It looks like we are going to have some good weather for the next week with the possibility to have some good Steelhead fishing as the streams and rivers start dropping. The weirs have ben pulled because of the antimorphic river that just passed through. The storm dropped 7.57 10 inches of rain in the Willow Creek area. I know the Orleans and Happy Camp got about the same with some snow in the mountains. The upper part of the Trinity got some real heavy rain in some areas. The good part is that the rivers and feeder streams are all dropping now which means the Steelhead are going to be in a hurry to get up river to their spawning streams. I was unable to get much information about the weirs because CDFW people had to pull the them before the storm came in to prevent them from being washed out.

 

During the storm I was unable to get much information about fishing the Klamath or Trinity Rivers other than the Trinity was bank to bank in front of my house. I have never seen the river come up so fast. It was like overnight and then drop back down to just high water exposing the large river bar in front of my house.

 

The Science on Tap at the Weaverville Brewery for last month was on the recovery efforts on the Eel River. The presentation was very informing but the recovery is still going on at this time. It appears that it will take many more years to bring it back to what I remember. Back then it was really good fishing but starting to decline. Of course, that was thirty-seven years ago so it had some time to get to the stage it is today. I can remember listening to some of Old Timers talk about how great the fishing back even before then. I looked up “The River’s End” documentary and it showed how the fishing was in the 1930’s. Mn was that ever great. I guess dams have some purpose but they really hurt the fishing. Maybe we will be able to see what the “removal of the Klamath Dams” do for the fishing industry. If it does really restore fishing that would be a great example.

 

Klamath River summary: The counts would be for Julian Week 47, Nov. 19, 2024 through November 25, 2024: Shasta River; 4,932-adult Chinook Salmon, Tis would be the season total; 16-adult Coho Samon: Bogus Creek, November 19, 2024 through November 25, 2024: 354-adult Chinook Salmon; 3-adult Coho Salmon, no season total: Scott River, November 19, 2024 through November 25, 2024: 588-adult Chinook Salmon; 507-adult Coho Salmon; Jenny Creek Weir began operations: November 27, 2024; 332-adult Chinook Salmon; 0-adult Coho Salmon; Shovel Creek weir counts: Nov. 19 , 2024 through Nov. 25, 2024: 228-Adult Chinook Salmon; 0-Adult Coho Salmon. The Scott, Jenny Creek, and Shovel Creek weirs were pulled Nov. 20, 2024 and the Bogus Creek Weir was pulled Nov. 21, 2024 because of the storm forecast. All of these counts are not season totals, some are for the week.
 

Trinity River Hatchery summary: Julian Week 47 ending Nov. 25, 2024: (the weirs were pulled therefore the counts are not recorded); 35-Jack Chinook Salmon; 89-adult Chinook Salmon, total 124, season total 124 Chinook Salmon; 0-adult Coho Salmon, season total 0: 1-1/2- pounder; 13-Adult Steelhead; 13-hatchery Steelhead.

 

Junction City Weir summary:  Julian Week 47, 2024, ending Nov. 25, 2024 (no counts): Chinook Salmon; 14- jacks, 16-adults, total 30, season total 323; Coho Salmon; 2-jacks, 2-adults, total 4, season total 6; Steelhead; 2-1/2lbs, 10-adults, total 12, season total 220; 1- Brown Trout, season total 27.

 

Willow Creek weir summary: Julian week 47 ending Nov. 25, 2024(no counts): Chinook Salmon; 11-jacks, 53-adults, total 64,season total 694; Coho Salmon; 0-jacks, 6-adults, total 6, season total 18; Steelhead; 1-1/2-pounders, 1-adults, total 37, season total 647. About 61% of the Steelhead this last count was hatchery clipped fish.

 

Fishing: With the storm that just came through fishing on the Trinity has been little to none. Sorry I was not able to get a report. Up river, should start to pick up now that the river is dropping. I hope to have better news next week.

 

Lewiston Lake: For Lewiston Lake and Trinity Lake information you can call, Pine Cove Marina, Matt or Louise (530)778-3878, for the river you can call Indian Creek Lodge, Andy or Hannah, (530)623-6294), Junction City Store, Butch, (530)623-2803.

 

Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 6,793cfs. This is an increase of 6,294cfs.  Iron Gate Dam/Bogus Creek area is flowing 1,109cfs an increase of 83cfs from last time. The Upper Klamath is flowing good right now. I’ve noticed that the water flows have picked up a bit so that should bring is more fish down at the mouth. If the predicted weather hits the north coast, we should start to see more winter steelhead moving up the rivers. Fishing Happy Camp or above I-5 should really start to pick up now with these better flows. If you are interested in fishing the Upper Klamath you might call the Marble Mountain Guest Ranch (800) 522-6284, or Scott Caldwell, SC Guide Service (530)905-0758 

 

Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 96% of capacity (an increase of 2%) with inflows of 236cfs with releases of 360cfs into Spring Creek. Shasta Lake is 66% of capacity (an increase of 6% and plus11ft) with inflows of 5,459cfs and releasing 4,007cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 8% of capacity (a decrease of 1%) with inflows of 5,588cfs and releases of 3,333cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 56% of capacity (an increase of 8% and plus 26ft) with inflows of 2,004cfs with releases of 3,962cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 34% of capacity (a decrease of 2% and minus 3ft) with inflows of 1,163cfs with releases of 2,137cfs into the American river. Trinity Lake storage is 1,660,519AF an increase of 56,916AF of storage.

 

Trinity Lake: The lake is 54ft below the overflow (an increase of 2ft) and 68% of capacity (an increase of 2%) with inflows of 799cfs and releasing 275cfs into Lewiston Lake with -00cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown and on to the Keswick Power Plant while releasing 4,202cfs into the Sacramento River.

 

Trinity River flows and conditions: Trinity Lake is 68% of capacity (an increase of 2%) and 54ft below the overflow an increase of 4ft. Lewiston Dam is 96% of capacity (a decrease of 1%) and water releases of 316cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 43.7 degrees, as of 1:00pm today Sunday December 1, 2024. Limekiln Gulch is 4.72ft at 351cfs. Douglas City is 6.62ft with flows of 434cfs with water temperatures of 41.6 degrees. Junction City is N/Aft at N/Acfs. Helena is 9.30ft at 739cfs with water temps of 42.2 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is N/Aft at 0.00cfs (Gauge is still out of order). South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 5.56 at 1,555cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 2,291cfs, air is 45 degrees and water at N/A degrees, Hoopa is 15.09ft at 4,398cfs with water at 47.2 degrees.

 

Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate/Bogus Creek area flows are 1,109cfs, an increase of 83cfs. Seiad Valley is 2.78/ft at 1,647cfs. Indian Creek is 5.09ft at 481cfs. Happy Camp is estimated to be 2,168cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 5,071cfs, and the Salmon River is 3.68ft at 1,722cfs. Orleans is 6.13ft at 6,793cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 12.34ft at 15,449cfs and water temps are 43.2 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jediah Smith are 8.40ft with flows of 3,731cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 14.99ft at N/A.

 

Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 54 and a low of 34 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.98in with a water year total to date of 12.74 (the storm dropped 7.57in) inches and 0.00in of snow in Willow Creek. The predicted temperatures for next week are for high of 65 and a low of 38. The weather predicted for the next week is looking like it could be fair to good fishing with sunshine the first part of the week and partly cloudy the last half of the week. I hope all had great Turkey Day.