Klamath River

June 29, 2023

Question: What will happen to fish in reservoirs along the Klamath River before the dams come down? Will they be relocated?

Answer: The Klamath Dam removal, the largest dam removal project in U.S. history, is an opportunity to restore the health of the Klamath River. The project will benefit salmon, steelhead and other native species along with local Tribes and communities within the Klamath Basin. As for the fish, the plan is to translocate Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker prior to the drawdown of Iron Gate and Copco reservoirs. Both of those fish species are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act and California Endangered Species Act.

Aside from the listed species, there are no plans to relocate fish from the reservoirs. Many fish species in the reservoirs are non-native, including largemouth bass, yellow perch, and bluegill. These non-native fish species are typically associated with reservoir ecosystems. Once the reservoirs are drawn down, these species are likely to experience substantial population losses or be eliminated. However, the decline in non-native fish is expected to benefit native fish such as native trout. The makeup of fish species in the future is expected to be like what is currently found downstream of Iron Gate Dam, which includes steelhead, Chinook and coho salmon. CDFW plans to closely monitor fish populations following removal of the dams to understand the impacts and inform future management actions.

Check this vid out.....



Well worth the watch, very interesting...

Since I heard about the project of dam removal on the Klamath I've been intrigued. As a kid I spent a lot of time on Copko, primarily fishing Yellow Perch. I'd put on a mask and roll rocks by the boat ramp and catch tiny bullhead cats by hand and get leaches all over me. Really nice rainbows were all over where the Klamath came in and deeper in the main body. Saw some impressive northern largemouth in that lake but caught very few of them, I didn't fish for them much. Signal crayfish were in incredibly high numbers where the Klamath came in too.

But I'd much rather see the dams gone and keep fingers crossed that Salmonids will be able to use the upper stretches again. I guess we'll see what the results are actually gonna be. Upper Klamath Lake and Ewauna is still a nasty, green, warm body of water in the Summer. Super gross looking stuff. A little worried that the continued "success" of Salmonids in the Klamath is due to the fact that Copko and Iron Gate eject cold water from their depths. The water below John C. Boyle, or "Topsy" as the local Oregonians call it is warm and absolutely disgusting all Summer. I don't see it cooling going down the canyon.

I guess we'll see. I worked out at Copko last fall on a couple jobs and the people that have lake houses I talked to were pissed. They don't think it'll work and that removing the dams will kill everything in the river. I think that they were just pissed about the fact that their property lines on the high water mark aren't gonna be waterfront any longer.

Halfway through it. Captivating info. The Klamath River holds some great memories in my heart and mind from childhood visits there. One of the first places i can truly remember that my Pops would take us as young teens.

Specifically, the mouth of the Klamath. Camping right near the beach at " Dads Camp". Mid Seventies.

There are bass and yellow perch in the river below iron gate.  I've caught yellow perch in a crawdad trap at klamathon bridge before.

Halfway through it. Captivating info. The Klamath River holds some great memories in my heart and mind from childhood visits there. One of the first places i can truly remember that my Pops would take us as young teens.

Specifically, the mouth of the Klamath. Camping right near the beach at " Dads Camp". Mid Seventies.

Yea, it sucks that its closed this year. A large group of us have been going to the Spit and the Glen every year Memorial day week and stay at Camp Klamath. May have to cross into Oregon this year. Glad the dams are coming down. Hopefully the fishing will return to what it was years ago.

Halfway through it. Captivating info. The Klamath River holds some great memories in my heart and mind from childhood visits there. One of the first places i can truly remember that my Pops would take us as young teens.

Specifically, the mouth of the Klamath. Camping right near the beach at " Dads Camp". Mid Seventies.

Yea, it sucks that its closed this year. A large group of us have been going to the Spit and the Glen every year Memorial day week and stay at Camp Klamath. May have to cross into Oregon this year. Glad the dams are coming down. Hopefully the fishing will return to what it was years ago.

The mention of the Klamath still brings back vivid memories. The video mentioned eel's. Brought back a memory that is still so clear in my mind. Maybe a decade ago ? I braved some combat fishing there. The guys that were mostly catching were veteran fishing at it. I ended up just practicing my casting and sightseeing. I watched the shoreline in front of me about 200 yards inward from where the ocean met the river. I watched as salmon, steelhead and eels passed me with no danger of me catching them . Most were running up in pairs or more.