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Upper Klamath Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Oregon’s shallow giant: Upper Klamath grows redband rainbows past twenty inches in water that looks like pea soup.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
733 cfs
Air / High
53 / 58 F
Wind
S 8 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 11509500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Upper Klamath Lake feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 733 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind S around 8 mph, rising pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 58. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 64 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Klamath River at Keno (outlet).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 11509500.

8091,1921,574733 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp53 F
High / Low58 / 41 F
WindS 8-11 mph
Pressure1014.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain84% cloud, 6%
Sunrise / Sunset06:36 / 19:36
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 58/41 F, wind 11 mph, rain 6%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Upper Klamath Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Upper Klamath Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Upper Klamath Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 51 F, wind to 17 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 25 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 54 F, wind to 25 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 71 F, wind to 18 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Oregon requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Oregon license. Special regulations protect Klamath redband trout: check current ODFW rules for this lake and its tributaries.

Access

Rocky Point, Pelican Marina, Howard Bay and Wood River area launches; shallow-water navigation requires caution.

About this water

A 61,000-acre shallow lake in Klamath County, Oregon, averaging eight feet deep: home to trophy Klamath redband trout.

Fishing Upper Klamath Lake: the full guide

A lake that breaks the rules

Upper Klamath Lake spreads 25 miles across the Klamath Basin, more than 60,000 acres but averaging only eight feet deep. It should not hold trophy trout, yet it produces some of the largest wild rainbows in the West: Klamath redband trout that grow past twenty-four inches feeding on the lake’s enormous invertebrate production. The trade-off is summer algae blooms that push fish into cold-water refuges.

Fishing the springs and channels

The key is cold water: fish concentrate at Pelican Bay, the Wood River delta, Odessa Creek and the spring-fed areas along the western shore, especially as summer blooms reduce oxygen elsewhere. Anglers work these areas from boats, pontoons and kayaks, stripping leeches, buggers and damsel patterns along the channel edges, or trolling small spoons. May through early July is the classic window, with fall offering a second chance.

Understanding the blooms

The lake is naturally eutrophic and the blooms are part of its ecology: they feed the invertebrates that grow those trout. But they also drive fish to the cold inflows and can make midsummer fishing tough. Wind moves the blooms around, which changes conditions daily. Check recent reports rather than assuming: this lake varies more week to week than most.

Klamath Basin logistics

Access at Rocky Point, Pelican Marina, Howard Bay and the Wood River area serves boats, with the shallow water demanding care around rocks and reeds. Klamath Falls provides supplies and lodging. The basin is a birding destination as well, with the surrounding refuges hosting one of North America’s great waterfowl concentrations: bring binoculars alongside the rod.

Common questions

How big do the redbands get?

Fish past twenty inches are the target and twenty-four-inch trout are caught every season: exceptional for wild rainbows.

When is the best time?

May through early July, before summer blooms concentrate fish in the cold-water refuges. Fall offers a shorter second window.

Are the algae blooms dangerous?

They can produce toxins: check current health advisories, keep dogs out of bloom areas and avoid contact with heavily affected water.

Is fishing good at Upper Klamath Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Diamond Lake54 miOdell Lake81 miCrane Prairie Reservoir96 miUmpqua River96 miEast Lake98 miShasta Lake116 mi
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