The rain is helping the river at this time and the fish are moving. The Willow Creek Area has received a total of 4.65 inches of rain since October 1st. Just this past week we have received 2.15 inches of rain which is a big difference from last year. The rain is a great help for the river and is starting to help the reservoirs. In turn the fish returns have increased this year which will help with fishing, we could even have a salmon fishing season for 2026. I hope! The good thing about the rain is that it is helping the burn areas of two years ago start to return and grow. From what I have been able to find out is that as of now the rivers have not received a lot of ash pollution like last year.

 

It appears that the returns counted so fare looks as though the rivers are starting to recover but it is to early to say we are on the way for a full recovery. Some say that the returns are large enough that we could have had a Salmon fishery. I would agree but we have to wait to see what kind of releases and survival the rivers will have come spring. Survival of the outgoing migration juvenal fish will be the final say of IF we can have a salmon fishery for next year. I hope we can but after three years of no Salmon season it will be hard to entice people back to fishing.

 

The Big Question? Why does the state of California lose fishermen? Each year we lose about 3,000 to 5,000 fishermen  (license renewals). The largest potential for fishing is the recent retired people but the state keeps raising the fees of the license and tags for fishing and hunting. Thereby causing people to think twice about spending that much of their budget to go on a fishing or hunting trip. There many things that have caused the loss of fishing. Some are the cost to fish, the cost of the trip and the reduction of game. The loss of habitat from encroachment of homes and commercial improvement is one of the largest things to cause loss of habitat but there are many more I could list but don’t have the space to list them here. 

 

Trinity River Hatchery summary: No Report. The hatchery count for Julian Week 40 is in a bit of a backlog and did not get into the report. Julian Week 37, ending Sep. 16; Chinook Salmon, 39-Jacks, 331-adults, total 370, season total 512; Coho Salmon, 0-Jacks, 0-adults, season total 0; Steelhead, 0-1/2-lbs, 1-adult, total 1, season total 2 hatchery.
 

Junction City Weir summary: No Report. Julian Week 40, ending Oct. 7, 2025: Chinook Salmon, 18-jacks, 51-adults, total 69, season total 1,052, 235-Hatchery Chinook; Coho Salmon, 2- jacks, 1-adults, season total 5; Steelhead, 6-1/2-lbs, 117-adults, total 123, season total 375, 151- Hatchery Steelhead; Brown Trout 4, total 4, season total 43. JC counted their first Coho.

 

Willow Creek summary: No Report.  Julian Week 40, ending Oct. 7, 2025: Chinook Salmon, 35-jacks, season total 1,245, 0-adults, total 0, season total 1,819, 235-Hatcher Chinook: Coho Salmon, 2-jacks, 1- adults, total 3, season total 8, 6-Hatchery Coho; Steelhead, 6-½-lbs, 117- adults, total 123, season total 390, 124- Hatchery Steelhead.
 

Klamath River summary: Shasta River starting Sep.25, 2025, Oct 21, 2025 count; 0-Chinook Salmon, season total 5,745, Coho Salmon total 0; 0-Steelhead 214-adult total; Scott River; 0-Chinook Salmon season total 1,639, Coho Salmon 0, 0 Steelhead; Bogus Creek starting Sep. 26, 2025, October21,2025 count, 323-Chinook Salmon, season total 446; Jenny Creek starting Sep. 19, 2025, Oct. 21, 2025 count; 216-Chinook Salmon, total 293, 0 Coho Salmon, 9 Steelhead; Shovel Creek starting Sep. 2025, Oct. 9, 20256 count; 194- Chinook Salmon, season total 236, 0 Coho Salmon, 0 Steelhead.
 

Lewiston Lake: I haven’t receive a report from Lewiston Lake this week. With the reduced flows of Oct. 16th I would fishing will start to be slow er from the last couple of weeks. You can contact the Pine Cove Marina and ask Louise or Matt (530)778-3878) for Lewiston Lake fishing; for the Upper Trinity River you can call Indian Creek Lodge, Andy or Hannah, (530)623-6294), Junction City Store, Butch, (530)623-2803. I have not received any fishing information from Indian Creek Lodge for some time now.
 

Willow Creek area: Fishing in the Big Rock area has been slow as there have not been very many fishermen out fishing the Willow Creek area. There has been fish in the area but no fishermen. Up at South Fork there has been a steady stream of cars parked at Heil-Den trail. I have even seen cars parked at the Martin bluff trail so there must be some god fishing in that area. Salyer Bridge has been slow for lack of fishermen. With these rains I am sure fishing will start to really pick up. 
The upper river has been hard to get any information about fishing lately.
 

Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 5,078cfs. This is an increase of 1,902cfs. The Iron Gate/Bogus Creek area is flowing 1,107cfs an increase of 18cfs from the last report. I haven’t received a fishing report from the Upper Klamath for some time now so I am not sure how fishing has been. due to the fires. The fires are out but the river has been closed for recreation. I was hoping that the river would open by now but because of the government shutdown I expect that the area has not been opened up yet. The reports of Fall Chinook Salmon spawning numbers at Shovel and Jenning Creeks are still increasing so that is good news. To get the latest fishing information 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 and river closures.
 

Lake Conditions: It appears that readings are being posted a day late. Whiskeytown Lake is 97%, an increase of 2% with inflows of 716cfs and releases of 1,267cfs.  Shasta Lake is 56% of capacity, a decrease of 2% and minus 1ft with inflows of 3,802cfs and releasing 5,993cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 86% of capacity, an increase of 1% with inflows of 7,249cfs and releases of 7,218cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 54% of capacity, a decrease of 2% and minus 5ft, with inflows of 2,262cfs with releases of 6,897cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 43% of capacity, a decrease of 2% and minus 2ft, with inflows of 920cfs with releases of 1,310cfs into the American River. Trinity Lake storage is 1,746,599AF a decrease of 36,746AF of storage. 
 

Trinity Lake: The lake is 48ft below the overflow, an increase of 3ft and 71% of capacity, a decrease of 2%, with inflows of 990cfs and releasing 837cfs into Lewiston Lake with 546cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown and on to the Keswick Power Plant, and releasing 7,218cfs into the Sacramento River, a decrease of 238cfs. 
 

Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam is 97% of capacity, an increase 2% and water releases of 289cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 47 degrees, as of 0:00pam today Sunday October 26, 2025.  Limekiln Gulch is 4.68 at 326cfs. Douglas City is 6.49ft with flows of 384cfs with water temperatures of 49.1 degrees. Helena is 9.13ft at 533cfs with water temps of 50.5 degrees. South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 3.21 at 286cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 819cfs, air is 48 degrees and water at 52.5 degrees, Hoopa is 12.88ft at 1,786cfs with water at 54.2 degrees. 
 

Klamath River flows and conditions: Flows at Bogas Creek are 2.01ft with flows of 1,107cfs, an increase of 18cfs. Seiad Valley is 2.74ft at 1,655cfs. Indian Creek is 3.92ft at 128cfs. Happy Camp is estimated to be 1,783cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 2,332cfs, and the Salmon River is 2.84ft at 960cfs. Orleans is 3.95ft at 3,292cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 9.88ft flowing at 6,756cfs with water temps of 54.5 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jediah Smith are 6.52ft with flows of 1,519cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 13.08ft at N/A.

 

Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 69 and a low of 44 degrees. Rain for the week was 2.15in with a water year total to date of 4.65 and 0.00in of snow in Willow Creek. (We started a new water October1st.The predicted temperatures for next week are for high of 73 and a low of 47. The weather predicted for the next week is predicting cloudy the first part of the week with more rain after the weekend.