Waters · United States
Klamath River (Lower) fishing report
Updated Sunday, October 25, 2026 · refreshed automatically through the day
The big lower Klamath runs through redwood country to the Pacific and is known for fall chinook and its autumn "half-pounder" steelhead. The upper dams came out in 2024, opening the basin to salmon again for the first time in a century.
Today's report: excellent (83/100)
Chinook salmon is the most promising species on Klamath River (Lower) today. Water temperature at the gauge is 56°F (13.3°C) and barometric pressure is stable. Gauge KLAMATH R NR KLAMATH CA shows the water level steady.
Klamath River (Lower) water temperature and flow
- Water temperature: 56°F (13.3°C)
- Discharge: 2,620 cfs (74.2 m³/s) — down 2% over 24 hours
- Level trend: steady
Measured at gauge KLAMATH R NR KLAMATH CA · reading 16 min ago. Published by the national hydrological service, not estimated by us.
Best time to fish today
- 12:00 PM–2:00 PM local time — score 83/100
- 1:00 AM–3:00 AM local time — score 82/100
- 8:00 AM–10:00 AM local time — score 86/100
3-day outlook by species
| Species | Sunday, Oct 25 | Monday, Oct 26 | Tuesday, Oct 27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook salmon | 83 — excellent | 83 — excellent | 81 — excellent |
| Steelhead | 72 — good | 74 — good | 72 — good |
| Coho salmon | 83 — excellent | 86 — excellent | 82 — excellent |
Why this score
Cast & Scan uses a deterministic, published scoring model — no black box. The strongest influences on today's Klamath River (Lower) rating:
- water temperature: helping (+1)
- light: helping (+1)
- season: helping (+1)
- cloud cover: helping (+0.95)
- precipitation: helping (+0.9)
- solunar period: helping (+0.8)
Forecast computed Sun, 25 Oct 2026 17:46:18 GMT · data: Open-Meteo + gauge KLAMATH R NR KLAMATH CA · refreshed automatically through the day · see our published accuracy
Winter fishing on Klamath River (Lower)
The lower Klamath has a winter steelhead run after the autumn chinook and half-pounder season. It is a big river that rises and colours after storms and takes several days to drop and clear. Rules on the Klamath have changed since the dams came out, so check the current California regulations.
Seasons, closed sections and permits are set by the state and change. Check the current regulations before a winter trip, and never trust shelf ice or a forecast for your safety.
Wondering how this stacks up against the apps you already know? Cast & Scan vs Fishbrain vs BassForecast — an honest comparison, including where they beat us.
Read before you go
More chinook salmon waters
- Kenai River (Soldotna) — Alaska, USA
- Salmon River (Pulaski) — New York, USA
- American River (Fair Oaks) — California, USA
- Au Sable River (Foote Dam) — Michigan, USA
- Bogachiel River — Washington, USA
Nearby waters
- Smith River — California, USA (20 mi away)
- Eel River (Scotia) — California, USA (71 mi away)
- Rogue River (Grants Pass) — Oregon, USA (72 mi away)
- Trinity River (Lewiston) — California, USA (82 mi away)
- Umpqua River (Elkton) — Oregon, USA (145 mi away)
- Clear Lake — California, USA (183 mi away)