We are finally starting to see some Spring Chinook on the Trinity River. It has taken some time what with all of the flow changes that have been going on. The Bureau of Reclamation has been changing the releases from Lewiston Dam in a fashion more like nature used to do before the Dam. More like when the sun melts the snow in the high country or rain events. This is good in many ways, one it moves more gravel around and two it emulates nature in a more natural way. It has taken many years to get BOR to finally try this but it works.
It looks like we are going to have some good weather for the next couple of weeks and after the next two bumps in the flow releases BOR will start to ramp back down to summer flows around the first week of July.
This past Sunday we had the Hydroplane Boat Races here in Willow Creek and it was really fun to watch those little buzz bombes zooming up and down the river. I can’t see much of the river from our house so my wife drove up to the scales east of Willow creek and watched from there. We had a great view of the river and could see for a long way.
Don’t forget that the camp sites up at Fish Lake will be dry without potable water!! In fact most of the camp sites in the Lower Trinity, Orleans and Mad River Ranger Districts will be without potable water until late summer. So if you are planning to go camping be sure to take plenty of bottle water with you. If there are any changes I will be sure to post a notice on the website.
Fishing: The good news is that Singer’s are moving up the river and some are being landed at Burnt Ranch and Greys Falls. Keith Hanson took his 92 year old Dad into Greys Falls and they were able to hook some spring salmon. Keith didn’t let me know what they were using but I would expect that they were using roe as that most people use there. There are some good places to fish up river also but I have not heard from my contacts up there for a while so I can’t say in which areas the salmon are holding. One place that there is almost sure to be some salmon is above Del Loma RV Park at the Del Loma River Access or below the Pigeon Point Campground.
Mid-Klamath: Iron Gate Dam is releasing 1,622cfs today. These are a bit high release for trout fishing in the Upper Klamath between I-5 and the Iron Gate Dam. But if you need some information for that section of the river I suggest you contact SC Guide service. If you plan on fishing below I-5 it would be good to contact Marble Mountain Adventures. Below there I would probably wait a couple of weeks until the river flows drop more.
Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 99% of capacity (an increase of 0%) with inflows of 1,788cfs and releasing 1,526cfs into Clear Creek and on to Keswick. Shasta is 85% (a decrease of 2% and 2ft) with inflows of 3,290cfs and releasing 7,624cfs, Keswick is 90% of capacity (a decrease of 2%) with inflows of 9,499cfs and releasing 9,695cfs; Oroville Lake is 68% capacity (a decrease of 0% & minus 2ft), inflow is 1,752cfs and releases are 2,511cfs; Folsom Lake is 96% of capacity minus 1% & minus 1ft.) inflows are 2,137cfs and releases are 3,847cfs.
Trinity Lake: The Lake is 39ft below the overflow (a decrease of 1ft) and 76% of capacity (1% decrease) Inflow to Trinity Lake is -163cfs and Trinity Dam is releasing 2,667cfs to Lewiston Lake with 1,476cfs going to Whiskeytown Lake and on to the Keswick Power Plant and it is releasing 9,695cfs to the Sacramento River.
Trinity River Flows and Conditions: Lewiston Dam is releasing 1,191cfs into the Trinity River with water temps of 51.3 degrees and air is 52 at 10:00am today. Limekiln Gulch is 5.7ft at 1,068cfs, with water temps of 50.7 degrees. Douglas City is 7.1t at 905cfs, water temps of 51.2 degrees and air is 55. Junction City is 2.9ft at 1,010cfs. Helena is 10.5ft at 1,180cfs with water temps of 53.8. Cedar Flat is 4.6ft at 1,454cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 1,824cfs and air is 58 with water at 56.8. Hoopa is 10.3ft at 2,094cfs with water temps of 60.3. Flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at Klamath River are estimated to be 6,149cfs.
Klamath: Iron Gate Dam releases are 1,622cfs. Seiad Valley is 3.3ft at 2,162cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 2,303cfs, Salmon River is 2.8ft at 835cfs, Somes Bar is estimated at 3,220cfs and Orleans is 4.5ft. at 4,155cfs and the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 10.3ft at 7,768cfs, with water temperatures of 62 degrees. Flows at Smith River, Dr. Fine Bridge are 5.9ft at 1,070cfs.
The low temperatures for Valley last week were 43 to 51 and the high was 90 with 0.30in of rain with a season total of 68.48in of rain and a total of 4.15in of snow. Temperatures in the valley next week are expected get up to 85/51 degrees with sunshine for the weekends. We could see some fair to good fishing for the next couple of weeks.
