First Salmon Poaching Case Reported in Newly Reopened Klamath River Habitat

The return of Chinook salmon to the upper Klamath River Basin has been one of Northern California’s biggest conservation success stories—but it didn’t take long for illegal activity to follow.

For the second year in a row, thousands of Chinook salmon have migrated into tributaries above the former PacifiCorp dam sites. California Trout estimates roughly 10,000 adult salmon moved upstream this fall into habitat that had been blocked for more than a century. That recovery, however, was quickly marred by the first documented case of salmon poaching in the newly reopened waters.

According to the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division, an angler was caught illegally harvesting two Chinook salmon from Spencer Creek, a tributary of the Klamath River in Oregon. The creek had already closed for the season to protect spawning fall Chinook. Wildlife officials were alerted after photos surfaced showing the unlawful catch. Although the angler left the area before officers arrived, witnesses provided a license plate number that led to a traffic stop on Highway 66.

During the stop, the passenger admitted to fishing and surrendered the two salmon along with his rod and reel. He was criminally cited, while the driver was warned for aiding the violation. Authorities did not release the names of those involved.

The incident is notable because it is the first criminal salmon case reported since the removal of four PacifiCorp dams—Iron Gate, Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, and J.C. Boyle—in 2023 and 2024. Those removals reopened hundreds of miles of historic salmon habitat, making enforcement especially critical during the early years of recovery.

Wildlife officials say the poaching case is a reminder that as salmon return, so must vigilance to protect them during this fragile rebound.