The Mattole Salmon Group, working since 1980 to restore California’s Mattole River wild salmon, has launched its first “Raffle for the Fish.”
For $100, anglers and fish loving outdoor enthusiasts can enter for a chance to win one of several distinctive prizes, including overnight accommodations with access to private Mattole River sites during the 2027 fishing season, as well as fine outdoor gear donated by Patagonia.
The raffle drawing will be held December 1, 2026, and will be live-streamed on the Mattole Salmon Group website.
But the real prize is the fish. The years of restoration are paying off.
All raffle proceeds go directly to the Mattole Salmon Group’s general fund, supporting immediate and ongoing work restoring natural habitat for wild salmon and steelhead. Current projects include aiding natural pool formation, creating summer and winter off-channel habitat, improving water retention for summer flows, and installing shade structures to help protect young fish during hot summer weather.
The Mattole is one of California’s distinctive remaining wild rivers — remote, undammed and without hatcheries. The Salmon Group’s goal is to help its native salmonids return to self-sustaining populations.
“We wanted a fundraiser that would connect people who love fishing with the river and the fish themselves,” says the board of the Mattole Salmon Group. “This raffle gives people a chance to experience a beautiful river still populated with its native salmon while at the same time restoring the habitat that salmon need to survive.”
Tickets and photographs of all prizes are available at: mattolesalmon.org
The raffle is being conducted through Zeffy. The drawing will take place at 6:00 p.m. December 1, 2026, with the results live-videoed on the Salmon Group website.