Who else is experiencing Salmon fishing withdrawals this year since CDFW shut down Salmon fishing across the entire state? Well, I certainly am! This time of year there are usually multiple opportunities to catch fish across the northern part of the golden state. That being said, fish boxes of wild Fall Chinook will not be seen in California this year and who knows about next.
But the good news is there is another Anadromous fish that will start to make it’s presence in a few months. It is hard to say what the conditions will be like this year. As far as the Russian goes, there is plenty of water in both Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino. Lake Sonoma is currently just over 241,000 AF while Lake Mendocino is just over 86,000 AF. So what does that mean? That means both lakes are full and right under storage capacity. If we get a wet winter we can anticipate that the Russian is most likely not going to be fishable throughout most of the season. In 2019 during the very we winter we had that year we hardly got to fish due to the Army Corps of Engineers continuing to let out water from January all the way through March. So what are the options? There are always other options depending on how far one wants to travel. As far as my options? I will go where the conditions are fishable. Travel may be more this year than years past. I will say, be prepared to travel.
The Eel river watershed received an above normal rainfall this year and it’s amazing how much cleaner the rivers are and how much more water there is as of today compared to other years in late August. Hard to say how conditions will be this year for that watershed.
So when will be begin taking deposits and filling my Calendar for the 2024 Steelhead season? In the beginning of September for the months of January, February, and March. If you are interested in fishing with me this season give me a call, shoot me a text, or send me an email. I am always optimistic about the upcoming season in regards to how well it will be and always do my best to give you the best opportunity to have success and a great time. I look forward to hearing from you all and seeing familiar and new faces on the water.
Redwood Fishing Adventures 