Reports...

OPEN DATES

Just opened April 18, 21

May 6, 29,

June 13, 27, 28, 30

July 6, 8, 11, 13, 14, 17-19, 27-29

August 2, 19, 26,

Sept 2, 16, 23

Open Shad and Evening Bass Dates

I am taking bookings for evening shad/bass dates on the Lower Sacramento River. These trips cost $250 for two anglers, include drinks/snack, use of rod/reel, and flies. We usually meet around 5pm and fish the evening bite.  

May 2-5, 10-12, 16, 17, 23, 26, 

June 6, 7, 8

Lower Sacramento River Trout – Fishing for trout up out of redding/anderson is improving. The flows out of Keswick are a perfect around 10,000 cfs but clarity remains the issue. That said clarity is improving daily and fish are being caught and guides are out on the water. It is not great fishing but after a winter and spring so far of NO fishing any fishing on the sac for trout is good news.

Lower Sac Stripers/Shad/Bass/Carp – Flows are still pretty high lower down the river but not unfishable high. Flows at Ord Bend are 20,467cfs but are continuing to drop a bit each day. Spring will be an interesting game on the Sac. I am expecting the migratory push of stripers that traditionally only make it up to Colusa or lower to push well into the chico are this year. Fishing out of Colusa so far has been pretty slow for most conventional anglers which may mean most of the fish have moved through on their way up to Butte City and Chico. Shad fishing should get going at the end of April but will be VERY dependent on flows and water clarity. Shad need to see the fly and off color water can really shut down the shad fishing . Bass/Carp the good news is the clearest water around is in the back waters of the sac where the carp and bass live. Fishing for bass and carp this year should be really good as much of the weed growth that choked out various areas in previous years is gone and high flows have filled areas that were not open in nearly 10 years. Personally this is where I have been spending my time fishing.

Feather Stripers and Steelhead – Flows on the upper feather are coming down but no where near fishable levels right now    . It is tough to find any forecast on flows that will be released to the low on weather spring steelhead fishing will be do able this month or next. That said I don’t think a plan exists. I think DWR is pretty much reacting to how much water comes in and managing it as best they can. So for now it is a wait and see deal…With regards to stripers I have been down out of yuba city looking for migratory fish and there are a few around. As with many places clarity is the issue. There was a bank collapse early this week that muddied up the river taking visability down to about 6”. Bait anglers have been catching a few fish but fly fishing has not.

Lower Yuba River – The Yuba is coming into shape droping around 4000cfs as of today and dropping at about 60cfs and hour…who knows what the final number or goal of this most recent drop is an how the warm weather will affect snow melt and the flows. I am really excited to get on the Yuba and see what is happening out there. Ounce the river becomes fishable throwing attrator dry dropper rigs and swinging flies is going to be really good. With all the new access that I am getting there is going to be TONS of water to explore and opportunities for shad, stripers, and trout.