Klamath River

The Klamath River System is one of the most impressive drainages on the West Coast, starting in the vast Klamath Basin in southeastern Oregon and carving its way across Northern California's rugged Siskiyou Mountains before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. For thousands of years, the water of the Klamath – as well as its native salmon and steelhead – has been an integral part of life for the people inhabiting the region, including the Karok, Yurok, Shasta, Modoc, Klamath, and Hoopa Indian tribes, as well as ranchers and outdoors enthusiasts.

When The Fly Shop® opened its doors in 1978 the Klamath River was one of the primary guided angling destinations that we offered. In

These immature steelhead spend only one year in the ocean before returning to their natal river by the thousands, and average 14-18 inches. In addition to the great populations of these smaller steelhead, the Klamath has good annual runs of adult steelhead from 4-8 pounds. A typical day of Klamath River steelhead fishing often includes hooking a handful of feisty trout-sized half-pounders combined with one or two (or sometimes more) adult steelhead. It is one of the best rivers anywhere to introduce someone to steelhead fly fishing because they'll have a better than good chance of hooking some fish, and more likely than not they'll have chances of hooking good numbers of steelhead on any given day.

There are two main techniques used to fly fish for steelhead on the Klamath River: Swinging flies and nymphing. Swinging flies is the most traditional method to target steelhead, and can be effective in the lower and middle sections of the river during the early season (August-November) when water temperatures are warmer and the steelhead are more active and aggressive. In the colder fall and winter season (November through February), however, our guides prefer to drift nymphs under indicators in the upper Klamath, as they have found over the years that we've been guiding this river that it is far and above the most productive way to catch fish during the winter. The upper Klamath River's deep pools and channels are

Our guide staff is among the best in the industry, and our guide and Private Waters management team will work hard to make sure that you're placed with the right guide for your specific needs. We've been putting together guided fishing trips for three decades, and have the experience to coordinate a memorable day on the water for just about any group. Over the years, we've developed a few guidelines to help ensure that your trip is as successful as possible.

We can work with you to select a guide that's matched to your skills, interests, their

Package Cost:
The cost of the full-day Klamath River guided package is:
•  $400 per day (1-2 anglers per boat)
•  $450 per day (Package deal, including flies, tackle, & equipment)

Inclusions:
Included in your guided angling package on the Klamath River is 8-10 hours of guided fishing with lunch provided.

Non-Inclusions:
Not included in your guided angling package on the Klamath River are fishing license, waders, rods/reels, and terminal tackle (flies, tippet, etc.)

Package Deals:
If you are just getting started in the sport, or

The Klamath River is open year 'round to fishing most years, but the timing of the steelhead runs mean that certain times of year will be more productive than others. Also, warm water conditions can make the upper sections of the river un-fishable in the late summer months.

Summer:
The season can start on the lower Klamath as early as July, but the real season doesn't get started until sometime around the middle of August to the middle of September. There can be some great traditional steelhead fishing on the lower Klamath River during this early season, from the mouth of the Klamath upstream past Johnson's Bar and on towards the confluence with the Trinity River near the town of Weitchpec. Steelhead fishing on the Klamath in this early season is an exciting angling adventure. Anglers typically use jet boats to maneuver the river and access various riffles and runs that hold these early season steelhead.

The primary technique is traditional swinging, with single or two-handed rods, using various floating lines, sink-tip lines and shooting heads. This is the way Steelhead are meant to be caught; once you've felt the tug of a chrome-bright fish at the end of a tight line, you'll be hooked as tightly as any fish. The Steelhead in this part of the river are fresh from the ocean, full of all the strength and ire of any saltwater species. They run in size anywhere from half-pounders to adults ranging up to 12 pounds.

Fall:
The so-called "middle Klamath" is the rugged, remote section of the river starting at Weitchpec and running upstream through Somes Bar, Orleans, Happy Camp, and the Seiad Valley. Highway 96 paralells the river through much of this section. There's a lot of fantastic steelhead water in this section of the Klamath, and not much angling traffic. In fact, our friends at the Marble Mountain Ranch are located smack dab in the middle of all of it, and usually have the river to themselves from early October through November.

Winter:
The portions of the Klamath River that our guide staff concentrate on begins at the Iron

As a result, our Klamath River anglers have the option to stay either in Redding or in the Yreka area. If you'll be enjoying an extended stay in the region, staying at one of Yreka's cozy motels or nearby campgrounds

Motels, Lodges, and Campgrounds:

Marble Mountain Ranch
92520 Hwy 96
Somes Bar, CA 95568
Phone: 800-KLAMATH
Website: http://www.marblemountainranch.com
•  The Marble Mountain Ranch has rental cabins available, as well as meals and guides, in the middle sections of the Klamath River.

Yreka Super 8 Motel
136 Montague Rd
Yreka, CA 96097
Phone: 530-842-5781
Website: http://www.super8.com
•  The Super 8 in Yreka has been a favorite for wintertime Klamath steelheaders for years. Clean, fair pricing, with Casa Ramos' great Mexican food and margaritas right across the street.