Nor Cal Trout Fishing - July 2023

Truckee River:

The Truckee has been fishing consistently throughout the summer! Both water color and temperature have been stellar. Flows were a little high earlier in the month due to run-off from the big winter snowpack, but now the river is in perfect shape for a trip!

Classic summer dry-fly opportunities can be had, however the Truckee fishes best with a variety of nymphs. Fish are also gorging themselves on crayfish this time of year, so streamer fishing can be a blast! It's pretty hot up there, so don't work too hard and beat the heat while wet-wading! Come through the shop to get those indicator or Euro nymphing rigs dialed in!

Flies: Golden Stones/Sallies- sz 10/16,  Caddis Larvae/Pupa (green/tan)- sz 16/18, Baetis- sz 18/20, PMDs- sz 16, March Browns- sz 14. Plenty of fish can also be had on a variety of streamers, as well as crawfish, worm, and egg patterns! It’s be a shame to skip out on the Truckee this summer, watch those flow gauges and get out there!

Matt Heron

Matt Koles

Yuba River:

In the last few weeks flows have dropped significantly to around 3,300 cfs meaning the Yuba is running cold and clean at a very fishable level!

The Rundown: Summer Hopper fishing is upon us! Dry droppers with big bugs and simple Grasshopper rigs should work great up through August. Fish are consistently holding tight to the bank, be observant and fish smart, risers are around! Drive up for some epic morning and evening fishing and try to beat the heat!

Tons of very healthy rainbows are feeding all throughout the system. There remains a potential to run into a Spring-run steelhead! A few fish from the spring have remained in the river due to the staunch excess of cold water! Try your luck at running into some valley chrome!

Flies: Chubby Chernobyl (yellow, tan, purple)- sz 8,10,12; Morris’s Hopper-sz 8,10,12,14, Plenty of other Hopper patters will also do the trick, Caddis are also hatching, try some Elk Hair Caddis or Mercer’s Missing Link-sz 14-18; Nymphs for dry dropper rigs: Caddis Pupa, PMDs-sz 14-18; Golden Stones 8-16, Duracell-sz 14-20

Captain Ben Thompson

Website: https://www.benthompsonoutdoors.com/

Phone: (916) 743-8290

Email: bthompson30@gmail.com

Feather River:

Summer isn’t necessarily prime time for the Feather, however, with the state having such a huge water year, things are a little funky! A number of Adult Spring-Run Steelhead remain present throughout the system, this winter’s surplus has provided comfortable holding water for these fish. Go try to test your luck! These fish are probably in a mostly trout-like state of mind after remaining in the river for so long, you can’t catch them from the couch, go see what the river has to offer!

Captain Ben Thompson

Website: https://www.benthompsonoutdoors.com/

Phone: (916) 743-8290

Email: bthompson30@gmail.com

Lower Sacramento:

The Lower Sacramento is sticking to its long-held reputation of an extremely consistent fishery all year round! Even with almost unbearably scorching temperatures throughout the Central Valley and North State, the Lower Sac is flowing cold and strong! It’s a perfect time to ditch the waders and cool off for the day!

All tributaries to the Lower Sac are pumping out cold, clean water, allowing 100% of the trout water in the main river to clean itself up! Great fishing can be had from Redding in-town all the way down to Red Bluff, get out there!

Currently the fish are shifting toward an almost completely Caddis-centered diet. Hydropsyche Caddis in all stages and sizes are showing up everywhere, and the fish are eager to take them. PMD and Stoneflies have also been productive. Like always, nymphing is going to be the most consistent method for picking up fish, but plenty of dry-fly opportunities can be had in riffles and tail outs during caddis hatches!

The Lower River is fishing exceptionally well for Striped Bass. Throw around a big Adachi Clouser and turn a hungry Striper, you’ll be into backing in a flash! Some very large fish have been caught down low this summer.

Fishing on the Lower Sacramento can definitely be done through the DIY Walk-and-Wade method, but for the full experience we highly recommend booking a guided trip through Capt. Ben Thompson or our friends at AC Fly Fishing!

Flies:

Nymphs: Caddis Larvae/Pupa (tan)- sz 12-16; Peaches ‘n Cream/TNT PMD- sz 14/16; Sweet Pea/Hogan’s S&M 14-18

Dries: EC Caddis, Mercer’s Missing Link, Elk Hair Caddis, PMDs- sz.12-16

Captain Ben Thompson

Website: https://www.benthompsonoutdoors.com/

Phone: (916) 743-8290

Email: bthompson30@gmail.com

AC Fly Fishing-

Website:https://acflyfishing.com/ 

Phone: (800) 201-5047 or

Email: info@acflyfishing.com

Upper Sacramento:

The Upper Sacramento is fishing great right now. While daytime temperatures are consistently exceeding 90 degrees, getting down to the canyon bottom with wet-wading equipment can be a perfect way to beat the heat!

Golden Stones have come and gone but there should be steady PMD and Caddis hatches in the evenings. Nymphing should be productive all day long, while fishing dries early and late in the day for eager risers can be a blast.

All the water from Simms campground and up has been excellent!

Flies:

Nymphs: Pats Rubberlegs/Poxyback Stones- sz 8-18; Peaches ‘n Cream/TNT PMD- sz 14/16; Sweet Pea/ Hogan’s S&M/Micro May- sz 14-18

Dries: Parachute Adams/Purple Haze- sz 14-18; EC Caddis, Mercer’s Missing Link, Elk Hair Caddis- sz.12-16

Chuck Volkhausen

Phone: (530) 859-3474

John Rickard

Phone: (877) 934-7466

McCloud River:

The McCloud has been somewhat unpredictable this season; dense snowpack from this year’s winter has brought about sporadic run-off events which have pushed sediment and large volumes of water into the lower river. These conditions can remain for a week or two before things start to clear up which makes pulling the trigger on a trip difficult. The road into Ah-Di-Nah Campground and the Nature Conservancy had a blowout earlier in the summer but has since been repaired and deemed safe to travel.

While the conditions haven’t been consistently optimal, the fish haven’t left the river! Fishing remains on the scale of Fair-Great depending on the day and water clarity! When the water has some decent color, the fish move into the shallower areas (riffles, shallow tailouts) to feed! Dry fly fishing can be a blast when fish are shallow!

Another underlying plus of the McCloud’s unpredictability this season has been a lacking of the usual summer crowds. With people wondering about a possibly washed-out road and high/dirty river, many folks have decided to stay away from the McCloud. This has allowed for a practically wide-open river to anyone who chooses to go! Walk-in tags at the Nature Conservancy should be easier to get than in past years, but you never know! If you want to get in there, it’s better to be early!

The Upper McCloud (above McCloud Reservoir) has also been fishing very well! The McCloud’s own species, the Native Redband trout, are found thriving in plentiful numbers in this isolated section of the upper watershed. The upper river is a spectacular place to bring the family for a summer camping trip and take a little adventure for some really cool fish!

Flies:

Nymphs: Pats Rubberlegs (Black/Brown)- sz 8-12; Poxyback Stone- sz 12; Sweet Pea, Hogan’s S&M, Micro May, Copper John, sz 14-16; Prince Nymph, Gordon’s Prince, sz 14-16

Dries: Parachute Adams/Purple Haze- sz 12-18; Mercer’s Missing Link, EC Caddis, PMDs-sz 14-18; Potentially Salmonfly/Golden Stone action- sz 10-14

Streamers: Dolly Lamma 06-02, Sculpin Patterns

Chuck Volkhausen

Phone: (530) 859-3474

John Rickard

Phone: (877) 934-7466

Pit River:

Good-Great

The Pit (Pit 3&4) has been fishing very consistently this season. As many know, a trip to the Pit is not for the faint of heart. Wading among the slick boulders and swift current that the Pit possesses can be difficult and, in some cases, outright dangerous. So, make sure your boots are in tip-top shape (both rubber condition and cleat installation), bring along a wading staff for some extra stability in the water, and most importantly, know your body’s limits.

Down to the nitty gritty- the Pit has had a good year. You can expect productive days using mostly nymphing techniques. Per usual, pocket water fishing is everywhere on the Pit, sift through a section with a Euro, Indicator, or Dry-Dropper Rig and see what you pick up!

Flies: Small Stoneflies- sz 12-16; Mayfly patterns (Sweet Pea, S&M, Perdigon)- sz 16-20; Caddis Pupa/Larvae sz 14-18

Chuck Volkhausen

Phone: (530) 859-3474

John Rickard

Phone: (877) 934-7466

Putah Creek

Our local creek is fishing well given the high flows. Flows have been bouncing between 500 and 600 cfs the last few weeks. As a reminder, Putah is used as an irrigational canal used to feed water down into the farmland near Winters, Davis Woodland. 

The standard flies are doing the trick. Flies such as S&M Nymphs, Caddis Poopah and Zebra Midges are doing well! If you'd like to spice things up try tossing Rainbow Warriors, Two Bit Hookers, and Jujubees!

The challenge with these high flows has been keeping the grass and weeds off the hooks, consider bringing the Euro rod out to maintain a much tighter connection and drifting the bugs below the grasses!

Great opportunity to toss Streamers as well. Sculpzillas, Small Peanut Envys and sparsely tied leaches are crushing at the moment! Fish these flies on an  intermediate line swung. Or on a fast sink line above the buckets and pools on the creek.

Reach out to Robert George 707-812-4671 or Clayton Ono 707-365-9012 for trips and availability.

Capt. Bryce Tedford

Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta is still challenging to fish, been managing around 5-10 fish each day or over the past few weeks. Finding cleaner water can be difficult as silt is floating around with the tides. Water temperatures are around 60 degrees but clarity is only around 2’ or so depending on the tide. The Steve Adachi Black with grizzly hackle Clouser has been doing the trick in the dirty water! On a positive note, each day this past week we’ve had shots at a 10+ lb fish, a few solid 3-5# fish & some shakers in the mix. Hopefully, the waters continue to clear up & more fish show up soon for the Spring Spawn! 

Capt. Patrick MacKenzie

Napa & SF Bay have been slow for stripers due to turbid water conditions. Lake Berryessa & Lake Sonoma have been firing for all bass species, panfish& crappie. Hot bobber bite, streamers working as well. May is the month for topwater bass on Berryessa & Lake Sonoma.

Capt. Hogan Brown

The Valley River Striper fishing is picking up for migratory and resident fish. The migratory fish are up through the system of the Yuba, Feather, and Sacramento, and river conditions are starting to shape up that will allow fly anglers to really get after it.

Ryan Williams

Lake Oroville and Clear Lake are about as good as it gets right now with options for float n fly, stripped fly, and top water fishing. Water is warming and fishing should be good through mid-June.

John Fochetti

Lake Shasta is nearly full and fishing has been good. Water is warming and fish are chasing bait through the water columns. Float n Fly and stripping flies is catching good numbers of largemouth, spotted bass, and smallmouth bass.

Lost Coast Outfitters Fishing Report 4/15/23

Spring Fishing has begun! We are stoked to have the report back up and running. We are now working with additional independent guides throughout Northern California as well. Ready to provide a consistent source of up-to-date information for all of of our local waterways and beyond.

The Bay/Beach: The beaches are on the edge of turning on. The bulk of our beach adventures have had to occur further away from home.. areas such as Monterey and Santa Cruz have found schools of striped willing to take a fly. As the bay clears up and water temps begin to rise slightly, more fish will become readily available off of Ocean, Baker and Crissy!

Take a look at our Local Surf Clinics or Call the shop for more info!

Lower Feather River-

The Lower Feather River flows just dropped to around 1100 in the low flow but it still around 9k in the high flow. We have been catching fish in both. There are a lot of fresh spring steelhead in the system and April and May are some of my favorite months to be out there. I was out there three days ago and fishing was great, lots of suckerfish are stacked up and getting their black stripes on the sides in their normal haunts, putting the steelhead on the chow. Go to flies have been sucker spawn and alevins as well as red headed step childs and caddis. Similar to the Yuba's current big water state, soft seams and slower runs will often be the best producers. The spring is the best time of year out there to swing a fly out there and they eat it aggressively. 

Call Ben Thompson to get out on the Lower Sacramento Or Feather River: 916-743-8290

Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta

Delta is still challenging to fish, been managing around 10 fish or so over the past week. Finding cleaner water can be difficult as silt is floating around with the tides. Water temperatures are around 60 degrees but clarity is only around 2’ or so. The Steve Adachi Black with grizzly hackle Clouser has been doing the trick in dirty water! On a positive note, each day this past week we’ve had shots at a 10+ lb fish, a few solid 3-5# fish & some shakers in the mix. Hopefully the waters continue to clear up & more fish show up for the Spring Spawn!

Call Bryce Tedford for trips on the Delta year-round: 206-696-2437

Call Patrick MacKenzie year-round for guided trips on the Napa River: 707-721-6700

The lake is nearly full, water falls are flowing, and timber is flooding. Fish are on the feed during the morning and afternoon with a bit of a slowdown from 11am-1pm. Fishing the float n' fly is catching the most fish but fish are shallow enough that a popper dropper or streamer rig is also getting fish. Fishing should remain good through April into June

Ryan Williams Reports Lake Oroville- 

The prime spring season is slowly shaping up. Water temps are still cold at 52-56. Once the temps hit 60 the action will really turn on. When this happens the 50-100+ fish days will start on the main lake. Still waiting on the topwater & streamer bite to begin. Should begin around the 60 degree mark or even a bit less. For the time being it's all float n fly. Going anywhere from 6'-9' leaders. Currently we're getting about 20-40 fish per day between two anglers. Lots of really nice bass being caught lately, hard to find small ones. Big full bellies getting ready to spawn in the next month or so. The bite is going all day. Mornings and evenings have been best, but we are catching fish throughout the afternoons. Some afternoons have really shaped up to fish really well, producing bigger fish. As far as structures go, we have been fishing lately on points, tributaries, and shade in various canyons.

If you are itching to try Float and Fly Fishing with a fly rod The Cal Bass Union can get you Dialed in! 

 

Putah Creek

Slow start to our Putah Creek Fishing Season. The rains kept us at bay due to limited visibility. Current conditions are challenging as Hwy 128 is currently CLOSED. This is a note pulled off of The Cal Trans Website:

[IN THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA]
IS CLOSED FROM THE SOLANO/YOLO CO LINE TO 4.6 MI EAST OF THE SOLANO/YOLO CO LINE /AT PLEASANT VALLEY RD/ - DUE TO A SLIDE - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

Join us Wednesday April 26th from 5:30pm and on at the Shop for our

Putah Creek *Shop Talk* 

Lost Coast Outfitters Fishing Report 12/14/22

Upper Sacramento: It’s winter, who knew?! Access is tough on upper river just due to snow. If you’re sniffing around the Upper Sac, stay below Conant for less snow and easier parking/walking. Anglers fishing the McCartle area have reported decent catching. Stick to small mayfly nymphs #16-18, Rubber Legs #8-10 and small yellow egg patterns to boot. Nothing unusual to report, fair fishing if you are willing to put in some time. The water is a little lower than normal, but that’s largely due to the cold temps and no snowmelt/rain.

Pop in or Call Ted Fay Fly Shop for up to the minute reports. 

Lower Sacramento: Fishing well, as it often does in winter. Strong BWO hatches and good nymphing, S&M, Psycho May. Small Pheasant Tails #16-18 mayflies, anything olive baetis looking. Attach a bobber, and just add water. While strong hatches don’t always translate to good dry fly fishing on the Lower Sac, it’s certainly possible and it pays to keep an eye out for heads sipping adult mayflies. Releases out of the dam are on the low side for this time of year hover around 3000cfs.

Call Dustin Revel for a day on the Lower Sac: 530-921-1563

Putah Creek: We are under a voluntary spawning closure right now. It runs December 1 st through March 1 st every year. Yes, the creek is technically open to fish, but please give these wild trout a break and venture elsewhere. If you want to watch some spawning activity, take a walk along the trails next to the creek and look for big fish in pairs or pods over clean gravel in moving water. Super cool and educational.

The Delta: Beautiful conditions post storm. Clean water through much of the Delta, but a fairly tough bite. It’s between season out there, and the fishing is marginal as expected. Water temperatures are below 50 degrees and fish are in their winter pattern. Look for flats where the water will warm a bit through the day. Sometimes it only takes a couple degrees to turn on the bite. 10-20 fish/day for the boat is a good day right now and you need work for them. This isn’t big fish time, but still some decent fish reported, in the 5 pound range. Nothing to get super excited about currently, but well worth fishing on decent weather days. Not much pressure out there either, so if you want to have a pleasant day without any competition winter is where it’s at!

Call Bryce Tedford for trips on the Delta year-round: 206-696-2437

The Bay/Beach: It’s perch time on the Bay Area beaches. In between storms, look for calm days without a big swell. Sinking lines with an array of small brown/tan/orange crab patterns will net you a few of our palm sized native beach dwellers. Stop by the shop and pick up a couple of our custom perch patterns and we’ll line you out on a good stretch of beach to check out.

Eastern Sierra:

The East Walker is closed for the season. Opens again on the last Saturday in April.

Upper Owens: Snow and more snow on the upper river. This is good, but makes access tough. The river is accessible by snowmobile, skis or walking in on snow machine tracks. The water and conditions are COLD. However, it’s worth the effort, because trophy trout swim up from Crowley Lake in winter and hang in the river. The drought has affected the river as it enters the lake and made it tough for fish to get up into the river, but the fish want to get out of the lake as it freezes over and they will make it up eventually. The big fish are parked in the deeper pools and cut banks. To find them you need to be systematic and fish each spot thoroughly. They won’t move far to eat a fly. They are lethargic due to cold temps, but just keep casting and you’ll find them. San Juan worm in pink and red is the number one pattern. Eggs, tiny Pheasant Tails and other small mayfly nymphs under a small indicator are the way to go. Be patient, fish hard.

Lower Owens: The lower river, near Bishop, is much warmer and fishing well. Bonus: no snow on the ground. Air temps are in the 50’s and water temps only a little lower. BWO’s are showing in the late morning and the window is short, but if you want to get fish on dry flies in December, this is one of your best opportunities. Fish a #18 parachute BWO, Quigley Cripple or Sparkle Flag on a long leader. Drift the foam lines, the fish are there. On the nymphing side, fish the deeper buckets with #16-20 Pheasant Tails, midges, Hares Ears and other standard nymphs under a bobber or tightline.

Report From Jim Stimson

Truckee:

As expected, the water is low and cold. Anywhere on the California side is hard to access right now just due to snow. Much-needed recent storms have dumped feet of powder on the Tahoe region and most of the locals are skiing. However, if you cruise on down to the NV side, east past Sparks, you’ll find no snow and some decent fishing (remember to buy a Nevada fishing license). The Nature Conservancy section is a good option, with more flow and access. Not much in the dry fly category right now, but streamers and nymphs will put you in the money. If you’re chucking streamers, concentrate on the slower water and pools and throw standard patterns, like black leeches and various Bugger patterns. Nymphing with Zebra Midges and egg patterns under a bobber is the ticket if you want to go that route. Or, do both, and fish all the water. Find yourself a two-footer for Christmas.

Call Matt “Gilligan” Koles to fish the Truckee, year-round: 775-351-6665

Lower Yuba: The last storm blew out Deer Creek, and therefore most of the lower river. Good news is it’s already clearing up and fishable. It will keep dropping and clearing as conditions dry out. Anytime you see a high water event, strap on a Rubberlegs and a worm and throw it under a bobber. That’s a foolproof recipe. You may still see a few salmon spawning and various egg patterns are still in the mix. Mostly the trout are keyed on small baetis and midges, as is standard for winter. Small Pheasant Tails, Zebra Midges, S&M BWO or anything small and olive/brown will take fish. Anglers are catching a few steelhead here and there so stay cool if you set the hook on something substantial that rips some line off your reel. Dry fly action is possible 365 days a year on the Lower Yuba. It’s a little inconsistent right now but if you’re patient and keep your eyes open you’ll find fish sipping BWO’s here and there. Tie on a #18 Parachute Adams on a long leader and make an accurate cast. Streamer fishing produces throughout the winter too. Buggers, Zonkers, soft hackles will all produce, stripped or swung.

Call Ben Thompson to get out on the Lower Yuba: 916-743-8290

Trinity River: Good days and tough days mixed in. When a good rain storm hits and freshens up the water, anglers are getting good numbers of fish, but when it’s cold and dry most folks are only getting a handful of hook-ups a day. Still, 2-4 fish a day doesn’t suck and if you play your calendar right with the water conditions, you can hook triple that number. Still a few spawning salmon around so a glo bug or bead will take fish. Most folks have been fishing smaller nymphs like Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns, Dark Lord and of course stoneflies like black/brown Rubber Legs. Flows out of the dam are spot on normal for this time of year at 297cfs.

Call Dustin Revel for year-round trips on the Trinity: 530-921-1563

Klamath River: Fishing is fair to good depending on the day and time of day. The upper 30 miles are sporting excellent water conditions, albeit a bit low compared to the long-term median flow. All the recent precipitation has come in the form of snow, so the water clarity is good and stable. Water temps are solid, in the high 40s to low 50s. The bite is kind of tough mid-day just because of cold weather. Both swinging and nymphing are producing fish. If you’re swinging think sink tip and smaller wet flies. If you’re nymphing stick to stoneflies and egg patterns. Fish the water appropriately, meaning, swing the riffles and runs and nymph the seams and pockets. Cover all the holding water you can find and you’ll find fish.

Call Chuck at Wild Waters Fly Fishing for Klamath River trips: 530-859-3474

Napa River: Clean water mid 50s temps with good fishing before the before the rain blew it out and muddied up the water. The Napa is often off-color, but if it’s too brown it can be unfishable. As soon as we get a few dry days in a row it will be game on. Watch the tides and don’t get stuck in the mud.

Call Patrick Mackinzie year-round for guided trips on the Napa River: 707-721-6700

Wild Waters Fly Fishing Report on 11.10.2016

The beloved McCloud has dropped right back into shape to say goodbye to us anglers in its last week of the season. The clarity is perfect for fishing and there has been some good eats on the surface. Throw a big October dry fly all day and it will get crushed. It seemed that the mid day bite was the best but staying late in hopes of lots of Caddis...

Steve Santucci Reports on 8.20.2015

Fishing is good for Stripers .  Good fishing is starting off early and it seems that were going to have a banner fall run.   August and September are great months to catch your personal best.   Smallmouth fishing is great and will actually get better as we approach October. 

Call for available dates in August and September.  650 333 4704

Steve Santucci Reports on 8.13.15

Fall is arriving. Time to think about Stripers. This is the time to plan a outing if you want to get in on the fall run. The weather should start to cool and the winds should start to subside . Currently we have great Smallmouth fishing. If you fish now for Smallies you can plan on non stop action all day long. Stripers are fair only because you have to hunt around...

Russian River January 17th, fishing steelhead in Monte Rio, 24 inch native Steelhead, 4 PM. MDRP guide

Garcia & Gualala River: Should be coming into shape this weekend

North Coast: I suspect we will see the South Fork of the Eel come into shape this weekend. I have not heard a good report all week..

The Trinity has been producing some great number and even some nice Browns. Every year we debate whether or not the these browns are sea run or not.

North Coast: Most rivers have come into shape and are quickly head back to their low water conditions from before the rain. We fished the SF Eel with some  success.

Guala and Garcia are below the low flow closure and are closed to fishing. The Russian river should be fishable with flies.