When you’ve floated your hat in the Pit River as many times as I have, two choices rise to the top. You either quit the Pit altogether and take up something less exciting (something like BASE jumping or bare-knuckle boxing), or you determine what you need to stay safe, grit your teeth, and go all in — although not literally, this time.
The transformation of this river, which is now the largest in northeastern California after its flows have been more than doubled in recent years, is nothing short of miraculous, but the changes have made it a bit of a puzzle. You can’t take apart a trout stream the way you can a Buick, but you can look at its major parts and perhaps learn a few things. New data on the Pit suggest that you should cast off preconceived notions and get ready to approach this blue-ribbon wild-trout fishery in new ways.
If you have the basic skills to catch a wild trout, the stretches of the river at Pit 3, 4, and 5, north and west of Burney, are still the easiest places to do it in Shasta County. No one claims these stretches are the easiest to wade, but in some ways, wading the Pit is easier than before, despite the fact there is more and faster water. To imagine that twice the water equates to twice the wading difficulty would be completely wrong. Among the predicted gains made by turning up the faucet of dam releases are more fish, bigger fish, and less habitat for rough fish. But there are also unexpected gains from what is now absent from the “new” Pit River. No one misses the slime that used to coat the big boulders, making wading a harrowing experience.
Also gone from the river is the funky-looking, all but opaque, brownish-green water that prevented anglers from seeing if they’re stepping into two feet of water or six. I’ve always considered the Pit canyon a beautiful place, but before the flows came up, the water was never really part of that beauty. To be honest, the water used to rank fairly high on the yuck scale, but since it flowed though such a lush, verdant riparian corridor, this was easy to overlook. The obviously cleaner, more appealing water now contributes to the ambiance.
The Fishery
One of the bonuses of the dam relicensing agreement that brought the increased flows is intensified monitoring of the fishery. All three sections, Pit 3, 4, and 5, now undergo regular electrofishing, snorkel surveys, and hook-and-line surveys to keep tabs on the status of the fishery with the new flow regime. Though it is too soon to make any grandiose announcements, an April 2015 Pacific Gas and Electric fish-monitoring report provides a good update of the status of the fishery in 2014. It pretty much confirms what most regular Pit River anglers already have suspected.
To keep it brief, we know there are lots of native, wild rainbow trout in the river, and they are almost always feeding. The PG&E study confirms that the average Pit River fish is robust and healthy, a fact that shouldn’t escape anyone who manages to hook one. There are not a lot of brown trout in the Pit, but anglers will occasionally hook them. Pit 3 seems the best place to find browns, and the water between Lake Britton Dam and Rock Creek is where they tend to show up.
Pit 3 has the highest catch rate, almost 12 fish per hour. To be fair, the hook-and-line surveys that were used to determine these numbers were conducted by a team of professional fishing guides. Your own results may vary, but the possibility of one fish every five minutes is nothing to sneeze at. The catch rate on Pit 4 was only half of that at Pit 3, but that’s still not bad at all. Pit 5 came in at one fish every six minutes, and the trout were larger in Pit 5 than in either Pit 3 or 4. Think of the hook-and-line surveys as a snapshot of what’s possible on this river. You won’t find catch rates that high in very many places, and it more than justifies learning to work safely around the higher flows. If you can see yourself hooking that many trout in an hour, feel free to read on.
A Brave New World
The tried-and-true way to fish the Pit has always been with a nymph or two under a small floating strike indicator, and this has not changed. With a medium-sized, dark-colored nymph such as a size 12 black AP Nymph, a black Bird’s Nest, or a Prince Nymph, you can catch fish all day long. But the “new” Pit River seems more like a rebellious teenager. Suddenly, the fish are more receptive to both dry flies and streamers. The fish aren’t necessarily in the same places as before, either.
The PG&E report suggests that the riffles and runs are not necessarily the only or the best places to find trout anymore. In the past, the pools in the Pit River were excellent places to find suckers, hardheads, and pikeminnows, but precious few trout. The new profile suggests that the numbers of rough fish are falling, and the new flows are tipping the pool habitat in favor of trout.
The most abundant fish in the Pit is not the rainbow trout, but neither is it a rough fish. The new information reveals the Pit sculpin is most abundant, and what that suggests for streamer fishing in Pit River pools is truly exciting. Try working a small (size 8 to 10) Muddler Minnow or Sculpzilla along the edges and in the tailouts of pools. Once you realize that nymphing is no longer the only productive way to fish the Pit, the lid blows off those preconceived notions and we stand in awe of a brave new world.
Don’t hesitate to throw dry flies along the edges, either, especially in the slower water next to the banks. At the old flows, the water along the edges was typically not a terrific place to fish except maybe just before dark. That seems to be changing. Try matching the spring stonefly hatches with a small Stimulator or with a Mercer’s Flush Floater Foam Stone. Later in the year, a size 14 Elk Hair Caddis or equivalent dry fly is hard to beat. On summer evenings, a size 16 Pale Morning Dun Paradun is an excellent choice. The hour or so before dark has in the past been an excellent time to throw dry flies on the Pit, and it’s always amused me that hardly anyone does so. The point is, the Pit is no longer just a nymphing river, and anglers may do very well experimenting with an open mind.
Like wild trout anywhere, Pit River fish can become selective during large hatches of stoneflies, caddisflies, or mayflies, but this is fairly rare. In the worst case, during peak insect periods you may have to resort to what fly anglers are supposed to know how to do: match the hatch. The rest of the time, these fish will gladly inhale almost any well-presented nymph, dry fly, or streamer.
The regulations say you can fish the Pit year-round with artificial lures or flies and barbless hooks. Anglers are allowed to harvest two trout per day over 18 inches in Pit 3, but only from the last Saturday in April through November 15. You may harvest up to five trout per day in Pit 4 and 5, but again, only from the last Saturday in April through November 15. I’m not sure I’ve ever witnessed fly anglers harvesting fish on the Pit, but it is allowed on a limited basis.
Know the Flow
It’s important to know what the flows are before you go, but it’s more important just to go. How else could you comprehend what it’s like to fish the river at 300 cubic feet per second versus 280 or 400? The numbers won’t mean a thing until you can spend some time poking around the Pit to assess your wading ability and see what the new flows look like. Even at the highest annual flows (during the winter season), there is fishable water if you’re willing to search. It’s a great idea to go online and check before making a trip. If you should arrive and the river is blown out due to a high-volume water release, there are other great fisheries close by. It’s not a bad idea to have a backup plan.
The annual release schedule for Pit 3 is as follows: summer flows (April 21 through August 31) are set at 300 cfs. During autumn, they drop to 280 cfs (September 1 through November 1). During winter, the flows may vary between 300 and 350 cfs, depending on freshet flows. You can monitor Pit 3 flows at http://www.dreamflows.com/graphs/day.625.php.
Flows for Pit 4 are similar to Pit 3, but with a little more water: summer flows (May 16 through August 31) are set at 375 cfs. During autumn, they drop to 350 cfs (September 1 through November 1). During winter (November 1 through June 15), the flows vary between 375 and 450 cfs. Check Pit 4 flows at http://www.dreamflows.com/graphs/day.049.php.
Pit 5 flows for the summer (April 21 through August 31) are set at 400 cfs. In autumn (September 1 through November 1), they drop to 350 cfs. Winter flows vary between 400 and 450 cfs. Pit 5 Flows (at Big Bend) can be found at http://www. dreamflows.com/graphs/day.046.php.
In an effort to imitate a natural flow regime, the relicensing agreement calls for “freshet flows” every other year. The f lows are raised to between 1,200 and 1,500 cfs for 21 days to scour out the river, as Mother Nature would normally do. After the 21 days of high water, the flows will drop to seasonal averages in five equal steps. These f lows would not typically take place during the warmer months of the year, but during the winter or spring. For those with both a kayak and a death wish (like me), PG&E also blasts huge volumes of water through each section on one weekend in the summer and one weekend in the fall. The dates for these events are not standardized, but newly set each year as a gift to our whitewater brethren. Don’t even think about trying to fish the Pit under these circumstances. The American Whitewater Web site is an excellent place to check for whitewater release dates: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/state-summary/state/CA, or check the PG&E recreation Web page, www.pge.com/recreation.
There are places on the river where it would not be smart to wade even at low flows. There are also places still wadeable at high f lows. You just have to get out there and make a go of it. You will not learn the Pit in a day or two. Pit 3, 4, and 5 contain over 25 miles of river to explore. Some is just a stone’s throw from the road. There are also remote sections tailor-made for the young, fit angler intent on a true wilderness experience. Wherever you go on the Pit, though, it is not wise to fish alone. Always bring a friend.
Pit 3
The six miles of river between Lake Britton Dam and the Pit 3 Powerhouse is the most popular section with anglers, and the bottom three miles, from Rock Creek on down, gets most of the pressure. There was a time when you might have had a hard time finding an unoccupied place to fish in this section. Since the flows have come up, there are now fewer people fishing the Pit overall. There is also good water directly below Lake Britton Dam, but the long trudge down means a similar trudge back up again at the end of the day. You used to be able to start fishing below the dam and work downstream to the first ridge, cross over to the other side of the river, and hike out on a path back up to the road. The higher flows make crossing the river impossible.
Pit 3 is a terrific place to start if you want to gauge the river at the new flows. It has the lowest flows of the three sections, making it an excellent place to test the waters. There are also lots of fish. Take the cautious approach and don’t plan on wading out too far unless you’re absolutely sure of your abilities and have a friend close by. The good news is that you don’t have to fish the whole stream to do well. You’re likely to catch more fish working only half the river than on almost any other stream around. Because Pit 3 has been popular for so long, there are obvious places to park along the river and paths to most of the better fishing areas.
Your first experience on the Pit may go something like this. Park in an obvious spot below Rock Creek where the river is fairly close to the road. Follow the path down to the water, always on the lookout for the abundant poison oak that seems to grow everywhere. When you get to the water, you may to feel a little intimidated. The eye is naturally drawn to the roaring white water coursing down the middle of the stream, and you might be tempted to move on. At the old flows, this might have been fishable water, but not now. But instead of gawking at the water you’re not going to wade or fish, focus on the slower, darker water along the edges. Stand in the margins close to the bank and fish the seams and pockets within reach.
A few years ago, I upgraded to a 10foot 3-weight rod, and I’m amazed at how much more of the stream I can fish with the longer rod. I’ve been dreaming of trying an even longer Tenkara rod on the Pit, but haven’t yet had the chance.
Don’t even think about getting into the Pit without a wading staff, and studded boots make it that much easier to keep your footing. You don’t have to wade aggressively to find a lot of fish. Creeping upstream or downstream close to the bank is all you need to do. There are plenty of places where you may not even need to get into the water. Make it easy on yourself by seeking sections where the river widens out a little.
Whenever you fish the Pit, there is usually a big step down into the river, and at the more generous flows, this water is much more productive. The higher flows have transformed the river’s edges into excellent fishing water, as well as the logical place to wade. Think in terms of what sections of the river you can reach while standing close to the bank. Even though you may be able to get a respectable drift only on half the river or less, the numbers of possible hookups are still excellent.
Pit 4
This is the longest and most remote section of the Pit. There are places in the upper and middle sections where you can park close to the stream and f ish, and there are miles of river very far from any reasonable access, perfect for the adventuresome.
The first good area to fish is the water adjacent to Tunnel Campground, not far below Pit 4 Dam. This unofficial campground is named for the tunnel the river was shunted through while Pit 4 Dam was built. It’s a stretch even calling it a campground, because there are no facilities, only rough campsites and fire rings where anglers have been camping and hanging out for generations. You can fish up toward the dam and downstream from this campground section. Eventually, the road climbs to a significant height above the river in the middle section of Pit 4, and accessing the river from it makes climbing back out a chore. However, there are trails along the several ridges where hardy individuals have made the effort to reach wilderness f ishing. A better choice for fishing this middle section is actually on the other side of the river at Deep Creek Campground.
You can f ind Deep Creek Campground by driving downstream from Pit 4. The road goes directly across Pit 5 Dam, and a sign for the campground is on the left. The dirt road in is about 6 miles long, but well worth the drive to find an “official” campground with outhouses. You can also drive in from the town of Big Bend, about 20 miles north of Montgomery Creek on Highway 299. Go east through Montgomery Creek and follow the signs to Big Bend. From Big Bend, head east on Hagan Flat Road to the Pit 5 Dam.
Pit 5
Here is where you’ll find the biggest water and the largest fish. There is access just below the Pit 5 Dam, but the only way out is the way you got in, scrambling over big boulders. Nevertheless, there are some fine, deep pools here, and largest fish I’ve landed in the Pit have come from below the Pit 5 Dam. There is also access at Kosk Creek above Big Bend.
Access to Pit 5 is a bit spotty, with private property and frog-water sections. Most anglers start at the bottom and either hike up, then fish back down, or the other way around. To get to lower Pit 5 from Highway 299, go about 4 miles east of Montgomery Creek and turn left (north) on Big Bend Road. Head up it about 14 miles until you see the sign for Pit 5 Powerhouse Road and turn left. This is bigger water, but the canyon widens out nicely in places, which actually makes wading easier.
A lot of anglers refuse to fish the Pit River. Maybe it’s the name, maybe the reputation for tough wading. It’s not unreasonable to assume that with more water, it would be that much tougher, yet that’s not really true. At the higher flows, I’m not as tempted to wade into the deeper, faster water, because these areas are more obvious than before. The increased clarity of the water makes it easier to judge the depth, and the rocks aren’t as slippery as they were. With a longer rod, you can still cover enough of the stream to catch many trout in a day of fishing.
The best reason to spend time learning the Pit River Puzzle is that no other river I know can produce such high numbers of fish in a day of angling. Why anyone would pass on that is, well, puzzling.
