It finally feels like Autumn is coming. The predicted weather for the coming week is for cooler day time temperatures which means cooler water temperatures and more fish movement. I just hope that is true as we could use some more fish in the river. At the present time the weir counts are down because of the warmer water temperatures. Remember that you can only Catch and Release salmon but are able to keep Hatchery Clipped Steelhead

 

Good news, Indian Creek Lodge has new managers. They are Hannah Bell and Andy Smith very pleasant people. They are new to the area and are anginous to learn about the river and fishing. They had a meet and greet BBQ last Friday Sept. 13th. I was lucky enough to attend, I just wish that more of the fishing guides could have made it. It was informal and hamburgers and hot dogs but it was really a nice gathering. As the fishing picks up, I am sure more guides will drop by and get acquainted. Guides will also be very happy with the offerings they purpose for their clients.   
 

Junction City Weir summary: Julian Week 36, 2024, ending Sept. 9, 2024: Chinook Salmon; 7- jacks, 3-adults, total 10, season total 129; Coho Salmon; 0-jacks, 0-adults, total 0, season total 0; Steelhead; 0-1/2lbs, 1-adults, total 1, season total 43; 0-Brown Trout, season total 18. 
 

Willow Creek weir summary: Julian Week 36 ending Sept. 9, 2024; Chinook Salmon, 3-jacks, 4-adulta, total 7, season total 82; Coho Salmon, 0-jacks, 0-adults, season total 0, Steelhead, 3-1/2-pounders, 20-adults, total 23, season total 299. 
A reminder: Mary-Claire Kier, CDFW Fish Biologist in charge of the Trinity River Fish weirs recommends “stuff you need to be aware of”.  
1. They normally close the weir traps before sunset and trap overnight, working the fish up the next morning, if all goes well, throughout the morning open the trapping when done counting;
2. The water temperature in the Lower Trinity (where the Willow Creek Weir is) has been elevated this past week. Our upper water temperature threshold for trapping is 70F degrees or 21C degrees, which has precluded from trapping overnight every night.
3. Because of the evening water temperatures have been too high to trap, the crew has been checking water temps upstream of the trap every morning, and if it has been under those thresholds, they have been setting the trap for a few hours of morning trapping.
4. They love to trap fish (and get tags on them) but they will never trap if the trapping is going to put the fish in danger. 
5. They have not had a single tagged fish “wash back” dead this season. 
6. When the water is warm(er), fish tend to hang in deeper holes/refugia and not move upstream a lot. Water temperature is far lower in the upper 

 

Trinity (where the Junction City weir is located), Fall fish are waiting to move upstream until cooler water entices them upstream.

 

Fishing: I am seeing more fishermen along the lower Trinity now that it is starting to col down a bit. I ma not seeing or hearing about how the fishing is but hope it has been improving. Big Rock, as the river flows have been dropping a little, I have noticed the snags have changed the flows around Big Rock. The channel has changed some and you might have to make your approach differently than last year, so please be careful. Fishing below the airport is now restricted so watch for the signs that designate where you can fish. |
Fishing: as the water flows drop you will have to go down in size of your spinners and spoons, fly fishing is starting to pick up some and on sunny days I have noticed the bug hatches are increasing.

 

Up River: fishing is still limited to half-pounders with a scattering of small adults. As the days get shorter and the water gets cooler, I am sure the fishing will start to get much better. For Up river fishing information call; Pine Cove Marina, Matt or Louise (530)778-3878, for the river you can call Indian Creek Lodge, Andy or Hannah, (530)623-6294 or Junction City Store, Butch, (530)623-2803.

 

Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 2,390cfs. This is an increase of 61cfs.  Iron Gate- Bogus Creek area is flowing 1,032cfs an increase of 50cfs from last time. The Upper Klamath is flowing good but still has some silt and dirt in the water after they removed the coffer dam. Fishing above I-5 should start to improve as the river clears up more. I hope the rain for Wednesday does no create more silt and ash flowing into the river, that could curb fishing for a bit of time. Other than that fishing should start to pick up. Seiad Valley is flowing 1,170cfs so the river is up a little from last time. 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 1,383cfs with releases of 1,385cfs into Spring Creek. Shasta Lake is 63% of capacity (a decrease of 2% and minus 3ft) with inflows of 3,202cfs and releasing 1,482cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 96% of capacity (an increase of 0%) with inflows of 8,072cfs and releases of 8,108cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 61% of capacity (a decrease of 4% and minus 8ft) with inflows of 2,508cfs with releases of 11,443cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 49% of capacity (a decrease of 1% and minus 2ft) with inflows of 1,272cfs with releases of 1,998cfs into the American river. Trinity Lake storage is 1,769,977AF a decrease of 30,120AF of storage.

 

Trinity Lake: The lake is 46ft below the overflow (an increase of 2ft) and 72% of capacity (a decrease of 2%) with inflows of -37cfs and releasing 1,619cfs into Lewiston Lake with 913cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown and on to the Keswick Power Plant while releasing 9,183cfs into the Sacramento River.

 

Trinity River flows and conditions: Trinity Lake is 72% of capacity (a decrease of 2%) and 46ft below the overflow an increase of 2ft. Lewiston Dam is 96% of capacity (an increase of 2%) and water releases of 472cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 49.5 degrees, as of 11:00am today Monday September 16, 2024. Limekiln Gulch is 4.91ft at 478cfs. Douglas City is 6.71ft with flows of 500cfs with water temperatures of 53.3 degrees. Junction City is 1.97ft at 523cfs. Helena is 8.81ft at 520cfs with water temps of 57.7 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 2.01cfs and flowing 95cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 615 and air is 68 degrees and water at 61 degrees, Hoopa is 11.54ft at 828cfs with water at 64.3 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath in Weitchpec are estimated to be 2,390cfs an increase of 61cfs.

 

Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate/Bogus Creek flows are 1,032cfs, an increase of 50cfs. Seiad Valley is 2.07ft flowing at 1,170cfs. Indian Creek is 3.84ft at 56cfs. Happy Camp is estimated to be 1,226cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 1,350cfs, and the Salmon River is 1.53ft at 210cfs. Orleans is 2.26ft at 1,562cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 7.99ft at 2,671cfs and water temps are 66.7 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jediah Smith are 4.74ft with flows of 279cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 11.41ft at N/A.

 

Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 100 and a low of 51 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.11in with a water year total to date of 54.58 inches and 0.40in of snow in Willow Creek. The predicted temperatures for next week are for high of 87 and a low of 52. The predicted weather for the next week is for possible showers Wednesdays and then sunshine through the weekend.