TRINITY RIVER FISHING REPORT – August 11, 2024
From Willow Creek, CA. By E. B. Duggan “D” Fishing, 707-599-2357 at yen2fish@yahoo.com
TRINITY RIVER VALLEY-HOOPA IN A HEAT WARNING
The Trinity Valley- Hoopa is in a Heat Warning (108) but should start to cool down in the coming week. Hopefully!
Hooray! I’m back. Sorry about being gone so long but with computer problems, medical and fire issues/fire camp I have been indisposed. I hope this report finds everybody getting ready for some Fall Fish’in. The Summer Steelhead Run was light and warm water. At times the river felt like bath water and the fish releases were hanging around when they should have been moving on down towards the estuary, but that didn’t happen until later than normal. I believe that the water releases kind of slowed them down. We are almost to summer water flows, water releases are 463cfs at Lewiston. The good part of the releases is that there was plenty of great river rafting.
Several TRRP programs happened that I didn’t get to report on and I am sorry about that. One in particular was the BBQ at Junction City Campground for the new proposed restoration work to be done at the river access across from the Campgrounds. I understand that some very good questions were asked at the meeting.
What with the Hill Fire, the fire Camp at Veterans’ Park, Willow Creek and the Heliport at Big Rock I was really having trouble finding out what part of the Trinity River accesses were open. At first Big Rock was open at the Boat Ramp then it was closed and now is back open again. Kimtu Beach was open to the public but difficult to reach due to the Fire Camp and all the Fire traffic. One could access the Beach but you had to drive very slow through the Fire Camp area. Although it was interesting to see all the different Fire Riggs from allover California and some from Arzona and Nevada. At one time there were over 2,000 personnel at the camp. Then the Park Fire over in Butte County struck and ALL available personnel were called for.
Junction City Weir summary: The 2024-25 fish counting season has started, Junction City Weir commenced counting July 9th , Julian Week 28; Julian Week 31, 2024, ending Aug. 5, 2025: Chinook Salmon; 13- jacks, 8-adults, total 21, season total 101; Coho Salmon; 0-jacks, 0-adults, total 0, season total 0; Steelhead; 1-1/2lbs, 1-adults, total 2, season total 21; Brown Trout, season total 138.
Fishing: After the Hill Fire broke out a fire camp was started at the Willow Creek Veterans’ Park and Big Rock so access was kind of hard to make. The good part is that Kimtu Beach stayed open and the river was open to recreation. Fishing was fair prior to the Fire Camps. The lower part of the Air Port was one of the good places to fish just above the riffle but only in the early mornings when the water was cool from the night before. The problem being that you had to use hard ware to get Steelhead to strike as the smolt would go after bait or flies. They would also go after your spinners of spoons but most of the time you wouldn’t hook them.
Lewiston Lake: Pine Cove Marina, Louise; I’m sorry I didn’t hear from upriver so we will have to wait and see what has been transpiring up there later. For fishing the upper river, Lewiston Lake and Trinity Lake information you can call, Pine Cove Marina, Matt or Louise (530)778-3878, for the river you can call Indian Creek Lodge, Cory, (530)623-6294 or Junction City Store, Butch, (530)623-2803.
Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 2,339cfs. This is a decrease of 1,940cfs. Iron Gate Dam area is releasing 906cfs a decrease of 6cfs from last time. The Upper Klamath is flowing good now and is good fishing above I-5 if you fish early morning or late evenings. It has been HOT up there also! Seid Vally is flowing 1,025cfs so the river is dropping and the summer Steelhead are on the go to reach their spawning streams. If you are interested in fishing the Klamath you might call the Marble Mountain Guest Ranch (800) 522-6284, or Scott Caldwell, SC Guide Service (530)905-0758
Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 99% of capacity (a decrease of 0%) with inflows of 1,397cfs with releases of 1,329cfs into Spring Creek. Shasta Lake is 72% of capacity (a decrease of 14% and minus 24ft) with inflows of 2,654cfs and releasing 10,459cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 93% of capacity (an increase of 4%) with inflows of 12,042cfs and releases of 12,075cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 76% of capacity (a decrease of 16% and minus 41ft) with inflows of 3,621cfs with releases of 11,873cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 59% of capacity (a decrease of 25% and minus 25ft) with inflows of 1,818cfs with releases of 3,550cfs into the American river. Trinity Lake storage is 1,898,637AF a decrease of 129,343AF of storage.
Trinity Lake: The lake is 28ft below the overflow (an increase of 1ft) and 78% of capacity (a decrease of 5%) with inflows of 89cfs and releasing 1,929cfs into Lewiston Lake with 1,466cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown and on to the Keswick Power Plant while releasing 12,075cfs into the Sacramento River.
Trinity River flows and conditions: Trinity Lake is 78% of capacity (a decrease of 5%) and 28ft below the overflow an increase of 1ft. Lewiston Dam is 94% of capacity (an increase of 1%) and water releases of 463cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 51.2 degrees, as of 1:00pm today Sunday August 11, 2024. Limekiln Gulch is 4.89ft at 450cfs. Douglas City is 6.71ft with flows of 500cfs with water temperatures of 57.3 degrees. Junction City is 1.95ft at 500cfs. Helena is 8.87ft at 597cfs with water temps of 64.3 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is N/Aft at 0.00cfs (Gauge is still out of order). South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 2.10 at 47cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 643 and air is 93 degrees and water at 58 degrees, Hoopa is 11.53ft at 828cfs with water at 52.8 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath in Weitchpec are estimated to be 2,339cfs a decrease of 1,940cfs.
Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate is releasing 906cfs, a decrease of 6cfs. Seiad Valley is 1.84ft at 1,025cfs. Indian Creek is 3.55ft at 65cfs. Happy Camp is estimated to be 1,090cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 1,284cfs, and the Salmon River is 1.58ft at 229cfs. Orleans is 2.21ft at 1,511cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 7.97ft at 2,505cfs and water temps are 73.0 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jediah Smith are 4.80ft with flows of 347cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 11.47ft at N/A.
Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 108 and a low of 59 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.00in with a water year total to date of 52.46 inches and 0.40in of snow in Willow Creek. The predicted temperatures for next week are for high of 88 and a low of 57. The weather predicted for the next week is some sunshine with some clouds and a cooling down period.