| Rivers
Anglers, you're in for a treat!!! Rivers of
the Northcoast offers some of the best fishing
in the world.
Chetco River
The
Chetco is a fairly short coastal river,
rising in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness area
of the Siskiyou National Forest and flowing
into the Pacific at Brookings. The river,
located 5 miles north of the Oregon Border,
is a smaller coastal river with approximately
15 miles of fishing access. However, don't
let its size fool you. It has turned out
to be a favorite river for many of our guides
and one of the most productive.
Fishing
season begins in fall with the Chinook Salmon
run, and continues through winter with Steelhead.
Trophy steelhead into the 20 pound category
have been caught during winter fishing and
Chinook (king) salmon over 60 pounds have
been landed here. The Chetco is a very well
managed fishery and consistently has some
of the most productive steelhead fishing
on the North Coast.
Like
all free flowing rivers on the Coast, weather
and water conditions can create quick changes
in its fishing productivity. Free flowing
rivers usually drop and clear quickly after
winter storms and the Chetco is no exception.
Usually 2-3 days after normal storms, the
river is in perfect shape but it is always
good to check the River Flow Charts.
Eel River
The
Eel River flows through massive groves of
old growth redwoods and has a long history
of producing large salmon and steelhead.
The 100 miles long Eel River is one the
best rivers on the North Coast to catch
the big 'steelies'. Eel River is the headquarters
for Winter Steelhead. The season starts
in November and goes on till April. Big
steelhead are very common and you might
get something as big as 20 lbs. And don't
worry there is never a shortage of 'steelies'
in Eel River.
Salmon
season starts around early October and run
into December. We use different methods
like trolling quick fish & spinner rigs
to catch these monsters.
Heavy
rain falls can blow out the river very quickly
but when the water turns green, it is one
of the best places on Northcoast to fish.
Klamath River
Rich
with history and sporting prodigious runs
of both salmon and steelhead, California's
second largest river attracts anglers from
throughout the country every year. The largest
river on the North Coast, the Klamath stretches
over 200 miles from its mouth to the Oregon
border. Offering fishing for fall king salmon
that rivals any found in Alaska (days with
thirty to fifty fish per boat are not uncommon);
the Klamath is the perfect destination for
anglers of any age or skill level. The largest
population of steelhead resides in this
river and they are one of the hardest fighting
steelies in this area. .
Klamath
River boasts two separate runs of king salmon;
Springers enter the river from mid-May through
mid-July, and the fall run occurs from early
August through late October. Klamath River
salmon average 8 to 15 pounds but can reach
weights of 40 pounds and larger.
Fall-run
steelhead averaging 5 to 8 pounds are available
in the Klamath from July through March.
Throw in a run of 12-18 inch steelhead called
half-pounders as well as the run of salmon
and you get a diversity of options not found
anywhere else.
Salmon
in Klamath are also very aggressive like
the steelies and huge in size. The average
size is in between 8 to 20 lbs and sometimes
it can be as big as 50 lbs. Fall Salmon
fishing starts in mid Aug. and ends around
mid October.
Smith River
Discovered
by the Lewis and Clark expedition on July
15, 1805, the Smith River, California's
most northern coastal river located 5 miles
south of the Oregon border, is known for
its breathtaking beauty, large boulders,
and emerald-clear swift water. These are
a must see for anyone visiting the North
Coast. The Smith River, located approximately
75 miles north of College of the Redwoods,
is one of California's most spectacular
wild and scenic rivers. The river is surrounded
by the largest trees in the world, Six Rivers
Natural Forest, and Jedediah Smith State
Park. This river is un-dammed from the headwaters
to the mouth.
The
Smith River is well known for producing
the state record steelhead, 27lb. 4 oz.,
and many other steelhead over 20 pounds
such as the 25lber I'm holding at the top of
the web site.
While the average Chinook (king) salmon
weighs between 20-40 pounds, the Smith River
also holds the record for the second largest
Chinook caught at 86 pounds.
After
the large winter storms that frequent the
Northcoast on a regular basis, Smith River
is always the first river to clear, sometimes
over night. Some of the other rivers and
streams can take 1-2 weeks depending on
their drainage system. The Smith is the
longest of the free flowing rivers in the
state and has carved itself down to bedrock
leaving very little silt to cloud its waters.
Fishing
the Smith River, like all other rivers on
the Northcoast, is dependent on both weather
conditions and water conditions.. If anyone
ever tells you they catch fish everyday
& they fish on the Smith, they probably
don't fish often. To say that fish are caught
everyday would not be truthful. However,
due to our experience and knowledge of the
rivers, through the years we have maintained
one of the highest catch ratios on the North
Coast.
Trinity River
The Trinity is the largest tributary of the
Klamath and flows through some of the most
rugged terrain in the state. It is the home
to some of the best salmon and steelhead
fishing on
the planet. In the fall, the water is so
clear that you can actually see the salmon
as we float down the river. This fishing
paradise has everything from gorgeous weather,
spectacular scenery, sparse crowds and the
very unique possibility of targeting both
salmon and steelhead on the same day.
Steelhead
fishing season starts around September and
continues till end of March. During the
Fall it's not uncommon to have 20 to 40 fish days.
The lower section of the river from the
town of Willow Creek to the town of Hoopa has
the biggest concentration of steelhead.
The average size of an adult steelhead caught
is between 6 to 10 lbs. On your lucky day
you can catch a steelhead up to 15 - 20
lbs.
Every
year around June, the spring salmon fishing
season kicks off. They are the brightest
and hardest fighting fish at this time of
the year. We use different techniques including
back bouncing roe, spinners and quick fish
to catch them.
Fall
salmon fishing can start as early as August
but it is at its peak in September and October.
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