Big numbers of salmon return to Mokelumne, other rivers
While fishing has been tougher this year than over the past two seasons on the Sacramento, Mokelumne, American and Feather rivers, large numbers of salmon are showing in all four systems.
A total of 10,009 salmon have gone over Woodbridge Dam in Lodi on the Mokelumne to date, according to Will Smith, manager of the CDFW’s Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery. Last year a total of 12,078 fish were counted over the dam.
“We’re having a good, above normal season, although anglers have reported slow fishing in the river,” Smith said. “We will probably see around 14,000 to 15,000 fish in the river this season; last year the count was around 18,000.”
The hatchery took 1.4 million eggs on Tuesday alone. Their goal is to take 7.5 million eggs to produce 6.8 million smolts this season.
The staff at Nimbus Fish Hatchery on the American has done three spawns of fall Chinook salmon so far.
“The numbers of salmon we are seeing in the river are great,” said Greg Ferguson, fish habitat assistant. “We’ve taken 1,437,239 eggs to date and have trapped 2,173 adults and 606 jacks and jills.”
Likewise, large numbers of salmon are showing at the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville. “It’s a really, really good year at the hatchery, although the fish are later than normal,” said Ana Kastner, hatchery manager.
The facility has trapped a total of 18,576 fall Chinooks this year, including 8,635 males, 4,418 females and 5,523 jacks (2year-old fish).
The hatchery has taken 13 million eggs to date. The hatchery’s goal is to produce 6 million juvenile salmon this season.
The Coleman National Fish Hatchery, operated by the U.S, Fish and Wildlife Service, is also seeing a promising year.
About 30,000 fall Chinooks have shown in Battle Creek this year – including 9,000 trapped by the hatchery for spawning and 21,000 in the creek.
“We are going to do one more spawn on Thursday,” said Brett Galyean, project leader. “We will release 12 million smolts in the spring of 2020.”
John McManus, President of the Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA) said he hopes to see at least 160,000 fall Chinook salmon return to the Upper Sacramento Basin this autumn in order to address concerns addressed by the National Marine Fisheries Service last spring when they crafted the 2019 salmon fishing season.
“Only time will tell, but we may be looking at some preliminary clues pointing to return of the fall run later in the year. If that’s true, we have to wonder about early returning fall run coming back to the upper basin that are lost to redd dewatering and elevated river temperatures,” McManus concluded.
Camanche Lake Rainbows: Mount Lassen Fish Farm planted 3,600 lbs. of rainbow trout, split equally between the South Shore Pond, South Shore Ramp and North Shore Ramp on Nov. 7. They will stock the lake again this week. Fish PowerBait, nightcrawlers and Kastmasters from shore and troll with Speedy Shiners and other lures from a boat near the dam. Information: (866) 763-5121.
Broad Slough Stripers: Clyde Wand, a board member of the California Striped Bass Association, Isleton Delta Chapter, reported solid striped bass fishing on Broad Slough in the Delta on Nov. 8. He and his fishing partner, Dave Houston, caught a total of eight keeper striped bass to 7 pounds, including five while power drifting with mudsuckers and the other three while trolling with Yo-Zozuri Minnows. Information: (916) 363-1264.