Bill Kiene semi-retired
09-02-2014, 04:25 PM
TRINITY RIVER FISHING REPORT –August 31, 2014
by E. B. Duggan
Where do I start!! Last week I got a phone call from Pine Cove Marina about dying fish all over Lewiston Lake. After talking to some of the CDFW biologists I know we were able to best determine that the thousands of salmoniod (yes I did say thousands) floating on the lake were Kokanee smolt. (Note: not for fact yet) These fish were all over the place, on the boat ramps, in the dam release shoots at the dam and along the shore line of the lake. To the best of my and my CDFW contacts ability we were able to determine that Trinity Lake had been drawn down to just above the “Cold Water Pool” of 600,000AF from all of the water releases going to the Sacramento and Trinity Rivers. Kokanee like to hold in this “cold water” refugeia just above the cold water pool of the lake and because the Bureau of Reclamation made the determination to ship 2,800 to 3,00cfs to the Central Valley Project Water Authority for the whole month of July, Trinity Lake water was drawn down to the “cold water pool” of 699,500AF (Acre Feet) thus sucking the Kokanee smolt into Lewiston Lake.
I am perplexed that BOR and the Secretary of Interior would not consider “all of the evident” about the problems of “2002 Fish Kill” and the blue-green algae problem at hand. Fishing is an industry just like farming; they both provide food for families and a living for families! Like the great orator Mark Twain once said “Whisky is for drinking and water is for fighting over”. Need I say more! It seems as though that is exactly what we are doing.
Today 8/31/14 the Klamath River Spit reached their quota of 619 Fall Chinook and will be closed to fishing Below the 101 Bridge
Sept 1.
Also 9/1/14 the Trinity River Falls area from the Hawkins Bar Bridge up to the Cedar Flat Hwy 299 West Bridge is closed to all fishing. On this same date the Trinity River from the mouth of South Fork to the confluence of the Klamath River is open to the take of Fall Chinook salmon. The limit is 3 fish per day, 1 adult and 2 jacks with a total of 9 salmon in possession, with no more than 3adults and 6 jacks in possession. So please mark your calendars as I don’t want fishermen to be getting citations.
The flush seems to have helped cleanse the Trinity of the blue-green algae and the river is looking very fishable. Right now Lewiston Lake is 934cfs into the Trinity River and the flows should slowly drop to 450cfs by Sept 14th.
Junction City Weir Count: Aug 26; Spring Chinook, adults 16, season total 1,012; 2013- this date 833; Coho 0, steelhead1, total 29, 2013- this date 84; Brown Trout, adults 0, total 148, 2013 this date 188.
Willow Creek Weir: CDFW is partially installed and the W.C. Weir but will NOT be operating it until the water temperatures drop to 70 degrees for fear of stressing the salmon too much and causing them to die. Very good decision!
Lower Klamath Creel Count: Week ending Aug. 26 Below Hwy 101, Chinook Harvested 445, total 699, Released 163, total 167: Steelhead Harvested 3, total 17, Released 112, total 299: Above Hwy 101, Chinook Harvested 818, total 1,356; Chinook Released 384, total 457; Steelhead Harvested adults12, total 66, Released adults 287, total 2,034, ˝-lbs 312, total 2,509.
Fishing: The flush has reduced the water temperatures and helped to reduce the blue-green algae. This morning we drove up to Del Loma for their fireman’s Breakfast and checked out the rover. The river looked very good but we saw very few fishermen out. We say lots of rafters and kayakers but not many fishermen. Yesterday several guides we out fishing the run and they reported landing several nice bright salmon to 15lbs and one up to 20lbs with a few nice adult steelhead in the mix. I surmise that these fresh salmon came up during the high water out of the Grays-Burnt Ranch Falls section. After breakfast we took a drive down river to the Teagmire Ranch below Horse Linto Creek and went out on their deck to look at the river. The river looked beautiful and we were able to watch 50-75 salmon and steelhead moving up the river towards Horse Linto Creek, all in about 1/2hr. this tells me that there are a lot of fish moving up the Trinity, both salmon and steelhead.
Mid-Klamath: Fishing is really picking up in the Weitchpec/Orleans area now that the water temps have dropped to the mid to high 60’s. Tommy Willson of Spey Gey Resort below Weitchpec told me that he has been seeing plenty of fresh fish coming up to the mouth of the Trinity. He was telling me that at any given moment you could count 15-20 fish going by with most of them going up the Trinity. Yesterday morning and evening one of his guests went down to the river fishing with a spinner and was able to catch and release 42 steelies over a four hour period. That sound to me like some very good fishing. My report from John H at E Ne Nuck was that salmon are still coming into camp at a very good pace even though you are only allowed one adult. Fly fishers wee also doing well fishing for ˝-pounders. There is still a light smote in the afternoons from the Happy Camp Fire but not to the point that one could not be able to camp and go fishing.
Trinity Lake: The Lake is 153ft. (a change of 4ft.) below the over flow and 29.5% of capacity (1.5 decrease) at 1:00pm today. Inflow to the lake is -192cfs and the Trinity Dam is releasing 1,011cfs to Lewiston Lake with 77cfs going on to Whiskytown Lake and then releasing 2,000cfs to the Sacramento River through Keswick Power plant.
Trinity River Flows and Conditions: Lewiston Dam releases are 934cfs, water temps are N/A and air is N/A degrees. Limekiln Gulch is 5.6ft at 957cfs, water temps are N/A and air is N/A; Douglas City is 5.6ft at 930cfs, water temps of N/A and air is 80. Junction City is 3.7ft at N/A cfs. Helena is 10ft at 922cfs with water temps of N/A. Cedar Flat is 3.8ft at 964cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 981cfs, air is 85, and water N/A. Hoopa is 12.1ft at 668cfs, water temps 71.2. Flows at the mouth of the Trinity at the Klamath are 1,838cfs and water temps are 69.8. At Weitchpec Bridge water temps are N/A and water temps at Tully Creek (below Trinity) on the Klamath are 71.8 degrees.
Klamath: Iron Gate Dam releases are 907cfs. Seiad Valley is 1.9ft at 997cfs. Happy Camp estimated at 1,020cfs. Somes Bar is estimated at 1,054cfs. Orleans is 3.2ft at 1,170cfs. Klamath at Terwer Creek is 8.1ft at 2,590cfs and water temps of 72.6 degrees. Smith River is 4.8ft at 266cfs.
Temperatures in the Valley last week were 98/54 degrees with 0 inches of rain, total rain to date 36.55 inches of rain and 2.5in of snow for the season. Temperatures in the Valley next week are expected to be 86/53 degrees. Mon-Tue, sunny; Wed, mostly sun; Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon-Tue, sunny.
Fish’en and Good Luck but remember; “Keep your tip up with a tight line lands fish.”
Websites:
www.MyOutdoorBuddy.com,
www.Willowcreekchamber.com,
from Willow Creek, CA
Phone
530-629-3554,
E-mail
yen2fish@yahoo.com
.
by E. B. Duggan
Where do I start!! Last week I got a phone call from Pine Cove Marina about dying fish all over Lewiston Lake. After talking to some of the CDFW biologists I know we were able to best determine that the thousands of salmoniod (yes I did say thousands) floating on the lake were Kokanee smolt. (Note: not for fact yet) These fish were all over the place, on the boat ramps, in the dam release shoots at the dam and along the shore line of the lake. To the best of my and my CDFW contacts ability we were able to determine that Trinity Lake had been drawn down to just above the “Cold Water Pool” of 600,000AF from all of the water releases going to the Sacramento and Trinity Rivers. Kokanee like to hold in this “cold water” refugeia just above the cold water pool of the lake and because the Bureau of Reclamation made the determination to ship 2,800 to 3,00cfs to the Central Valley Project Water Authority for the whole month of July, Trinity Lake water was drawn down to the “cold water pool” of 699,500AF (Acre Feet) thus sucking the Kokanee smolt into Lewiston Lake.
I am perplexed that BOR and the Secretary of Interior would not consider “all of the evident” about the problems of “2002 Fish Kill” and the blue-green algae problem at hand. Fishing is an industry just like farming; they both provide food for families and a living for families! Like the great orator Mark Twain once said “Whisky is for drinking and water is for fighting over”. Need I say more! It seems as though that is exactly what we are doing.
Today 8/31/14 the Klamath River Spit reached their quota of 619 Fall Chinook and will be closed to fishing Below the 101 Bridge
Sept 1.
Also 9/1/14 the Trinity River Falls area from the Hawkins Bar Bridge up to the Cedar Flat Hwy 299 West Bridge is closed to all fishing. On this same date the Trinity River from the mouth of South Fork to the confluence of the Klamath River is open to the take of Fall Chinook salmon. The limit is 3 fish per day, 1 adult and 2 jacks with a total of 9 salmon in possession, with no more than 3adults and 6 jacks in possession. So please mark your calendars as I don’t want fishermen to be getting citations.
The flush seems to have helped cleanse the Trinity of the blue-green algae and the river is looking very fishable. Right now Lewiston Lake is 934cfs into the Trinity River and the flows should slowly drop to 450cfs by Sept 14th.
Junction City Weir Count: Aug 26; Spring Chinook, adults 16, season total 1,012; 2013- this date 833; Coho 0, steelhead1, total 29, 2013- this date 84; Brown Trout, adults 0, total 148, 2013 this date 188.
Willow Creek Weir: CDFW is partially installed and the W.C. Weir but will NOT be operating it until the water temperatures drop to 70 degrees for fear of stressing the salmon too much and causing them to die. Very good decision!
Lower Klamath Creel Count: Week ending Aug. 26 Below Hwy 101, Chinook Harvested 445, total 699, Released 163, total 167: Steelhead Harvested 3, total 17, Released 112, total 299: Above Hwy 101, Chinook Harvested 818, total 1,356; Chinook Released 384, total 457; Steelhead Harvested adults12, total 66, Released adults 287, total 2,034, ˝-lbs 312, total 2,509.
Fishing: The flush has reduced the water temperatures and helped to reduce the blue-green algae. This morning we drove up to Del Loma for their fireman’s Breakfast and checked out the rover. The river looked very good but we saw very few fishermen out. We say lots of rafters and kayakers but not many fishermen. Yesterday several guides we out fishing the run and they reported landing several nice bright salmon to 15lbs and one up to 20lbs with a few nice adult steelhead in the mix. I surmise that these fresh salmon came up during the high water out of the Grays-Burnt Ranch Falls section. After breakfast we took a drive down river to the Teagmire Ranch below Horse Linto Creek and went out on their deck to look at the river. The river looked beautiful and we were able to watch 50-75 salmon and steelhead moving up the river towards Horse Linto Creek, all in about 1/2hr. this tells me that there are a lot of fish moving up the Trinity, both salmon and steelhead.
Mid-Klamath: Fishing is really picking up in the Weitchpec/Orleans area now that the water temps have dropped to the mid to high 60’s. Tommy Willson of Spey Gey Resort below Weitchpec told me that he has been seeing plenty of fresh fish coming up to the mouth of the Trinity. He was telling me that at any given moment you could count 15-20 fish going by with most of them going up the Trinity. Yesterday morning and evening one of his guests went down to the river fishing with a spinner and was able to catch and release 42 steelies over a four hour period. That sound to me like some very good fishing. My report from John H at E Ne Nuck was that salmon are still coming into camp at a very good pace even though you are only allowed one adult. Fly fishers wee also doing well fishing for ˝-pounders. There is still a light smote in the afternoons from the Happy Camp Fire but not to the point that one could not be able to camp and go fishing.
Trinity Lake: The Lake is 153ft. (a change of 4ft.) below the over flow and 29.5% of capacity (1.5 decrease) at 1:00pm today. Inflow to the lake is -192cfs and the Trinity Dam is releasing 1,011cfs to Lewiston Lake with 77cfs going on to Whiskytown Lake and then releasing 2,000cfs to the Sacramento River through Keswick Power plant.
Trinity River Flows and Conditions: Lewiston Dam releases are 934cfs, water temps are N/A and air is N/A degrees. Limekiln Gulch is 5.6ft at 957cfs, water temps are N/A and air is N/A; Douglas City is 5.6ft at 930cfs, water temps of N/A and air is 80. Junction City is 3.7ft at N/A cfs. Helena is 10ft at 922cfs with water temps of N/A. Cedar Flat is 3.8ft at 964cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 981cfs, air is 85, and water N/A. Hoopa is 12.1ft at 668cfs, water temps 71.2. Flows at the mouth of the Trinity at the Klamath are 1,838cfs and water temps are 69.8. At Weitchpec Bridge water temps are N/A and water temps at Tully Creek (below Trinity) on the Klamath are 71.8 degrees.
Klamath: Iron Gate Dam releases are 907cfs. Seiad Valley is 1.9ft at 997cfs. Happy Camp estimated at 1,020cfs. Somes Bar is estimated at 1,054cfs. Orleans is 3.2ft at 1,170cfs. Klamath at Terwer Creek is 8.1ft at 2,590cfs and water temps of 72.6 degrees. Smith River is 4.8ft at 266cfs.
Temperatures in the Valley last week were 98/54 degrees with 0 inches of rain, total rain to date 36.55 inches of rain and 2.5in of snow for the season. Temperatures in the Valley next week are expected to be 86/53 degrees. Mon-Tue, sunny; Wed, mostly sun; Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon-Tue, sunny.
Fish’en and Good Luck but remember; “Keep your tip up with a tight line lands fish.”
Websites:
www.MyOutdoorBuddy.com,
www.Willowcreekchamber.com,
from Willow Creek, CA
Phone
530-629-3554,
yen2fish@yahoo.com
.