Eel and Klamath Shad

[hwchubb]

A buddy and I were talking and realizing that it may be shad season before any rivers are fishable. He had heard third or fourth hand about the Klamath and Eel having shad fisheries. I know they have great fisheries in both the Umpqua and Columbia, so the rivers south of those would make sense, just have never heard them mentioned. Does anybody have any first hand experience with shad in either the Eel or Klamath? Just wondering, not trying to steal any secret hotspots (although you can PM those to me if the mood strikes you).

[Alosa]

My understanding is that shad runs in the Klamath and Eel were solid until the early 1990s. Shad in the Eel are really hard to come by, and not that much better in the Klamath. You can get them in the lower section of the Klamath, but they are far and few between and typically 1-2 year old fish. Your best bet along the West coast are (in order of spawning run size): 1) Columbia, 2) Sacramento (American/Feather/Yuba), and 3) Umpqua. There is also a run on the Russian River, but there aren't many and it's not worth the drive from the Sacramento area to pursue them given that the American/Sacramento/Feather/Yuba are right in your backyard.

[jack_salmon99]

Trinity River - American shad were observed at the Willow Creek Weir site in the mid to late 1980's (below Campora Propane east of town). I assumed they couldn't get past Greys Falls. I'll ask if DFG has seen them recently.

I heard that guys fished A-shad on the Eel at the confluence with the Van Duzen River.

[Bkane]

I've caught them in Hoopa Valley, the Klamath and even above Ishi Pishi falls. None on purpose.

[Alosa]

even above Ishi Pishi falls

I'm genuinely surprised by this given the nature of Ishi Pishi. That is a substantial barrier that most shad populations don't experience in their native range...

[Bruce Slightom]

In high water years shad will be above Ishi Pishi falls, not many. In low water years they stack up below the falls and head up the Salmon and Trinity.

[hwchubb]

Wow - thanks for all the responses. Sounds like worth a try if you're in the area, but not so much a destination fishery. Now to figure out an excuse for being in the area...

Also think this might be one of those high water years!

[Alosa]

Wow - thanks for all the responses. Sounds like worth a try if you're in the area, but not so much a destination fishery. Now to figure out an excuse for being in the area...

Also think this might be one of those high water years!

If you catch any from the Eel, I'd really like to know about it. Thanks in advance.

[Idadon]

During my college years at Humboldt, 68-70, there were runs up the Eel. They would stack up just below the diversion dam that was by that huge lumber mill close to Scotia. Don't know if they ever made it above that dam but it was fun fishing back then. I looked at Google Earth and it looks like that dam is no longer functioning. I seem to remember that there was a serious danger immediately below that dam.

[Carl Blackledge]

I found a few shad in the Rogue River "clay banks area" as a by-product of King Salmon fishing in the middle of August, not many, but a couple a day.

Carl