New Trinity River Fishing Regulations
Sorry about no report last week but I couldn’t find anyone home for a report so I had nothing to report.
July 1st, Trinity and Klamath Rivers will open for Spring Chinook salmon, the Trinity from the mouth of the South Fork up to Old Lewiston Bridge, the Klamath from Weitchpec Bridge down to the mouth of the Klamath. NOTE: This season the Trinity River is open to the keeping of 10 Brown Trout per day with no more than 20 in possession. This is a new bag limit for the Trinity River. The Trinity River is open all year long for hatchery steelhead an or hatchery trout from the confluence of the Trinity to the Klamath all the way up to just below the Trinity River Hatchery. From Old Lewiston Bridge up to just below the hatchery is Fly Fishing only. For all other regulations for the Klamath Trinity Rivers refer to my May 17th report of look up the state fishing regulations.
The quotas for Fall Chinook Salmon this year for the Klamath River Basin is 1,692 TOTALS. The Lower Klamath River from Weitchpec Bridge to the ocean, 846 Chinook salmon, 1 adult and 1 jack or 2 jacks, the Spit at the mouth of the Klamath is 194 Chinook salmon of the 846 Lower Klamath Quota; Special Note: if fishing the Spit and your first fish is an adult salmon over 23 inches you must leave the Spit for the day. You may go above the 101-Bridge and continue fishing for jacks. The Upper Klamath quota is 220 Fall Run Chinook salmon. Trinity River is 388 Fall Run Chinook salmon; 194 Fall Run Chinook salmon for the Lower Trinity and 194 Fall Run Chinook salmon forth the Upper Trinity River. This is a very bleak year for fishing Fall Run Chinook salmon this year but we can only hope the it will improve for next year. This could be a very short salmon fishing season but at least we do have a salmon fishing season. Believe me when I say this is not a good fishing year for anyone, guides, lodges, motels or restaurants!
The good news is that the US Forest Service has opened many the camp grounds and parks plus made it easier for river access. Note that the Trinity River water releases are still going on so please be cautious when swimming, rafting or boating on the river.
Trinity River Water Releases: The Trinity releases are to start going back up June 13th to 1,400cfs by June 15th and then slowly decrease to 450cfs by July 2nd. Water temperatures are still in the mid to low 50s and with the higher water flows be sure to keep an eye on the little ones as it only takes a second for something to happen.
Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 10,303cfs. This is a substantial increase from the last report. I would imagine that the Mid-Klamath has become unfishable at the present time but will change by the time summer rolls in. Iron Gate Dam is releasing 8,994cfs as of this morning 10:30am June 7th.
Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 99% of capacity (an increase of 1%) with inflows of 3,100cfs and releasing 8,024cfs on to Keswick. Shasta Lake is 76% of capacity (a decrease of 2% minus 3ft) with inflows of 3,100cfs and releasing 8,024cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 90% (an increase of 4%) with inflows of 10,100cfs and releasing 10,355cfs into the Sacramento river. Oroville Lake is 67% of capacity (a decrease of 2% minus 3.5ft) with inflows of 1,884cfs with releases of 6,204cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 82% of capacity (an increase of 6% plus 5ft) with inflows of 1,932cfs with releases of 2,157cfs into the American river.
Trinity Lake: The lake is 47ft below the overflow (an increase of 0ft) and 77% of capacity (a decrease of 0%) with inflows of 1,174cfs and releasing 2,102cfs into Lewiston Lake with 1,506cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown Lake and on to Keswick Power Plant, which is releasing 7,966cfs into the Sacramento River.
Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam is 75% of capacity (a decrease of 2%) and water releases are 791cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 51.3 degrees, as of 10:30am today Sunday June 7, 2020. Limekiln Gulch is 5.42ft at 815cfs. Douglas City is 7.07ft and flows of 818cfs. with air temps of 54 and water temperatures of 51.3 degrees. Junction City is 2.68ft at 884cfs. Helena is 9.85ft at 991cfs with water temps of 55.1 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is 4.40ft at 1,262cfs. South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 2.94ft at 301cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 1,563cfs and air is 53 degrees and water at 58 degrees. Hoopa is 13.31ft at 2.242cfs and water is 59.9 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath are estimated to be 5,953cfs.
Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate is releasing 1,048cfs. Seiad Valley is 2.73ft at 1,647cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 1,848cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 2,62+9cfs, and the Salmon River is 3.03ft at 1,682cfs. Orleans is 4.01ft at 3,711cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 10,39ft at 6,986cfs and water temps are 62.1 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jedia Smith are 6.60ft with flows of 1,342cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 13.08ft at N/A cfs. Temperatures in the Valley last week had a high of 92 and a low of 48 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.93in with a water year to date of 42.46 inches, with snow in willow Creek of 1.45in. Forecasts for next week are for temperatures in the highs of 81 and lows of 52. Temperatures for next week are expected to stay in the 80s with sunshine for the weekend.
It looks like summer is trying to arrive early but can’t quite make it. The Memorial Day weekend was nice and many families were able to get out and enjoy the good weather then it had to start to rain again. Not a hard rain but enough to get you wet. It looks like we could have another nice weekend coming though.