Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

 

As of right now it looks like we will have a third year with no Salmon Fishing for the state of California! On May 15th the PFMC will make the discission. From what I have been able to find out is that the CDFW is going to recommend that there shall not be any In-River Sport Fishing for Fall Run Chinook Salmon. The quotas were so small that the for the Ocean Commercial Fishing Group
Group asked the PFMC not to have an Ocean Commercial Salmon fishing season. The PFMC also determined that there was not enough Fall Chinook Salmon for an Ocean Sport Salmon Fishing. This will be a crucial year to see if there will be any fishing for Fall Run Chinook Salmon season at all. Fall Run Chinook Salmon returns have been very low for the last three years. This has also been a problem on the Sacramento River. For some time now the PFMC has declared that the Klamath River Basin Fall Salmon has been over fished, but the CDFW has allowed a salmon harvest any way, now we are paying for it. The In-River Sport Fishing needs representation on the PFMC Salmon Adviser Sub-Committee but the PFMC has refused to allow it for many years. The Klamath River Basin is a model for the California Salmon Fishery yet the fishermen have no word in how it is managed! We need to speak up! 

 

The PFMC recognized that a minimal Natural Escapement of 19,417 Fall Chinook Salmon returned to the Klamath River Basin, by the time you divide this up amongst the different groups of fishery organizations you have maybe one or two weekends of fishing. The PFMC estimated harvest that there would be about 2,770 Adult Chinook Salmon for harvest. This is not very many Salmon for fishing! 

 

Has any body stopped by the Junction City Campground River access/launching area lately? Two years ago, the TRRP held a big scoping meeting there to hear what the Fishing Guides and sport fishermen thought about the proposal of rehabbing the area for spawning and a new boat ramp/parking area. Many ideas were proposed to the TRRP, one was that we would be able to launch and takeout our drift boats and rafts during fishing season. The TRRP stated that that would not be a problem because they planned to make the access and launch ramp first, great idea! Last week as I drove by there on my way home the access was fenced off, no access road, no boat ramp or parking area just a large pile of gravel. What happened to their word about you will have NO problem accessing the river or launching boats/rafts. I think the TRRP should be shut down and reevaluated for doing something like that. That river access in one of the most use for that area of the river yet TRRP closed it to any access. What about Steelhead fishing? We need that area opened for fishing. Just because there is no Fishing for Adult Chinook Salmon doesn’t mean the area should be closed! So much for TRRP’s word. No wonder the fishermen are against the TRRP.

 

Lewiston Lake: It is winter time and the releases from Trinity Lake into Lewiston Lake is very high and I believe that is why the marina is closed. It is Spring and it should be open very soon for some very good fishing, you might give them a call (530)778-3878. If you want fishing information for the upper Trinity River you can call Indian Creek Lodge, Andy or Hannah, (530)623-6294), Junction City Store, Butch, (530)623-2803.

 

Willow Creek: Fishing the Willow Creek area has been up and down what water releases. Even with that there has been some good fishing for down runners and ½-pounders. Big Rock and Kimtu beach have seen some good runs of fish going down river.

 

Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 21,785cfs. This is a decrease of 15,051cfs. The Iron Gate/Bogus Creek area is flowing 3,634cfs an increase of 1,840cfs from the last report. The Upper Klamath has been flowing a bit high with the rain and snow melt so it has been a hit or miss for fishing lately. I suggest you call Marble Mountain Guest Ranch (800) 522-6284, or Scott Caldwell, SC Guide Service (530)905-0758 to get proper fishing information to fish the Upper Klamath.

 

Lake Conditions: These readings are for April 4th at midnight. It appears that readings are being posted a day late. Whiskeytown is 96% of capacity (an increase of 0%) with inflows of 1,291cfs with releases of 466cfs. Shasta Lake is 83% of capacity, a decrease of 3% and minus 49ft with inflows of 7,752cfs and releasing 8,694cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 83% of capacity (an increase of 1%) with inflows of 8,829cfs and releases of 8,602cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 97% of capacity, an increase of 7% and plus 17ft, with inflows of 8,564cfs with releases of 3,214cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 93% of capacity, an increase of 1% and plus 2ft, with inflows of 5,106cfs with releases of 3,978cfs into the American River. Trinity Lake storage is 2,2,19,016AF an increase of 83,161AF of storage.

 

Trinity Lake: The lake is 14ft below the overflow, a decrease of 12ft and 91% of capacity (an increase of 14%) with inflows of 4,715cfs and releasing 3,637cfs into Lewiston Lake with 00cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown and on to the Keswick Power Plant, and releasing 8,602cfs into the Sacramento River.

 

Trinity River flows and conditions: Trinity Lake is 91% of capacity, an increase of 14% and 14ft below the overflow a decrease of 14ft. Lewiston Dam is 96% of capacity, an increase of 2% and water releases of 2,323cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 47.6 degrees, as of 0:00pam today Monday May 5, 2025.  Limekiln Gulch is 6.91t at 2,599cfs. Douglas City is 9.11ft with flows of 2,720cfs with water temperatures of 49.7 degrees. Junction City is N/Aft at N/Acfs. Helena is 12.71ft at 3,026cfs with water temps of 51.8 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is N/Aft at 0.00cfs (Gauge is still out of order). South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 5.00 at 1.024cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 4,050cfs, air is 74 degrees and water at 53 degrees, Hoopa is 16.58ft at 6,793cfs with water at 54.6 degrees.

 

Klamath River flows and conditions: Flows at the Iron Gate/ Bogas Creek are 3,634cfs, an increase of 1,840cfs. Seiad Valley is 7.32ft at 2,713cfs. Indian Creek is 5.50ft at 664cfs. Happy Camp is estimated to be 3,377cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 11,174cfs, and the Salmon River is 5.31ft at 3,818cfs. Orleans is 9.77ft at 14,992cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 14.68ft flowing at 21,965cfs with water temps of 54.9 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jediah Smith are 6.33ft with flows of 1,248cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 13.01ft at N/A. The Smith is dropping pretty fast.

 

Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 91 and a low of 42 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.20in with a water year total to date of 53.13 and 1.75in of snow in Willow Creek. The predicted temperatures for next week are for high of 85 and a low of 45. The weather predicted for the next week is looking like we are going to have sunshine all week with scattered shower Saturday and Sunday.