Klamath Shad

[TahoeJoe]

We caught some babies while steelhead fishing last year and I was wondering if, and when, there might be a run worth fishing.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

April/May/June is when I would look for them......but a long river.

Al Perryman, in Southern Oregon, fishes Shad in the Umpqua.

[TahoeJoe]

Thanks Bill.

My kid lives in Humboldt County and was wondering if he should go fishing for them. He'd probably just go to Klamath Glen and swing some flies off the gravel bars there. Too far for me to go to try, but maybe he can go up there and hit it just right. It might be too late in the year already for down low in the river?

[DPLee]

Historically the Klamath has supported a good shad run. Water temperatures at Klamath Glen are in the low 60’s F. right now, just a little late for the first migrations. American shad on the West Coast seem to begin to enter freshwater rivers when water temperatures are in the mid to upper 50's. I suspect the Klamath is comparable. The lower Klamath River provides many miles of possible shad holding water making finding fish somewhat difficult. Nonetheless, swinging a fly at Blake’s Riffle in the evening might be productive.

Dennis
www.dennisplee.com

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks Dennis.....

[TahoeJoe]

Thanks Dennis. I passed on the information. He might just give it a go.

--Joe

[Bruce Slightom]

For several years a group of us would do a float and bloat trip on the Klamath from Happy Camp to Green Riffle on Memorial Day week end.

Years with high water we would see shad above Ishi Pishi Falls. Years with low water shad would go up the Salmon and Trinity.

Favorite place to fish was the Ikes.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Amazing information Bruce......


Where is the Ikes?

[Bruce Slightom]

The Ikes are a set of three rapids down stream from the confluence of the Klamath and the Salmon.

[TahoeJoe]

Thanks Bruce. It's interesting that the Shad can get past the Ikes and even above Ishi Pishi.

In a year like this, I imagine that the Ikes would be as far as they get.