Lower Sac and Feather Fly Fishing Report

Hogan Brown Reports on 4.7.2016

I have been on the Lower Sac trout and striper fishing this last week.

Lower Sac Trout

Fishing has been about as good as it gets. The upper stretch down to Hwy 44 bridge closed as of April 1 and most guides have been up there pretty steady so I had some of the floats below all to myself or with only a boat or  two. The egg bite on sucker spawn seemed to be the best but fish ate rubber legs, march brown nymphs, PMD nymphs, and caddis pupa patterns. I have had a hard time finding a constant bug pattern that the trout would key on, seemed to be all over the place really eating a variety of nymphs throughout the day with not one specific pattern being a “must”. Best fishing has been between 8am and 2pm even though the most bugs activity seems to be during the afternoon.

Lower Sac Striper fishing

Clarity and flows have been an issue as well lower in the river say south of Butte City. Flows have stabilized and clarity is good up through the chico area and with the warm weather this week the resident stripers have been getting active. Largemouth and smallmouth fishing has been turning on as well but the water temps are still a bit cold for the Largemouth. With the higher water the sloughs and back waters are full and there is some warmer water farther back if you search it out. Carp fishing should be getting going as well as all the flats are full with water and we hooked and landed our first carp of the year last week.

Feather River

Spring Steelhead on the Feather has been good as flows are dropping from the pulse flows. Fish are spread out through the high and low flow and swinging flies or nymphing has been catching some nice spring half pounders and adults.

Open Dates: May 7 June 9, 10, 13, 17, 27, 28, July 6, 11, 13, 14, 25, 29, Aug 1-3, 5, 6, 9, 27

Shad fishing is going to get going as well. Usually the first week of May is when we get into catchable numbers of fish and the peak is usually middle to late May.
Open Shad Evening Trips May 14, 17, 23, June 1, 9, 10