On Wednesday May 6, 2026 the California Fish and Game Commission passed the CDFW recommendation for a Salmon fishing season. That is wonderful news for the fishing industry and the fishing people! As for the Fall Run Chinook Salmon, we are still not out of the woods for making native Salmon, both Spring and Chinook, natural escapement. This is going to be hard to accomplish without some extra work in opening up the mouths of some of the spawning creeks. The TRRP and the TMC have never really used all of the funding for Watershed Restoration that was originally in the Record of Decision of 2000! If this had been done from the beginning there would be a lot more spawning habitat for fish in the Trinity River than there is at the present. Instead, the TMC just keeps spending the funding for in-river projects that only last for several years. Each year the in—river keep getting bigger and bigger and more costly. Instead TMC and TRRP have spent approximately $26.5 million dollars on river projects that are NOT getting Salmon returns to the Trinity River. Proof of this is that the Klamath River Basin has not reached the 40,700 natural escapement in the last 15 or so years.      

There has been Spring water releases for the past several weeks and will not reach summer flows until some time in June. So High water is going to be the thing until then. Memorial Day weekend the Trinity River will still be dangerous for swimming so please be careful and watch the little ones!

Lewiston Lake: Lewiston Lake flows have been up but with the warm days fishing has been on the upswing.  Form what I have heard fly fishers have been doing well. You might wat to give Pin Cove Marina a call to see how fishing is going and maybe reserve you a boat. 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, (530)623-2803. 

Willow Creek area: Willow Creek area has still been k slow and I have not seen very may people out in the area. Right now, most of the fishermen been in Hoopa or up river. Up river, has been seeing some action but not real hot yet. You might give the North Coast Outfitters a call at (415)596-3488 to see how the fishing is. 

Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 7,427cfs. This is an increase of 2,060cfs. The Iron Gate/Bogus Creek area is flowing 1,253cfs an increase of 47cfs from the last report.  The river is flowing a bit higher so fishing should start to increase. For better information I suggest you call or check out their face book for 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: Trinity Lake is at 2,214,842AF, a decrease of 14,808AF. The Snow Pack for the water year was very low this year, we could see some lowering of the lake come summer time. Whiskeytown Lake is 94%, an increase of 2% with inflows of 1,874cfs and releases of 1,347cfs.  Shasta Lake is 91% of capacity, an increase of 3% and plus 3ft with inflows of 5,970cfs and releasing 2,371cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 85% of capacity, a decrease of 0% with inflows of 3,318cfs and releases of 3,911cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 88% of capacity, an increase of 0% and plus 0ft, with inflows of 8,226cfs with releases of 7,418cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 95% of capacity, an increase of 17% and plus 19ft, with inflows of 4,373cfs with releases of 1,095cfs into the American River. Trinity Lake storage is 2,214,842AF a decrease of 14,808AF of storage. 

Trinity Lake: The lake is 15ft below the overflow, an increase of 1ft and 90% of capacity, a decrease of 1%, with inflows of 1,520cfs and releasing 2,645cfs into Lewiston Lake with 283cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown and on to the Keswick Power Plant, and releasing 7,899cfs into the Sacramento River, an increase of 1,925cfs. 

Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam is 94% of capacity, a decrease 1% and water releases of 1,238cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 49.6 degrees, as of 0:00pam today May 10, 2026.  Limekiln Gulch is 5.83 at 1,314cfs. Douglas City is 7.80ft with flows of 1,325cfs with water temperatures of 55.0 degrees. Helena is 11.06ft at 1,496cfs with water temps of 57.1 degrees. South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 3.56 at 493cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 1,984cfs, air is 79 degrees and water at 64.0 degrees, Hoopa is 14.14ft at 3,041cfs with water at 63.1 degrees. 

Klamath River flows and conditions: Flows at Bogas Creek are 2.36ft with flows of 1,353cfs, a decrease of 47cfs. Seiad Valley is 1.34ft at 793cfs. Indian Creek is 4.03ft at 154cfs. Happy Camp is estimated to be 947cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 1,872cfs, and the Salmon River is 2.84ft at 925cfs. Orleans is 4.44ft at 4,386cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 10.27ft flowing at 7,766cfs with water temps of 64.3 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jediah Smith are 5.71ft with flows of 805cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 12.38ft at N/A.

Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 93 and a low of 48 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.45in with a water year total to date of 38.51 and 1.45in of snow in Willow Creek. The predicted temperatures for next week are for high of N/A and a low of N/A. Sorry but I was unable to get a temperature for next week.

Websites: MyOutdoorBuddy.com, Willowcreekchamber.com,
from Willow Creek, CA Phone 530-629-3554, E-mail yen2fish@yahoo.com