Oregon, resident Taylor Robertson landed this beautiful winter steelhead back in January of 2023 on the Smith River. Recent storms have left the Smith River as the only fishable river for the next couple weeks. Photo courtesy of Josh Smith Guide Service

If you’re looking to tangle with your first coastal winter steelhead between now and the end of the year, your options will likely be limited to the Smith River. It’s currently the only river on the coast running green and fishable, and it’s expected to remain that way as the region stays locked into a wet weather pattern over the next couple of weeks.

A larger rise is forecast for Friday, which could make the river unsafe to drift, but plunking will be an excellent option. Weekend conditions are shaping up well, with the river expected to hover in the 11- to 12-foot range. Beginning Monday and continuing through next week, flows are forecast to range from 11 to 13 feet on the Jed Smith gauge—ideal plunking conditions from both the bank and a boat. Drifting from the forks down should also be a good option on the lower end of those flows.

Elsewhere on the coast, from the Mad River south to the South Fork Eel, green water appears unlikely before 2026. Multiple storm systems are expected to bring rain this weekend, followed by additional rainfall next week that will keep rivers high and off color.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, moderate to heavy rainfall will begin spreading into Del Norte County late Thursday as the next IVT plume sags south. Mean HREF and RRFS hourly rainfall rates are 0.3 to 0.5 inch per hour, with locally up to 0.6 inch per hour over the higher and windward facing terrain through a large portion of Del Norte County.

The front and focus of moderate to heavy rainfall and chances for minor flooding will then progress southward through North California throughout the day Friday. South of Del Norte, the heaviest rainfall rates will be mostly along the windward slopes of the higher terrain. All main stem rivers are forecast to remain below action or monitor stages, however rivers in narrow basins will likely once again quickly rise. Creeks and streams will also quickly rise and could result in nuisance flooding. Ponding on roadways is also likely throughout the duration of heavy rainfall. Rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches are forecast for Del Norte County, with 1 to 3 south through Northern Mendocino County. Outside of Del Norte, there is up to a 70% chance for 24-hour rainfall over 3 inches for southwest facing slopes of Cape Mendocino and some higher interior ridges of Humboldt.

Rainfall will turn much lighter Friday afternoon with a transition to lighter rain or showers. Rainfall will then begin trending higher Saturday south through Lake and Mendocino counties.”

Oregon sport bottomfish regs set for 2026
In a press release issued Dec. 12, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission finalized the 2026 recreational bottomfish season and regulations.

Bag Limits

  • General Marine Species:
    • 4-fish bag limit (new in 2026)
    • Canary rockfish: 2-fish sub-bag limit (new in 2026)
    • Cabezon: 1-fish sub-bag limit
      • 16-inch minimum size limit
      • Opens July 1
  • Lingcod: 3-fish bag limit (new in 2026)
    • 22-inch minimum size limit
  • Flatfish: 25-fish bag limit
  • Sablefish: 10-fish bag limit
  • Offshore long-leader fishery: 10-fish bag limit
    • Canary rockfish: 2-fish sub-bag limit (new in 2026)
    • For a 10-fish bag limit to apply, long-leader gear must be used outside (seaward) of the 40-fathom regulatory line
    • 10 midwater rockfish species only
  • Retention of yelloweye and quillback rockfishes remain prohibited.

The bottomfish fishery will again be open at all-depths year-round (no seasonal depth restriction).

Beginning in 2026, an Ocean Endorsement is required for most anglers fishing in the ocean from beaches, jetties, and boats except when taking shellfish or when fishing for and retaining salmon or steelhead unless other marine finfish are retained. For more information on requirements and fees, please visit myodfw.com/articles/ocean-endorsement.

Recreational Red Abalone fishery to remain closed until 2036
In a press release issued Thursday, the California Fish and Game Commission has extended the Red Abalone recreational fishery closure.

CDFW Commission Statement:

“In a move to protect red abalone populations that have suffered drastic population decline, the California Fish and Game Commission at its Dec. 10-11 meeting extended the red abalone recreational fishery closure 10 years.
The Commission unanimously voted to adopt regulatory amendments to extend the red abalone recreational fishery closure in Northern California until April 1, 2036. The Commission determined that continuing the closure is necessary to protect red abalone and help facilitate its restoration.
California’s red abalone population suffered a drastic decline, approximately 85%, following the 2014 kelp forest collapse triggered by a marine heatwave. The loss of kelp greatly contributed to this decline and the increase in purple sea urchin densities prevent kelp recovery, abalone’s primary food source. CDFW will be supporting abalone restoration through the development of a statewide red abalone restoration plan that will include robust and adaptive strategies to support abalone populations.”

Guy Mitchell from Laytonville with a nice ling cod caught over the weekend out of Shelter Cove. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell, Sea Hawk Sport Fishing

Shelter Cove update
“Fishing and crabbing was great over the weekend, until the weather turned,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Both Sunday and Monday we had limits or rockfish, lings, and crab and were off the water by 11 am. The crabs aren’t really big, but they’re nice and full.”

Brookings update
According to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters, Lingcod fishing has been good out of Brookings, but rough weather is expected for the next week. 

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all rivers subject to low flow fishing closures are open. This includes the main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Mad, Van Duzen, Redwood Creek, and Smith. 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 is high and off color, sitting at just over 9 feet on Thursday. With more rain in the forecast, it will likely remain that way through all next week and weekend. The likelihood of seeing green water is slim between now and the new year. Once the flows do recede, we should be off and running on the steelhead season.

Main Eel
After reaching 48,000 cfs Wednesday night, the man Eel was on the drop Thursday. The next round of storms will put it back on the rise Friday, with flows predicted to reach 65,000 Monday morning. Needless to say, it will need a couple weeks of dry weather before it rounds into shape. When the river drops down to a fishable height and color, we should see some pretty good steelhead fishing.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork Eel is big and muddy, and temporarily on the drop. It peaked Wednesday at over 21,000 cfs, but was right around 5,000 cfs Thursday. With more rain on the way, it will likely remain too high and off color all next week and through the weekend. There should be some winter steelhead around once it drops and clears.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen peaked at over 8,700 cfs Wednesday morning, but has dropped quickly. It was down to 1,600 cfs Thursday, but was still dirty. More rain Friday and throughout the weekend will keep the river off color. It’s not forecast to drop down to a fishable height between now and the first of the year.

Smith
The Smith jumped to over 21 feet Wednesday, but has since dropped down to a fishable height. As of Thursday afternoon, it was just above 10 feet, perfect for drifting. However, more rain is predicted for Friday, which could push flows to high to drift. The weekend looks plenty fishable, as does next week. It’s forecast to remain in the 10-12-foot range all next week, and will likely be the only game in town. Should be some steelhead making their way in.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The few boats fishing the Chetco before Tuesday’s rain were finding decent numbers of adult steelhead, but high water will now have the river blown out of at least a week,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “River levels jumped 10 feet overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, from 1,500 cfs to nearly 20,000 cfs. Another big storm on Thursday may blow the river out for the rest of the year. Prior to the storms, ODFW crews doing salmon spawning surveys observed impressive numbers of adult steelhead spread throughout the river. Plunkers could have a chance between Christmas and New Year’s, while drift boaters may have to wait for the first week of January. The Elk and Sixes also blew out Tuesday night, with the Elk jumping to nearly 7.5 feet. Both rivers close to salmon fishing Dec. 31.”

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

Storms Set Stage for Winter Steelhead Kickoff

Eureka angler Bob White shows off a quality winter steelhead from last year. Incoming storms are expected to jump-start this season’s run. Photo courtesy of Kenny Priest/Fishing the North Coast Guide Service.

Winter steelhead season has been slow to ignite on the North Coast, but that’s about to change. A series of storm systems is lining up over the Pacific, and the impacts could be significant beginning next week and beyond.

According to the National Weather Service, rain is expected to arrive Monday and persist for several days, with a few inches forecast along the coast — exactly what the rivers need. Steady rainfall and resulting pulse flows should be enough to draw the first major push of winter steelhead out of the salt. If the storms materialize as predicted, the Smith River could be in excellent shape sometime next week. The Chetco is projected to spike to around 9,000 cfs and will likely remain unfishable through the week.

Elsewhere, the Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Mad rivers are expected to take on plenty of color and will probably need some time before dropping back into shape. Once all the rivers crest and begin to recede to fishable levels, the first wave of winter steelhead should follow.

After a standout late-fall salmon season, seeing the rivers fill with bright winter steelhead would be a welcome encore.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, Sunday is expected to start to see conditions transition to a wetter pattern. “Winds start to turn southerly and increase Sunday morning. High clouds are expected to start to move into the area as well. There is a slight chance for rain in Del Norte county Sunday evening, but the rain will likely stay to the north of the area.

Monday the wet pattern is expected to return. The first system is expected to move through Monday afternoon or evening with a second Tuesday afternoon or evening. The ECMWF and ensembles keep the heavier rain a bit farther north for the first one, but is in better agreement with the GEFS on the second one. Some areas may not see much of a break between the systems and it this point it is hard to time a break out. Confidence is growing that we will see 1 to 3 inches of rain over Monday and Tuesday in Humboldt and Trinity counties with more like 2 to 3 inches in Del Norte County. In Mendocino and Lake counties rainfall amounts drop off quickly with amounts ranging from a quarter of an inch in southern Lake County to 1.5 inches in northern Mendocino County. These amounts may continue to rise.

Later in the week there is the potential for continued wet weather, but details are low at this point. There are some indications that this could be a colder storm with some snow at the higher elevations.”

Shelter Cove update
“The rockfish and lingcod fishing continues to be great,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We’ve been having some excellent December weather to go with it. We’re spending most of our time at the Hat and the Old Man.”

Brookings update
According to Martin, lingcod action has been very good out of Brookings, while sport crabbing also is excellent. “Crabbing will remain good through Saturday, and then likely drop off sharply with the commercial opener and incoming storm. Calm conditions are expected through Saturday. A major winter storm arrives Sunday night.”

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, the main stem Eel and Smith were open to fishing. The Mad, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, and Redwood Creek remained closed due to low flows. 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 remains closed, but changes are on the way. Rain is in the forecast for Monday, and we should see the river start to rise early Tuesday. It’s predicted to stay in the 9-to-10-foot range through at least next Sunday. Once the flows recede, we should see the first push of winter steelhead. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge.

Main Eel
The main Eel remains open, but is now under 700 cfs as of Thursday. The next rise is forecast to start late Monday or early Tuesday and will likely turn the river muddy. There should be some late kings and coho making their way in along with the first round of steelhead when the river drops down to a fishable height and color. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork Eel remains closed to fishing, but some much-needed water is on the way. With rain starting Monday, the South Fork is forecast to rise early Tuesday morning and will likely blow out. Flows are predicted to be above 3,000 cfs by next Sunday. We should see a few winter steelhead show up on the next rise.Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen is currently closed due to low flows, but that will soon change. The river is predicted to rise Monday evening, and will likely blow out soon after. It’s predicted to be high and off color through next week. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.

Smith
The Smith remains open as of Thursday, but is low and clear with very little fishing pressure. There’s a chance it could close prior to the rain coming late Monday as flows were 620 cfs at Jed Smith Park Thursday. It’s predicted to rise starting Monday evening and could be in plunkable or in drifting shape throughout next week as it should be in the 10-to-12-foot range. The next rise should bring in the last of the kings as well as some bright winter steelhead. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
Salmon fishing has been slow on the Chetco, Elk and Sixes with prolonged low water reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “A big boost in flows is expected Sunday night, but the river will quickly blow out and could be high for more than a week,” said Martin. “Expect steelhead fishing to kick into gear as the river drops. Flows are expected to approach 10,000 cfs by early next week. Flows were between 500 and 650 cfs this week.  

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

Smith and Chetco Best Bets for the Weekend

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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