Fishing Report

Written by Lost Coast Outfitters

Filed under

frlowersac, Frshastalake, Lower Sacramento River

Redding Bass & Trout Fly Fishing Report

Apr 24, 2025

Written by Lost Coast Outfitters

Dave Neal of Reel Adventures Guide Service reports on April 22nd, 2025

Shasta Lake & Lower Sac Report

Shasta Lake summed up in one word… FIRE.

Ask me to expand that to two words it would be… On fire. Or, in another language… En fuego.

Springtime is the Prime-Time on Shasta Lake w/ a fly rod and it has been red-hot for bass fishing this season. A full pool adds an extra element to the habitat and structure system.

Water temps have come up through the prime zone this April and fish are very aggressive towards the swimming things now.

We stripped flies for hours this week with just a floating line and variety of baitfish patterns. The chases, eats and commitment level we triggered from fish was spectacular. Really exciting stuff sight casting to fish and watching them follow it and then inhale, or come out of nowhere and absolutely wreck the fly.

Tired of lobbing bobbers and side drifting for trout? Wanna open up that double haul and cast the fly rod for a change? Do you have a saltwater trip coming up and need to ingrain that strip set instinct?! LOL… you KNOW what I’m talking about.

You should be hitting the local lakes and ponds of California for some bass and sunfish action right now. The rewards are worth it. The skillsets carry over. The upper valley lakes are beautiful right now.

The Lower Sac is… well it’s here and there. Some days are decent and some days are just downright lousy. Hate to be a Debbie Downer but that is the honest truth from my perspective.

Bug hatches remain weak, (although we did see some solid #’s of March Browns hatching yesterday) water is a bit “thick” off color, (but green) flows have been anywhere from 4k to 10k this lately…. Seems like some pulse flows happening. I keep hoping for some consistency, but I have not found it. Maybe later in April or May it will turn around?

The good news is that if you are traveling to Redding area or passing through, there are many other options about to hit the radar screen… including Hat Creek, McCloud River, and some smaller less visited streams between those two places that we don’t talk much about.

General Trout Season opens this next Saturday April 26^th. With a wet winter behind us and plenty of water… do a little “blue line” sleuthing and go on an adventure to some uncharted territory. It has been a wet winter and spring season is a great time to explore some new water!

*Be cautious of rattlesnakes they are beginning to come out. We are seeing a few while out turkey hunting at the mid elevations – a few 80 degree days will wake em up.

If anyone has any questions feel free to hit me up. I do have a day or two open next week in April along with May 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 28

Have fun, be safe…

David Neal

Reel Adventures Guide Service

Email: reeladventuresgs@charter.net

Web: ReelAdventuresGuideService.com

Social: @ReelAdventures

Mobile: 760-914-0465

Written by Lost Coast Outfitters

Filed under

frlowersac, Frshastalake, Lower Sacramento River

Lower Sac & Lake Shasta Fly Fishing Report

Mar 30, 2025

Written by Lost Coast Outfitters

Lower Sac & Lake Shasta Fly Fishing Report

Dave Neal of Reel Adventures Guide Service reports on March 28th, 2025

Lower Sacramento River near Redding

The current outflow from Keswick Reservoir is 8500cfs, with no changes forcasted by the BOR. The last 15k flow increase did some good in flushing out some of the dirty water we were experiencing these past few weeks. The clarity has improved substantially the last few days.

We have enjoyed beautiful days on the river - between storms - with a few afternoons touching the 80 degrees mark. The next few days look like a return to unsettled weather with on/off rain showers and high winds. Winds can make fishing difficult on the mighty Sacramento River and it’s my least favorite “condition” to fish in.

Despite a snowstorm in Redding last Friday, we still went out, had the river to ourselves, and enjoyed great fishing. But back to the wind… the windy days are horrible. I’d honestly rather fish in snow and rain than a high wind day (gusts over 25mph). Check the forecast and plan accordingly.

As far as the fishing? To be bluntly honest… it has been tough on most days! Any honest guide who has fished this river for many years will admit that there have been some scratchy days out there. But… we may be slowly turning the corner to better conditions soon.

I’ll use bullet points:

The hatches have been weak so far this spring. Some PMD's at midday. Not much to get the trout excited.
It has been an egg game these past few weeks. If your egg game is not strong - then you will have a difficult time getting consistent grabs. The Sac is an egg-centric river at certain times of the year.
Up until recently the water was dirty. Brown dirty. Water conditions have improved after that last 15k flow pulse. But another reason why the egg program is important… visible food.
Many trout have been on redds and spawning - so they have been out of the game & not feeding. We have noticed more trout returning to the feeding lanes lately and in post-spawn recovery mode. These numbers will increase over the next few weeks - which will bring more players back.
There are other points for a longer discussion later - on why I think the Sac is not quite its old self … but for the sake of brevity I’ll stop here.

*Lastly, keep in mind the Sundial Bridge section closes on April 1st. Fishing will soon be closed from Keswick Dam to the Highway 44 Bridge.

Shasta Lake Bass

The bright spot in Redding area fishing right now is the bass fishing on Shasta Lake! We have encountered a lot of cookie cutter spotted bass and a few strong pulling smallmouth during our recent trips on the lake.

Spring season fishing is some of the best bass fishing you will encounter with the fly rod all year long. It is Prime Time right now and for the next few weeks as the water temps slowly increase.

If you have never chased bass on a fly rod you really should consider trying it this spring. Many our Nor Cal reservoirs are full pool and in prime shape right now. I’m sure this fish report will be full of excellent options from the guides in Sacramento area to Chico to Redding.

Spotted bass have begun entering the shallower water in mass along steep banks and big points making it easier for the float n fly and stripping methods.

Pre-spawn mode makes them aggressive and grouped up and in numbers that will keep you busy. We literally forget how many by lunchtime. This is a great day for beginners to seasoned anglers, kids to older folks that want to fish from the comfort of a boat. Bass fishing offers lots of repetitive casting practice and lots of fish fighting practice!

Don’t have a boat or kayak? It’s getting very close to the time of year where you can simply walk the shoreline and fish for bass right off the banks. Go hit your local fly shop and get the scoop and flies to fish the banks of any of the CA reservoirs and ponds that have bass and other sunfish.

My available days are:

April 7-11, 13-15, 21-30

May 5-7, 13, 14, 27, 28

You can reach me through my website: www.reeladventuresguideservice.com

Happy fishing,

Dave

David Neal

Reel Adventures Guide Service

Email: reeladventuresgs@charter.net

Web: ReelAdventuresGuideService.com

Social: @ReelAdventures

Mobile: 760-914-0465

Written by Lost Coast Outfitters

Filed under

frlowersac, Lower Sacramento River

Lower Sacramento Fly Fishing Report

Mar 30, 2025

Written by Lost Coast Outfitters

530 Outfitters reports on March 28th, 2025

The Lower Sacramento River is shaping up beautifully for what promises to be an outstanding spring season! With only a few more showers in the forecast, we’re seeing prime conditions unfold right before our eyes. If this past week’s fishing is any indication, we are gearing up for some exceptional days on the water.

Current Conditions & Outlook

The river has been steadily dropping into perfect shape. The water clarity is great, and we can always count on consistently choice water temps. While the recent rains brought a slight bump in flows, the flush of clean water was a great thing. Prior to that, the water was coming out of the bottom of the lake with about 1.5’ of visibility. Now, the river is flowing the perfect shade of green, allowing us to fish many different techniques.

What’s Hot

Spring means the bugs are on the move!

BWO (Blue-Winged Olives)
PMDs (Pale Morning Duns)
Caddis
Stoneflies

Best Techniques for Success

Nymphing is the standard technique for the Lower Sacramento River, and we know the game well. We are seeing more bugs this spring than we did last year, and that’s promising. We’ve already been playing around with other techniques and can't wait to do more as the hatches take off. If you want to know more, please give us a call.

Looking Ahead

March and April are the two months that launch us into our trout and bass seasons. It’s a great time to start thinking about your group trips with co-workers, family, and friends. We can accommodate large parties and enjoy taking care of all the details.

Bass fishing on Lake Oroville is in full swing, and we have the team to get you hooked up—a lot! This is a great trip for 2-3 anglers with plenty of action for all. The scenery and boat rides are worth the price of admission, but the fishing can be fun and fatiguing.

Lower Sacramento Campouts will be offered again at our private riverside campground with secured parking, camping equipment, and meals provided. There is no better way to enjoy the river and tune out than a two-day, one-night campout.

Fly Fishing Schools are our favorite way to help everyone get what they are looking for in this great sport. We offer beginner to advanced programs and can help everyone get better and fine-tune their skills. Please give us a call to talk about our school programs, and we will steer you in the right direction.

Written by Lost Coast Outfitters

Filed under

frlowersac, Frshastalake, FRTRINITY, Lower Sacramento River, Trinity River

Trinity River/Lower Sacramento/Shasta Bass Fly Fishing Report

Feb 15, 2025

Written by Lost Coast Outfitters

Trinity River/Lower Sacramento/Shasta Bass Fly Fishing Report

Dave Neal reports on February 12th, 2025

Trinity River Steelhead and Trout:

I wish I had a great report on steelhead fishing the Trinity River… but between incessant rainy weather and increased dam releases, there have not been many fishable windows so far in February.

On a wet year like this - the fish are definitely winning. And good for them.

I can only imagine how many wild steelhead are ripping up the tributaries this season and finding the right conditions to do their thing. And with all the Trinity River restoration projects, like off-channel flood plain habitat enhancements, (Oregon Gulch, etc) the young fish will have what they need to grow and prosper in the future. We shall see the fruits of the labor in a few seasons to come.

Also in other cool news… the Trinity hatchery received a 35” steelhead that swam up the ladder recently. Give that fish a blue ribbon!

Fishing conditions continue to be tough with high flows from the dam. Releases were increased this week from 1500cfs to 3500cfs. According to the recent snowpack survey, the Trinity Alps are over 120%. The Trinity Lake is nearing full pool at 2,021,627 acre-ft and about 27’ from crest. The BOR has increased release flows down the river to draw down the reservoir in order to conserve capacity for future inflows. Did I mention Carr Powerhouse tunnel is down for maintenance? So, the river itself is the only avenue for water to get to where it needs to get to. We got more winter still…

Lower Sacramento River:

Even less to report here… the river is unfishable and currently closed to recreational boating while she unleashes at 60k cfs. Same story, Lake Shasta is getting full and current capacity needs to be increased for future runoff and storm events.

My last day on the Lower Sac was January 31st and we did have a decent time fishing in the rain. We were just beginning to see the spring caddis emerge and some BWO's...

When the flows drop a bit more (like half) I’ll float it asap when it’s under 30k. It can fish well in spots at 30k if you know where to focus your time. Bring the bright colored round things and maybe some rubberlegs.

Shasta Lake Bass:

The one bright spot right now is that our local reservoirs are fishing well for bass. Not wide open yet for the fly angler - but the fly fishing will only get better in the near future.

This is where you will find me on my days off right now… and I've had a lot of days off lately! There are days/times when I’ve found spotted bass moving into shallower depths along the steep banks and it widens our ability to target them w/ various techniques.

Reach out to me if you wanna do some springtime bassin’. We anticipate Shasta Lake to achieve full pool AGAIN for the 3rd summer in a row! It’s an awesome fishery for spotted bass and the occasional smallmouth.

The lake is very healthy right now with an abundance of baitfish over the last few years leading to some fatter than average bass. A full reservoir provides lots of habitat and the fishery really shines. If you have not tried bass fishing w/ a fly rod or it’s been a few years… THIS SEASON would be a good time to go!

Another appreciable bonus to a full lake is the shade canopy provided by the dense conifer forest on those north slopes and rolling oak groves on the south exposures. Lots of shady pockets and driftwood piles provide epic topwater action later in the season and fantastic lunch spots to rest in between fishing sessions. Our Nor Cal lakes and reservoirs are stunningly beautiful in the spring green-up when at full pool and filled to the forest floor. Come see it close up!

Thanks and happy fishing…

Dave Neal, www.ReelAdventuresGuideService.com

David Neal

Reel Adventures Guide Service

Email: reeladventuresgs@charter.net

Web: ReelAdventuresGuideService.com

Social: @ReelAdventures

Mobile: 760-914-0465

Written by Lost Coast Outfitters

Filed under

frlakeoroville, frlowersac, Lake Oroville, Lower Sacramento River, Striper

Lower Sac & Lake Oroville Fly Fishing Report

Jan 21, 2025

Written by Lost Coast Outfitters

Lower Sac & Lake Oroville Fly Fishing Report

Hogan Brown reports on January 18th, 2025

Lower Sac Striper Report

The river is stable and settled after a fair amount of rain in late December. Fishing has been fair and very typical for the winter. Clarity is about 1’ in most areas requiring BIG and LOUD flies - black and purple, all black and all with rattles. Fish will feed usually in low light conditions or during the warmest part of the day. When we have no cloud cover, I find midday during the heat of the day is best and when there is cloud cover and the low air temp for the day is not as bad, low light conditions during the early morning and evening are best. Winter is not a numbers game, but can provide some true trophy fish for the angler that wants to put in the time.

Lake Oroville

With the recent rains the lake has been coming up, but seems to have stabilized a bit, over the last week. There is less moving water coming into the lake than there was a few weeks ago with the big rains right after Christmas. That said, most creeks are running strong and there is plenty of moving water coming into the lake in the deeper coves. Water clarity is good and fish are concentrating on Japanese pond smelt that are schooling up and can be seen on most fish finders. Fish will also eat dark leech patterns early and late in the day and in the shade. Fishing should continue to improve over the spring and topwater options as well as stripped fly options will increase.

Capt. Hogan Brown

Fly Fishing Guide

Co-Founder of the Cal Bass Union

Owner Alluvial Marketing Collective

530-514-2453

www.hgbflyfishing.com

www.calbassunion.com

****Check out HGB Fly Fishing on Facebook

****Check out hgbflyfishing on twitter

****Check out hgbflyfishing on Instagram

****Check out Cal Bass Union on Instagram

****Check out Cast Hope on Instagram

Written by Lost Coast Outfitters

Filed under

frlakeoroville, frlowersac, Lake Oroville, Lower Sacramento River

Lower Sac & Lake Oroville Fly Fishing Report

Nov 15, 2024

Written by Lost Coast Outfitters

Captain Hogan Brown Reports on Nov. 12th, 2024

Lower Sac Striper Fishing - We have officially entered winter striper season with the time change and the first rains of the year. Usually, this means water temperatures drop to what we consider "winter temps," slowing the fish's metabolism and shortening the feeding windows during the day. With the fish being more lethargic, the number of calories they need to consume changes, meaning they tend to favor larger, more infrequent meals, in our experience.

Winter can be tough for striper fishing on the river and we traditionally say that it can be very good or very tough, with most of that being out of our control—or our anglers' control. That said, you never know unless you go, and some of our biggest fish of the year come during the uncertain winter months.

Lake Oroville Report - Lake Oroville is fishing fair to good as our fall/winter season gets underway. Wakasagi minnows are schooling in the backs of the forks and spotted bass are beginning to congregate around these schools. The key to catching fish this time of year is locating the schools of bait, so electronics are crucial to success. Early mornings have been best on sunny days and as the sun rises, it's important to focus on shaded areas, where fish pull off the bait schools. Float and fly rigs, with the float set at about 10-12 feet, have been most effective and flies like  Ragan’s Drop Dead Minnow are getting the job done.

Fishing should continue to improve over the next few months as rain starts moving water through the tributaries and creeks and baitfish move higher in the water column.

Capt. Hogan Brown

Fly Fishing Guide

Co-Founder of the Cal Bass Union

Owner Alluvial Marketing Collective

530-514-2453

www.hgbflyfishing.com

www.calbassunion.com

****Check out HGB Fly Fishing on Facebook

****Check out hgbflyfishing on twitter

****Check out hgbflyfishing on Instagram

****Check out Cal Bass Union on Instagram

****Check out Cast Hope on Instagram