From Willow Creek, CA. By E. B. Duggan “D” Fishing, 707-599-2357 at yen2fish@yahoo.com
IT LOOKS LIKE INDIAN SUMMER IS ON IT’S WAY
As summer starts to fade away “Indian Summer” starts to move in. This coming Thursday it is going to start to heat up again. It seems like every summer just as we are about to get rid of the heat ole Mr. Sun has to rear his ugly head and heat things back up again. The river was just about to cool down and wea re going to see warm water. Warm water always delays the fish from starting to move up the Klamath. Now what with the last of the Dams coming out and the Klamath is starting to “free flow” from the top down in more than 100 years we have a stalling of the fish down at Blue Creek. In one way that is good in the fact that Blue Creek is one of the first cooling creeks that flows into the Klamath near the mouth. On top of all this we have the problem of low Salmon returns for tow years in a row. I don’t know what other calamities the Salmon will have to endure before the returns will be able to come back to the types if returns of 100 years ago. If fact I wonder if I will ever see that type of Salmon fishing in my life time. It would be wonderful to see Salmon fishing of just 40 years ago.
Again I have to inform you that Big Rock Boat Ramp is closed down because the Fire Helicopters are using that area for staging and the Boat Ramp is in constant use for firefighting purposes. The good news is that as of Tuesday September 3rd, Kimtu Beach will be open for take outs and launching. (The gate will be open) It will be a bit longer of a run down to Tish Tang but you will be able to fish the canyon where the water and temperatures are a bit cooler. Now that the last of the down runners are into Hoopa or mostly through, hopefully, we will see some of the early Fall Run starting to show up. October 1st officially starts the new “Water Year” and we start to measure the rain for the next year.
Junction City Weir summary: The 2024-25 fish counting season has started, Junction City Weir commenced counting July 9th , Julian Week 28; Julian Week 33, 2024, ending Aug. 19, 2025 (note that I have not received the latest counts as of this date): Chinook Salmon; 1- jacks, 0-adults, total 1, season total 117; Coho Salmon; 0-jacks, 0-adults, total 0, season total 0; Steelhead; 0-1/2lbs, 5-adults, total 5, season total 36; Brown Trout, season total 16.
It looks like we are starting off the season well. Numbers could be a bit higher if we are to see a good return this year and possible fishing season for next year. I just wish CDFW could increase the release numbers for all species after the remodel of Trinity River Hatchery.
Fishing: The Hill Fire is contained and with the rains help they are only fighting spot fires and smolder tree trunks, more of the fires are getting under control and the fire camps have moved to better and closer locations for the Boise Fire. The only problem is that Big Rock Boat Ramp is still blocked off for launching or take outs. This kind of puts a crimp into fishing or rafting in the Willow Creek to Tish Tang run or shortens up the Sandy Bar to Willow Creek run. With Indian Summer weather things will be a bit warmer this next week. Otherwise, we should see some movement of Salmon with a few Steelhead moving trough. We can still fish Kimtu, Campora, the Mouth of South Fork/Heil Din and Salyer Bridge areas. Don’t forget down at the mouth of Willow Creek, you have to park up at the highway but you can walk in and fish. Willow Creek is another cold-water creek the fish like to hang out at. Hardware or bait are the best choices for right now with fly fishing coming soon. I haven’t heard much from upriver yet other than the weir counts but expect to hear some good news soon.
Lewiston Lake: Pine Cove Marina, Louise, says that fishing upriver has been good with plenty of solid action. 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 3,295cfs. This is an increase of 141cfs. Iron Gate- Bogus Creek area is releasing 880cfs a decrease of 15cfs from last time. The Upper Klamath is flowing fair for this time of year and is fair to good fishing above I-5 if you fish early morning or late evenings. Fishing has been scarce due to the fires. It seems that many fishermen are staying away from any of the fire areas and with good cause!
Seiad Valley is flowing 1,043cfs so the river is down some from last time. The summer Steelhead are on the go to reach their spawning streams but there are some trout in the river for some fly fishing. 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 1,437cfs with releases of 1,334cfs into Spring Creek. Shasta Lake is 66% of capacity (a decrease of 2% and minus 4ft) with inflows of 1,877cfs and releasing 7,967cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 95% of capacity (an increase of 1%) with inflows of 9,467cfs and releases of 9,578cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 67% of capacity (a decrease of 3% and minus 7ft) with inflows of 2,973cfs with releases of 10,662cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 52% of capacity (a decrease of 1% and minus 2ft) with inflows of 1,919cfs with releases of 2,643cfs into the American river. Trinity Lake storage is 1,824,658AF a decrease of 21,594AF of storage.
Trinity Lake: The lake is 42ft below the overflow (an increase of 2ft) and 75% of capacity (a decrease of 0%) with inflows of 176cfs and releasing 1,720cfs into Lewiston Lake with 1,251cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown and on to the Keswick Power Plant while releasing 9,578cfs into the Sacramento River.
Trinity River flows and conditions: Trinity Lake is 75% of capacity (a decrease of 0%) and 42ft below the overflow an increase of 2ft. Lewiston Dam is 96% of capacity (an increase of 4%) and water releases of 469cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 50.3 degrees, as of 12:00pm today Sunday September 1, 2024. Limekiln Gulch is 4.93ft at 479cfs. Douglas City is 6.73ft with flows of 511cfs with water temperatures of 55.1 degrees. Junction City is 1.99ft at 528cfs. Helena is 8.89ft at 603cfs with water temps of 61.1 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 2.09cfs and flowing 45cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 648 and air is 81 degrees and water at 57 degrees, Hoopa is 11.60ft at 864cfs with water at 35.9 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath in Weitchpec are estimated to be 2,295cfs an increase of 141cfs.
Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate/Bogus Creek flows are 880cfs, a decrease of 10cfs. Seiad Valley is 1.87ft flowing at 1,043cfs. Indian Creek is 3.52ft at 61cfs. Happy Camp is estimated to be 1,104cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 1,273cfs, and the Salmon River is 1.55ft at 218cfs. Orleans is 2.19ft at 1,491cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 8.01ft at 2,710cfs and water temps are 69.7 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jediah Smith are 4.82ft with flows of 312cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 11.49ft at N/A.
Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 102 and a low of 52 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.00in with a water year total to date of 54.47 inches and 0.40in of snow in Willow Creek. The predicted temperatures for next week are for high of 103 and a low of 52. The weather predicted for the next week is some sunshine and heating back up, more like Indian Summer time.
Good Fishin and Good Luck but remember; “keep your tip up with a tight line lands fish”
Websites: www.norcalfishreports.com/spots/1896/trinity-river—willow-creek-weir.php, info@willowcreekchamber.com
