Freestone · Mixed · Northern California

Klamath River

Klamath River venue image
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A river that got its life back.

Species

A proper day on the water

River steady at a fishable height. A proper day for it.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for steelhead
Warm — slow
15°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for steelhead
  • Temperature5428% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity6612% weight
Conditions
Level
0.84 m
Water temp
15.4°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
26°C
Wind
W 15 km/h
Gentle breeze
Pressure
1017 hPa
Rain · 48h
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

How to fish it · for steelhead
When
Late summer into autumn for half-pounders as the river drops and cools
Where
A river that got its life back.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • CDFW and tribal regulations; rules are evolving with post-dam-removal recovery — verify before fishing
  • ESA-listed coho/Chinook: do not target; release unharmed.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

A river that got its life back. The four lower dams came out in October 2024, and for the first time since 1964 more than 400 miles of the Klamath are open again — the salmon and steelhead are already finding their way home, which is a thing worth sitting with for a minute. Historically this was the half-pounder steelhead river, those bright young fish that come back small and willing. It still carries ESA-listed coho and Chinook, and on a watershed in recovery the right move is to fish lightly. It's a big river that warms and colors in summer; the time to go is autumn, as the flows drop and cool. Honor the tribal regulations and the recovering runs.

  • Mixed
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Other water nearby · 3