Yes it was hot Sunday(102) but it looks like we are in for a cooling down period in the next few weeks. Now if we can just avoid any more fires, we should be in good shape for the next few weeks. I sure hope so because the predictions on the computer for Willow Creek has NOT been correct lately.
Hooray there are finally some people out fishing the big problem is trying to be at your favorite fishing hole by 6:00am before the rest of the crowd arrives. You may also be invaded by rafters and or sun bathers. The fish count has really slowed down at the Junction City weir but there are salmon still going through. From everything I have been able to find out is that salmon are moving but you just have to be at the cooling down hole before the salmon arrive in the morning in order to get a hook-up. If you are planning to catch and release, be sure to land you fish ASAP and then try not to take it out of the water to help not stressing out the fish too much. Be sure to work the fish back and forth to get water over the gills to help give it some relief. All I can say is that this is going to be a hard year for fishing with the counts being so low. Go get’em and have some fun fishing.
I made a bad mistake last week. Sorry! I stated that you can only keep one (1) hatchery fish, that is wrong! You may keep and Chinook salmon no matter if it is a jack or and adult per day and two (2) in possession. (Any size counts as your one (1) salmon. I am finding you probably will be off of the water by 10:00 or 11:00, 12:00 for sure aas it will be getting too hot by then. Now that it is cooling off you could try an evening fish.
Junction City weir summary: Julian week 28 ending the week of July 15, 2021 for Spring-Run Chinook salmon; 5- jacks, season total 72, 15- adults, total of 20, season total of 77; Coho salmon, 0 jacks, season total 0, 0 adults, season total 0; steelhead, 0- 1/2lber, 2-adults, for total of 2, season total 44; Brown trout 0, season total 6.
Fishing: The cooler temperatures should help move some more salmon into the area, the problem being swimmers and rafters, they tend to spook the fish. The Willow Creek area has seen a few fish caught and released but most of the springers have moved up river. Up river Junction City is one of the better areas to fish from the bank or go on up to Steel Bridge hole, Indian Creek has some cold water or you could go up to Bucktail hole.
Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 2,155cfs. This is a decrease of 88cfs. Iron Gate Dam is releasing 958cfs. I am still not hearing about much fishing in the Upper Klamath. With the low flows I would think fishing for trout would be fair to good right now. Happy Camp is starting to cool down some but it is still warm (in the low 90s). There are not many people camping/fishing the Orleans area right now but that should start to pick up the beginning of next month.
Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 98% of capacity (a decrease of 1%) with inflows of 1,913cfs and releasing 2,035cfs in to Spring Creek. Shasta Lake is 35% of capacity (a decrease of 1% minus 5ft) with inflows of 1,983cfs and releasing 6,702cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 96% (an increase of 0%) with inflows of 8,979cfs and releasing 9,271cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 28% of capacity (a decrease of 2% minus 9ft) with inflows of 711cfs with releases of 4,858cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 27% of capacity (a decrease of 1% minus 2ft) with inflows of 804cfs with releases of 1,265cfs into the American river.
Trinity Lake: The lake is 107ft below the overflow (an increase of 4ft) and 44% of capacity (a decrease of 1%) with inflows of 117cfs and releasing 2,430cfs into Lewiston Lake with 1,974cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown Lake and on to Keswick Power Plant, which is releasing 9,271cfs into the Sacramento River.
Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam is 91% of capacity (a decrease of 1%) and water releases are 456cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 52.8 degrees, as of 4:00pm today Sunday July 18, 2021. Limekiln Gulch is 4.88ft at 415cfs. Douglas City is 6.50ft with flows of 651cfs. with air temps of N/A and water temperatures of N/A degrees. Junction City is 1.91ft at 437cfs. Helena is 8.41ft at 465cfs with water temps of 71.5 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is 2.59ft at 481cfs. South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 1.97ft at 50cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 531cfs and air is 102 degrees and water at 74.5 degrees. Hoopa is 11.21ft at 644cfs and water is 76.8 degrees. (To hot)
Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath in Weitchpec are estimated to be 2,155cfs a decrease of 88cfs.
Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate is releasing 958cfs. Seiad Valley is 1.79ft at 995cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 1,068cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 1,327cfs, and the Salmon River is 1.45ft at 184cfs. Orleans is 2.13ft at 1,511cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 8.05ft at 2,036cfs and water temps are 74.4 degrees. (Cooling down some)
Flows for the Smith River at Jed Smith are 4.71ft with flows of 260cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 11.63ft at N/A cfs.
Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 106 and a low of 57 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.00in with a water year total to date of 45.11 inches and 1.5in of snow in Willow Creek. The predicted weather for next week is high of 98 and a low of 58. The predicted weather for next week is expected to be cooler which will be a relief form all of the hot weather.
