The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will close the spit fishery at the mouth of the Klamath River to recreational angling on Sept. 2 at 11:59 p.m., in accordance with projections that indicate anglers will have reached the area’s fall-run Chinook salmon quota.
The closure applies to waters within 100 yards of the channel through the sand spit at the Klamath River mouth, downstream of the Highway 101 bridge near the town of Klamath. The area will remain closed to recreational fishing for the remainder of the 2026 season.
According to CDFW, the spit area’s quota represents 15 percent of the total Klamath River Basin recreational allocation of adult fall-run Chinook salmon caught below the Highway 101 bridge. Reaching that quota automatically triggers the closure.
Other sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers may be subject to separate quotas and closures. Anglers can check the status of those areas by calling CDFW’s information hotline at (800) 564-6479.
CDFW also reminds anglers targeting salmon in the Klamath and Trinity rivers that they must possess a 2026 North Coast Salmon Report Card. Anglers are required to begin filling out the card when they start fishing and record salmon harvest and releases as they occur.
Current Klamath River rules and other freshwater fishing regulations are available through CDFW’s 2026 California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations online at wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations?utm_source=chatgpt.com#fresh-regs
