Spring water releases are still in effect and much of the Trinity is unfishable at this time. The valley had a little rain this pas t week but not enough to really help the river or the garden.

The coronavirus pandemic is still raising heck with the fishing on the Trinity and Klamath Rivers. The government keeps telling us it is ok to go outside provided we keep our distance. They also say that fishing is solitary and ok to go to the rivers and beaches to fish but then close the accesses to most of the beaches in Humboldt and most of the river accesses. With both the Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath and the Trinity Dam releasing water for the Spring Releases it is difficult if not impossible to find a place one could fish if they wanted to. Back to checking out my fishing gear and respooling my reels. Ocean fishing opened up on May 1st so I guess if you have a boat and can find an open launching site you could go out and fish the ocean.  

Trinity River Water Releases: It is best that you look up my April 26th report and to find the dates for the river water releases but I would look to go fishing when the In-River sport fishing for Spring Chinook salmon opens on July 1st. Fishing; the COVID-19 virous is still giving us problems about being able to go fishing. Right now, that is not going to create a problem for the Trinity River as the Water Releases will just about cancel any fishing for the next several months.    

Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath at Weitchpec is flowing about 10,247cfs. (down from last week) Because of COVID-19 I have not been in contact with any my mid-river contacts, so I don’ have anything to report at this time. With the Iron Gate releases of 9,705cfs I would expect fishing above I-5 would not be good at this time nor would any other place on the Klamath

Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 99% of capacity (an increase of 3%) with inflows of 2,271cfs and releasing 2,121cfs on to Keswick. Shasta Lake is 81% of capacity (a decrease of 2% plus 1ft) with inflows of 5,531cfs and releasing 3,914cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 79% (a decrease of 8%) with inflows of 5,927cfs and releasing 6,246cfs into the Sacramento river. Oroville Lake is 70% of capacity (an increase of 0% plus 1ft) with inflows of 3,943cfs with releases of 5,599cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 72% of capacity (an increase of 4% plus 4ft) with inflows of 3,739cfs with releases of 1,454cfs into the American river.

Trinity Lake: The lake is 35ft below the overflow (an increase of 1ft) and 78% of capacity (a decrease of 1%) and inflows of 1,727cfs and releasing 3,180cfs into Lewiston Lake with 1,738cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown Lake and on to Keswick Power Plant, which is releasing 9,705cfs into the Sacramento River.

Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam is 98% of capacity (an increase of 2%) and water releases are 1,442cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 49.4 degrees, as of 1:00pm today Sunday May 3, 2020. Limekiln Gulch is 6.08ft at 1,436cfs. Douglas City is 7.86ft and flows of 1,495cfs. with air temps of 64 and water temperatures of 50.4 degrees. Junction City is 7.90ft at 1,530cfs. Helena is 11.41ft at 1,769cfs with water temps of 50.6 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is 5.96ft at 2,266cfs. South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 3.0.6ft at 323cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 2,589cfs and air is 66 degrees and water at 54.5 degrees. Hoopa is 14.3284ft at 3,381cfs and water is 56.1 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath are estimated to be 10,247cfs down from last week.

Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate is releasing 1,554cfs. Seiad Valley is 3.97ft at 2,798cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 3,058cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 4,833cfs, and the Salmon River is 3.97ft at 2,033cfs. Orleans is 5.49ft at 6,866cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 11.88ft at 11,849cfs and water temps are N/A degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jedia Smith are 7.24ft with flows of 1,994cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 13.82ft at N/Acfs.

Temperatures in the Valley last week had a high of 86 and a low of 41 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.10in with a water year to date of 36.34 inches, with snow in willow Creek, snow of 1.45in. in the valley to date. Forecasts for next week are for temperatures in the highs of 92 and lows of 50 with sunshine the first part of the week and scattered showers for the weekend.