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TRINITY RIVER FISHING REPORT – AUGUST 16, 2009 PDF  | Print |  E-mail
Visitor Info - Fishing Report

Trinity Lake is 105 feet below the over flow (3ft decrease) and 45.3 percent of capacity (1% decrease).

INFLOW to the lake is 149cfs and 2,053cfs is being released to the Sacramento River.

Trinity River at Lewiston is 458cfs, water temps are 51.5, air 55 degrees at 10:00 a.m. today.

Limekiln Gulch is 4.8ft at 434cfs. Douglas City is 2.2ft at 464fs, water temps are 56.2, air 74 degrees.

Helena/North Fork is 8.9ft and 473cfs, water temps 59.6, air 63. Cedar Flat is 3ft at 549cfs.

Willow Creek is estimated at 607cfs, water temps 65, air 73 degrees.

Hoopa is 11.6ft at 793cfs, water temps 69. Mouth of the Trinity at Klamath is 2,493fs, water 70 degrees.

Klamath River releases at Iron Gate are 1,000cfs. Seiad Valley is 2.1ft at 1,200cfs.

Happy Camp is estimated at 1,262cfs. Somes Bar is estimated at 1,575cfs. Orleans is 3.3ft at 1,700cfs.

Klamath at 101 8.4ft at 2,600cfs and water temperatures of 71 degrees.

Last week’s temperatures for the Trinity Valley were 96/50 with no rain, for a total of 64.8 inches of rain for the year. Forecasts for the next week in the valley are 90/53 with morning overcasts and sunny afternoons. The cooler weather HAS started the fish to move. We are seeing cooler mornings and the sunny afternoons are not as hot. The fish that were staging down at Johnson and Weitchpec are moving into the valley and up the Trinity. Reports of half-pounders in the Lower Klamath are exciting news because it won’t be long before they will be in Hoopa and then Willow Creek.

The Trinity River Junction City Weir count is showing fish movement but not a lot yet. As to date they have counted 138 German Brown Trout over 16-1/2 inches 35-adult steelhead. We are slightly ahead of last years count for spring Chinook with a count of 180 vs. 123 for last season.

NOTE: Increase of water flows. BOR will start increasing water flows Aug. 23th for the Indian Boat Dance in Hoopa. They have requested releases of 2,650fs peak flows and water flows should be back to 450cfs by Aug. 27th. This should really start the fall Chinook heading up the river plus we are having a good increase of summer run steelhead.

Douglas City to Junction City is still seeing some fair Springer fishing but with only 2-3 fish per trip. The cooler weather should help make an improvement in that fishery.

The Junction City weir count is looking some what better for a total of 138 German Browns over 16-1/2 inches vs. 56 last year. Spring Chinook count is 180 vs. 123 for last year. The Willow Creek weir should be going up with in the next week. So by the end of the month we should be seeing some counts of fall Chinook.

The reports of large numbers of dead fish being seen on the Trinity and Klamath rivers are just a rumor “NOT FACT”. DFG is aware of these reports and have been out checking all the possible locations for dead fish but has yet to find any large numbers. I have not seen or know of ANY dead salmon in the Falls area and the only report I have received is three dead fish between Steiner Flat and Evans Bar, 2 Germen Brown about 3lbs and 1 salmon about 7lbs. I do know of some smolts (about half dozen) floating down around Johnson but that is all. “We are not having a repeat of “2002Fish Kill”!

The Del Loma area is seeing more adult steelhead with the cooler temperatures. George Arabian of southern Cal was fishing Friday and landed a nice 3lb hatchery steelie and an 8lb native throwing spinners. Would you believe this happened mid-day? This goes to prove I am not the last word on when or where to fish.

The mouth of Willow Creek and Campora hole have been producing some action with spinners also but until we see more movement of fish action is going to be slow.

The Mid-Klamath has cooled down some and the fish, both salmon and steelhead are moving around more but I have not had any hot fishing reports from there yet. The half-pounders are on their way so within the next week or so Weitchpec action should get hot. You fly fishers had better limber up your arms and check you supply of flies.