Reports   Klamath River  

Klamath River


Veteran Klamath River Guide Bruce Slightom

Current Report - October 14, 2007 - Sunday

Heard that a 5 mile school of fish was spotted from a helicopter recently in the lower Klamath River.

October is a great month to be on the Klamath with a blend of cool and warm weather.

I would be fishing from Johnson's Bar upstream to Happy Camp now.

Early and late with the sun off the water is still best.

Overcast with a little rain is good too.

We have had good reports on our message board recently.

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

Interstate 5 if the flow is not too high.  This is  a 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.

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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 good now for well over 5 years. That doesn't mean it is good all the time for everyone

but it has been great for many.

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Be sure to get your lodging and guide reserved soon for Fall 2008

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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.

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 is the big month in the lower river with the best fishing usually being in the AM and PM in the warmer weather.

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 5 to 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.

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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.
  • 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 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?

 

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Fishing Guides

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Lodging

 
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