The Smith dropped back into plunkable/driftable shape Thursday, with the river sitting at just above 12 feet at the Jed Smith gauge. Conditions look excellent for the weekend with the height hovering around 10 feet. The big rise earlier in the week should pull some fresh fish in from the ocean as well as push some downers from their spawning...
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The Van Duzen peaked at over 21,000 cfs Tuesday but dropped back down to under 3,000 cfs as of Thursday morning. Depending on snowmelt, it could be down to a fishable level by the second week of March.

South Fork Eel The South Fork Eel surpassed action/monitor stage Tuesday evening, peaking at over 52,000 cfs at Miranda. It’s been dropping quickly since and is back down below 12,000 cfs as of Thursday morning. The 10-day ensemble shows the river dropping to a fishable flow by mid-next week. Above Benbow will be the first area to turn green. ...
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Main stem Eel The main stem Eel was down to 65,500 cfs after reaching 190,000 cfs at Scotia Wednesday morning. It doesn’t look like it will drop down to a fishable flow for at least a couple of weeks, possibly by mid-March. ...
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After peaking at over 20 feet Tuesday night, the Mad is back on the drop. As of Thursday, it was back down to 13.5 feet. Will likely need at least 10 days before it’s green, especially with Ruth Lake full and spilling.

On Wednesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) held its annual Salmon Information Meeting, unveiling the 2026 ocean abundance forecasts — and the numbers point toward a rebound, particularly for the Sacramento Basin. The forecast for Sacramento River fall Chinook — the primary stock harvested in California fisheries — came in at 392,349 adults. For comparison, the 2025 ocean abundance estimate...
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