Sacramento River Striper Fly Fishing Report

Fishing was fair to good on the backside of the June full moon, as bigger fish began moving back into feeding zones and actively feeding. Fishing will only improve. Water clarity has been an issue due to thunderstorms in the mountains muddying up tributary creeks—many of which have been affected by fires. At this point, nearly every tributary and watershed feeding into the Sac is contributing off-color water at various times.

Water coming out of Keswick is far from "clear"—more of a deep green with just a few feet of visibility. When this is combined with runoff from muddied tributaries, certain sections of the river can become significantly more turbid.

Most fish are still being caught on larger, darker flies—often with rattles—fished on heavy sinking lines. The fish remain deep in the water column, so getting flies down to them--no matter the depth of the area one is fishing--has been critical. June’s weather has been unusually mild, with evening temperatures cooler than normal, resulting in water temps well below average. Because of this, most fish are feeding during the warmest part of the day—roughly between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

With the next full moon approaching, on July 10th, fishing should only improve over the coming weeks.

Open Dates Leading Up to the Full Moon:
July 3, 5, 9

Capt. Hogan Brown 

Fly Fishing Guide

Co-Founder of the Cal Bass Union

Owner Alluvial Marketing Collective