Well we are seeing summer type weather for the last week or so and the tributaries have been flowing like if it were mid-winter from snow melt. Every day the sun comes out and it gets hot by late afternoon the creeks are flowing full and the river starts to come back up. It looks like someone is running the release gate at the dam down in the morning and back up in the late afternoon. When the snow melts the Lower Trinity River Flows just about double the release flows here in Willow Creek. The good part about that is that the fish since (smell/taste) that and start up the river.  That makes the Lower Klamath great for Spring Chinook fishing. From what I have heard is that fishing is picking up down at he mouth of the Klamath and I do know that Spring Chinooks are coming into the Trinity.
The latest I have heard is that the Hoopa Reservation will open up to trespassing for fishing some time this summer but I still don’t know how it is going to work yet. I hope that I can find out sometime after the Memorial Day Holiday and believe me when I do you readers will be the first to know.

 Fishing: The Trinity River was on its way down but the snow melt has made a change to the water flows on the Lower Trinity, as bad as that sounds the “Good News” is that Spring Chinook are showing up on the Hoopa Reservation and in the upper river. The flows are still too high for safely drifting boats but one can find some areas to safely fish from the bank if one scouts the river good. You will have to remember that the salmon are not going to be in their traditional areas because of the high water. They are going to be in the slower shallower areas of the river due to the swift currents. I have found that spinners seem to work best in this kind of water. Usually a number 5 spinner with red or orange body works best but High color and high flash are your best bet for hookups. You are also going to step up the test on your main line and leaders. I recommend 15 to 20lbs test for main line and 12 to 15lbs test for leaders with a medium / heavy rod.

Trinity River Flows and conditions:
Trinity Lake is 22ft (8ft decrease) below the over flow and at 95.8% of capacity (5% increase) at 12:00pm to day. Inflow to the lake is 3,477cfs and dam releases are 7,167cfs to Lewiston Lake with 3,347cfs going to Whiskeytown Lake and then to the Sacramento River.
Trinity River: Lewiston Dam releases are 3,800cfs, water temps 47, air is 80 degrees. Limekiln Gulch is 7.8ft at 3,780cfs. Douglas City is 9.7ft at 4,070cfs, water temps 49, air is 81. Junction City is 5.6ft at 4,220cfs. Helena is 14.7ft at 7,800fs and water at 50.6. Cedar Flat is 9ft at 5,190cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 5,930cfs, air 72, and water 54. Hoopa is 17ft at 6,990cfs, water temps 57 degrees. Mouth of the Trinity at the Klamath is 17.1K cfs
Klamath: Iron Gate Dam releases are 1,960cfs. Seiad Valley is 5.2ft at 4,170cfs. Happy Camp estimated at 6,135cfs. Somes Bar estimated at 7,500cfs. Orleans is 10.2ft at 10.2Kcfs. Klamath at 101 is 13.9ft at 19.3K, water temps of 57.4 degrees.
Temperatures in the valley last week were 75/42 degrees with 0 inches of rain, total to date 70.3 inches. The weather next week expected to be 75/43 degrees. Monday/possible showers, Tuesday/possible showers, Wednesday/possible showers, Thursday/possible showers, Friday/possible showers, Saturday/possible showers, Sunday/cloudy, Monday, partly cloudy