The weather here in Willow Creek has been HOT!! The weather forecast for last the week in Willow Creek has been far from accurate. We have been having temperatures of 98 to 105 on my front porch for the last five days. So, if Willow Creek is having this type of temperatures, what has the upper Trinity been experiencing? I know that the upper river has had tons of gravel dumped into it for the last 10 years, supposedly to help salmon spawning, but to date the Trinity River Restoration Program has not produced any evidence to prove that that has ever happened. While the gravel has widened and shallowed the river, with the high temperatures, it has created the largest filamentous (moss) bloom the river has ever seen. Guides that have fished the upper river for 25 years have told me that they have never seen this much moss in the river in all of their fishing days. I guided on the Trinity River for 22 years before retiring and have watched the moss growth increase over the years so I had to go see for myself. This is the worst I have ever seen on the river. Maybe the TRRP/TMC should stop their restoration projects and start reviewing their results. Where is all the supposed salmon they were going to produce? I have not seen them. If it were true then we would not have all the restrictions imposed upon us for salmon fishing and there would be open salmon fishing seasons. 

Junction City weir trapping: week of Jul 2 – Jul 8 jacks 7, adults 65, total 72, season total 784. The Junction City weir trapping showed several days of only 2-8 fish per day. Is all the moss (algae) in the upper river part of the problem or the heated water (75.9 degrees) the problem?

Fishing: Lewiston Dam is now releasing summer flows of 484cfs. Fishing for spring salmon has dropped off to a mere trickle from the reports of the guides I have been able to contact. What a shame after all the millions of dollars the TRRP/TMC has spent to make the Trinity River an improved fishery. Todd LeBoeuf of Tiger TS Guide service was able to finally land three fish after three days of no fish to be hooked. His client, JR, finally was able to land two salmon and one German Brown. Good fishing JR. Liam Gogan of Trinity Outfitters was finally able to get his client a fish after two days of hard fishing and several days of no fish. The big problem was all the moss and continuous stopping to clear the lines.

Mid-Klamath: Iron Gate Dam is releasing summer flows of 1,023cfs. Because of the fires in Siskiyou and Modoc Counties, plus the R Ranch being closed because of fire, the Upper Klamath has been closed to fishing and is under mandatory evacuation. I am not sure if Siead Valley is open to fishing yet because of fire and I am unable to reach my contact there. In most part, the mid Klamath has shut down for trout fishing and trying to find any cold water for spring salmon is very hard to do. Right now, there is a fire in the Wetchpec area so Highway 196 is closed for firefighting purposes.

Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 99% of capacity (an increase of 0%) with inflows of 1,735cfs and releasing 1,850cfs into Clear Creek and on to Keswick. Shasta is 75% (a decrease of 3% and 6ft) with inflows of 3,183cfs and releasing 10,204cfs, Keswick is 92% of capacity (a decrease of 2%) with inflows of 12,619cfs and releasing 13,139cfs; Oroville Lake is 60%  capacity (a decrease of 2% & minus 7ft), inflow is 1,315cfs and releases are 6,634cfs; Folsom Lake is 76% of capacity minus 5%  & minus 5ft.) inflows are 2,072cfs and releases are 5,486cfs.

Trinity Lake: the Lake is 51ft below the over flow (a decrease of 2ft) and 70% of capacity (1% decrease) Inflow to  Trinity Lake is 57cfs and Trinity Dam is releasing 2,079 to Lewiston Lake with 1,595cfs going to Whiskeytown Lake and on to Keswick Power Plant which is releasing 13,139cfs into the Sacramento River.

Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam releases are 484cfs with water temps of 53 degrees and air at 70 at 9:00am today. Limekiln Gulch is 4.9ft at 442cfs, with water temps of 54 degrees.  Douglas City is 6.3ft at 459cfs, water temps of 58.9 degrees and air is 70. Junction City is 1.8ft at 426cfs.  Helena is 8.7ft at 439cfs with water temps of 64.2. Cedar Flat is 2.7ft at 529cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 617cfs and air is 72 with water at 70. Hoopa is 11.5ft at 711cfs with water temps of 75.9.  Flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at Klamath River are estimated to be 2,531cfs.

Klamath: Iron Gate Dam releases are 1,023cfs.  Seiad Valley is 2ft at 1,137cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 1,197cfs, Salmon River is 1.9ft at 315cfs, Somes Bar is estimated at 1,505cfs and Orleans is 3ft. at 1,820cfs and the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 8.2ft at 2,804cfs, with water temperatures of 73.4 degrees. (Water temps are too high for salmon, therefore, the salmon are reluctant to enter the river) Flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 5ft at 381cfs.

The low temperature in the Valley last week was 52, but ran 60 to 63 usually/ but the high was 105 with 0.00in of rain with a season total of 68.48in of rain and a total of 4.15in of snow. Temperatures in the valley next week are expected to run  98/61 degrees with sunshine for the week or so. Expect hot daytime weather and some cooler nights.   

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