I am sorry I have not been able to make a report for all you great readers. As you are aware the power has been out for many of us both in Trinity County and in Humboldt Counties. Willow Creek just got their power back on January12, 2022. I am now trying to catch up. As we all know the storm made travel and communications very difficult for many of us. I am still trying to dig, saw and chop my way out to the Highway. I hope every one is safe and well by now.
The river looks great but it is high below Willow Creek. Above the South Fork the Trinity is high but fishable. If you are planning to fish the Junction City area, you are going to have await due to the slide and the cleanup. Willow Creek is in the same situation. Highway 299 is in a cleanup mode from just West of Junction city to Burnt Ranch and from South Fork Bridge West to Berry Summit, from Redwood Creek Bridge to Blue Lake. So trying to come to the Trinity River to fish is pretty difficult right now except for the upper river area.
Junction City Weir summary: Julian week 51 ending on Dec. 23, 2021 for Fall Run Chinook; 0-jack, 0- adult, total 0, season total 1,848; Coho, 1-jacks, 4-adi;ts, total 5, season total 372; steelhead, 1-1/2-pounders, 4-adult, total 5,season total 222, Brown Trout 0, season total 11.
Trinity River Hatchery summary: Spring Run Chinook salmon totals; 452-jacks, 1,553 adults; totals 2,005; Fall Run Chinook Salmon Julian Week 1 ending on Jan. 7, 2022; 0-jacks, 1-adults, total 1, season total 5,968.Itlooks like the hatchery will have enough eggs to supply the TRH for next year’s fish releases
Klamath River Project: Shasta River through Dec.29, 2021; Shasta River, Chinook salmon 6,908, Coho 45. Scott River through Dec. 30; Chinook 1,324, Coho 823. Bogus Creek through Dec 29; Chinook 2,871, Coho 299.
Fishing: The Lower Trinity is clear and high with fishermen working the river in the Willow Creek area. I didn’t see many landings but I was only there for a short time as I had to go back home to work cleaning up the mess.
Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 11,932cfs. This is an increase of 8,785cfs. Iron Gate Dam is releasing 987cfs, with the temperatures in the 50s and the river in the mid to low 40s. Right now, the Klamath is very high at Weitchpec and Orleans but it looks fishable above I-5. I was un able to get any fishing info for up river.
Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 85% of capacity (a decrease of 0%) with inflows of 275cfs and releasing 453cfs in to Spring Creek. Shasta Lake is 34% of capacity (an increase of 9% plus 33ft) with inflows of 6,135cfs and releasing 2,948cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 92% (an increase of 10%) with inflows of 7,339cfs and releasing 3,241cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 0% of capacity (an increase of 0% plus 0ft) with inflows of 5,062cfs with releases of 386cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 56% of capacity (an increase of 18% plus 28ft) with inflows of 2,946cfs with releases of 4,125cfs into the American river.
Trinity Lake: The lake is 148ft below the overflow (a decrease of 4ft) and 30% of capacity (an increase of 1%) with inflows of 317cfs and releasing 308cfs into Lewiston Lake with 12cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown Lake and on to Keswick Power Plant, which is releasing 3,241cfs into the Sacramento River.
Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam is 95% of capacity (an increase of 0%) and water releases are 296cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 45.8 degrees, as of 11:00am today Monday January 17, 2022. Limekiln Gulch is 4.71ft at 328cfs. Douglas City is 6.47ft with flows of 431cfs with water temperatures of 43 degrees. Junction City is 2.09ft at 523cfs. Helena is 9.06ft at 683cfs with water temps of 41.1 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is 4.60ft at 1,369cfs. South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 5.02ft at 1,420cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 2,789cfs and air is 47 degrees and water at 42 degrees and the river is high and with good color. This past storm brought in lots of water and some snow rain that helped bring in more fish. Hoopa is 15.61ft at 5,196cfs and water is 43.1 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath in Weitchpec are estimated to be 11,932cfs an increase of 8,785cfs.
Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate is releasing 987cfs. Seiad Valley is 2.89ft at 1,774cfs. Indian Creek is 5.25ft at 659cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 2,434cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 4,983cfs, and the Salmon River is 3.73ft at 1,753cfs. Orleans is 5.69ft at 6,736cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 12.68ft at 16,090cfs and water temps are 43.3 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jed Smith are 8.59ft with flows of 4,122cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 15.02 ft at N/A cfs.
Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 50 and a low of 33 degrees. Rain for the week was 4.2in with a water year total to date of 36.47 inches and 5.0in of snow in Willow Creek. The predicted weather for next week is high of 68 and a low of 37. The predicted weather for next week is mostly clear with some sunshine.
