At the April Fish & Game Commission meeting in Sacramento, the commissioners accepted a petition for listing the Spring Chinook salmon as a threatened species from the Tribes and notified the public that the spring salmon fishery was closed to the take of any salmon. That meant NO FISHING FOR SALMON! Later the commission, with the recommendation from CDFW, set a date of July 1 to Aug. 31 for a season on Spring Chinook of; 1 salmon per day and 2 salmon in possession. This meant to me that no one could keep more than 2 Spring Chinook salmon after July 1st, anyone! Are we different than Tribal members, because there are nets out in the Trinity River on the Hoopa Reservation? If I can’t fish for salmon then why should it be any different for Tribal members. I thought that the idea of not fishing for Spring Salmon was to protect the spring run from extinction. If we are trying to prevent the loss of a species of salmon then everyone should help and obey the law. It was the tribes that petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission to list the Spring Run of Chinook salmon.

Fish Derby: It is that time of year for the Fish Lake “Kids Fish Derby”. Saturday June 22nd at Fish Lake the “Kids Fish Derby” will be held, starting at 7:00am sign up, 9:00am fishing, casting and raffle prizes start, 12:00pm fishing and casting ends. 12:00 to 1:30pm free Hot Dog lunch, 2:00pm handing out prizes. There will be raffle drawings for extra prizes during the fishing. All kids are welcome from the ages of pre-school through 8th grade with a responsible adult at sign up.

Boat Races: The Willow Creek Hydroplane Boat Races were this past weekend, so fishing was poor on the river in the Willow Creek area. Each year, water providing, there is a series of Boat Races on the Lower Trinity. One in the Hoopa and one in the Willow Creek area from Big Rock to South Fork. This past Weekend was Willow Creeks turn. Therefore, that is why fishing was poor in the Willow Creek. The races are always exciting but it stirs up the river and the fishing goes away for the weekend. I would say about Tuesday or Wednesday the fishing for steelhead and trout should pick up again. 

Fishing: Fishing for trout and steelhead in the lower river should stat to improve as the river flows drop down to summer water flows. The summer run of steelhead is just about over but with the fish releases moving through the lower river and more bugs and fly hatches coming about there should be some action on the Lower Trinity.

Mid-Klamath: The Klamath at Weitchpec is flowing about 12,683cfs so there isn’t very much action as fare as fishing goes. The Upper Klamath is about in the same shape right not as Iron Gate is releasing 2,917 into the Klamath. I would hope that these higher water flows are about to start to reduce and fishing above I-5 will pick up again once the releases get below 1,200cfs out of Iron Gate.

Lake Conditions:  Whiskeytown is 99% of capacity (an increase of 0%) with inflows 3,612cfs and releasing 3,437cfs on to Keswick and the Sacramento River. Shasta is 98% of capacity (an increase of 0% plus 1ft) with inflows of 9,117cfs and releasing 9,511cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 91% (a decrease of 7%) with inflows of 41,545cfs and releasing 12,899cfs into the Sacramento river. Oroville Lake is 97% of capacity (an increase of 0% minus 1ft) with inflows of 9,473cfs with releases of 11,604cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 97% of capacity (an increase of 1% plus 0ft) with inflows of 11,446cfs with releases of 15,355cfs into the American river.

Trinity Lake: the lake is 5ft below the overflow (an increase of 1ft) and 97% of capacity (a decrease of 1%) and inflows are 3,153cfs and releases are 6,058cfs into Lewiston Lake with  580cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown Lake and on to Keswick Power Plant, which is releasing12,897cfs into the Sacramento River.

Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam releases are 2,321cfs and water temperatures of 47.8 degrees and air at N/A as of 11:00am today Sunday June 9, 2019. Limekiln Gulch is 6.95ft at 2,435cfs and water temps of 47.4. Douglas City is 8.86ft and flows of 2,768cfs. with air temps of 81 and water at 47.5 degrees. Junction City is 4.95ft at 2,650cfs. Helena is 13.14ft at 2,943cfs with water temps of 48.3 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is 7.53ft at 3,532cfs. South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 3.7ft at 630cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 5,162cfs and air is 78 degrees and water at 55 degrees. Hoopa is 15.31ft at 5,144cfs and water is 58 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath are estimated to be 12,683cfs.

Klamath: Iron Gate is releasing 2,917cfs. Seiad Valley is 5.67ft at 4,950cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 4,972cfs, the Salmon River is 3.69ft at 1,572cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 5,967cfs. Orleans is 6.45ft at 7,539cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 12.64ft at 14,658cfs and water temps of 59.1 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jedia Smith is 6.12ft and flows of 1,010cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 12.78ft at N/A cfs. Temperatures in the Valley last week were 97 hi with a low of 43. Rain for the week was 0.00in with total rain for the water year to date of 67.6 inches, with snow of 4.5in. in the valley to date. Forecast for temperatures next week are expected to reach 105 with a low of 62, the prediction is for sunshine the first part of the week then a scattering of clouds and then more of the bright guy. (Sunshine and some more heat)

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