Lower Sac and Sierra Foothills Fly Fishing Report
Hogan Brown reports on 3.16.17
Still chasing some bass out on the Oroville Afterbay. Found water in the 50-62 degree range so a HUGE fluctuation throughout the lake. Clarity is still way off so fishing slow and meticulous, with dark flies with a rattle is best. Water levels fluctuated A LOT over the last 2 weeks and the fish have been on and off the bite as I think they are fluctuating on and off shallow flats in preparation to spawn. With the water clarity it is hard to tell if there are beds or fish milling around so it is pretty much conjecture at this point. That said with some stable water levels and such fishing should stabilize a bit.
Lower Sac outside of Chico is dropping every day as the flows out of Keswick are WAY down…that said clarity is still at best 6-10". Shasta Lake is mud but some clearer water is coming in up the arms which is good news but the lake will be brown for a long time I imagine. There are a few reports of stripers being caught down by Colusa but with clarity as it is fishing flies is a tough one. All black with rattles would be mandatory in these conditions. I will be getting out up by Chico to check to see if any fish are eating and there is usually clearer water back in the backwaters that the largemouth, smallmouth, and stripers will move into. Lots to explore with some higher water.
Capt. Hogan Brown
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