The Spring Salmon have been running through fairly strong last week. The Hoopa have been netting good quantities of them as they move up the river. As the counts goes the Junction City weir saw a good count last week, 286 adults.

As you may have seen or read that Tom Stokely representing the Save California Salmon and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association has given notice to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Bureau of Reclamation that they need to change the water temperatures in the Water Quality Control Plan. He has stated that the water temperatures in the Trinity River are not low enough for the Coho salmon to survive and that the Cold-Water Pool for the Lake is not enough for keeping the river cold enough temperatures for the eggs to hatch. This has been an ongoing discussion for many years. The Lake needs to hold more water for fall releases in order for the smolt to make it down to the estuary. Coho salmon is listed as an endangered species for the North Coast. What with the drought and low water levels in the Lake BOR needs rethink the needs of the river instead of shipping so much water over the hill? Right now, June 20, 2022, Trinity Lake holds 727,165AF, last year at this time the Lake held 1,200,691AF of water, the capacity of Trinity Lake is 2,447,650AF. With not much snow pack for the last couple of years it is hard to reach the capacity of the Lake. We as fishermen need to speak up!

Scott River screw trapping summary: an estimate of 444,432 age 0+ Chinook Salmon have out-migrated from the Scott River from Jan. 13 to Jun. 10, 2022 and an estimated 81,303 age 1+ Coho have out migrated; this week 29,931 age 0+ and 67 age 1+ Chinook; 546 age 0+ and 1,744 age 1+ Coho salmon have out-migrated this week.

Shasta River screw trapping summary: an estimated 1,497,650 Chinook salmon aged 0+ and 2,378 Coho aged 1+ have outmigrating form the Shasta Rive for the week of  June 10, 2022; 380,365 aged 0+ and 31 aged 1+ Chinook salmon have outmigrated; 245 aged 0+ and 549 aged 1+ Coho out-migrated out last week.

Junction City weir summary: Julian week 24 ending June 17,2022; 286 adult Chinook, 6 jack, total 289, season total400; 0 Coho; 4 steelhead, total 4, season total 7; 1 Brown trout, total 1, season total 1.

Fishing: Summer is here. With this crazy weather one would think it is still spring. The good news is that the Spring run of Chinook salmon are blowing through. Fishing is open for steelhead the whole river but no taking of salmon from the South Fork down to the confluence of the Klamath. Above the South Fork of the Trinity and the Lower Klamath from the Weitchpec Bridge to the mouth of the Klamath opens July1,2022. Limit is 1 Chinook salmon per day over 23 inches and 2 in possession. “It looks like we might have a good run this year or they are coming in early”, as per CDFW. This sounds good to me but the “the proof-of-the-pudding” will be later in the season. I sure hope so.

Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 5,033cfs. This is a decrease of 1,541cfs. Iron Gate Dam is releasing 1,047cfs. The Weitchpec is looking good foe the opener as water temperatures is in the low 60s and holding. If the river doesn’t heat up fishing down there should be good. The salmon are there we just have to wait until July 1st. up river they are still fishing for trout but I haven’t heard much from my contacts lately. If you want to try above I-5 you might give Scott Coldwell of SC Guide Service a call.

Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 98% of capacity (an increase of 1%) with inflows of 425517cfs and releasing 613cfs in to Spring Creek. Shasta Lake is 40% of capacity (a decrease of 0% minus 1ft) with inflows of 10,414cfs and releasing 3,373cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 89% (a decrease of 4%) with inflows of 4,004cfs and releasing 3,963cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 51% of capacity (a decrease of 2% minus 5ft) with inflows of 1,954cfs with releases of 3,845cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 88% of capacity (a decrease of 1% minus 1ft) with inflows of 1,646cfs with releases of 2,387cfs into the American river.

Trinity Lake: The lake is 149ft below the overflow (an increase of 1ft) and 30% of capacity (a decrease of 0%) with inflows of 335cfs and releasing 911cfs into Lewiston Lake with 473cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown Lake and on to Keswick Power Plant, which is releasing 3,963cfs into the Sacramento River.

Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam is 95% of capacity (an increase of 1%) and water releases are 438cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 54.6 degrees, as of 10:00am today Monday June 20, 2022. Limekiln Gulch is 4.86ft at 429cfs. Douglas City is 6.51ft with flows of 456cfs with water temperatures of 58.2 degrees. Junction City is 1.96ft at 463cfs. Helena is 8.69ft at 556cfs with water temps of 60 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is 3.24ft at 729cfs. South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 2.63ft at 304cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 1,034cfs and air is 69 degrees and water at 61.3 degrees, the river is gen clear and at summer flows. Hoopa is 12.61ft at 1,596cfs and water is 62.5 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath in Weitchpec are estimated to be 5,033cfs a decrease of 1.541cfs.

Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate is releasing 1,047cfs. Seiad Valley is 2.66ft at 1,583cfs. Indian Creek is 4.09ft at 233cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 1,816cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 2,559cfs, and the Salmon River is 2.78ft at 878cfs. Orleans is 3.71ft at 3,437cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 10.13ft at 6,606cfs and water temps are 61.4 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jed Smith are 6.57ft with flows of 1,439cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 13.22 ft at N/A cfs.

Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 86 and a low of 43 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.00in with a water year total to date of 55.13 inches and 5.0in of snow in Willow Creek. We have been experiencing some late spring dampness and some sunshine. The predicted weather for next week is high of 98 and a low of 53 with some sunshine. It looks like it is going to finely become summer. 

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