Matt "Gilligan" Koles Reports on May 25th, 2025

Things are firing off on the Truckee River. Great weather for Memorial Day weekend. 

Heading right into Summer. June will be a great month. Warm weather and perfect water temps. Lots of bugs out. Pretty much everything popping off. Will you get any good dry fly fishing? Probably not, but you will if you nymph. If you're lucky and we get some cloud cover then yeah, especially in about 10 days when the green drakes come out. 

So, nymph 'em up. Flows are still up, so fish in tight. Not sure when flows will come down, so enjoy it while you can. 

Capt. Ben Thompson reports on May 27th, 2025

 

 

 

Riley Rennick of Wild Waters Fly Fishing Reports on May 18th, 2025

McCloud:

The McCloud is back down below 300 at Ah DI NA, with some of the creeks still pushing a good bit of water. Water clarity is fantastic. Fishing has been solid lately. We are seeing more midday dry fly action than we are used to. There has been no shortage of aggressive cookie cutter sized fish. Rubber legs are working, as per usual. They seem more interested in the caddis nymphs than the mayfly nymphs at the moment. Think hare's ear-esk flies in size 14 and 16. The crowds haven’t quite shown up, but I don’t expect that to last much longer. The rattlesnakes and poison oak are back.

Upper Sac:

After a few cooler days, the Upper Sac is sitting at 1140cfs. This is right on the upper end of a nice level. However, there is still plenty of snow to melt off – expect the river to bump up a bit on warmer days. The middle to upper stretches of the river should remain fishable regardless. Focus on sections of the river with less elevation drop. Find areas with soft edges that allow for a good presentation. Stoneflies should get going soon, and the upper stretch around Dunsmuir is one of my favorite places in the area to get out and fish the big bugs.

Capt. Bryce Tedford Reports on May 26th, 2025

California Delta Fly Fishing Report:

Aaron Grabiel reports on May 14th, 2025

Lower Sacramento River – Redding to Red Bluff

Target Species: Wild Rainbow Trout
Conditions: The flows are bouncing around a bit, but should stabilize going forward.
Hatches: PMD, golden stones, salmonflies, yellow sallies, caddis and March browns. 

Report: The Lower Sacramento River is fishing fair to great.  It's been inconsistent to say the least, but we are getting enough fish on the slow days to keep us entertained. When we get consistent flows and trout are actively feeding, it is really good. There are enough options to go check out other locations if the Lower Sac happens to be slow. It's that time of year where you can fish just about any stream or river and have a solid day. We are really looking forward to the temperatures heating up and more prolific hatches and extremely consistent fishing on the Lower Sac.

Upper Sacramento River – Dunsmuir to Shasta Lake

Target Species: Rainbow Trout
Flows: Moderate to high; approximately 1,450 CFS at Delta.
Hatches: Salmonflies, black caddis, baetis, March brown and green drakes.

Report: The Upper Sacramento is in fair shape. While flows remain elevated, water clarity is good. Anglers are finding better wading opportunities above Simms. Nymphing with rubber legs, springtime Koudous patterns, small mayfly and midge patterns is working well, and small streamers fished deep in the runs can trigger strikes. The old Chubby Chernobyl as a dry dropper rig with a Perdigón style fly to cover riffles can be very productive. Don't forget when nymphing, to focus some time on the softer edges, especially when there's not a substantial hatch.

Hat Creek – Powerhouse Riffles

Target Species: Rainbow and Brown Trout
Conditions: Clear water with consistent insect activity.
Hatches: Salmonflies, PMD's, black caddis, sculpins, golden stones, and yellow sallies.

Report: Very short nymph rigs, dry dropper, Czech nymphing and dry fly fishing will all produce fish. On Hat Creek, I would typically stick to whatever you know best, if you're out there on your own without a guide. The fish are very finicky so just fish your strengths and find the fish that will commit to those techniques. There's always fish eating something in that creek just a matter of presenting inside their little window that they want to feed in without spooking them.

Other Small Streams

Conditions:  Runoff is beginning to slow and many of the small streams around are beginning to fish very well.  It's time to go, book ASAP.

Report: The small streams are fishing very well it's time to get out there and do it before they get too low or a ton of people start showing up. If you're interested in doing some really cool walk and wade stuff on small streams with hungry trout, give us an email or text and we can discuss which fisheries might work best for your outing.

Bass'n – Shasta Lake / Trinity Lake / Lake Oroville

Target Species: Bass and Trout

Hot Techniques: Float and Fly, stripping small minnow imitations.

Report: Shasta Lake continues to produce both trout and bass. Bass are bedding so sight fishing to larger fish is in the mix.  There are also pre and post spawn fish chasing shad balls around and trout can show up to the party anytime. With the current water temperatures, the bass are feeding aggressively so you can go out there and catch a bunch of fish. Haven't seen a good topwater bite yet but it should happen anytime now.

Trinity lake has some spawning fish. Seems that the smallmouth are spawning pretty well. We did catch one post-spawn largemouth, but it seemed that most of them had not spawned yet as of last week - though they should be pushing shallow in big numbers. You can fish from the shore down to 10 feet at this point and never have to go any deeper and catch a bunch of fish.

Lake Oroville though we don't have the permitting to guide this lake, we were able to help out with the cast hope benefit tournament. It was a lot of fun, those Oroville bass sure are chunky. They were fighting super hard and average in the 2+ pound range. It is truly a cool fishery. Certainly message us if you'd like to participate in the tournament next year. It is fly fishing only and the food, lodging, company and fishing are great. 

McCloud

It looks like it is going to be another good year on the McCloud. Opening weekend was productive, and showed off a healthy population of young fish with a couple of bigger ones mixed in. We are off to a solid start, and fishing should only improve as spring sets in and temperatures rise.

The river is sitting just above 300 CFS at Ah-Di-Na. Visibility is excellent. The creeks are still pushing a lot of water, so be ready for the river to be a little higher than you may expect below the gauge.

There were some sporadic mayfly hatches, but nothing significant enough to rise many trout. If you find yourself in a spring storm, be ready to throw a large green drake dry. This hatch on McCloud is inconsistent, but when it happens it can make for a great day. The focus right now is mostly on the nymph game. As is often the case, you just can’t beat the rubber legs. Fish seem particularly interested in it when swung or bounced. Fishing the dry dropper through shallow water can also be effective, and it won’t be long before golden stones start hatching and the trout start chasing that dry as well.

This time of year, the best fishing tends to be during the middle of the day after the water has had a chance to warm up a bit. Surely, this won’t be the only strong report out there on on McCloud, so don’t expect to have the river to yourself. The road to Ah-Di-Na is in it’s standard condition, and the road to Ash Camp is open.  

Upper Sacramento

The Upper Sac is just about to drop into what I consider prime flows. Today we are sitting at 1550 CFS, which is a bit high for the lower sections of the river, but excellent for fishing Conant and up. Early outings have been productive, with the main challenge being navigating a slippery river at pushy flows. Soft edges and pockets are holding fish well. Right now, it’s all been nymphing on the Upper Sac, but once the stoneflies get going this is one of my favorite places to fish. For now, size 12 and 14 mayflies such as Perdigon, Duracell, and Pheasant Tail have been working well.

Feel free to reach out with any questions or to book a day with one of our guides.

Riley Renick

info@wildwatersflyfishing.com

877-934-7466

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

Captain Bryce Tedford reports on March 28th, 2025

Spring striper season is heating up! Been seeing great numbers of stripers entering the system & the next few months should be great! Water temperature are climbing up around 60 degrees & should only go higher in the coming weeks. Recently, I have been catching 20-30 fish a trip up to 8lbs with most in the 3-5lb class. As water temperatures increase to 60-65 degrees & water clarity improves Delta stripers will continue to ramp up! Clarity is currently 1-3’ & hopefully improve over the coming weeks.

Steve Adachi rattle Clousers are the way to a stripers mouth, so don’t leave home without them!

April & May are prime striper months & I am excited at the potential of the strong season ahead! My Spring is booked but Fall is always an option as well. Also, for June 15-September 15 I turn my focus to topwater Largemouth & Smallmouth bass trips. These 4-5hr, 1/2 day bass trips are great for getting, newer anglers into fly fishing, or for seasoned veterans to just have fun watching bass blow your fly up! After Summer bass season I finish out the year with Fall striper trips September 15-Christmas.

Looking forward to a great season ahead, hope to see you out there! 

Captain Bryce Tedford

 

John Feaster of Feaster Fly Fishing reports on March 29th, 2025

Lake Berryessa Fishing Report - March 2025
By Local Guide Johnny Feaster

Water Temperature: 55° to 58°
Target Species: Bass
Fishing Method: Float and Fly
Leader Length: 6 to 9 feet

Fishing Overview: As spring storms come and go, bass are beginning their prespawn, causing shifts in their location patterns. The larger fish are already on their beds, marking their territory, which signals the official arrival of spring. This is the perfect time of year for both boat and bank anglers to get out and enjoy the waters.

Techniques & Gear:
● The Float and Fly method is my preferred technique on the lake.
● For fly selection, the Black Leech and Williams Wagasaki from North Valley Fly Fishing have been producing excellent results. 
● A 6 to 9- foot leader is working best to keep your presentation in the strike zone at the proper depth.

Fishing Patterns & Tips:
● You are looking for consistent flats, with the high waters and storms pushing through, the fish are
beginning to move into the trees and debris.
● The second drop-off around 8 to 15 feet is a prime spot. These areas are often overlooked but can hold
a lot of fish this time of year.
● I’ve been having most of my success inside the Markley and Pleasure cove areas.

Bonus Species:
● This is also the time when you might encounter Trout while targeting Bass with the float and fly rig.
● The trout takes are subtle, make sure to set on everything!
● Attention all carp enthusiasts! The carp are starting to surface, so keep your eyes peeled!

Conservation Issues:
Golden mussel awareness continues! Golden mussels have started showing up in California's reservoirs, and local water agencies are taking action. A quarantine has been put in place to try and slow their spread, with decontamination stations set up at Steel Park and Markley Cove. Please remember to clean your boat thoroughly, especially if you're moving between different bodies of water, like from the Delta to any freshwater lake. It’s crucial to help prevent the spread of these invasive species.

Hot Tip:
● Around this time, the fish become more active, so don’t hesitate to cast a bit farther from the points than you normally would. Think of it as targeting “no man’s land” – that’s often where you’ll find the bigger fish fattening up right now.