Fishing Guide Service Available Klamath River Fishing

The  regulations in this subsection apply only to waters of the Klamath  River Basin which are accessible to anadromous salmonids. They do not  apply to waters of the Klamath River Basin which are inaccessible to  anadromous salmon and trout, portions of the Klamath River system  upstream of Iron Gate Dam, portions of the Trinity River system upstream  of Lewiston Dam, and the Shasta River and tributaries upstream of  Dwinnel Dam. Fishing in these waters is governed by the General  Regulations for non-anadromous waters of the North Coast District (see subsection 7.00(a)(5)).

(1)  Only barbless hooks may be used. (For definitions regarding legal hook  types, hook gaps and rigging see Chapter 2, Article 1, Section 2.10).

(2) During closures to the take of adult salmon, it shall be unlawful to remove any adult Chinook Salmon from the water by any means.

(1) No fishing is allowed within 750 feet of any Department of Fish and Wildlife fish-counting weir.

(2)  No fishing is allowed from the Ishi Pishi Road bridge upstream to and  including Ishi Pishi Falls from August 15 through December 31.  EXCEPTION: members of the Karuk Indian Tribe listed on the current Karuk  Tribal Roll may fish at Ishi Pishi Falls using hand-held dip nets.

3) No fishing is allowed from September 15 through  December 31 in the Klamath River within 500 feet of the mouths of the  Salmon, the Shasta and the Scott rivers and Blue Creek (see Section  7.00(a)(4)).

(4) No fishing is allowed from  June 15 through September 14 in the Klamath River from 500 feet above  the mouth of Blue Creek to 500 feet downstream of the mouth of Blue  Creek.

(1) Trout Possession Limits.

(a) The Brown Trout possession limit is 10.

(b) The hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead possession limits are as follows:

(i) Klamath River — 4 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead.

(ii) Trinity River — 4 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead.

(2) Chinook Salmon Possession Limits.

(a)  Klamath River downstream of the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec from  January 1 to August 14 and the Trinity River downstream of the Old  Lewiston Bridge to the confluence of the South Fork Trinity River from  January 1 to August 31.

(i) 2 Chinook Salmon.

(b) Klamath River from August 15 to December 31 and Trinity River from September 1 to December 31.

(i) 6  Chinook Salmon. No more than 3 Chinook Salmon over 22 inches total  length may be retained when the take of salmon over 22 inches total  length is allowed.

The  Klamath River fall-run Chinook Salmon take is regulated using quotas.  Accounting of the tribal and non-tribal harvest is closely monitored  from August 15 through December 31 each year. These quota areas are  noted in subsection (b)(91.1)(E) with “Fall Run Quota” in the Open  Season and Special Regulations column.

(1) Quota for Entire Basin. The 2018 Klamath River Basin quota is 3,490 Klamath River fall Chinook salmon over 22 inches total length. The  department shall inform the Commission, and the public via the news  media, prior to any implementation of restrictions triggered by the  quotas. (NOTE: A department status report on progress toward the quotas for the various river sections is updated weekly, and available at 1-800-564-6479.) 

(2) Subquota Percentages.

(a)  The subquota for the Klamath River upstream of the Highway 96 bridge at  Weitchpec and the Trinity River is 50% of the total Klamath River Basin  quota.

(i) The subquota for the Klamath River  from 3,500 feet downstream of the Iron Gate Dam to the Highway 96 bridge  at Weitchpec is 17% of the total Klamath River Basin quota.

(ii)  The subquota for the Trinity River main stem downstream of the Old  Lewiston Bridge to the Highway 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat is 16.5% of  the total Klamath River Basin quota.

(iii) The  subquota for the Trinity River main stem downstream of the Denny Road  bridge at Hawkins Bar to the confluence with the Klamath River is 16.5%  of the total Klamath River Basin quota.

(b) The  subquota for the Lower Klamath River downstream of the Highway 96  bridge at Weitchpec is 50% of the total Klamath River Basin quota.

(i) The Spit Area (within 100 yards of the channel through the sand spit formed at the Klamath River mouth) will close when 15% of the total Klamath River Basin quota is taken downstream of the Highway 101 bridge.

All  anadromous waters of the Klamath River Basin are closed to all fishing  all year except those areas listed in the following table. Bag limits  are for trout and Chinook Salmon in combination unless otherwise  specified.