The Mad River Slough lies within Arcata Bay on
the upper northern side, in the northern half of
the Humboldt Bay, about 100-miles south of the
Oregon border. Humboldt Bay includes Arcata Bay,
to the north, divided by Highway 101, with
Humboldt Bay to the south.
The Mad River Slough provides an easy put-in
access and offers several miles of pristine
paddling opportunities around where the Mad
River was diverted into Humboldt Bay during
the logging heydays. The slough still
remains the way you saw the world as a young
child, when the pace was a little slower,
and the birds and wildlife were more
abundant.
The Mad River Slough is a favorite paddling
retreat among birdwatchers. There are over
hundred and fifty bird species at the Mad
River Slough. Red-tailed and red-shouldered
hawks, kestrels, harriers, kites, and osprey
are all occasionally seen here. The
shorebirds commonly seen are dunlin,
sandpiper, dowitcher, godwit, and willet,
among many others. You may also see ducks,
Aleutian geese, Snow geese, and Pacific
Black Brant, depending on the time of year.
Wildlife sightings wait around the turn of
every bend, with sounds of waves crashing
across the dunes just west of the slough. Be
on the lookout beyond the ocean waves for
brown pelicans and cormorants. Northern
harriers can often be seen as they glide in
and out of willow thickets in the small
freshwater wetlands. Great blue herons are
often sited stalking fish along the water’s
edge.
Pacific and California halibut are both
found in the waters of Arcata Bay. Piers located
adjacent to sanding bottoms provide the best
fishing opportunities for halibut. The best
time to fish is on an incoming tide, about
two hours before the high tide being the
best. Halibut fishing season usually begins
around April.