Mid Week Fishing Reports

Fall is under way and winter will seem even closer with the time change this weekend. There has been huge salmon returns on all valley rivers with trout and steelhead eating gorging on eggs. If you have not gotten out this fall it is not to late and winter fishing should be just as good this year with early reports of fresh winter salmon moving up river right now. Winter trout and steelhead fishing can be great up and down the valley on the Lower Sac and Lower Yuba along with Butte Creek. 

Available Dates:
Nov 26
Dec 27-31
Jan 2-9, 18, 20, 26
Feb 8-10, 15, 16

Lower Feather 

There are steelhead from Gridley up river through the low flow. There are salmon on reds throughout this stretch as well dropping eggs. Most steelhead are being caught on egg patterns and the occasional fish on san juan worms, olive birds nest, or smaller mayfly nymphs. The river has been very crowded with wade fishermen, jet boats, and drift boats. A key to catching fish is getting away from the crowds, I find fishing later in the day or hitting the areas that other anglers hit first thing later in the day after the fish have rested is a good idea.

Lower Sacramento River 
The egg bit up through redding has picked back up after slowing down for a bit. Personally I have been spending my time below Red Bluff down to Corning chasing steelhead and trout. Fishing has been pretty good as there are spawning salmon down south of Los Molinos. Best fishing has been behind salmon reds and in riffles where salmon are spawning. 

Lower Yuba River
I have not been on the L. Yuba in a few weeks but from what I hear it is still fishing fair to good depending on the day. I tend to think that by this time in the "egg bite" the Yuba usually is in need of a good rain to mix things up and move fish around...maybe even add a bit of color to the water. With the cool mornings and evenings there should be some dry fly fishing midday in the flats and softer water of the riffles. I would look for some caddis coming off midday and then fish the reds and areas where there are spawning salmon early and late.