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, 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 LCO Staff

Filed under

Delta, Feather River, Fishingreport, Frshastalake, Lake Oroville, Lower Feather, Lower Sacramento River, Northern California

Cal Bass Union Fishing Report

May 11, 2023

Written by LCO Staff

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.

Written by George Revel

Filed under

Frshastalake

Trout Lake Fly Fishing Report

May 01, 2019

Written by George Revel

Wildwaters reports on 5.1.19

Trout Lake

A nearby lake that’s off most people’s radar other than locals is Trout Lake. This is a gem that offers outstanding trout and bass fishing.

Poppers on the surface were the ticket for us for some nice bucket mouths. This is a great option when others are off the table.

Written by George Revel

Filed under

Frshastalake

Shasta Lake Fly Fishing Report

Mar 14, 2019

Written by George Revel

John Fochetti reports on 3.14.19

Shasta Lake

Has been fishing great, very large numbers of fish can be brought to hand right now. Water temps have been ranging from high 40’s to low 50’s. The average fish will go 1-1.5 lbs and we are finding the occasional one above 3 lbs. The majority of fish caught are Spotted Bass, with a few Smallmouth caught every day. The past few days we have landed a well...

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Fishing Report

Redding Bass & Trout Fly Fishing Report

Lower Sac & Lake Shasta Fly Fishing Report

Trinity River/Lower Sacramento/Shasta Bass Fly Fishing Report

Cal Bass Union Fishing Report

Trout Lake Fly Fishing Report

Trout Lake

Shasta Lake Fly Fishing Report

Shasta Lake