Fishing the North Coast

Generous Ocean King Season Set to Open May 1

By Kenny Priest

fishing@northcoastjournal.com

With a strong ocean abundance of Sacramento salmon and the Klamath numbers trending upward, North Coast sport salmon anglers were rewarded with a generous ocean salmon season. The season within the CA KMZ (Klamath Management Zone), which was adopted by the Pacifi c Fishery Management Council Monday, will open May 1 and run through May 31. It will reopen Aug. 1 and run through Sept. 5. June and July will be closed within the CA KMZ to mitigate impacts on the fall Klamath River kings, which continue to struggle. Fishing will be allowed seven days per week for all salmon except coho, with a limit of two fi sh per day and a minimum size of 20 inches total length for Chinook.

In the Fort Bragg sector, which includes Shelter Cove, the season will be open May 1 through July 4. It will reopen July 22 and run through Sept. 5 with a 20-inch minimum and a limit of two kings a day.

To the north in the Brookings area (OR KMZ), the Chinook season will open June 25 and run through Aug. 21. Fishing will be allowed seven days per week, two fi sh per day and a minimum size limit of 24 inches total length for Chinook.

Klamath/Trinity river quota update

Along with ocean salmon seasons up for fi nal approval, the PFMC allocated 2,523 adult Chinook for the Klamath Basin quota. Bag and possession limits will be determined at the California Fish and Game Commission meeting April 20-21. The tribal allocation is 8,605 adult Klamath River fall salmon, split between the Yurok and Hoopa Valley tribes.

“Critically dry” year designation for Trinity River

According to a press release issued April 8 by the Bureau of Reclamation, the lack

The sport salmon season will open May 1 along the North Coast and should provide plenty of days on the water to land a salmon like the one pictured here with Garberville resident Broc Contreras.

Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell/Sea Hawk Sport Fishing

of precipitation and snowpack in the Trinity Mountains this winter means the fl ow schedule for 2022 is scaled to a “critically dry” water year. This year marks the third critically dry year in the last fi ve years for the Trinity watershed. The planned release schedule attempts to maximize benefi ts to the physical and biological character of the Trinity River, given the constraints of the limited amount of water available. This year’s fl ow schedule will begin April 15. Key dates and fl ow releases are: • April 15-20: Increase daily average fl ows from 300 cubic feet per second to 6,000 cfs • April 23: Flows decrease to 2,800 cfs • April 24-May 13: Maintain fl ows between 1,800 to 2,000 cfs • May 17: Return to 450 cfs summer basefl ow, which continues until Sept. 30

Visitors near or on the river can expect river levels to increase during the fl ow releases and should take appropriate safety precautions. Landowners are advised to clear personal items from the fl oodplain prior to the releases. A daily schedule of fl ow releases is available at the program’s website www.trrp.net/restoration/fl ows/ current/.

Eel (main stem)

The main stem Eel is forecast for a very winter-like rise starting Thursday morning. Steady rain from Wednesday through Saturday is predicted to push fl ows to above 13,000 cfs at Scotia by Sunday morning. This will do wonders for the river, including getting the new-hatched fry safely downstream. It will also provide ample water for the spawners to make their way to the ocean and will likely bring in quite a few fresh steelhead. The main stem Eel to the South Fork is open all year. Only artifi cial lures with barbless hooks may be used from April 1 through Sept. 30.

Smith River

With steady rain predicted for the week and into the weekend, the Smith is forecast to reach some of the highest fl ows since early January. It’s predicted to peak at just over 12 feet (11,000 cfs) at Jed Smith on Saturday afternoon. This will likely fl ush the last of the spawned-out steelhead downriver and could bring in a few fresh ones. The main stem of the Smith will remain open through the end of April from its mouth to the confl uence 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.

Read the complete fi shing roundup at www.northcoastjournal.com. ● Kenny Priest (he/him) operates

Fishing the North Coast, a fi shing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and www.fi shingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fi shing reports and North

Coast river information, email kenny@ fi shingthenorthcoast.com.

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