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/articl...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