Klamath River

A Federally-designated “wild and scenic river”, the Klamath River cuts through steep canyons and offers some of the best high-volume trout fishing you may ever see. Though there are monsters here, the average fish ranges from 14 to 18 inches and is thicker than the average Basin fish. Whereas 21 inches marks a three-pound fish in most of the Basin, 18 inches is usually the three-pound mark for Klamath redband trout.Access is plentiful though anything but easy. This is not a place for those in poor shape or young children considering the rapid changes in elevation, steep, poorly-maintained roads and trails, sharp rocks, snakes, yellow jackets and potential for bears and cougars. That said, if you can make it down here, expect to catch more wild native trout in a day than anywhere else on earth — save maybe Alaska. We recommend a guided trip for your first time out.Pay close attention to flows via the United States Geological Survey which will show up-to-the-minute flows. The river is unsafe to fish at more than 2000 cubic feet per second (CFS), so unless you’ve memorized the river, don’t risk it.The Klamath River has a unique season and is open year-round save for June 15 – September 30, when it closes to limit stress-induced mortality. Catch and release is encouraged, though you can keep one fish over 15 inches per day if you want to carry it out on the miles-long hike out.