TRINITY COUNTY, California — Anglers on the upper Trinity River have a short window before a change in the fall Chinook rules. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) says the adult fall-run Chinook salmon fishery will close at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, October 28, 2026, along the river reach from the Old Lewiston Bridge to the Highway 299 West Bridge at Cedar Flat.

The state is acting on its projection that anglers will have reached the area’s 2026 quota of 536 adult Chinook by that time. This is a quota-based restriction on retaining adult salmon, not an announcement that the entire stretch of river will be closed to all fishing.

Which fish can still be kept?

According to CDFW’s October 26 notice, the affected reach remains open for harvest of two-year-old jack Chinook salmon measuring 23 inches or less, subject to the applicable fishing regulations. Adult Chinook caught in this section must be released immediately after the closure takes effect. Anglers should verify other applicable species, gear, size and bag limits before fishing; the announcement does not suspend those rules.

What local anglers should check

The closure applies to the specified Old Lewiston Bridge–Cedar Flat segment, not automatically to every part of the Trinity or Klamath rivers. These waterways are divided into separately managed quota areas, so conditions may differ downstream. CDFW reports that the combined 2026 adult fall-run Chinook quota for the Klamath and Trinity rivers is approximately 3,200 fish, allocated across sections.

For the latest quota status of open and closed areas, call the CDFW fishing information hotline at (800) 564-6479. Conditions can change as the agency updates its counts and projections. Do not rely on an old social media post when choosing where to fish.

CDFW also reminds anglers targeting salmon in these rivers that a 2026 North Coast Salmon Report Card is required and that harvest and release information must be recorded in real time, beginning when fishing starts.

Why this matters in Trinity County

The Lewiston-to-Cedar Flat corridor includes fishing access used by residents and visitors across western Trinity County. A rule that allows the retention of smaller jack salmon while prohibiting retention of adults is easy to misread as either a complete shutdown or an unrestricted reopening. Neither interpretation matches the state’s notice.

For local river context, see California58’s reporting on the Sawmill restoration project near Lewiston and Upper Conner Creek habitat and river access improvements near Junction City. Those projects are separate from the 2026 salmon quota decision.

Official sources

Information checked October 27, 2026. This article reports the scheduled closure announced by CDFW; readers should verify any subsequent agency updates before fishing.

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