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 was just 165,655, one of the lowest forecasts since the current assessment method was adopted in 2008. This year’s projection represents a substantial improvement and offers hope for more stable fishing opportunities.

The Klamath River forecast was announced at 176,233 adults, up significantly from last year’s 82,672.
For North Coast anglers, this likely means some type of salmon season in 2026. It almost certainly won’t be a full, unrestricted season, but barring unforeseen issues, there should be opportunities to harvest salmon in both the ocean and the river.

What Happens Next?
These ocean abundance forecasts provide science-based guidance to the Pacific Fishery Management Council as it begins the annual salmon season-setting process.

• The first PFMC meeting is scheduled for March 4–9 in Sacramento, CA.
• The Council will determine whether any in-season actions are needed for fisheries opening before May 16.
• They will also develop three regulatory alternatives for ocean salmon fisheries beginning on or after May 16.
• Final adoption of alternatives for public review is tentatively scheduled for March 9.

For a complete preseason calendar and public participation opportunities, visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife ocean salmon preseason webpage.
Additional information on upcoming meetings is available through the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s salmon page at pcouncil.org.
If these forecasts hold, 2026 could mark a meaningful step toward rebuilding opportunity for California salmon anglers — especially after the difficult seasons of the past three years.

The weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service office, expect dry weather until late Friday night when the stalled out upper low over the central Pacific edges closer to the coast. “The exact timing and location of trough passage remains uncertain, and there is not a high chance of any major precipitation currently. The NBM model agrees with a 50% probability of >0.25″ and a 25% of >0.5″ in the Humboldt Bay area by Sunday morning. More rain is possible in the King range and interior mountains of Humboldt and Del Norte Co.”

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, Van Duzen, Mattole, Redwood Creek, and Smith rivers. 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.

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.