Lower Klamath Closes to Adult Chinook Harvest Below Weitchpec

Adult fall-run Chinook harvest on the lower Klamath River closes at 11:59 p.m. September 13 under a quota announcement issued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on September 11. The closure covers the main stem from the Highway 96 Bridge near Weitchpec downstream to the Pacific Ocean. CDFW projected that the area’s adult salmon quota would be met by that deadline.

The distinction between adult salmon and jacks matters. Outside the separately closed river-mouth fishery, the lower main stem below the bridge remains open to harvest of jack Chinook measuring 23 inches or less. Any adult Chinook caught must be released immediately.

The river-mouth fishery closed September 2 and remains closed to all fishing for the rest of the calendar year. The allowance for jack harvest elsewhere on the lower river does not reopen that water.

At the time of the announcement, adult Chinook fishing remained available in other Klamath Basin reaches, including the main stem above Weitchpec and the entire Trinity River, until those fisheries close. Because quota status can change, anglers should call CDFW’s information hotline at (800) 564-6479 before committing to a reach.

Anglers targeting salmon on the Klamath and Trinity must possess a 2026 North Coast Salmon Report Card, begin filling it out when fishing starts and record harvest and releases in real time. Check the 2026 California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations for the rules governing the exact water you intend to fish.