Klamath River Fishing Report 03/08/24
Report Headlines: Poor conditions exist.
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly and gear recommendations. Pacific Steelhead Flies: Salmon Flies
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Tailwater
Species
Steelhead
Trout
Salmon
Size
Large about 200 miles long
Location
Northern California
Nearest Towns
Yreka
Season
Year – round but species dependent
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of California
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
The season is open year-round but it’s species dependent
Spring:
Spring is the best time to catch the Klamath River’s resident trout.
Summer:
Summer is the best time to fish Lower section of the river. Salmon come into the river during this time.
Fall:
Fly fishing the Klamath River is great during late Fall because of the steelhead runs.
Winter:
The winter months are prime months for steelhead fishing. The best fishing in done then in the Upper section.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
For Steelhead and Salmon
Fly Line:
7, 8 , 9 or 10 weight for appropriate typerod, sinking, sinking tip and floating
Leaders:
10#, 12# in 9 to 15 feet lengths
Tippets:
10# and 12#
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly 7, 8, 9 and 10 ft. single hand rods
Fly Reels:
For 7 to 10 weight lines
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
KISS Strike Indicators, Lanyards, etc.
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2016 James Marsh
Fly Fishing On The Klamath River In California
The Klamath River starts in southern Oregon and flows into the state of California and finally into the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the best steelhead rivers in California. It also has a good population of resident rainbow trout. Fly fishing the Klamath River can be good year-round. It is a big river and you have to pay close attention to where you fish it because it changes with the seasons and the species of fish you’re after.
The Klamath River fishing begins in California at Iron Gate Dam below Iron Gate Reservoir and from there it is not damed for two-hundred miles to the Pacific Ocean. After a short run from the dam, the river flows along Interstate 5 from near the Oregon border southward. The Shasta and Scott Rivers join this section of the Klamath.
From Happy Hollow downstream is what’s considered the middle section of the river. The best fishing in this section takes place during October. The Salmon River is another tributary stream that enters it in this section. The Trinity River joins in on the flow below Keitchpec.
The section from that point downstream to the Pacific is considered the Lower section of the river. The steelhead fishing is usually good in September and October in the Lower section. Salmon come into the river in small quantities during this time. The summer runs of steelhead come into the lower river in July and August but the water is warm. The fish tend to hold up near the mouths of cooler tributary streams.
The older, mature steelhead average about six pounds but the river is usually full of small ten inch size younger steelhead. Most of the catch is likely to be the smaller ones. These are very plentiful and easier to catch than the larger, more mature fish. These are hard fighting fish that offers a challenge on fly gear.
The steelhead fishing gets good in the Upper section of the Klamath in the month of November and last on through the Winter into March. Late September and October can be okay but it’s dependant on many things. The run peaks in December and January. Get ready for some typical cold weather steelhead fishing if you plan on fishing the Upper Klamath River.
There are sections of the river that wading anglers can fish but the best and most popular way to fish the Trinity River is from a drift boat. Most of the steelhead fishing is done with nymphs or swinging flies in the current. The trout fishing is also mostly done with nymphs in the Upper section of the Klamath River.
01/19/20 Now, is the time to be fishing the river. We are getting good reports for the upper Klamath from customers. Both nymphing and swinging flies are catching fish.
02/10/2020 The releases from the Iron Gate have been high at time and fluctuating. Good
numbers of fish are being caught when the flows are not too high.
02/25/2020 The stream flows have stablized and our customers are catching good number and sizes of fish. This should continue this coming week.
03/25/20 We are receiving more good reports. The weather is turning colder with lots of snow but the action should continue. Stream levels are in good shape.
06/02/20 Steelhead season is done for the season.
06/28/20 The upper Klamath above the Iron Gate is in okay shape. We are getting some good reports from our customers that are catching trout. There are several hatches taking place. Pale Morning duns, Pale evening duns, Spotted sedges, Green sedges, little Yellows
stoneflies, Golden Stoneflies are hatching. The stream levels are fine and the water clear.
07/28/20 Stream levels are still a good bit above normal level. Salmon are in the lower river.
09/16/20 There are half-pounders and some adult steelhead in the lower and middle river.
The fish should move into the upper section as soon as the water cools some more and
that shouldn’t be very long.
10/12/20 The river stream levels are still low but should be coming up soon. Salmon are
showing up in good numbers in the lower river. Steelhead should start moving in very soon.
11/12/20 Our customers are catching salmon and steelhead. The fires have been a problem in some areas so be sure to check the status of them. Fish are being caught swinging and nymphing.
04/22/21 The steelhead fishing is done for the season. Trout can be caught below the Iron Gate dam. There are good hatches of Salmonflies, Golden stoneflies, PMDs, Spotted and Green sedge caddis and others.
05/25/21 Check back with us about the end of June. It isn’t worth fishing at this point.
06/04/21 Now is a good time to get your flies and gear in order for the upcoming good fishing opportunity.
08/10/21 Don’t wait for the fishing to get red hot before you get the flies and gear you need to fish. It won’t be much longer.
08/17/21 There are some fish, steelhead and salmon, showing up in the lower river.
08/25/21 We received one good report from a customer fishing the lower river. Lots of salmon and some half pounders.
09/03/21 The lower river is turning out some catches of salmon and half pounders. There are reports of steelhead entering the lower river.
09/18/21 There is a lot of smoke in the area most of the time. We didn’t receive any reports for the past week. Fish should start moving upstream soon.
09/28/21 There are still no reports of the fish being present. The smoke situation is better. This should be changing very soon so get ready with the right flies and gear.
11/11/21 Fish are moving upstream and should be at the middle river to the dam within the next few days. Get your flies and gear ready now. Another week or so and they will be there.
11/23/22 We are getting good catch reports from customers catching salmon and steelhead. Swinging and nymphing methods are both working good.
11/30/23 The stream is turning out very good numbers of steelhead. Our Estaz egg patterns, purple egg sucking leeches, and Hexigenia steelhead nymphs are all working very good.
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly and gear recommendations. Pacific Steelhead Flies: Salmon Flies