Kenny Priest

The Pacific Fishery Management Council released its Review of 2025 Ocean Salmon Fisheries report Wednesday, and the news was considerably better than expected for the Klamath Basin. Based on an ocean abundance estimate of 82,672 Klamath River fall Chinook believed to be in the ocean last fall, forecasters predicted just 28,554 adults would return to the river in 2025. Instead, the...
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After five weeks of dry weather, rain is finally returning to the North Coast — and just in the nick of time. Several smaller rivers, including the Van Duzen, Mattole and Redwood Creek, have been closed for some time due to low-flow fishing restrictions. At the moment, nearly all North Coast rivers remain low and clear, with the exception of the...
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Another week of steelhead fishing is in the books, and once again it passed without any meaningful precipitation. Most North Coast rivers are now running low and clear, with the notable exceptions of the larger systems like the Eel and the Klamath. Redwood Creek has closed due to low flows, and the Van Duzen followed earlier this week, with additional...
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It’s been nearly three weeks since the last meaningful rainfall, and most coastal rivers are starting to show it. With the exception of the main stem Eel and the Mad, which are both rounding into excellent shape, flows across the region are dropping and water is turning low and clear. While several systems remain fishable, many rivers — particularly the...
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It’s been a solid ten days since we’ve seen any measurable precipitation, and most of the coastal rivers are starting to feel the effects — some in a good way, others not so much. Starting with the positives: the Mattole, South Fork Eel, and Van Duzen are all in great shape right now and should remain fishable through next week. That...
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After a very wet end to the year, the rain has finally shut off and it’s time to watch the rivers drop into fishable shape. The “last hurrah” of rain came earlier this week, and we’re now entering an extended stretch of drier weather — exactly what we’ve been waiting for. Over the next week, most coastal rivers (aside from the...
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