Editor’s Note: Following a brutal 2023 run, we’re awaiting official word on whether salmon fishing will be allowed in 2024.
The Klamath River is one of those special places—those one-in-a-million streams—that exceeds adjectives like “good” and even “great,” and attains true legendary status.
This river’s reputation as California’s best steelhead water is almost beyond dispute. But the fact that the Klamath also hosts abundant wild trout populations and mighty Chinook salmon runs means that there are opportunities to successfully fish here year-round.
There’s always a chance to find a monster at the end of your line on the Klamath River.
Originating from its headwaters at Upper Klamath Lake in Southern Oregon, the river meanders into Northern California and traverses 257 miles of picturesque mountains and redwood forests before emptying into the Pacific.
It’s a picture-book vision of a fishing stream, not just one of California’s best rivers, but also its most beautiful. The Klamath tumbles over waterfalls, through rugged canyons and among groves of towering redwoods on its way to the ocean.
Along the way, the Klamath is fed by numerous tributaries, including the Shasta, Salmon and Trinity Rivers.
These tributaries are excellent fishing streams in their own right, and together they make up California’s second-largest river system, exceeded only by the great Sacramento River.
Like a lot of rivers on the West Coast, the Klamath has seen its share of ups and downs. Logging, mining and irrigation took their toll on the river’s legendary salmon and steelhead runs in the latter half of the 20th century.
Severe droughts in the Klamath River Basin have compounded those issues.
Nevertheless, recent efforts have nearly returned steelhead to their historic peak. Chinook salmon, admittedly, still have a way to go, but the fishing has greatly improved in the last 20 years or so.
Today, the Klamath River is managed as a Recreational River within the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System.
Much of it flows through Klamath National Forest and is paralleled by California Highway 96, which provides ample access for hopeful anglers.
Steelhead
The Klamath River hosts a summer steelhead run as well as a winter run.
The first fish of the former often begin entering the lower Klamath River from the ocean as early as July, but the season really gets underway from mid-August to mid-September.
During the early steelhead season, the best fishing is in the lower stretch of the river, from mouth of the Klamath upstream to its confluence with the Trinity River near Weitchpec.
Many anglers use jet boats in the lower stretch to access the river’s many riffles and runs, while others access the water by wading.
Swinging flies—a tactic that involves casting across the current and allowing the fly to flow downstream before lifting, turning and rising towards the surface—is a tried-and-true tactic for steelhead in the lower Klamath River. Both one handed and two handed fly rods are used.
By the time the calendar turns to fall, some of the best steelhead fishing is on the middle section of the Klamath River, a stretch that includes the communities of Orleans and Happy Camp.
Thanks to abundant shore access just off Highway 96, it’s usually not too hard to find a spot along the middle Klamath River. It’s a great area for wading, although anglers must be wary of swift currents and steep banks.
The latter part of the steelhead run, though, is what many local anglers really look forward to.
Steelhead make their way into the upper Klamath River by November, and they continue to arrive through February.
Steelhead make it as far as the Iron Gate Dam, just north of Yreka and not far from the Oregon border, and can go no farther.
The result is a steelhead bonanza, with an increasing abundance of fish stacking up in the tailwaters below the dam.
Many local anglers and fishing guides drift nymphs below strike indicators in the upper Klamath, often employing jet boats to get from one spot to the next.
Salmon roe and egg imitations are also effective, especially for winter run steelhead. These fish follow hot on the heels of the Klamath River’s Chinook salmon run, and are known to gorge themselves on salmon eggs.
Overall, the Klamath River is better known for the abundance of its steelhead than for the size of the fish.
The most abundant of all are the “half pounders,” which are juvenile steelhead making their very first run after returning to the ocean.
The half pounder steelhead run offers an opportunity to hook up with lots of sporty 14 to 20-inch steelies, which are great fun on a 9-foot 5-weight fly rod.
There are also plenty of adult steelhead in the 5- to 7-pound range, and every year at least a few 10-pounders are landed. These fish fight hard, and are known for their sizzling runs and aerial acrobatics when hooked.
More Steelhead Fishing Information
You won’t be surprised to find the Klamath River featured in our run-down of Best Steelhead Fishing Rivers in California. What other rivers are among the very best?
We’d also suggest your read about some of the best ways to catch these magnificent game fish in our Steelhead Fishing: Simple How-To Techniques and Tips.
Salmon
Chinook salmon—sometimes called king salmon—are the giants of the Klamath River. Like steelhead, they spend most of their lives in the Pacific Ocean, making an annual spawning run upstream to the waters where they were born.
Many years, the salmon that spawn in the Klamath River are less abundant than steelhead, although populations ebb and flow and occasionally there are bumper returns.
They make up for their lack of numbers most years with their great size and vicious fighting power.
It’s reasonable to expect to catch Chinooks in the 10- to 15-pound range, and every year a few fish weighing 20 to 30 pounds are caught.
The Klamath River offers up a spring salmon run as well as a fall run.
For anglers, the spring run is the more challenging of the two. The fishing is slow-paced, and it’s typical to spend a day on the water waiting for a single bite.
But the spring-run Chinooks here are real brutes, and some of the biggest fish of the year are caught between April and June, when regulations allow. Some years, spring fishing is prohibited to give the fish a better chance to spawn successfully.
The more substantial fall run gets underway in August on the lower river and usually peaks in October.
Starting from the mouth of the Klamath up past Johnson’s Bar, fall-run Chinook surge upstream, seemingly spoiling for a fight. They often strike baits out of pure aggression rather than hunger.
By September, the middle Klamath between Happy Camp and Orleans is the place to be.
Fishermen target Chinooks here by drifting roe or back-trolling wobbling plugs and spoons in deep pools. Bank access is easy to find in this middle section of the river.
The Iron Gate Dam represents the end of the line for salmon, much as it does for steelhead.
By October, the final 9 miles of the Klamath River from the I-5 bridge up to the dam offer incredible fishing opportunities.
While a lot of salmon will have branched off into any of the Klamath’s many tributaries before getting this far, those that stick with the main stem reach their journey’s end in the tailrace below the dam.
Bank access is challenging in this stretch, both because of the steep shoreline and because much of the land alongside the upper Klamath River is privately owned.
Guide boats often vie for the best positions to fish for salmon below the dam, and there are a lot of productive holes here.
Trout
There are, of course, trout that reside in the Klamath River year-round.
These fish are criminally underappreciated by many who come here in pursuit of the more famous steelhead and salmon runs.
Of course, there are those who fish for wild rainbow trout in spring and summer, but for the most part these fish go relatively unnoticed.
This is a shame, because there are a lot of feisty rainbows in the 12- to 20-inch range, as well as some real bruiser brown trout in the Klamath River and its tributaries.
The upper part of the Klamath River is an especially good place for trout fishing because the river is somewhat narrower at this point, and more conductive to wading and fly-fishing.
If you’re out after resident trout, the best time to be on the water ins mid-May through early July.
This time period represents a relative lull in the salmon and steelhead fishery, and also coincides with a major hatch.
Stoneflies emerge in abundance throughout the late spring and early summer months on the upper Klamath River, and dry flies that mimic them have a better-than-good chance of connecting you with feisty trout.
Two large species of stoneflies, the salmonfly and the golden stonefly, are both very common this time of year, so pack your fly box accordingly.
Nymphing with a strike indicator can also be effective as the insects emerge, and it’s common to see groups of trout bunched up in riffles and under overhanging trees along the banks, all waiting their turn to gorge themselves.
Thanks to excellent fly fishing for trout upriver and robust runs of steelhead downriver, the Klamath is a noteworthy river on our rundown of Best Fly Fishing Rivers in California.
By mid- to late July, the water throughout much of the Klamath River becomes too warm to fish, and attentions turn back downstream again as the first of the fall salmon and steelhead begin entering the river’s mouth.
The very upper Klamath River in Oregon also has excellent trout fishing for somewhat limited stretches of the year.
Still, it can be great at times and earned an honorable mention spot on our Best Fly Fishing Rivers in Oregon.
Planning Your Trip
The Klamath is a long, meandering river that provides a wide range of options along its varied course. But it can also be a bit intimidating, and getting oriented is often challenging if you’re new to the river.
Getting to the Klamath River
From the Oregon/California state line, the Klamath River flows in a generally southwesterly direction until it reaches a series of hydroelectric dams, lowest of which is the Iron Gate Dam, just outside Hornbrook.
From the dam, the Klamath River is free-flowing 190 miles to the ocean.
Interstate 5 crosses the Klamath River near Yreka, about 9 miles downstream from Iron Gate Reservoir, and is one of the primary access routes to the river.
From I-5, one can easily get on CA Highway 96, which parallels the Klamath River, occasionally crisscrossing it, for many miles through Klamath National Forest and Six Rivers National Forest.
The highway diverges from the river in Weitchpec, which also marks the Klamath River’s confluence with the Trinity River, its largest tributary.
From Weitchpec downstream, the remainder of the river flows through the Yurok Indian Reservation to the town of Klamath, where it empties into the ocean.
Klamath River Access
The Klamath River is easily accessible along much of its length.
The roughly 85-mile stretch of river within Klamath National Forest offers the greatest abundance of public access, with more than 25 access sites just off Highway 96.
More information on fishing the river within Klamath National Forest is available here, and you can learn more about the Six Rivers National Forest section, just a bit downstream, here.
The town of Happy Camp, located along the river inside Klamath National Forest, is a popular home base for fishing trips.
Several fishing guide services are based out of Happy Camp, and the town also offers a range of options as far as shopping, dining and lodging. Similar amenities are available in the towns of Yreka and Seiad.
Camping on the Klamath River
Unsurprisingly, the section of the Klamath River that traverses National Forest land offers a variety of camping options. The U.S. Forest Service operates several campgrounds, many of which have campsites within walking distance of the river.
The Tree of Heaven Campground, Sarah Totten Campground and Curly Jack Campground are some of the most popular within Klamath National Forest, and each offers primitive amenities best suited to tent camping.
Numerous private campgrounds and resorts also operate along the river.
Know Before You Go
For the most part, the Klamath River is regulated in accordance with statewide angling regulations, seasons and limits. Use the California Resources links below to learn the rules.
The lower Klamath River within the Yurok Indian Reservation is subject to closures each summer for Tribal ceremonies.
Some years, special regulations are put in place to protect salmon and/or steelhead during parts of their migration, so it’s always a good idea to check the current guidelines before planning a trip.
Find more fishing spots in Del Norte County, California
Find more fishing spots in Humboldt County, California