The rains have backed off for the time being and the Trinity is clearing fast in the upper sections which should translate into great “Winter Steelhead” fishing. There is plenty of steelhead in the upper river from Del Loma all the way up to Lewiston with a good mix of native and hatchery fish in the river. From Junction City up to Lewiston the river is drift able and from JC to Del Loma the river is fishable from the bank. By the weekend the Trinity should be fishable from the bank down to Cedar Flat. Cedar Flat to the South Fork you will have to pick your spots in order to fish from the bank. Roe or night crawlers would be the best choices for bait. In the upper reaches flies are working best with skein patterns number uno and then use the standard patterns for that area, Golden or Black Stonefly rubber legs, Black Wooly Bugger or Burlap Specials, then go to your nymphs. Most of the downriver sections of the Trinity are very high and muddy from the South Fork down to Hoopa. Hoopa is at 17ft and hard fishing.

The Humboldt Steelhead Days are over but I have not received the results from the Photo Contest yet and will be trying to get them ASAP. Most of the time during the fishing contest ALL of the rivers were high and not fishable. There were a couple of days that some areas were fishable but not many and it was mostly locals that knew where to fish during that time. I tried but came up blank as the water was just too high and muddy.

Trinity River Hatchery: TRH counts for fall run Salmon is done as of Dec. 31, Chinook salmon total 5,342; Coho salmon total 3,024. The week of Feb. 4, 2016, Steelhead this week, 238 for a season total of 3,175.

Fishing: The Lower Trinity from the South Fork down was just too high and muddy to fish and probably won’t come into fishing conditions until next week sometime. Your best bet would be to call ahead to make sure that area is fishable. Like I said earlier, fishing from the bank is possible from Del Loma to Junction City and from JC up to Lewiston one could fish from a boat of raft. You might want to give the Upper Trinity a try within the next week or so before we start to get some more rain. There has been very little fishing pressure so now would be probably you best shot a hooking one of those “Winter Steelhead”.

Mid Klamath: the Klamath is still flowing super big form I-5 down but could start to clear up some down to Happy Camp in the next week or so. Iron Gate Dam is releasing 1,860cfs and Seiad Valley is down to 4,430cfs and with no rain in the next week or so that section of the Klamath could be fishable. If you know someone in the area it would be advisable to call and find out what the river conditions are.

Reservoir Conditions: Whiskeytown is 86% of capacity, inflow is 427cfs, releases are 217cfs; Shasta is 54% of capacity (plus 10ft.), inflow are 4,606cfs, releases are 2,086cfs; Keswick is 73% of capacity and inflow is 2,333cfs and releasing 2,999cfs; Lake Orville is 46% of capacity (plus 21ft); inflow is 6,019cfs, and releases are 533cfs. Lake Folsom is 60% of capacity (plus 20ft.), inflow is 4,722cfs and releases are 1,407cfs.

Trinity Lake: The Lake is 151ft (an increase of 6ft.) below the overflow and 29% of capacity (2% increase) Inflow to Trinity Lake is 1,650cfs and the Trinity Dam is releasing 526cfs to Lewiston Lake with 214cfs going to Whiskeytown Lake and on to the Keswick Power Plant with 2,994cfs being released to the Sacramento River.

Trinity River Flows and Conditions: Lewiston Dam releases are 312cfs, water temps are 44.8 and air is 40 degrees at 10:00a.m. today. Limekiln Gulch is 5ft at 437cfs, water temps are 43.9 and air is 42; Douglas City is 6.6ft at 640cfs, water temps of 49.4 and air is 42. Junction City is 3.1ft at 905cfs. Helena is 10.5ft at 1,170cfs with water temps of 45.5. Cedar Flat is 6.2ft at 2,380cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 4,440s, air is 46, and water 55, Hoopa is 17.6ft at 8,220cfs, water temps of 47.7. Flows at the mouth of the Trinity at Klamath are estimated to be 20.7Kcfs.

Klamath: Iron Gate Dam releases are 1,860cfs. Seiad Valley is 5.3ft at 4,430cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 5,027cfs. Somes Bar is estimated at 9.4Kcfs. Orleans is 9.1ft. at 12.5Kcfs. Klamath at Terwer Creek is 15.6ft at 26.2Kcfs and water temperatures of 47.1 degrees. Flows at Smith River, Dr. Fine Bridge are 9ft at 4,290cfs.

Temperatures in the Valley last week were 56/38 degrees with 0.8 inches of rain with a season total of 491.15in of rain and 1.35in. of snow. Temperatures in the valley next week are expected to be 71/44 degrees, with the possibility of showers Friday and Sunday. Good fishing weather.

Websites: MyOutdoorBuddy.com, Willowcreekchamber.com,
from Willow Creek, CA Phone 530-629-3554, E-mail yen2fish@yahoo.com