Recreational fishing for adult fall-run Chinook salmon on the Lower Klamath River has closed as of Sept. 13, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The closure was triggered when projections showed anglers had met their quota for the season.
The closure applies to the main stem of the river from the Highway 96 Bridge near Weitchpec to the mouth at the Pacific Ocean. The mouth of the Klamath has been closed to all fishing since Sept. 2 and will remain closed for the rest of 2026.
Anglers may still harvest jack salmon—two-year-old fish measuring 23 inches or less. All adult Chinook caught must be immediately released. The department noted that fishers can still target adult Chinook in other reaches of the Klamath Basin, including sections above Weitchpec and in the Trinity River until those fisheries close.