With the fires, heat and smoke plus the heavy moss in the river the salmon have been slow in moving up river. Low water in both the Upper Klamath and Trinity Rivers has really made for slow Salmon fishing also. Now that Salmon fishing is open again, I am not receiving the fishing reports that I am used to getting. I think it has to do with air temperatures of 100 plus and water temperatures of 72 plus degrees. Salmon do not survive well with water temperatures above 72 degrees. Steelhead can do ok because they are able to find cool water easier than Salmon as the move up river a bit fast than the Salmon. I think that after three yeas of no Salmon fishing many guides are taking it slow to jump back into the fishing game. I do enjoy watching people fishing along the rivers.

No Salmon fishing for three years has really hurt the economy in many ways. The lodges that support the river fishing industry and other industries that work in conjunction have had a hard time surviving the lost revenue. Fisher persons have looked else were to find the sport they love and it is hard to entice them back after such a long time. I have seen the happen in other sporting venues and once people moved to another area to seek their choices sport it becomes very had to entice them back. I just hope we can get many of the people that enjoy Salmon fishing will come back to their local choice. I hope once things cool down things will pick up and the fishing will improve.
 

Lower Klamath creel count: Below Hwy 101 Bridge; Julian Week 33, ending Aug. 19, 2026; Chinook Salmon, 67-jack, 133-adult, total 200, season total 200; Above Hwy 101 Bridge; 75-jack, 91-addult, total 166, season total 166.
 

Junction City weir summary: At the present time the Junction City weir is the only trapping/counting station for the Trinity. Julian Week 31, ending on Aug. 5, 2026; Chinook Salmon, 101-jack, 94-adult, total 195, 17-hatchery, season total 632; Coho Salmon, o- fish; Steelhead, 2-1/2pounder, 9-adult, total 11, season total 71; Brown Trout 2, season total 44.
 

Lewiston Lake: I have not received an up to-date report from Lewiston Lake. Lewiston Lake is receiving 1,430cfs from Trinity Lake and releasing 444cfs into the river. If you would like to know more up to date fishing you can contact the Pine Cove Marina and ask Louise or Matt (530)778-3878) for Upper Trinity River you can call Junction City Store, (530)623-2803 or North Coast Outfitters (415)596-3488. 
 

Willow Creek area: Willow Creek, we are now into the summer flow regimen and fishing has been slow because of the warm water. Although the river seems to be low with warm water flows swimming and tubing has been good but the fishing has been slow. Up River the water is a bit cooler and the fishing has been somewhat better. The North Coast Outfitters is back on the river so if you would like to know what the fishing is like you could call them. This summer has been HOT so far but a cooldown is expected soon.
 

Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Mid-Klamath creel count and counting stations have started up and I am getting some nice counts from Dan. The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 1,907cfs. This is a decrease of N/Acfs. The Iron Gate/Bogus Creek area is flowing 8885cfs an increase of 20cfs from the last report.  The river is still flowing fair up river but getting warmer. The lower river at Terwer Creek is 73.5 degrees, about the limit that Salmon will move into and up river. The counts are showing somewhat better movement of Salmon than expected. For better information you can call or check out the face book for Marble Mountain Guest Ranch (800) 522-6284, or Scott Caldwell, SC Guide Service (530)905-0758 to get the latest fishing information for fishing the Upper Klamath.
 

Lake Conditions: Trinity Lake is at 1,799,611AF, a decrease of 92,277AF. We are seeing more lowering of the lake storage. Whiskeytown Lake is 98%, a decrease of 1% with inflows of 1,088cfs and releases of 1,010cfs.  Shasta Lake is 60% of capacity, a decrease of 12% and minus 13ft with inflows of 3,098cfs and releasing 8,452cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 88% of capacity, a decrease of 5% with inflows of 9,582cfs and releases of 10,066cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 61% of capacity, a decrease of 11% and minus 32ft, with inflows of 2,806cfs with releases of 10,043cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 50% of capacity, a decrease of 15% and minus 17ft, with inflows of 1,861cfs with releases of 3,853cfs into the American River. 
 

Trinity Lake: The lake is 37ft below the overflow, an increase of 2ft and 77% of capacity, a decrease 1%, with inflows of 257cfs and releasing 1,465cfs into Lewiston Lake with 1,021cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown and on to the Keswick Power Plant, and releasing 11,869cfs into the Sacramento River, a decrease of 1,010cfs. 
 

Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam is 93% of capacity, a decrease 3% and water releases of 444cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 50.9 degrees, as of 0:00pam today Aug. 24, 2026 Limekiln Gulch is 4.85ft. with flows of 457cfs. Douglas City is 6.69ft with flows of 497cfs and water temperatures of 59.7 degrees. Helena is 9.05ft with flows of 459cfs with water temps of 64.4 degrees. South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 2.52 with flows of 60cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 519cfs, air is 73 degrees and water at 68.0 degrees, Hoopa is 11.09ft with flows of 583cfs with water at 72.4 degrees. 
 

Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate/Bogas Creek is 1.71ft with flows of 885cfs, an increase of 20cfs. Seiad Valley is 1.88ft with flows of 1,049cfs. Indian Creek is 3.20ft with flows of 34cfs. Happy Camp is estimated to be 1,083cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 1,132cfs, and the Salmon River is 1.48ft with flows of 192cfs. Orleans is 1.64ft at 1,324cfs, the Klamath River with flows of Terwer Creek at 7.65ft and flows of 2,235cfs with water temps of 73.5 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jediah Smith are 4.34ft with flows of 217fs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 11.1ft at N/A.

Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 107 and a low of 55 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.00in with a water year total to date of 38.57 and 1.45in of snow in Willow Creek. The predicted temperatures for next week are for high of 99 and a low of 54. We are expecting more HOT weather before a cool down. Cooler weather will bring in more fish.