This year is a drought year. As a result of a skimpy winter snowpack, many streams and rivers will at some point this season flow well below normal rates, and many will be warmer than usual. Lakes and reservoirs currently are low all throughout California, as well. Warm water is not good for trout, and in fact it can be fatal. For anyone who cares at all about the health of our fish and fisheries, how and where to fish responsibly are real questions. It can be done, though. Lakes and streams at higher elevations and cold tailwaters can still be fished for trout, and reservoirs, even as they drop, still offer bass and panfish, so turning to warmwater species is always an option.
What follows are mostly well-known examples of a few places that fit those descriptions. I hope they will give you ideas for where else to fish during a drought. However — and this is important — wherever you go, play fish as little as possible, get them in quickly, and handle them as little as possible: no hero shots for the cellphone camera. Keep the fish in the water at all times. The fish are stressed by the high temperatures, low water, and increased vulnerability to predators, and the warmer water contains less oxygen, making it harder for them to recover after being caught. Overhandling fish usually has a fatal outcome for the fish during these conditions. So if you fish during the drought, do so in ways that respect the fish and the fishery.
Manzanita Lake
Manzanita Lake is an example of the type of trout-holding still water that fishes well during a drought. Manzanita Creek flows into it from ice-cold springs on the northeast side of Mount Lassen, and numerous springs in the lake add cold water, as well. The best times to fish Manzanita are during low light and low daytime temperatures, that is, during the morning and evening hours. The lake is a popular destination, and at midday, there are too many other people enjoying the water.
Manzanita Lake water temperatures hover in the high 50s, and in the vicinity of the springs, you will find water temperatures in the low 50s. In the shallows and around the edge of the lake, temperatures will be in the 60s.
I fish dry flies during the late afternoon and evening. Manzanita has a diverse aquatic insect population, including midges, mayflies, caddisflies (including the Traveling Sedge, aka Motorboat Caddis), damselflies, dragonflies, and terrestrials. All these insects are sought after by the trout.
Midges hatch every day on the lake, often with two to three different hatch cycles. They range in size from 12 to 20. Every day during the summer, there is a Callibaetis hatch that comes off around lunchtime. There will be tens of thousands of them. May and June bring a great damselfly hatch during the morning hours, and in the evening, there is the Traveling Sedge hatch. This caddis is large — a size 8 — and I like using a Goddard Caddis for the imitation. In July and August, I fish big dragonfly nymphs, size 4. This hatch happens in the morning hours, and I dredge a size 4 dragonfly nymph imitation along the bottom between the manzanita islands and the weed beds. Ants and beetles are also on the list during the summer months. I like fishing the terrestrials in the wind line late in the afternoon.
For Manzanita Lake, I bring Lance’s Jigger Tiger Midges in black, red, and claret, sizes 18 to 22, WD40s in black and in gray, size 18, Kaufmann’s Dragon, size 4, Lance’s Flying Ant, size 12, and Quigley Cripples in black and gray, sizes 18 to 20.
Manzanita Lake fish see a lot of flies and fly fishers, so when fishing dry flies, a long leader helps distance your fly from that telltale fly line. My dry-fly leader is simple and practical. I use a 9-foot monofilament leader tapered to 5X. I then tie on 3 feet of .024-inch (40-pound-test) monofilament butt material using a Marriage Knot (Blood Knot) to the butt section of the tapered leader. I then tie in a Perfection Loop and loop-to-loop it onto my floating fly line. On the tippet end of the tapered leader, I tie on 3 feet of 5X monofilament tippet material. This makes the leader 15 feet long, which is perfect to fish at a lake like Manzanita.
Manzanita Lake is located right inside the gates of the Lassen National Volcanic Park at the northwest entrance. There is a $30 a vehicle entrance fee. I usually buy the year pass for $55. Go to the Lassen Volcanic National Park website at https://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm for more information.
Mountain Creeks and Rivers
Mountain creeks and rivers in deep, shaded canyons are perfect places to fish when waters lower down are too low and warm during a drought. These streams usually have cold, spring-fed headwaters and multiple smaller creeks flowing into them. The McCloud River, Pit River, and upper Sacramento River all come to mind when I am looking for cold streams to fish.
There are many other creeks that have cold water at these times, as well. My favorite is Deer Creek in Tehama County. This creek lies in a deep, shaded canyon and has large pools and plentiful pocket water to keep the water cold and highly oxygenated. In the lower portion of the creek, the salmon summer in the deep, cold pools.
I like fishing these creeks in the mornings or late evenings. If I fish in the morning, I high-stick dark-colored nymphs, such as black or brown Bird’s Nests in size 14 or black or brown Lance’s X-Mays in sizes 16 to 18.
If I fish in the evening, I fish high-floating dry flies — my favorite is an Adams Parachute with a highly visible multicolored wing post. I am getting up there in years and need new glasses every year to keep up with my eyes changing. I can see this fly easily.
I usually fish the creeks by wading wet, without waders. I wear lightweight pants and of course my wading boots for traction. I like fishing this way in hot weather. Not only is it cooler, but I can feel the water get colder or warmer. If the water gets too warm, I stop fishing that area and look for colder water to hit.
The Lower Yuba River
The lower Yuba River is an example of a tailwater that fishes well all year long, and during warmwater years, the Yuba still stays cold. The rugged canyon through which the Yuba flows before it reaches the Highway 20 bridge (the Parks Bar bridge) is full of deep holes and pocket water, and this helps to keep the water cool. Below the Highway 20 bridge, the water stays cool in large, deep runs and pocket water with larger holes, remaining approximately 57 to 59 degrees. In the tailouts of the runs and in shallow water, it can rise above the 60-degree mark.
Wild rainbows will migrate to cooler portions of the river, looking for more oxygenated water, not just for colder water. Fish the pocket water and deeper runs. The river flows usually increase in the summer to move water to agricultural fields. As I write this in June, the flow is just 845 cfs, not the typical 2,500 cfs of nondrought years.
I like to fish the Yuba in low-light conditions and cooler air temperatures during the summer months. I usually fish in the morning at first light and get off the water before 10:00 a.m. I fish dark-colored streamers in the deep runs — they really stand out in the clear water. I prefer sculpin patterns, and my favorite is Barr’s Slumpbuster in olive, size 6. I also like fishing the Slumpbuster in brown, but for my morning streamer fishing, black is my choice. This fly really gets the fish moving. The rainbows like to try to kill it, and strikes are heart pounding. I also like olive Pig Stickers, size 4, and the Mini Sex Dungeon in black, also size 4.
You can also high-stick the pocket water with nymphs in the morning, if you don’t want to throw streamers. The hatches usually aren’t in full swing yet, and the fish are eating what is available during that time. I use small mayfly nymphs, San Juan Worms, and midges during the low-light morning hours. I use dark flies again. My nymphs for the Yuba are Thurman’s Jigged Bird’s Nest in brown, size 14, Hogan’s S&M in brown and in olive, sizes 18 to 20, Lance’s X-May in olive, brown, and Pale Morning Dun, sizes 18 to 20, Lance’s Fireworm, red, size 12, and Lance’s Jigged Tiger Midge in red and in black, sizes 18 to 20. Your favorite similar patterns will also catch fish.
Putah Creek
Putah Creek, long popular with fly fishers, is another a tailwater that offers us a chance to fish for wild trout in cold water, even as other waters get low and warm. Putah Creek is located just west of the small community of Winters and is a tributary of the Yolo Bypass and the Sacramento River. Although the creek is approximately 85 miles long from its headwaters in the Coastal Range to its junction with the Sacramento, the tailwater portion is short, flowing approximately 6.5 miles from Monticello Dam at Lake Berryessa to Lake Solano.
The water runs cold, averaging 55 degrees, with flow rates that allow the wild trout to flourish. The summer flows average around 1,000 cubic feet per second, and in the winter, around 100 cfs. This year, the flows have been averaging lower, with current flows (at the time of this writing) around 625 cfs.
Putah Creek hosts a large variety of aquatic insects — caddisflies, mayflies, stoneflies, and midges. Many folks fish only midges there. Doing so produces fish all year long, but someone who fishes the complete range of bug life available to the fish will outfish the midgers. You can travel the creek and see a mayfly hatch in one area and a caddis hatch happening 500 yards downstream. Carrying a variety of flies is a must. My favorite flies for Putah Creek are Lance’s Jigged Tiger Midge in black, red, and claret, sizes 18 to 22, Lance’s Jigged X-May in olive and in brown, sizes 18 and 20, Lance’s Fireworm, red, size 14, and Jigged Putah Creek Specials, sizes 18 and 20. You may have your own preferences for similar patterns. Don’t forget about streamers and egg patterns. Sculpin imitations, small rainbow fry streamers, crayfish patterns, and a variety of egg patterns also all produce fish at Putah.
On my best day at Putah Creek, a couple of years ago, I was high-sticking three flies, letting my leader swing up and across at the end of the drift. I was fishing a mayfly and a midge imitation with an olive Barr’s Slumpbuster sculpin imitation as my point fly. I landed a couple of dozen fish that day — they all ate the Slumpbuster.
Yolo County has six parks located along the creek that provide access to the creek and that offer restrooms and picnic tables near the water. These parks have use fees. Check with the Yolo County Parks and Recreation for more information: https://www.yolocounty.org/government/general-government-departments/parks.
East Park Reservoir
When your favorite trout water is too warm to fish without potentially harming your quarry, consider visiting a water that holds fish already adapted to warmth. California has many lakes and ponds that hold fly-willing bass and panfish. One you might not have heard of is East Park Reservoir, located outside the small farming community of Williams. The impoundment offers a warmwater fishery that holds everything from panfish to bass and carp. It is a popular lake among the locals and can get quite busy during the weekends. I like to fish it midweek.
This large lake can be fished by boat or from a personal watercraft such as a float tube. I like fishing East Park early in the morning and late in the evening. I use my pontoon boat. My typical day at East Park is to get to the lake before sunup and fish until noon or so. I like to fish the east side of the lake, with its many lagoons, back bays, and large coves. I usually start by fishing small poppers around structure — cattails, downed trees, lily pads. I like fishing small, size 10 yellow-and-green (frog-colored) poppers or all-black poppers for the small bluegills and crappies. Once the sun is up and the water is in full sunlight, I switch to Thurman’s Float-n-Flies (See the January/ February 2021 issue of California Fly Fisher), tied to imitate small baitfish — the Shad and Sexy Shad versions, tied on 1/16-inch and 1/32-inch jig hooks. Using my fish finder, I look for bass that are holding in deeper water (10 to 15 feet deep) and next to some kind of structure, drop-offs, rock piles, and so on. I then cast so my Float-n-Fly rig is on the deep side of the structure near which the fish are suspended. I like fishing the deep side because it makes my minnow pattern seem vulnerable.
Fish with Care
During a drought, it can be hard to find waters cool enough to fish without harming trout, the preferred species of many fly fishers. High-country lakes and streams, tailwaters, and lower-altitude reservoirs, offer some respite for the fly fisher who just needs to wet a line, but in turn, we anglers need to offer respite to the fish we catch by stressing them as little as possible and releasing them in good health. If we do that, we’ll both endure until better times arrive.
High-Stick Rigging
Many folks ask me for the rigging instructions for my high-stick rig. It’s quite simple. I start with a 7.5-foot fluorocarbon leader tapered to 3X. You can reuse this leader over and over again. I then tie on a black barrel swivel, size 12. From the barrel swivel I tie the first section of tippet, 18 to 24 inches long, then tie on my first fly. From the bend of its hook, I tie on the next piece of tippet material, 18 to 20 inches long, then tie on my next fly. Then I repeat for the third fly — I usually use three different flies. I select the tippet size based on the size of flies that I am fishing, and this rig allows me the flexibility to use large 3X tippet, small 6X tippet, or use multiple tippet sizes. My Putah Creek high-sticking rig has 5X or 6X tippet when I fish midge patterns. My Yuba River high-sticking rig has tippet from 3X to 5X.
— Lance Gray
