At the March Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting, the Council voted on and approved three alternatives for ocean salmon fisheries along the California coast for 2025. Alternatives one and two lay out severely abbreviated seasons with strict harvest limits for commercial and recreational salmon fishing. Alternative three, if selected, would shut down the salmon season for the third straight year. After reviewing and commenting publicly on the options, sport and commercial anglers were fairly divided on whether there should be a short season or another closure.

At the April 15 PFMC meeting, in what on the surface appears to be a very controversial and head-scratching decision, the council acted to recommend limited fishing opportunities for California’s recreational ocean salmon fisheries through the end of 2025. This decision was made knowing that fewer Chinook salmon returned from the ocean to spawn last year than in 2023 and this year’s ocean abundance for the Sacramento and Klamath are at historically low numbers.

The 2025 recreational ocean salmon season dates for the California coast are as follows:

• For ocean waters between the Oregon/California state line and the U.S/Mexico border, the season will open June 7-8, with a 7,000 Chinook summer harvest guideline. If the limit is not attained in those two days, the fishery will open again July 5-6. July 30-Aug 3 and Aug 25-31 are the additional dates available in late July and August for use until the summer harvest guideline is attained.
• For ocean waters between Point Reyes and Point Sur (portions of the San Francisco and Monterey subareas), the fall fishing season will open September 4-7, with a 7,500 Chinook fall harvest guideline. If this guideline is not attained, the fishery will reopen September 29-30. Additional days are available in October between Point Reyes to Pigeon Point if any of the fall harvest guideline remains.

The minimum size limit is 20 inches total length. The daily bag limit is two Chinook salmon per day. No more than two daily bag limits may be possessed when on land. On a vessel in ocean waters, no person shall possess or bring ashore more than one daily bag limit. Retention of coho (silver) salmon is prohibited in all ocean fisheries off California.

To our north in Brookings, the Chinook season will be open from May 16 to June 6, and June 30 to July 15. The mark-selective coho fishery begins June 7 and will run through the earlier of Aug. 24, or 44,000 marked coho quota.

Still to be determined: The fate of the inland Central Valley fall Chinook fishery and the Klamath River fall and spring-run Chinook seasons. At the April 16-17 California Fish and Game Commission meeting, season proposals will be heard from California Fish and Wildlife staff. These proposals will be decided upon at the May 14 California Fish and Game Commission meeting.

Marine forecast
Ocean conditions are looking good for Friday, but winds will pick up through the weekend. Friday is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 5 feet at 8 seconds. Saturday is calling for winds out of the north 20 to 25 knots with north waves 7 feet at seven seconds and west 3 feet at 13 seconds. Sunday is looking a little worse with winds out of the north 20 to 25 knots and waves north 10 feet at nine seconds and northwest 3 feet at 11 seconds. Conditions can and will change prior to 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.

“Wet” year designation for Trinity River
In a press release issued April 9 by the Trinity River Restoration Program, the April B-120 water year determination has been posted as “wet” for 2025. With that, water releases from Lewiston. Dam into the Trinity River are scheduled to begin significantly increasing on Monday, Apr. 15, 2025.

TRRP Statement:
“The hydrograph developed is based on the California Department of Water Resources Bulletin 120 50% Exceedance Forecast declaration of a “Wet” water year for 2025, which sets the TRRP volume release at 701,000 acre feet for the water year. Releases from Oct. 1 through Apr. 15 were scheduled at 300,777 acre feet* leaving the restoration volume at 400,223 for the remainder of the water year. The flow schedule includes day-to-day flow variability, a key component of river systems that support salmon.

For the 2025 spring release, flows will peak at 8,500 cfs at noon on Apr. 16. After the peak a slow recession begins at 6 p.m., reaching 600 cubic feet per second on Jun. 30. Flows are scheduled to minimally rise again for two small peaks on Jul. 11 and again on Aug. 2 to help salmon migrate out of the lower portion of the river. Maximum Daily flow based on a “wet” water year designation is included below.”

Please take appropriate precautions whenever on or near the river. Residents in the river corridor are advised to move items away from the riverbank before peak flows begin.

Questions can be directed to the Trinity River Restoration Program office at 530-623-1800 or by emailing your question to info@trrp.net. An up-to-date daily schedule of flow releases are available at: http://www.trrp.net/restoration/flows/current/

The Rivers:
Reminder: The South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, Mad, Redwood Creek and the Chetco all closed to fishing March 31.

Eel (main stem)
The main stem Eel is still a little big, but the color is looking good. As of Wednesday, flows were at 6,500 cfs at Scotia and it should be plenty fishable by the weekend. The main stem Eel to the South Fork is open all year. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used from April 1 through Sept. 30.

Smith River
The Smith is currently running low and clear, with flows right around 3,600 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge as of Wednesday. It will continue to drop slowly with no measurable rain in the immediate forecast. Fishing pressure continues to be light. The main stem of the Smith will remain open through the end of April from its mouth to the confluence with the Middle and South Forks. The Middle Fork will also remain open through April from its mouth to Patrick’s Creek. The South Fork is open through April, as well, from its mouth upstream approximately 1,000 feet to the County Road (George Tryon) bridge and Craig’s Creek to Jones Creek.

Lower Rogue
“Spring salmon season remains fair to good on the Rogue, with most guides getting at least a fish or two per day,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The run is off to a strong start, with plenty of hatchery kings showing in the catch.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, lingcod and rockfish action has been good out of Brookings, where baitfish are already moving close to shore, and pelicans have arrived early. “The lings are in 20 to 50 feet of water, while rockfish are thick from Chetco Point to House Rock. Windy weather is expected this weekend. Surfper

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.