If you’re looking to catch and keep big, ocean-bright kings, you’ll want to keep Chetco River estuary on your radar. Salmon have been staging in the tidewater since early September and they’ll be there until enough rain falls and allows them to make their way upriver. And according to Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing, the season at the mouth of the Chetco is now in full swing. “Catch rates improved over the weekend to a fish per rod or better, with plenty of kings topping 25 pounds,” said Martin. “A few fish in the upper 30-pound range, or bigger, have been caught. A rise in flows could stall the action for a few days, but expect fresh kings to show up as flows drop the end of the week. The Chetco rose from 50 cfs to more than 600 cfs on Monday. It’s still too early for decent fishing upriver, although jacks were already schooling at Tide Rock and Social Security Bar, and adult kings are likely to arrive with the heavy rain on Monday. Bobber fishing is allowed above the estuary. For trolling, the last few hours of the incoming tide and first few hours of the outgo have been best. Most of the fish are being caught near the tips of the jetties.” Trolling 360 flashers with spinner blades or anchovies has been effective this season.

The daily bag limit for salmon on the Chetco is two adult fish per day, no more than one adult wild Chinook. Anglers may harvest adult hatchery Chinook until the daily bag limit has been met. Once the adult daily limit is harvested, anglers cannot continue to fish for jack salmon. Angling restricted to fly fishing (must include a strike indicator) or bobber fishing from RM 2.2 to Nook Creek Sep 1 – Nov 3. For additional Chetco regulations, visit eregulations.com/oregon/fishing/southwest-zone.

Weekend marine forecast
Northerly winds will redevelop beginning Wednesday and will trend up heading into the weekend. As of Thursday, out 10 to 60 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the north 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 6 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday, winds will be out of the north 25 to 35 knots with north waves 14 feet at 10 seconds. Sunday doesn’t look much better with winds coming from the north 15 to 25 knots and north waves 11 feet at nine seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Low flow fishing closures
As of Wednesday, all reaches of the Smith River were open to fishing. However, they will all be closed beginning Thursday, Sept. 28 due to descending river flows.

All other North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen remain closed. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2024.

2023 Smith and Eel River salmon regulations
In an emergency action in response to historic lows in abundance of California stocks of Chinook salmon, the Fish and Game Commission acted to close all recreational Chinook Salmon fisheries in the Smith and Eel Rivers. According to the 2023-2024 California Supplemental Sport Fishing Regulations, the Smith is closed to all salmon fishing except for 1 Chinook Salmon and no more than 5 wild Chinook Salmon over 22 inches per year by federally recognized tribes while fishing under existing inland sport fishing regulations. The Eel River is closed to salmon fishing except catch and release by federally recognized tribes.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The deep-water rock fishing remains excellent when conditions allow us to get out according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “We tried to make it out on Saturday, but it was a little too rough,” said Klassen. “Sunday was quite different day as it was completely flat and the fishing was wide-open. Limits came very easily, with canary, yellowtail, and widow rockfish making up the majority of the catch. The tuna water has moved out and there’s a good chance it’s done for the season. I heard a boat or two went over the weekend, but didn’t find any tuna.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, they had a pretty good blow last week that kept them off the water. He said, “We were able to get back out Friday and had easy limits of rockfish outside the Hat, but only one lingcod. Saturday, we ran up to Rodgers Break where we had excellent rock fishing, but came up a couple lings short of limits.  A few boats made it out for tuna on Saturday and the high boat had 14.  Looks like we have pretty crappy weather for the remainder of the week.”

Crescent City
According to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, there isn’t much happening in Crescent City at the moment. “The weather hasn’t been nice enough to get out for deep-water rockfish,” said Carson. “The tuna has pretty much dried up and the California halibut bite has been nonexistent as well.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Dirty water from the weekend storms found its way to the lower Klamath Wednesday, but it didn’t deter some decent fishing. There’s still some steelhead and salmon around to make for a good day. A reminder that there is a zero bag limit for salmon. The daily bag limit for hatchery steelhead is two per day on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers, with a possession limit of four. Anglers must have a Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card in their possession while fishing for steelhead trout in anadromous waters. For more information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=202686&inline

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.