The Salinas River Watershed

bass bass
AN AVERAGE SPOTTED BASS FROM LAKE NACIMIENTO.

For a watershed that has been dammed, drained, diverted, and doused with agricultural byproducts for over a century, the Salinas River system harbors surprisingly thriving fisheries. From the majestic scenery of Santa Margarita Lake to the beautiful Monterey Bay, the watershed is home to more than twenty species of fish and habitats ranging from small mountain streams to deep canyon reservoirs and a flatland estuary. The Salinas Valley was the backdrop to many of the novels of John Steinbeck set during the era of the Great Depression, such as Of Mice and Men, East of Eden, and The Grapes of Wrath. Back then, native species such as steelhead and salmon used to spawn in tributaries by the San Antonio Mission, and historical accounts from the building of the mission mention the river’s huge salmon run. However, most of the native runs of fish were severely degraded upon construction of the many dams on the Salinas River and its tributaries, and the introduction of bass and carp into the system changed the fishery completely.

These days, an angler could fish the Salinas for years without encountering a steelhead, and even that is more likely than experiencing one of the historic salmon runs that used to frequent the watershed. Instead, the system is now home to trophy largemouth bass, great numbers of white and spotted bass, cunning carp, and aggressive and hard-fighting stripers, as well as a variety of catfish species, pikeminnows, smallmouth bass, and trout. The varied fishery may be starkly different than it was during the days of Steinbeck, but it still produces chrome, ocean-going fish and strong, drag-peeling brutes caught on the fly.

Santa Margarita Lake

As the Salinas River flows from the Garcia Mountains near the Carrizo Plains, it encounters a dam that creates the first fishable portion of the river at the beautiful Santa Margarita Lake. A world-class fishery, Santa Margarita Lake is home to largemouth bass exceeding 15 pounds and is surrounded by a scenic oak woodland. A 10-to-20-mile hike, starting near the historic Pozo Saloon along a section of the old Pony Express mail route, provides anglers access to the entire southern length of the lake and to shallow water upriver, as well as deep water closer to the dam. Three campgrounds are along the trail, making it possible to do a backpacking trip to chase bass in some of the best scenery the Central Coast has to offer. This trail is also a fun mountain biking route, providing an alternative to hiking in to access the lake’s shoreline.

An easier way to fish the reservoir, though, is from a boat, launching from the marina at the southwestern end of the lake. Keep in mind that the lake is a water source for the local towns, making it a no-contact body of water, so float tubes and stand-up paddleboards are not allowed.

For the lunker largemouths that live in the snagchoked shallows, you need 8-weight to 10-weight rods to toss flies large enough to tempt these monsters, and, if casting from shore, a stripping basket is a must to keep the line from wrapping around roots and rocks on the shoreline. Intermediate lines allow for fishing at a variety of depths and keep the fly in the strike zone longer. Flies such as Game Changers, Bulkheads, Allsparks, and Clouser Minnows 2 to 10 inches long are perfect for imitating anything from threadfin shad to rainbow trout. To turn these big flies over, a short leader made from a 2-foot section of 40-pound-test hard mono and a 3-foot section of 15-pound fluorocarbon monofilament allows accurate presentations while still presenting the fly gently. When fishing crayfish imitations and flies closer to the bottom, a full-sinking line that drops at three to five inches per second is a better choice and is often a must when the water is cool and on days when a weather front has passed, putting the bass down.

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SANTA MARGARITA LAKE IS HOME TO HEALTHY, STRONG, AND FINICKY LARGEMOUTH BASS.

One of the best times of the year to fish Margarita is from March through May. During this period, the bass are in different stages of the spawn, so you can find them feeding in prespawn mode at different points along their journey to the spawning grounds. Others are on the beds themselves, though, and should be avoided. While it may be tempting to fish for bedding bass because they are in shallow water and easy to spot and catch, it’s best to allow them to reproduce in peace. Instead, target the bass packing on pounds before the spawn or the fish feeding to pack on weight after the spawn.

Another great time to fish Margarita is from October through December, when the cooling water kills off the vegetation choking the banks and the bass are chasing baitfish into shallow coves to feed for the winter. As the water cools further in late winter (January and February), the fish push into deeper water along the river channel, feeding along the bluff walls and in the large main lake without having to use a lot of energy to move a long distance. This can be a tough time to catch these temperamental largemouths, but if you pay attention to weather patterns and think like a fish trying to preserve energy, this can be the best time of year to catch the biggest bass of your life.

Lake Nacimiento and Lake San Antonio

Tributaries to the Salinas River from the western mountain ranges form two very large, but very different reservoirs, Lake Nacimiento and Lake San Antonio, in a fantasy land of dragons and carp that seems alien to the oak woodlands of Santa Margarita.

In the headwaters of the Nacimiento River, anglers can find rainbow trout, mostly planted, in a tiny clearwater mountain creek. Use bushy attractor dries or weighted nymphs to catch the opportunistic faux natives. Access is limited to the campgrounds along the Nacimiento-Ferguson road above Fort Hunter Liggett, making it not the most exciting angling, but it provides an opportunity to fish for trout in an area where such opportunities are hard to find.

carp
LAKE SAN ANTONIO’S CARP ARE A WORTHY CHALLENGE ON FLY GEAR.

Farther down, where the Nacimiento River turns into the dragon-shaped Lake Nacimiento, you’ll find one of the most productive warmwater fisheries in California. From mid-March through October, white bass and spotted bass boil all over the lake, chasing abundant threadfin shad, and days catching fifty-plus fish are not uncommon. You can easily fool the aggressive white bass and the spotted bass inhabiting the lake with an intermediate line and various baitfish imitations in the two-to-three-inch range. A 6-weight or 7-weight rod will handle every fly needed to attract hits. Use a short leader tapered from 40-pound down to 12-pound test, with picky fish occasionally requiring a lighter tippet down to 6-pound test.

Nacimiento’s spotted bass provide a good winter fishery as well, offering consistent action on a float-n-fly setup, if you are willing to stare at an indicator all day, balancing a leech or baitfish imitation from one to three inches in length 8 to 15 feet below an indicator on a floating line. This technique is best used on days with a little bit of wind, when the wave action is all that’s needed to animate the fly. Just make sure to retrieve the slack line and keep a close eye on any change in the action of the indicator, because the takes can be extremely soft. Winter bass in Nacimiento can also be actively targeted with crayfish on a sink-tip line off rocky points and along shelves that have access to deep water. Letting the fly sink to the bottom and then slowly crawling it back with plenty of pauses is sure to fool some of the larger bass sitting underneath the schools of smaller fish.

Visit the marina on the east end of the lake to launch a float tube or boat or to begin a rigorous hike along the steep walls of the Nacimiento shoreline. This route is not recommended for those unwilling to fall down cliffs or stumble into the lake on occasion, but it allows an angler to log painful miles into areas where he or she can watch as the fish boil just outside of casting range. Joking aside, while a watercraft is definitely helpful to cover the water, you can still find great fishing from the shore — it will just take a few more miles and some blood on the shins to get there. A mere 20-minute drive from Lake Nacimiento sits Lake San Antonio, an historic striper fishery that’s now a mecca for carp anglers. The lake was hit hard by the drought of the early 2010s, the once-prolific striped bass fishery crashed, and the lake’s popularity plummeted. This was good news for the open-minded fly fisher, however, because the long flats on the northern end of the lake fill with large carp during the warmer months. One of the hardest-fighting fish in fresh water, carp provide a challenging, but rewarding fishery at San Antonio that tests a fly fisher’s skill and gear. For this fishery, 6-weight or 7-weight rods are perfect, with floating lines and a 9-foot leader tapered down to 3X or 2X completing the outfit. Foam-tailed clam imitations such as the Loco Moco and flies such as John Montana’s Hybrid and Trevor McTage’s Trouser Worm in sizes from 2 to 6, depending on the size of clams in the surrounding flat, have proved extremely productive.

Carp are best targeted in the lake from March through September, when they come into the shallows to feed and spawn, and the flats on the northern end of the lake are the place to stalk these golden brutes. Careful wading is required, as well as a stealthy approach, taking care to cast only when you are certain where the carp is headed and if it is feeding. Spooking one carp on a flat spooks most of the other fish nearby.

Carp test an angler’s skill and attitude, and the hyperaware fish are sure to frustrate you when they refuse the fly or seem to have a sixth sense to vacate any area where a Coors Light is being consumed. No, really — the flashy cans reflect on the water, spooking the golden ghosts. A much better choice is a matte IPA can or even a Negra Modelo. The high heat of inland summers can be brutal, but in all seriousness, the cost of drinking that refreshing light beer could result in no fish being caught all day. Drink responsibly to fish responsibly.

The Main-Stem Salinas River

On the Salinas River below Santa Margarita Lake, the next public access point for fishing is at the small town of Bradley, about twenty miles north of Paso Robles. You can access the river by the bridge in town and walk upstream as far as the Highway 101 bridge by Camp Roberts, where the Nacimiento River tailwater joins the dry riverbed of the main-stem Salinas, providing the latter with the only consistent flow of water in that section. This stretch is home to a variety of species, including four different kinds of bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted bass, and white bass), the northern pikeminnow, carp, and trout, and the fishing can range from easy (the pikeminnow) to very technical and difficult (carp). The river here is a beautiful, meandering stream with classic riffle-run-pool structure, and you can’t help but wonder what a glorious fishery it may once have been without all the water diversions and invasive fish.

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THE SALINAS RIVER AS IT MEANDERS NEAR THE TOWN OF BRADLEY.

Steelhead spawn in this section during years when there is enough flow to connect the Salinas River to the ocean, and to protect the fragile population of native fish, the fishery is open only under special regulations from December 1 through March 7 on Wednesdays, weekends, and national holidays. Making the best of a bad situation, though, you can chase a variety of species using a wide range of techniques, such as tight-line nymphing for carp and streamer fishing the undercut banks for bass. A stealthy approach is a must when approaching any pools, because the carp are hyperaware and spooky, and a 6-weight with a floating line will handle any technique needed, whether it is casting a small clam imitation for carp or heavier crayfish flies in the one-to-three-inch range chucked into woody undercut banks for bass. One of the few fisheries on the Central Coast that allows an angler to chase warmwater species in running water, the Salinas in this stretch is a welcome change of pace from the other fisheries in the area.

Arroyo Seco

Another reminder of the glorious fishery this watershed must have been is a tributary down by Greenfield — the Arroyo Seco River. The Arroyo Seco is a gorgeous river, with its upper reaches consisting of small pocket water that turns into deeper pools holding some sizable native rainbow trout. Once the river flows out of the impressive gorge section, it opens up to classic steelhead water during winter f lows, perfect for swinging f lies on two-handed rods. Finding an actual steelhead in the river is another matter, however. The lowest section before its junction with the Salinas is dry except during the wettest winters, severely limiting migration for the anadromous fish. While they can still be found in this beautiful stream, it’s hard not to think of what could be, because the fish returns are barely a fraction of their historical numbers, and the river rarely ever connects to the ocean, instead disappearing into the sand before reaching Greenfield.

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THE ARROYO SECO RIVER CONTAINS CLASSIC STEELHEAD WATER IN ITS LOWER SECTION.

During trout season, adventure seeking anglers can hike into the gorge section upstream from the National Forest campground about twenty miles from Greenfield to chase native rainbow trout. The hike can be brutal during the hot summer months, and the elevation change in the canyon is easily underestimated until the trip back — not to mention that it requires a few swims to access the good pools — but the rewards are unpressured native rainbows that can reach a surprising size, especially for the Central Coast. Dry flies and small nymphs sight cast to fish along banks and under trees produce the best results. While the Arroyo Seco may be a shadow of its former self, it can still produce beautiful native fish, along with some amazing vistas. Just bring plenty of water, know your limits, and do not attempt this trek alone.

The Salinas River Estuary

The approximately seventy miles of the Salinas River from Greenfield to the Highway 68 bridge are of little interest to anglers, because finding access is tough, and the riverbed is mostly dry, unless a big rain event brings it to life. As the river approaches the ocean and its estuary, though, a productive striped bass fishery emerges in the stagnant waters of the lagoon and upstream for about six miles. You can access the river from the Monte Road bridge by the Dole factory, but a boat or personal watercraft is necessary, because the shoreline is choked with vegetation. Float tubes or pontoon boats are ideal, because they allow you to get close to the fish without spooking them — boats with motors scare every fish within twenty miles in these shallow waters. This part of the river also is open for fishing only from December 1 through March 7 and only on Wednesdays, weekends, and national holidays.

An 8-weight rod and intermediate or Type 3 full sinking line with a simple leader of 40-pound mono tapered to 15pound-test with a total length of 4 to 5 feet is perfect for this style of f ishing, because most of the fish are in the 3-to10-pound range, and the flies range from three to six inches long. Clouser Minnows, Game Changers, and other baitfish imitations are the ticket for catching these feisty stripers. By adjusting depth, retrieve, and presentation according to conditions, you can cover the entire water column while searching for fish. It’s important to cover a lot of water, because the striped bass are constantly on the move, so when you hook up with a fish, release it quickly and cast into the area again — there are likely to be more in the same spot. The striped bass may not be the native steelhead and salmon that were once abundant in this area, but they provide a chance to hook a strong, chrome anadromous fish within 15 minutes of Monterey.

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CHROME-COLORED STRIPED BASS ARE THE MAIN TARGET IN THE LOWER SECTION OF THE SALINAS RIVER.

A River in Need of Love

While the Salinas River itself may not be a world-class fishing river in its present state, the watershed as a whole contains a multitude of species, a large variety of fishable water, and some stunning scenery. The reservoirs in the upper watershed get plenty of angling attention, the main-stem Salinas gets next to no fishing pressure, and while I am taking a risk of exposing some “secret spots” by writing this, the reality of the situation is that if there are no anglers on the river, there are no advocates for its health. Trash is a rampant issue on the Salinas River, in addition to off-road driving in the riverbed and a variety of more complex issues, mainly water diversions and water quality. Fly fishers on the river won’t solve all of the issues facing the watershed, but the more that anglers are fishing the river, the more people will care about it. So go out and explore this varied fishery, and while you’re out there, maybe bring a trash bag and leave it better than you found it.


If You Go…

The varied fisheries of the Salinas Valley are supported by a diverse collection of visitor’s resources, including campgrounds, hotels, marinas, and a fly shop.

Santa Margarita Lake Office, San Luis Obispo County Parks. For campground reservations, phone (805) 788-2397; website, https://slocountyparks.com/camp/santa-margarita-lake.

Santa Margarita Lake Marina. Boat rentals, general store; 4695 Santa Margarita Lake Road, Santa Margarita, CA 93453. Open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Thursday to Monday. Phone: (805 ) 438-1522; website, https://rockymountainrec.com/lake-facilities/listing/santa-margarita-lake.

Lake Nacimiento Resort and Marina. Campground reservations, boat rentals, general store, restaurant, and hotel; 10625 Nacimiento Lake Drive, Bradley, CA 93426. Open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Phone: (805) 237-4924; website, https://nacimientoresort.com/marina.

Central Coast Fly Fishing. Rods, reels, lines, and flies, plus information on all the local fisheries; a great place to stop to get supplies and information. (A sixpack of beer for Geoff may get him to give out more secrets.) 7164 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93923. Open 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. Phone: (831) 298-0690; website, https://www.centralcoastflyfishing.com.

— Dagur Guðmundson

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