January 2024 Fishing Report - Lost Coast Sport Fishing

January 2024 Fishing Report

By bigkahuna / January 18, 2024

The past ten days we have had many important rain events that help draw big pushes of fish into the Smith and Chetco rivers! Fishing with clients and my good friend Mario, we landed this nice wild buck on the Smith river. Due to recent precipitation levels, we have been fishing high water conditions. The thing that makes the Smith so special is it can flood with crazy amounts of water, rise 5′ and drop out into suitable fishing conditions the next day. Without this river in our back yard, all the fishing guides in northern California and southern Oregon would have half the days in a season.

So far the fish have just started to pour into the rivers roughly ten days ago. Big numbers are coming from the fisherman on the bank and the fishermen in boats as well. Today we got blown off the water and the river came up and blew out on us by eleven am. That being said, we will be back on the water tomorrow eager to to see what comes our way. We have availability! Don’t be shy to text, call or email us for more info or to book your next fishing adventure.

”Keep It Reel”

Fishing Updates: Open Fishing Seasons - Halibut, Salmon, Crab

The Mad River is one of the most popular bank angling rivers in California. It is located just outside of the town of Arcata off of Hwy 299. This river system is known for its Steelhead run. The fish that swim up the Mad River can range from 5lbs. to 20lbs. The average fish size in the Mad River is roughly 8-12lbs. With a hatchery in the town of Blue Lake, you have the opportunity to catch hatchery fish, which most rivers in Northern California don’t have! Your daily bag limit is 2 fish per day, but you can have some great days of wild and hatchery Steelhead.

In November the rains will blow open the mouth of the Mad River. A small run of King Salmon come up. In 2007, six stray Sockeye Salmon same up the river and sat at the Blue Lake Bridge. It’s hard to say where they came from. You will see small spurts of Steelhead in late-November and December. January fish start pouring into the river system. Weather permitting, the fishing is good into late-February. With March approaching you will start to see a lot of run back Steelhead.

These are Steelhead that have spawned and are heading back to the ocean. Unlike Salmon, Steelhead can do to and from the river multiple times. Once Salmon start staying in the rivers, they inevitably die.

Latest River Flow

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Mad River

Arcata, US

12:02 am, Jun 27, 2026

57°F

overcast clouds

Humidity: 98 %

Pressure: 1013 mb

Wind: 7 mph

Wind Gust: 15 mph

Clouds: 100%

Visibility: 4.822 km

Sunrise: 5:46 am

Sunset: 8:52 pm

Temperature
Precipitation
Rain Chance
Wind
Humidity
Pressure

2:00 am

56°/57°°F 0.46 mm 46% 5 mph 97% 1013 mb 0 mm/h

5:00 am

55°/56°°F 0.28 mm 28% 5 mph 96% 1015 mb 0 mm/h

8:00 am

59°/59°°F 0.2 mm 20% 4 mph 89% 1017 mb 0 mm/h

11:00 am

67°/67°°F 0 mm 0% 10 mph 60% 1017 mb 0 mm/h

2:00 pm

74°/74°°F 0 mm 0% 13 mph 56% 1018 mb 0 mm/h

5:00 pm

69°/69°°F 0 mm 0% 12 mph 64% 1018 mb 0 mm/h

8:00 pm

59°/59°°F 0 mm 0% 11 mph 81% 1019 mb 0 mm/h

11:00 pm

53°/53°°F 0 mm 0% 8 mph 94% 1019 mb 0 mm/h

The largest tributary to the Klamath, the Trinity starts at the confluence of the Klamath in Wichipek just off of Hwy 96. It winds along Hwy 299 till it reaches the outflow of the Lewistan dam. With the efforts of the Trinity River Restoration program, this river has a very bright future. Don’t get me wrong, the Trinity is one of the best fisheries in the state, but with the help of this program and the millions of dollars that are being poured into the preservation and restoration of this river, it won’t be long till it becomes one of the top fishing destinations on the West Coast. The Trinity River is one of the few rivers on the West Coast that has Steelhead in the system all year round.

The Trinity River has many small runs all year round. The largest runs are in the Fall and Winter. The Fall run will start around early-to-mid-September. The peak of the Fall run is in early-October. You can put together good days through late-October. Once the rains come, you will have a slow time from November to early-January. Once January comes, you have Winter Steelhead fishing through mid-March.

Latest River Flow

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Trinity River

Willow Creek, US

12:02 am, Jun 27, 2026

58°F

overcast clouds

Humidity: 91 %

Pressure: 1014 mb

Wind: 4 mph

Wind Gust: 4 mph

Clouds: 98%

Visibility: 2.081 km

Sunrise: 5:44 am

Sunset: 8:50 pm

Temperature
Precipitation
Rain Chance
Wind
Humidity
Pressure

2:00 am

54°/57°°F 1 mm 100% 4 mph 93% 1014 mb 0 mm/h

5:00 am

53°/55°°F 1 mm 100% 4 mph 97% 1015 mb 0 mm/h

8:00 am

57°/57°°F 0.2 mm 20% 4 mph 96% 1017 mb 0 mm/h

11:00 am

66°/66°°F 0.2 mm 20% 5 mph 60% 1016 mb 0 mm/h

2:00 pm

74°/74°°F 0 mm 0% 8 mph 37% 1015 mb 0 mm/h

5:00 pm

68°/68°°F 0 mm 0% 9 mph 47% 1016 mb 0 mm/h

8:00 pm

59°/59°°F 0 mm 0% 6 mph 69% 1017 mb 0 mm/h

11:00 pm

50°/50°°F 0 mm 0% 3 mph 98% 1019 mb 0 mm/h

Located on the California and Oregon border, the Smith River has the reputation for producing some of the largest Salmon and Steelhead in California and Oregon. The river itself is the only undammed, undiverted river in the State of California. Its headwaters come from undeveloped wild country. The river is a fast moving, crystal clear system that offers some spectacular scenery.

The fishing season for the Smith kicks off with the big rains in late-October or early-November. Massive King Salmon, accompanied by Searun Cutthroat and the occasional Silver Salmon come flooding into the river system. The Salmon season on the Smith starts to slow down around Thanksgiving.

December is the transitional stage between lingering Salmon and the beginning of Steelhead season. Once January arrives, the Smith is in full swing for Winter Steelhead. Generally the Steelhead season on the Smith River will last into the early March.

Latest River Flow

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Smith River

Gasquet, US

12:02 am, Jun 27, 2026

54°F

overcast clouds

Humidity: 90 %

Pressure: 1014 mb

Wind: 2 mph

Wind Gust: 3 mph

Clouds: 100%

Visibility: 0 km

Sunrise: 5:42 am

Sunset: 8:54 pm

Temperature
Precipitation
Rain Chance
Wind
Humidity
Pressure

2:00 am

54°/55°°F 0.34 mm 34% 2 mph 93% 1014 mb 0 mm/h

5:00 am

53°/53°°F 0.06 mm 6% 1 mph 97% 1016 mb 0 mm/h

8:00 am

56°/56°°F 0.2 mm 20% 2 mph 89% 1017 mb 0 mm/h

11:00 am

65°/65°°F 0 mm 0% 6 mph 52% 1017 mb 0 mm/h

2:00 pm

71°/71°°F 0 mm 0% 8 mph 48% 1017 mb 0 mm/h

5:00 pm

66°/66°°F 0 mm 0% 7 mph 53% 1017 mb 0 mm/h

8:00 pm

62°/62°°F 0 mm 0% 3 mph 69% 1018 mb 0 mm/h

11:00 pm

53°/53°°F 0 mm 0% 5 mph 88% 1019 mb 0 mm/h

The second largest river system in California, the Klamath River flows the entire State from East to West. From its origin in the mountains above Klamath Falls, Oregon to the Pacific Ocean, it spans a distance of 263 miles of some of the most rugged terrain California and Oregon has to offer. With the removal of 3 dams scheduled for 2016, the Klamath River’s future looks very promising. With the removal of these dams, it should encourage and help the fish population grow dramatically. It will open hundreds of miles of long lost spawning habitat that has been inhibited by these none fish passage dams.

Having a large volume of water flow all year round makes this river very special. The Spring brings warm weather and solid spring showers. The snow in the Trinity Alps and surrounding mountains starts to melt and in turn the CFS (cubic feet per second) starts to raise the river from its steady Winter levels. Around early-May the Spring Chinook (King Salmon) start running up the river.

This special run of King Salmon is short-lived and will last into early-June at the latest. Through June and into mid-July is the dormant time of the river. Around late July the summer run of Steelhead start to show up. When it reaches late-August to early-September, the Klamath is in its peak of fishing. You have the luxury of catching Steelhead and Salmon in the same day, even in the same riffles. This run will last through September and into October.

Latest River Flow

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Klamath River

Fort Jones, US

12:02 am, Jun 27, 2026

52°F

scattered clouds

Humidity: 79 %

Pressure: 1012 mb

Wind: 5 mph

Wind Gust: 5 mph

Clouds: 26%

Visibility: 10 km

Sunrise: 5:39 am

Sunset: 8:49 pm

Temperature
Precipitation
Rain Chance
Wind
Humidity
Pressure

2:00 am

49°/52°°F 0 mm 0% 4 mph 75% 1013 mb 0 mm/h

5:00 am

47°/49°°F 0 mm 0% 5 mph 87% 1013 mb 0 mm/h

8:00 am

51°/51°°F 0.28 mm 28% 4 mph 76% 1013 mb 0 mm/h

11:00 am

61°/61°°F 0.2 mm 20% 6 mph 33% 1012 mb 0 mm/h

2:00 pm

68°/68°°F 0 mm 0% 11 mph 24% 1011 mb 0 mm/h

5:00 pm

65°/65°°F 0 mm 0% 15 mph 26% 1012 mb 0 mm/h

8:00 pm

57°/57°°F 0 mm 0% 7 mph 46% 1015 mb 0 mm/h

11:00 pm

46°/46°°F 0 mm 0% 2 mph 88% 1019 mb 0 mm/h

The Chetco River is located North of the Smith River in the heart of Brookings, OR. This river system virtually derives out of the same watershed as the Smith River. The Chetco River is a low gradient system that has some of the best main stem spawning habitat for Salmon and Steelhead. After a big rain, when the river drops down and come into shape, it has a beautiful turquoise glowing green color.

Like most of the coastal rivers, the Salmon season starts with the rain in the Fall. Unlike the Smith River, when the river levels rise with the first big rains in the Fall, Steelhead will start to trickle in with the big push of Salmon. Most people will not target the Steelhead at this time of year, but you can put together some good numbers of early run Steelhead. The Salmon season on the Chetco River is about the same timeframe as on the Smith. Steelhead season starts fairly fast on the Chetco River in late-December.

It generally will peak in early January with some large mid-teen to twenty pound class of Steelhead mixed in. The Steelhead run will slow down to a steady trickle throughout the Winter, but you still get good spurts of fish coming through the system into March.

Latest River Flow

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Chetco River

Brookings, US

2:02 am, Jun 27, 2026

67°F

overcast clouds

Humidity: 79 %

Pressure: 1012 mb

Wind: 11 mph

Wind Gust: 25 mph

Clouds: 100%

Visibility: 10 km

Sunrise: 5:45 am

Sunset: 9:15 pm

Temperature
Precipitation
Rain Chance
Wind
Humidity
Pressure

4:00 am

62°/66°°F 0 mm 0% 11 mph 83% 1011 mb 0 mm/h

7:00 am

64°/65°°F 0 mm 0% 11 mph 87% 1012 mb 0 mm/h

10:00 am

70°/70°°F 0 mm 0% 18 mph 71% 1011 mb 0 mm/h

1:00 pm

75°/75°°F 0 mm 0% 19 mph 58% 1009 mb 0 mm/h

4:00 pm

83°/83°°F 0 mm 0% 19 mph 48% 1007 mb 0 mm/h

7:00 pm

81°/81°°F 0 mm 0% 19 mph 56% 1005 mb 0 mm/h

10:00 pm

76°/76°°F 0 mm 0% 19 mph 75% 1005 mb 0 mm/h

1:00 am

72°/72°°F 0.71 mm 71% 17 mph 87% 1005 mb 0 mm/h