Lower Klamath R

[Terry Thomas]

Spent four days on the lower Klamath River last week, the slowest that I have seen it in years. Fished from Terwers to Blue Creek and found almost no half pounders. There's tons of smolts in the system and a few nice adults, however, a surprising lack of the usual hp run. Some guides are speculating that the release of higher flows a couple weeks ago encouraged them to push up river. I hope they are correct! The river is even warmer than normal for mid August, 72.5 early to 75.3 in the afternoon.

The spit has been hosting hundreds of "anglers" for the past few weeks. Last week we went down and watched over 200 individuals chuck heavy lead weights with leaders @10' with a bead and hook...amazing! Four wardens were there checking things out and issuing citations for barbed hooks. The quota started on the 15th so that should be filled by now. Hopefully, new regulations will be in place next year to eliminate this fiasco. Our most excitement for the trip was having an adult mountain lion come down on the bar with us and then swim across.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks for the report Terry......

[NCL]

I was in the camp above where the lion came out. Saturday evening I actually caught 5 or 6 small shad but that was it for my catching rate.

[Terry Thomas]

Here's a shot by Kenny Priest. Kenny writes the outdoor column in the Eureka newspaper.

[grnwtrs]

I used to go by there, the spit on the Klamath just before the mouth, on my way North to Oregon.
Always saw a lot of people fishing there, thought it was always open?

I guess the last 10 years, especially the last 5 have had a real impact on the area.
Sure is sad the way they have "regulated" the water.

I did fish the area under the bridge when camping at Prairie Creek in late August one year.
The family's first time there, saw one fish(steelhead) caught in that area AM, then one in the PM!
Not real hot for the early run, by the way , that count was for both sides of the river.

Spent a week doing that, plus walking up on a Elk near the campsite convinced me
that I had no idea how to fish there, and move back up to back up river above
Bluff Creek where I could have a little more of a comfortable fishing.

One year I talked with a couple of fellows, and they said they followed the fish
They had started out in Eureka. then moved to the Klamath, then up to the Smith,
and then back on the road to home!!.

That is the good life!

Regards,gene

[Digger]

Klamath River anglers in the Spit Area (within 100 yards of the channel through the sand spit formed at the Klamath River mouth) will have caught their sub-quota of 167 adult fall-run Chinook salmon by sundown on Monday, Aug 22, 2016. Therefore, the Spit Area will be closed to fishing one hour after dark.

Only the Spit Area is affected by this closure. Fishing downstream of the Highway 101 Bridge in the estuary will be unaffected until the lower river quota of 555 adult fall-run Chinook salmon over 22 inches is met. Once that number is met, anglers will still be able to fish but will have to release any Chinook salmon over 22 inches. As of Aug. 22, 2016, the lower Klamath River tally is 188 salmon caught.

The Klamath River above the confluence with the Trinity River will remain open until 189 adult Chinook are caught in this area.

The quota on the Trinity River is 183 adult Chinook from the confluence with the Klamath River up to Cedar Flat, and 183 adult Chinook from Cedar Flat up to the Old Lewiston Bridge

[Idadon]

Last August the Locals went out on the spit with heavy equipment and managed to re-direct the river mouth. Closed off the long channel and made a very short entrance. Looks like they were blocked or unable to do that this year. Last year there was much less "Standing Room" to fish on. It is quite a Show!

[Dragking]

Groundhogs Day: http://www.times-standard.com/article/NJ/20160819/NEWS/160819856

[JayDubP]

I have only been at the mouth of Klamath once, in 1973. Wife & I were taking her first camping trip and visited the mouth on our way to Orleans area.

Not only were there shoulder to shoulder people on the banks, but there were small rowboat type boats lined up in the middle-- basically side to side. I remember some of the people in the boats were wearing hard hats...which I thought was funny until I saw a banker cast a big chunk of lead into a boat.

I do remember a shop selling salmon jerky that was very good.

It was a circus in 1973 and I never felt the need to return.

From the picture, it appears there are 2-3X more anglers than the salmon quota.

[Digger]

Increased flows on the Trinity are on the way, temps at Hoopa shown
unfortunately air temps inland remain above 90 all week

[SeanO]

Increased flows on the Trinity are on the way, temps at Hoopa shown
unfortunately air temps inland remain above 90 all week

Man that is really warm for salmon.

Thanks, Digger,

[Terry Thomas]

On my original post I forgot to state that on the last morning at first light we found a dime bright salmon on the bank below Blue Creek. Upon investigation, we saw evidence of gill rot. Pictures were taken and sent to the tribe to try and get the increase in flows started earlier. Fortunately, there doesn't seem to be a lot of salmon in the system, however, the conditions are in place for another potential die off.

[Digger]

Every year at this time we go through this scenario.
I am surprised though that the fishery has been given somewhat of a priority.
Even as the reservoirs have been depleted in this drought, flows were increased the last couple years.
Tough decisions over a precious commodity. Demands from too many needs.

As anglers we see a pretty straight forward, perhaps myopic resolution.
For us, no flows = no fish. If it were only that simple.

The good news is Lewiston releases are now going to 1250 by the weekend.
Iron Gate is cutting back, perhaps that's good since that is warm water.

[Rossflyguy]

Every year at this time we go through this scenario.
I am surprised though that the fishery has been given somewhat of a priority.
Even as the reservoirs have been depleted in this drought, flows were increased the last couple years.
Tough decisions over a precious commodity. Demands from too many needs.

As anglers we see a pretty straight forward, perhaps myopic resolution.
For us, no flows = no fish. If it were only that simple.

The good news is Lewiston releases are now going to 1250 by the weekend.
Iron Gate is cutting back, perhaps that's good since that is warm water.


Only problem with too many "demands" is most are for self greed. Like setting up farms in the DESERT and expecting your farm to flourish.

[Digger]

Agree, but the govmnnt helped create such visions?

But a bigger view of all the issues that affect water uses, I think shows that we are all somewhat responsible.
ag industry gives us food year round, raising cattle, etc, etc.

Try and catch "Killing the Colorado" on Discovery channel if you can

[Twigs]

I just returned from 3 days of fishing from Weitchpec down to the end of the road at Johnsons/Pecwan with a number of guys and it was terrible! Worst ever! Granted, it was early but we usually catch fish including some of those big "summer steelhead" that start to show in July. The temps had been as high as 75 mouth of Trinity and 75 on there K, but by Sunday the temps were getting right with the release of col water from Trinity starting on Thursday the 25th. (1300 cfs) I thought of sure that would kick things into gear but no dice.

To complicate matters, some wacko lit three fires just up the ridge from the Martin's Ferry Bridge so they closed the road from there down off and on for the entire time. Driving down to the lower river meant dodging fire trucks and Cal Fire folks... not to mention the "Road Closed" signs. The fire was all but out Sunday night and they started pulling crews out, but then on Sunday night the wind howled and I think the fire came back.

By yesterday morning I'd had enough but decided to drive over the hill to Requa to see what was happening. First I went to Blake's Riffle and talked with 3 guys who had 1 14" HP between them after a morning's fishing. Not inspired by that news I drove out to the spit to see what was happening. Ideally the mouth would blow straight out, but now it is this 300 yard long ribbon about 20 yards wide that goes way down the beach and pops out near the rocks on the far end of the south side. The water was really rolling and lots and lots of fish were entering! Sea lions were getting fish just off the mouth in the ocean while others were in the channel/gauntlet nailing the occasional fish. We stood on the high banks and watched tons of fish swim by in the shallower water just under us. After three days of NADA it was interesting, and nobody else was there! It looked possible to get down into the channel some 10 feet below and fish from the side, but any fish hooked would have been nailed by a sea lion. More importantly, it looked entirely possible that with one false step or a sand bank collapse you would be washed to your death out the mouth and drowned. Or, into the mouth of Lord knows what. There were two orcas reportedly seen on Thursday. In any event, I was spent and drove home.

It probably went crazy last night!

[Digger]

friggin fat ass mammals

I would guess they may have shot up to Blue Creek and are holding there until it cools some more.

Temps now are at about 70 or just below at the lower River
farther up on the Trinity at Hoopa, temps dropped to mid-60's
BOR says Lewiston will continue to dump water until early/mid Sept depending on conditions

[Terry Thomas]

I guess there was no one there because the quota for adult salmon has been met from the mouth to the 96 bridge. Those fish are looking to get up river and not taking a fly or bead. They are being "flosed" on their way up. The wardens agree, but there is nothing they can do because they are snagged in the mouth, my opinion as well.

[Alosa]

I was in the camp above where the lion came out. Saturday evening I actually caught 5 or 6 small shad but that was it for my catching rate.

I'm interested to hear about these shad. Do you think they were spawned out adults, or perhaps immature fish? It seems that catching shad on the Klamath is pretty rare, even though they've been reported from that river for years....

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Klamath River flows and temps....


Iron Gate Dam = 890cfs

Seiad Valley = 1030cfs

Orleans = 1560cfs - 70.9 degrees

At Klamath near the mouth = 2830cfs - 70.5 degrees


Our Klamath River info page:

http://www.kiene.com/portfolio-view/klamath-river/

.

[NCL]

I'm interested to hear about these shad. Do you think they were spawned out adults, or perhaps immature fish? It seems that catching shad on the Klamath is pretty rare, even though they've been reported from that river for years....

The fish I landed were all cookie cutter size of about 6 to 8 inches. In addition to the fish landed I had a number of hits that I would attribute to the same fish. I would say the fish I saw were immature fish.

[Alosa]

The fish I landed were all cookie cutter size of about 6 to 8 inches. In addition to the fish landed I had a number of hits that I would attribute to the same fish. I would say the fish I saw were immature fish.

Thanks. Sounds like last years spawn that have 'held-over' in the river. I'm guessing you were down low in the river and close to the estuary, right? They've been caugth as far up as Ishi Pishi Falls, but I've tried getting them up there (for research purposes with the blessing of the Karuk tribe) but with no luck.

[NCL]

Thanks. Sounds like last years spawn that have 'held-over' in the river. I'm guessing you were down low in the river and close to the estuary, right? They've been caugth as far up as Ishi Pishi Falls, but I've tried getting them up there (for research purposes with the blessing of the Karuk tribe) but with no luck.

I'm not that familiar with the river but I think the guide said it was McCoy's. I would guesstimate we were 5 or 6 miles above the boat ramp

[TaylerW]

Last year after spending the entire season on the river we very clearly noticed changes from previous seasons. There was almost a total lack of our half pounders. They generally come earlier and follow kings. With the poor king run it was really no surprise. There was still some epic fishing, but nothing compared to 2013

[Digger]

Temps in the river have dropped into 60's at this point and
Looks like flows out of Lewiston are being cut back as BOR said they would.
At least if the weather doesn't get to awful hot, the Klamath & Trinity
Should be in decent shape soon.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I think Terry Thomas might be heading up there again soon.

Flow near mouth is 3,100cfs and temp is 66.6 degrees

Terry said Half-pounders ere finally spread out.

Salmon were closed.

[njbeast]

Need advise Bill. Have a trip planned for the Klamath for salmon in a month. First trip for my wife and my buddies wife. I thought they would enjoy the float. My guide just called and said trolling in the brackish water near the mouth of the Eel might be better since the Klamath is having so many problems...or we can move the trip toward the end of October. Any suggestions? Appreciate the help..

[Terry Thomas]

You have read that the salmon quota has been filled from the mouth to the 96 bridge. However, you can still keep two jacks and hatchery steelhead.

[Craig Nielsen]

Terry:
From your report doesn't it seem a bit too warm to be catching and releasing wild steelhead on the Klamath?

[Terry Thomas]

Craig
The water temps on our last trip were in the mid 60's.