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Klamath River

Veteran Klamath River Anlger Bruce Slightom

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It can fish well almost year round from Iron Gate Dam downstream to

Interstate 5 if the flow is not too high.  This is  a mostly year round fishery like a tailwater in some ways.

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Summer Steelhead start to come in the lower river in July but it is pretty

hot down there then. Best fishing in July/August is early and late in the

day. These fish seem to hang around where the tributaries flow in with colder water temps.

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Halfpounders start shooting up the river in late August.

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You just have to fish the Klamath River as much as you can from September through November for Steelhead. It has been pretty good now for well for the past 10 years. That doesn't mean it is good all the time for everyone but it has been great for many. Some retired fly fishers will spend a month or three on the river to be sure to hit the big runs of fish.

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Be sure to get your lodging and guide reserved soon for Fall

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PS: Come by the shop on any Saturday and have Klamath River experts Joe Shirshac and Noe Fierros

help you plan a good trip to this great Steelhead river. They can mark some good spots on a StreamTime map

for you and help you with tackle and flies.

1 800/400-0359 Open 7 days a week.

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River Information

The Klamath River actually starts in Oregon above Klamath Lake. It flows from there through Ewauna Lake, still in Oregon, and then over the border into Copco Lake then into Iron Gate Reservoir. From Iron Gate the Klamath River flows freely to the Pacific Ocean, about 200 miles later.

The stretch from Iron Gate to Interstate 5 is a very popular float trip now. It has fish in it all year with the best results being in the Spring and Fall. There are Steelhead in that stretch plus resident trout.

From I-5 down through the Seiad Valley to Happy Camp is considered the upper river which are popular in the Spring and late Fall. The Shasta and Scott Rivers flow in from the south in this stretch but are all pretty much de-watered now. They get their flows and fish in the middle of winter. October/November can be good in this upper stretch.

Many consider the water from Happy Camp downstream to Weitchpec as the middle river. The Salmon River flows into this stretch at Somes Bar above Orleans and is a beautiful river. October is a great month in this part of the river. This is famous drift boat water.

At Weitchpec the largest tributary, the Trinity River, flows in making it an even larger river now. Weitchpec to the ocean in considered the lower river and has some very nice fly fishing water. This stretch is mostly traveled by jet boat . September/October is the best months in the lower river with the best fishing usually being in the AM and PM.

This great river has been through tough times with heavy agricultural water demands upstream and heavy fishing pressures. It seemed to be in really bad shape with poor runs in the 80s and early 90s but for the past 10 years it seem to have made some kind of partial comeback.

You need to get a week on this river in late September through October hopefully with some Klamath River regulars or with a top drift boat or jet boat guide. The real big variable is just being on a riffle that has Steelhead in it. The fish come in big schools in the Fall and you can be there in between them. They usually take a fly really well.

Salmon start coming in early in June and keep trickling in all the way through the Fall. September is big for salmon.

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** Getting out extremely early on the river is important in the fall then fish till mid-day and take a long break if it is warm and sunny. Then go out later in the day and fish right up till dark. Low light level is key to success in swinging flies on a floating line right in surface. When the sun is on the water you can go to a sinktip line.

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Tackle

• This is a big river so you should have 9' to 10' rods in #6 to #7 weight line size. Some are using Spey/two handed rods on the Klamath now.  Many use smaller trout size fly fishing outfits for the Halfpounders, especially in the mornings when the wind is low.
• For two-handed rods we like a 12'6" #6 line or a 13' #7 spey rod. Switch rods that are around 11' are nice too.

• Have a good 'Steelhead' weight forward floating line that has a long belly and back taper for long mending and long roll casting. Next have a short 5-15' sinktip for getting down a little after the sun gets on the water. Some will use a very fast 200 to 300 grain sinktip or very fast sinking 30 foot shooting head for really getting real deep. The new multi-tip lines with interchangeable 15' tips are getting popular too. Swinging wet flies is very effective on this river especially with the sun off the water. Indicator fishing is effective mid-day.

• On the floating line you can use a 9' 2x leader for swinging flies in the AM and PM with the sun off the water in the Fall. On the short (10-15') sinktip tips you can use a 7.5' 1x leader. Have some good fresh 0x to 2x tippet material too.

• Most use size #8/10 wet flies for Steelhead on the Klamath River. The Silver Hilton, Brindle Bug, Assassin, Herniator and Mossback are among the most popular Klamath River patterns. You could just tie on any #8/10 trout nymph or soft hackle wet fly and catch them too. A BH Prince Nymph will work as good as almost anything.
  

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Klamath River Maps

• Courtesy Fish Sniffer site (upper river).
• StreamTime map available - $5.95

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Books

• Fly-Fishing Northern California Waters by Lily Wong
• No Nonsense Guide To Fly Fishing in Northern California by Ken Hanley.

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Local Fly Shops - reports, flies, directions on a brown bag?

• Trinity Fly Shop in Lewiston

• The Fly Shop in Redding
• Little Ray's Tackle in Klamath Glen - 707 482-7725
• Eureka Fly Shop in Eureka
• Ted Fay Fly Shop in Dunsmuir

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Fishing Guides

• Kiene's Klamath River Guide recommendations.

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Lodging

• Klamath River Resort Inn - above Happy Camp
• Marble Mountain Ranch - near Somes Bar
• Sandy Bar Ranch - near Orleans
• Klamath River Lodge - below Orleans
• Steelhead Lodge in Klamath Glen
• Ravenwood Motel - on Hwy 1 near river. Clean & affordable.
• Rivers West Lodge -accessible by jet boat only - 20 miles upstream from ocean.