Middle Klamath River

[toby]

Does anyone know if the middle river will be fishable this fall. I am curious of the water clarity.
I miss that river.

[Smitty Fish]

It might be. As soon as we get a big storm, I’m guessing it’ll be done for a while. Check with Ashland fly shop before you go.
They might know more.

I miss that river also. Very special place.
Good luck.

[Bob Smith]

Does anyone know if the middle river will be fishable this fall. I am curious of the water clarity.
I miss that river.

A week ago the visibility was 4" just above Somes Bar at Marble Mountain Ranch. If you have access to Facebook, they are posting weekly reports on river conditions.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564413865775

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I was taken to the Klamath River in the 1960s by Joe Shirshac, US Navy and fire fighter, who started fishing it in 1954.

The fishing was amazing when I was exposed to the river in the Fall.

Campgrounds and trailer parks were full of folks from the Great Generation, who went through the Great Depression and World War II.

Joe liked to road fish from Happy Camp down to the mouth of the Triunity River.

He knew where to park and walk down into the best runs for fly fishing.

We did this early and late and at midday we visited his old friends in the trailer parks.

Joe had a Suburban and a large travel trailer so we were very comfortable.

Sometimes he would put a chicken in his crockpot in the morning.


Old Joe was the best friend of my lifetime and took care of me and my fly shop for over 30 years.


I am so happy that in 5, 10 or even 20 years the Klamath River might be as good or better than it was when I first fished it.


I could write stories about the Klamath River forever.

[itsbenlong]

I have fished the Klamath for a long time and wanted to add something some may not be thinking about. This is mainly to those who walk and wade but also those who disembark rafts and drift boats. I am usually somewhere between Seiad Valley and Orleans. Last year, before the dams came down and after the fires, the water clarity wasn't great, but 10 times better than it is now. However, the clarity was the least of our issues, it was all the ash & silt that has settled everywhere. Some sections were so bad, you couldn't even fish there because you would get stuck in it up to your knees. In many places it went all the way out to the seam and you couldn't feel any rocks below. In some spots it was very slippery, like wet clay. Anyway, I'm still going to swing by in a week or two but I can't imagine it being anything but worse than last year. Also, there is still a lot of ash in the mountains and the storms will move it down into the river along with the silt. So, not saying it is going to be terrible, but that is what I am expecting.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I am excited for the river's future and my grandsons, who are in their twenties.

Thanks for the post.





Today, people can fly fish the Rogue River into November, with October being the best up near Medford.

Please feel free to contact me if you need some info on the middle Rogue River.



Some will be going to the Trinity, Umpqua, Deschutes and the Jon Day rivers this Fall.



Be sure to check on the Regs and water conditions.

[itsbenlong]

Me too Bill, can't wait to see how it turns out. I'll most likely be retired right around the time it sorts itself out, so good times a comin'! lol

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

That is good thinking.

I will be 80 in March and live in Florida, so I don't think I will see that wonderful river again, but many others will.







I was so fortunate that I was taken to the Klamath River by old Joe Shirshac who started flyfishing

up there in 1954, after World War II. Over the past 50-plus years, in the fly fishing business, many others,

those old Klamath River fans would come in for supplies for the Fall steelhead up there and trade stories with us.

Over all those years I was fortunate to be able to fish about 80% of the length of that river.

Someday, people will go up there for a week, a month, or even two months to fish the beautiful river.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

That is good thinking.

I will be 80 in March and live in Florida, so I don't think I will see that wonderful river again, but many others will.







I was so fortunate that I was taken to the Klamath River by old Joe Shirshac who started flyfishing

up there in 1954, after World War II. Over the past 50-plus years, in the fly fishing business, many others,

those old Klamath River fans would come in for supplies for the Fall steelhead up there and trade stories with us.

Over all those years I was fortunate to be able to fish about 80% of the length of that river.

Someday, people will go up there for a week, a month, or even two months to fish the beautiful river.

[Bob Smith]

The Klamath River above Weitchpec is still running at a chocolate milk color and remains unfishable. I honestly don't see any scenario where the mainstem will be fishable for steelhead this fall/winter. When the final coffer dams were pulled - the river really mucked up again and after a few weeks, shows zero sign of clearing up. For those with Facebook access - the Marble Mountain Ranch (which is a fly fishing outfitter) has been monitoring the situation with weekly updates of the river visibility (currently 3"). They are located a bit upriver from Somes Bar where the Salmon River enters.