Ben Thompson Reports on 5.9.2024

River Stripers- Fish are spread throughout the rivers with the majority around Colusa. It can get crowded until the end of May when most of the conventional boats thin out. The pre-front bite last had some quality fish on the chew and we were fortunate to land some of them. Standard Adachi style rattle clousers have been the go to lately. I still have availability in June and July to chase linesiders.

Lower Feather River- The low flow section is at 592cfs, with the high flow around 10,000cfs. Fish have been primarily eating caddis with some on worms and baetis. Good time of year to swing birds nest or leeches, high flow not recommended for bank anglers.

 

 

Lower Yuba River- 5,670 cfs as of today, not recommended for wade anglers and only seriously proficient rowers. At these higher flows, fish will sit in the soft edges. Big attention getters like rubberlegs and large caddis are a go to in big water. When the flows come down a bit we look forward to a good hopper season throughout this summer!

530 Outfitters Reports on 5.8.2024

McCloud River: The McCloud River has started off with a bang and the color of the river is looking like the normal McCloud we are accustomed to. Late April and early May was a little chilly in the McCloud river canyon but a couple extra layers and good fishing solved the chilly weather.

I think the cold weather is behind us and the weather forecast is looking great! I have been finding better fishing on the shallower rigs, dry dropper,  than the deeper indicator rigs. There haven't been many sightings of the big salmon and golden stoneflies yet, but there has been some--this warmer weather should help! I've mostly seen Yellow Sallies, PMDs, and Baetis.

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* 

AC Flyfishing Reports on 10.22.20

We're entering the heart of our Fall fishing season here in Northern California. We've had some exceptionally good fishing taking place on our local rivers and the weather has been fantastic. From the Lower Sac to the Upper Sac, McCloud, Fall River, etc. There are so many excellent options this time of year. 

AC Fly Fishing Reports on 9.20.20

Lower Sacramento River 

The Lower Sac - As many of you know, Fall is one of our favorite times of year to fish the Lower Sacramento River. We've had a very productive season on the "trout factory" and we are looking forward to a great upcoming Fall season.   

October and November is one of the most desirable seasons to be on the river.

The Egg bite is coming..

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the "Egg Bite" - It is an event that we experience almost every year in October and November on the Valley Rivers of Northern California. This event is most famous on the Redding to Red Bluff stretches of the Lower Sacramento River. As anglers and guides - we hit the river each day and seek out these specific sections that the Salmon are spawning in. We are targeting the Rainbow trout (and Steelhead) that are tucked in behind the salmon, ferociously devouring Salmon eggs as they get kicked loose from the gravel beds. We are fishing both egg imitations and bugs. As the Salmon "dig" their nests in the gravel beds - they kick out a lot of bugs and eggs from the river bottom, creating a feeding frenzy. Actively spawning Salmon are known to get the attention of some of the biggest trout in the river.

Fall Fishing Outlook:
CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife is projecting a big return of Fall Run Chinook Salmon this year..  nearly 500,000 adult spawning fish are projected to make it back to the system this year. This is great news for our Fall trout season. As many of you know, an abundance of Spawning Salmon can contribute to some excellent Fall fishing and obese rainbow trout.. The famous "egg bite" usually begins in late September and runs through November. As Fall is one of our more popular seasons - you might want to consider setting up your Fall fishing dates soon before our guide availability gets thin.  

Fall River:

The Fall River has been excellent this Summer and has handed many of our guests memorable days on this big Spring Creek. Do not expect the fishing to slow down until the season closes in November. 

For those looking for a smaller venue and walk and wade option this Fall, The McCloud River, Pit River and Upper Sacramento River offer a great change of pace. All 3 of these rivers are great options during our Fall season. Inquire for more details. 

AC Fly Fishing Reports on 7.12.20

Lower Sac - 

We're in full summer mode on the big river. Caddis hatches have been the main jam along with a few PMDs still lingering. The best windows out here are early and late. We've had good fishing from Reding down through Cottonwood recently. Don't let the warm temps shy you away.. evenings can produce some awesome fishing during those Caddis hatches. Typically, the warmer the day - the better the bugs come off. Summer can produce some of the most underrated fishing of the year on the Sac. A reminder that the upper portion of the river reopens on August 1.. This can be a very good time to get after some fish that have had a long break from angling pressure.

Fall River - 

Has been exceptionally good this summer. Quantity and quality of fish has been as good as we've seen in a long time. The Hex hatch is still rolling in the evenings making for a very fun, short window of dry fly fishing. Expect the fishing here to stay strong through September. 

McCloud River - 

The McCloud has been a very good walk and wade option as well. The big stoneflies have tapered off and it's more of a Mayfly and Caddis game out there. Again, early and late in the day can produce the best fishing. Expect to have rising fish that last hour or two of light.. Big Brown trout start to make their migration up from Lake Shasta this time of year.. this can be a really fun bonus to plug into one of these brutes. 

Upper Sac - 

The Upper has been solid this summer as well. Expect smaller fish on average this time of year.. The mornings and evenings are the timeframes to target during these "Dog Days" of summer.. Wet wading here is a very good way to escape the heat..

Pit River - 

The trusty Pit has been a great option all summer. No real surprise here.. primarily a nymph game but you can still expect great numbers of opportunities during these hot Summer days. This is a great river to wet wade and cool off this time of year.

Valley Striper Fishing -

With stable and hot normal summer weather the last two weeks fishing has really hit its stride. Fish are eating and up in the feeding zones most days. We are seeing trophy fish most days but if we get them to eat or a smaller fish beats them to the fly is a crap shoot. Bottom line is they are there and up in the feeding zones. Our shots at the trophy fish only increase as we move forward from here on out. We are catching fish on heavy sink to lighter intermediate lines just depends on the day. 

Lower Yuba River Trout Fishing -

I got a few days on the Yuba the last month and fishing has been decent. Flows came up July 1 to between 1800-1600cfs depending on the day. My clients have had the most luck throwing nymphs under an indicator but we have gotten a few fish each day to come up to a caddis, golden stone dry, or hopper pattern. With the good flows hopper fishing should be good this summer assuming last weeks heat did not bake them on the rocks. The bottom line is that as long as the water stays up summer fishing should be good on the Lower Yuba...if they cut the flows it can get tough. 

AC Fly Fishing Reports on 7.1.20

We are smack dab in the middle of a great Summer of fly fishing here in Northern California. Conditions on all of our favorite rivers are as good as they get and fishing has been good to great for our guests. Our main Summer haunts include the Lower Sac, Fall River, Pit River, McCloud River and Upper Sac. From the smaller streams to the bigger rivers there are some excellent opportunities to get out this Summer. Continue reading below for a more in depth report and forecast on these rivers. 

The Lower Sac - Those of you who have experienced it know just how awesome an evening spent on the Lower Sac can be. July and August can offer some phenomenal trout fishing on the big tailwater. The warmer the day, the stronger the Caddis hatches can be.. a strong hatch of Caddis can equate to a very aggressive trout bite. Checkout the short video above and get psyched for some Summer fishing! 

The Pit River - This is our favorite time of year to fish the Pit. July and August can be AWESOME and can offer a great cool down from the Valley heat. Wet wading here in the summer is a nice reprieve from the heat while staying busy with those scrappy Pit River trout. For those who want to test their wading skills and get into a mess of healthy, wild rainbows - this might be a venue you'll want to explore with us. 

The McCloud River - One of our favorite walk and wade streams in the area.. by mid-summer we can start to see pushes of migratory Brown trout move up the river from Lake Shasta. It's not a guarantee you'll run into them every day, but when you do - it can be quite rewarding. The McCloud will remain a great walk and wade option from now through October. There are very few rivers in the country that provide the beauty that the McCloud does. 

The Fall River - The largest Spring creek in the country has been fishing EXCELLENT since the trout opener back in April and is showing no signs of slowing down. The evening Hex hatch is starting and adding another very cool element to the fishing here. If you have any desire to checkout Fall River - this is the year you want to jump on it. We are always thrilled to get good feedback from our guests. Below is kudos to Jay and testament to how good the Fall River has been this year. Put it on your list!! 

The Upper Sac - We had a great Spring on the Upper Sac. Flows are excellent right now on the Upper and wade fishing has been good. During these hot summer days, our best fishing usually happens early and late in the day. The evenings usually give up some pretty good dry fly opportunities as well.. 
 

AC Fly Fishing Reports on 6.20.20

We are smack dab in the middle of a great Summer of fly fishing here in Northern California. Conditions on all of our favorite rivers are as good as they get and fishing has been good to great for our guests. Our main Summer haunts include the Lower Sac, Fall River, Pit River, McCloud River and Upper Sac. From the smaller streams to the bigger rivers there are some excellent opportunities to get out this Summer. Continue reading below for a more in depth report and forecast on these rivers. 

The Lower Sac -

Those of you who have experienced it know just how awesome an evening spent on the Lower Sac can be. July and August can offer some phenomenal trout fishing on the big tailwater. The warmer the day, the stronger the Caddis hatches can be.. a strong hatch of Caddis can equate to a very aggressive trout bite. Checkout the short video above and get psyched for some Summer fishing! 

The Pit River -

This is our favorite time of year to fish the Pit. July and August can be AWESOME and can offer a great cool down from the Valley heat. Wet wading here in the summer is a nice reprieve from the heat while staying busy with those scrappy Pit River trout. For those who want to test their wading skills and get into a mess of healthy, wild rainbows - this might be a venue you'll want to explore with us. 

The McCloud River -

One of our favorite walk and wade streams in the area.. by mid-summer we can start to see pushes of migratory Brown trout move up the river from Lake Shasta. It's not a guarantee you'll run into them every day, but when you do - it can be quite rewarding. The McCloud will remain a great walk and wade option from now through October. There are very few rivers in the country that provide the beauty that the McCloud does. 

The Fall River -

The largest Spring creek in the country has been fishing EXCELLENT since the trout opener back in April and is showing no signs of slowing down. The evening Hex hatch is starting and adding another very cool element to the fishing here. If you have any desire to checkout Fall River - this is the year you want to jump on it. We are always thrilled to get good feedback from our guests. Below is kudos to Jay and testament to how good the Fall River has been this year. Put it on your list!! 

The Upper Sac -

We had a great Spring on the Upper Sac. Flows are excellent right now on the Upper and wade fishing has been good. During these hot summer days, our best fishing usually happens early and late in the day. The evenings usually give up some pretty good dry fly opportunities as well..