Central Valley Rivers: Year-Round Fishing

trout trout
ABOVE: MANY OF THE MAJOR RIVERS OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY HOST SIGNIFICANT RUNS OF ANADROMOUS STEELHEAD AND ALSO HOLD POPULATIONS OF RESIDENT RAINBOW TROUT. THE RAINBOW SHOWN ABOVE WAS CAUGHT ON THE LOWER YUBA RIVER.

Most of us with a passion for fly fishing are looking for year-round angling opportunities in California. Fortunately, our mild winters and versatile fisheries allow us to pursue our sport every month of the year. When it comes to fishing versatility, nothing can compare to the rivers that flow out of the Sierra and Siskiyous through the Sacramento–San Joaquin Valley on their way to the ocean. At any time of the year, there can be opportunities to fish for the many species that occupy these waters. Anadromous and resident fish are all available to the fly fisher who knows where and when to look. The valley rivers to which I am referring are the San Joaquin and the rivers north, as well as the lower Sacramento after it flows out of Lake Shasta. I have heard there is quality smallmouth fishing in the lower Kern below Lake Isabella, but I cannot speak to that from any personal experience.

When and Where

All of the rivers referred to in this article have open access to the ocean, which makes anadromous species available to the fly fisher at various times of the year. Salmon, steelhead, striped bass, and shad can all be readily caught on a fly. Trout are resident in most of these waters, as well, and can be caught all year round, as are largemouth and smallmouth bass, which can be caught from late spring through early fall. Additional resident fish include carp, catfish, and sunfish in the slower-moving water. The carp are an excellent game fish, though they are especially hard to catch. However, if you wish to focus on carp, I would direct you to the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta or to shallow lakes and ponds where you can sight fish for them.

The most notable trout fishing can be found in the lower Sacramento. I have caught trout below Red Bluff, although the best fishing for trout is in the upper reaches of the river between Redding and Anderson. There are some wade fishing opportunities, but fishing from a drift boat is a far better and more productive way to pursue lower Sac trout. The Stanislaus and the Mokelumne also offer decent tailwater trout fishing below their respective dams in the lower foothill sections. Check the regulations, because sections of these rivers close for the salmon spawn. Beginning in mid-April, the spring shad run usually appears. Shad are schooling fish, and once they are located, they can be caught in abundance. Shad will hit a swung fly with abandon. The smaller males are usually the first fish to show up in numbers, with the larger females following a few weeks later. The season usually peaks around Memorial Day and is generally over by July Fourth. The best fishing is during low-light conditions, when the shad move into shallower water to spawn. When wade fishing when the sun is higher, they can be caught, but not as readily, and deep swinging techniques are needed. Shad move upstream in columns, and often you will see boats anchored on top of a column of fish with a lot of bent rods.

When the shad bite is on, the fishing is very social. Expect company, especially on the upper reaches of the American River below Nimbus Dam in Sacramento. Most shad fishers are accommodating and will allow space for another fly fisher, generally because everyone is catching fish.

Striped bass follow the shad into the valley river systems and dine on them. Catchable stripers, including some very large ones, can be found in the Sacramento, Feather, American, and Yuba Rivers. I have also had modest success catching summer stripers in the lower reaches of the Stanislaus. It is best to wait until the shad run is finished before you target stripers in these rivers, though. It is possible that you will catch some, but the stripers are really focused on the shad. Once the shad have migrated back to the ocean, it is game on for stripers. This is when they spawn and feed on the local forage fish. Mid-July, August, and September are the months when striper fishing is best. It can be very warm, so be prepared for that. Your best shot for stripers is from a jet boat, because you will need to cover a lot of water to find them. And again, as noted on the previous page, late spring through early fall is also prime time for largemouths and smallmouths in all of the valley rivers.

Striped bass, smallmouths, and largemouths can be caught in a wide range of locations, but if I had to name a favorite California freshwater fish species, I would have to go for a coastal winter-run steelhead caught on a swung fly. However, steelhead are difficult to catch and demand a lot of time on the water, and they also can be targeted and caught in the valley rivers. One of the best times to target them is keyed to the salmon runs.

During the transition into late summer and fall, salmon show up in most of the valley rivers — any river that has access to the ocean with no barriers will have salmon runs. If you are interested in targeting salmon, be sure to check the regulations. Many of these waters are closed to fishing or have location restrictions during the salmon spawn. If a particular stretch of river is open to salmon fishing, you will be sharing the water with lots of gear people using large spinners or snag rigs. For that reason, I generally don’t fish for salmon, but I am very interested in the steelhead that follow them upstream. In the fall months, steelhead follow the salmon and stage behind the redds so they can feast on eggs that wash downstream. For the steelhead enthusiast, fall is egg-bite time.

It is not always obvious whether the steelhead that are found in many of the valley rivers are true ocean-run fish. They do not necessarily have the chrome-bright appearance of a coastal steelhead, and may look more like resident trout. Some fisheries people believe that these fish return to the Delta, not the ocean, after the egg-bite run in the fall and the spawning run in the spring.

Whatever their nature, these are hot fish. Most are in the two-to-five-pound range, though some are larger. I have found that the best place to target them is the Feather River. They can also be found in catchable numbers in the lower Sacramento and the Mokelumne, but the Feather really can shine during the egg bite from late October through December.

In January, when the regulations allow fishing above the Highway 70 bridge in Oroville, there are riffles that continue to offer good steelhead fishing. Many of these fish are returning to the hatchery in Oroville. The Feather steelhead bite happens again in April, when they are in the river to spawn. From my experience, a tan caddis is the top menu item during the spring months.

Most of the steelhead that are caught in the lower Sacramento are caught below Anderson. Many of these fish are “half-pounders,” juvenile steelhead that the locals call “clippies” in reference to the fact that they are hatchery fish with clipped dorsal fins. Some wild and mature hatchery fish can be caught, as well, mostly from Red bluff to Las Molinas. Generally, the water above Anderson is trout territory.

gene
GENE PAWLICK AND FLY-FISHING GUIDE RYAN JOHNSTON WITH A 47-POUND SACRAMENTO RIVER STRIPED BASS. THIS FISH WAS CAUGHT UPSTREAM OF CHICO ON A 2/0 CLOUSER. (IMAGES IN THIS STORY COURTESY OF RJSFLYTRIPS.COM.)

The winter is the time of year that can be most affected by weather. High-precipitation years can cause river blowouts or at the very least dangerous water conditions for wading or floating, especially in a personal watercraft. Some of the venues can also offer very good winter fishing when conditions are suitable, mostly for trout. The rivers that I recommend for midwinter fishing are the Yuba, the lower Sacramento, and the lower Stanislaus below Goodwin Dam.

I have not spoken much about rivers like the Merced, Tuolumne, Calaveras, and Cosumnes as they flow through the valley. I have found that access is limited, and I have not fished them much for that reason. I am aware of guided trips on the Merced in the valley that can be decent for trout, but I can’t speak to this from personal experience. I also know that bass can be caught in the lower reaches in the few areas that have public access. I have fished the Tuolumne around the town of LaGrange as a tailwater that flows out of Don Pedro Reservoir, but have had below-average success. I did see other people fishing it, which would indicate that there are fish to be caught. Do your own exploring. Maybe these could turn out to be productive fisheries for you.

It Helps to Have a Boat

For many of these waters, having a boat or personal watercraft will greatly improve your odds of finding and catching fish. It’s not always necessary, but there are some stretches of valley rivers where a boat is mandatory. If you don’t have one, I suggest you hire a guide with a jet boat or a drift boat. If you are in do-it-yourself mode and wish to use a personal watercraft, unless you are very experienced at canoeing or kayaking in moving water, I would suggest nothing less than a pontoon boat or Water Master.

A powerboat with a prop on it is not a good idea. There are many submerged obstacles that can ruin the bottom end of a motor or a prop and make for a very expensive day of fishing, not to mention the problem of getting back to your launch site. Boats with jet drives that are designed for rivers and moving water really should be the only consideration for these fishing applications.

The Central Valley’s Rivers

The rivers I will cover in some detail here are the Feather, American, Mokelumne, Stanislaus, lower Yuba, and lower Sacramento. I have fished the San Joaquin where it flows through the Delta for stripers and largemouth bass. The Delta offers first-rate fishing, but that’s a topic for another time.

The Feather

The Feather River has two good seasons for steelhead. The first is during the fall, especially from mid-October through January. The primary area I would suggest targeting is the low-flow section, between Lake Oroville Dam and the bottom of the Thermalito Afterbay. You can float it, with put-in points at the river park located at the end of Montgomery Street in Oroville, a trailer park with a ramp below the Mathews cement plant, and, after January 1, at the hatchery in Oroville. This section of water is closed above the Highway 70 bridge until January 1, but there is plenty of fishable water between the bridge and the Thermalito outlet hole. There is also a dirt road that parallels the river on the west side from Highway 162 to a few miles south on the low-flow section. There are several access points along this road.

As I’ve said, the fall is egg-bite time on the Feather. Other methods can produce hits, too, including swinging leech patterns or dead-drifting nymphs. Bird’s Nests, Prince Nymphs, and Pheasant Tail Nymphs in size 12 to 16 work, but dead-drifted eggs work best. Newly laid salmon eggs are usually orange or red-orange. Some will have a yellow-orange coloration. After some time in the water, they all turn pink.

Early in the season, when you’re fishing for steelhead, there are so many salmon in the water that they can hinder your drift. You should know that a salmon cannot be brought out of the water in the low-flow area, and even trying to fight them if hooked is frowned upon by the Fish and Wildlife people. They have a presence there and will cite you if you harass spawning salmon. If you hook a salmon, you need to break it off and rerig.

Once the salmon are not in the water in large numbers, usually by November, use dead-drifted pink egg patterns for the best results. One tip: steelhead put their noses into the water current at the top of a pool where it shelves into deeper water. The riffles are also excellent places to hunt steelhead. In the early winter months, especially after January 1, when the section of the Feather from the Highway 70 bridge to the Table Mountain Bridge open to fishing, fishing an alevin pattern close to the bank or in deep cuts can be very effective for steelhead that are still in the river.

April and May is tan caddis time. Swinging or dead drifting also is very effective in the same water this time of year. I have also had good results swinging a black leech pattern with my Spey rod during the spring.

From the late spring through the fall, good striper and smallmouth fishing also can be found in the Feather, mostly from below Marysville to the mouth at Verona, using baitfish streamers. Shad are also caught in abundance in May, especially around the area where the Feather empties into the Sacramento at Verona. The usual swung shad patterns all work, but a boat is necessary.

The American

The American River generally fishes well for shad. My favorite spots are situated from Sunrise to Sailor Bar in the Sacramento area. Spey fishing for shad is the game now, although single-handed casting works well if there is room for a back cast. My favorite pattern for shad is a local tie called a Bloody Maria, although most shad patterns will work just fine.

As the light dims, the shad come up higher in the water column, so adjust accordingly. When the sun is on the water, I work the bottom with a heavy MOW tip or sink tip. During the last 45 minutes of light, I more often use an intermediate sinking line or even a floating line to fish just under the surface. That is when the shad bite can be fast and furious. Most of the grabs will happen during the bottom half of the swing, closer to shore. Stripers can be caught on the American in the summer using baitfish streamer patterns. A boat or personal watercraft greatly increases your chances. I do not recommend the American for steelhead. A few are caught, mostly by locals and guides. I would suggest driving to the Feather for steelhead.

The Mokelumne

The Mokelumne River offers some decent fishing for wild and hatchery rainbow trout and the occasional brown trout, as well. The best section for this is the eight miles of tailwater below Camanche Reservoir. There is a day-use area a little below the hatchery that offers a good put-in spot for a float and some access for wade fishing. Most of this stretch of water flows through private land, so access is very limited. Floating is by far the best way to fish this water. The first take-out below the day-use area is at Stillman McGee County Park.

The best patterns for the trout are imitations of Blue-Winged Olives, Pale Morning Duns, and Tricos, along with caddis. There are also some quiet back bays that have small bass that will readily hit Woolly Buggers and poppers.

The lower Moke as it flows through the north Delta has excellent smallmouth fishing, with some largemouth and spotted bass mixed in. It is possible to encounter stripers, as well. The biggest striper I have ever caught came out of the lower Moke.

Although the Mokelumne River draws salmon, which can be fished for during certain times of the year on certain sections of the river (see the CDFW’s Supplemental Regulations for specifics), flyrodders view the lower Moke mostly as a steelhead and trout fishery. It is open below Camanche Dam to fishing for trout and steelhead year round, with the exceptions of the stretch between the Woodbridge Irrigation District Dam and the Lower Sacramento Road Bridge, which is closed to all fishing, and from Camanche Dam to Elliot Road, which is closed from April 1 to the fourth Saturday of May, and then from October 16 to December 31. For the fall steelhead, try drifting egg imitations in the riffles or swing Egg-Sucking Leeches. Nymphing with mayfly patterns in sizes 12 and 14 can also garner steelhead bites. Wild fish must be released.

The Stanislaus

The lower Stanislaus begins as a tailwater of Tulloch Reservoir. The river is closed in November and December for the salmon spawn. East of Oakdale, especially above the town of Knights Ferry, is trout territory. Nymphing is the most productive technique there. The best access points for wade fishing are at Two Mile Bar and farther up along the road to Tulloch Lake. The lower Stan is not a well-kept secret, and I would suggest weekday fishing, if that is possible, but the river there can offer a quality trout experience if you are on your game. Euro nymphing using small midge and mayfly patterns has worked best for me there.

I have done a spring float, putting in at Knights Ferry and taking out on Orange Blossom Road. I caught trout in the riffles and pools and several small stripers in the frog water. There is one section of tricky water just below the put-in. If you are not comfortable with navigating fast-moving water, I would portage this stretch of about two hundred yards.

West of Oakdale, there are many county parks and access points that have largemouth bass, crappies, sunfish, and carp. Personal watercraft work fine there, but I would recommend something with oars, because there is still some hidden current. West of the town of Ripon, near where the Stan enters the San Joaquin, there is some decent smallmouth and striper fishing. You can use a canoe, kayak, or any craft with oars and work your way upstream to find these fish. Two good access points are Caswell State Park and a trailer park with a boat ramp right at the mouth.

The Yuba

The lower Yuba River can provide quality trout fishing above the Daguerre Dam, located a few miles upstream from the mouth where the Yuba enters the Feather. The river above the Highway 20 bridge is open from December 1 to August 31. Below the Highway 20 bridge, the Yuba can be fished year round. During the winter, especially if there is above-average precipitation, the Yuba can be dangerous to wade or float. Check river conditions prior to planning a trip in the winter months. The rainbows in the Yuba are hot fish and can grow large, but most of the fish caught are in the 10-to-16-inch range. There are also salmon in the system that show themselves from late summer through the fall. These are natural spawners, and fishing for them is not allowed.

Cold-water releases from Englebright Dam and prolific insect hatches are the top reasons why the Yuba is a sustainable and quality low-elevation trout fishery for wild trout. In January and February, the Skwala stonefly hatch is at its most intense, and you can also experience hatches of Baetis mayflies. March Browns and Pale Morning Dun hatches begin in the spring, followed by the usual caddis and stonefly summer hatches. The hopper-dropper technique can be very effective during the warm months on the Yuba. October is egg-bite time. If you are looking for dry-fly action, evenings and early morning are the time to be on the Yuba, and the top-water fishing then can be quite good.

floyd
FLOYD YOUNG WITH A SMALLMOUTH BASS CAUGHT THIS PAST AUGUST ON THE LOWER SACRAMENTO.

If you wish to wade fish, hiking above the Highway 20 bridge will give you access to several miles of fishable water. The quality fishing below the bridge can be accessed either by wading or by floating. There is a rough road, mostly dirt, that runs along the south side of the river all of the way to what we call “The Island,” which is a few miles below the bridge. Four-wheel drive or high-clearance two-wheel drive is recommended for this, but it allows you to cover a lot of the river. Otherwise, there is a good float from the put-in just underneath the Highway 20 bridge to the Sycamore Ranch Campground. Enter the put-in spot from the south side of the bridge. The good people who run the Sycamore Ranch also offer a shuttle. I do not know and was unable to find out if that shuttle is operational at the time of this writing due to the pandemic. You can hike down the river from Sycamore, but there is private property on both sides that cannot be crossed.

Below the Daguerre Dam is excellent fishing for shad in the late spring, and there is also sight fishing for stripers later in the summer. The only way to access this water is to motor up from the Feather using a jet boat, because there is very limited access across private property on both sides of the river. The shad stack up in the stretch of water below the dam and can be caught in abundance. The striper fishing can be exciting, especially when sight fishing. Most will be schoolie sized, but double-digit fish that are often sighted and sometimes caught. Long, accurate casts with baitfish streamer patterns are needed, along with some stealth. I have found that a sink-tip or intermediate sinking line works best when fishing for stripers there.

The Lower Sacramento

Let’s call an ace an ace here. The Sacramento below Shasta Lake is the granddaddy of rivers in California when it comes to fishing. Any fly fisher who is passionate about their sport should have the lower Sac on their bucket list if they have not fished it. The trout get quite large, are all wild, and they can be very physical. This is one fishery where a reel with a good drag is well advised. There are spots where fish can be caught by wade fishing, but much of the fishing in this river is done out of a drift boat. The most productive fishing technique is nymphing, but there can be a dry-fly caddis bite during the summer evenings. The river fishes well all year unless there is a winter precipitation event that blows it out. Winter fishing usually involves technical nymphing with size 16 to 18 mayfly nymphs. In the warmer months, caddis hatches rule the day. I also have experienced some very enjoyable days swinging weighted

Woolly Buggers with soft-hackle droppers using a light Spey rod from an anchored drift boat or by climbing out of the boat and wading the numerous riffles.

Late September through November can be egg-bite time, if that is your game. There are thousands of salmon that run up the lower Sac to spawn naturally or return to the Coleman Fish Hatchery, located on Battle Creek. The famous Barge Hole at the mouth of Battle Creek is usually loaded with salmon boats, because that is the last part of the river where you can harvest them. The salmon spawn all the way to Redding.

If you need a change of pace from trout, think striped, largemouth, and smallmouth bass, shad, and steelhead. As previously mentioned, the best place to find the steelhead is below Red Bluff. In the heat of the summer, the striper fishing can be stellar. My friend Gene boated a 47-pounder on one of our trips. This fish was brought to hand with a 9-weight rod fishing a 2/0 Clouser. Wow, what a fight and an accomplishment to land this fish of a lifetime! I’m glad I was there to witness it. Fish that big are rarely caught, but there are many smaller double-digit stripers that are hooked by flyrodders in the lower Sac every season.

The best place to look for stripers is upstream or downstream from a launch site at Oro Bend Park, located in the town of Glenn. In order to cover the amount of water needed to locate stripers, a powerboat is necessary. Look for structure that is close to current, and make long casts using a weighted baitfish pattern. Guides who target stripers have their clients use everything from a floating line to an integrated shooting head. Fast, aggressive strips with pauses are needed to get the attention of these fish.

The largemouths can be found in the quiet backwaters and sloughs, and the smallmouths like current and structure. Rocky riprap banks are good places to look for smallmouths. I have been on guided trips in the late summer when we strung up several rods in search of all three bass species and trout, also hoping for the bonus steelhead. We call this the Sac Slam.

The shad fishing used to be good at Road 48 in Princeton, but this area has been closed to fishing for years. For shad, I would suggest you launch at Hamilton City and motor downriver, where there are several productive riffles and runs.

More Information

I have not gone into extensive detail about fishing each of these waters. That would require a book, not an article. Fortunately, there are many books that aptly describe in detail the fishing in most of the valley rivers. There is also a great deal of information about each of these fisheries on the Internet. Once you’re aware that there will always be someplace to fish and something to fish for at any time of the year in the rivers that flow through the Sacramento–San Joaquin Valley, you can follow your nose through these sources to the fishing your heart desires. These rivers are often surrounded by agricultural land and look featureless as you cross them while traveling on the Interstate. Spend time on any one of them, though, and you will find lush riparian vegetation, wildlife, including bald eagles and ospreys, quiet solitude, and quite often great fishing opportunities.

Add a comment

Leave a Reply