Current Klamath River Fly Fishing Report: 03.01.2024
I am going to pause on fishing reports on the Klamath until the right time. This is an exciting time. A time to reset. For now there isn’t a bad fishing report nor a good fishing report out of the Klamath River. What we have is “Good News”.
When will I resume fishing reports? About the time the Yurok peoples start fishing for Chinook and Steelhead. And maybe the peoples of the upper basin including the Modoc and the Yahooskin-Paiute also will reunite with the river and fish that are their identity. A birth right. Not sure when that will be. Hoping for next August or September. By then we will have a whole new river. A new frontier to care for. A really healthy river on it’s way to a pristine state of being. A source of spiritual and dietary sustenance.
The monumental endeavor of dismantling dams and restoring rivers on an unprecedented scale is underway on the upper Klamath River. Over the span of nearly a century, dams along the Klamath River have obstructed the passage of salmon and steelhead trout, denying them access to over 400 miles of vital habitat. These structures have also encroached upon Indigenous cultural sites and adversely affected water quality for both human communities and wildlife. However, a transformative initiative is now in motion as four dams—J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, and Iron Gate—erected between 1908 and 1962 are slated for removal.
It’s a big deal. Will the salmon return? Will they return in bigger numbers? And the steelhead? I don’t see why not.
Find out more here: American Rivers
