Lower Sacramento River

Current Report - July 7, 2008 - Monday

This big cold river fishes well year round for wild Rainbow trout.

Most are fishing at higher elevations in the high summer heat though.

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River Information

They fish wild Rainbow Trout all year now on the Lower Sacramento River from the Keswick Reservoir above Redding down stream

to Red Bluff and below. April/May is big with heavy caddis hatches and October is another favorite time. Fish over 20 inches are very

common on this top Western trophy river.

They get Steelhead runs in the fall and winter.

There are some limited wading spots but the best way to fish the river is to float it. Most common way is to first hire a good drift boat

guide to learn the river. Local drift boat guides fish the river in flows as high as 15,000cfs but anything under 8,000 is a little safer.

The river gets the largest spawning run of Stripers in Nor Cal in the spring. The Stripers usually end up somewhere above or below

Colusa depending on the flows in April, May and June.

The river gets the largest runs of American Shad too. Shad are in the area above Colusa to Princeton in large numbers in May, June

and even July. There are some spots to wade the river for Shad but a jet boat is the best way to find them daily.

The Lower Sacramento gets very large runs of King Salmon in the spring and fall but not many fly fishers go for them. The deep runs

below the Red Bluff Diversion Dam is the best area to fish for them from an anchored boat in September.

Shuttle Service

• 530/227-1165

Lower Sacramento River Map

• From the FlyFishNorCal site.

Article

• ' The Lower Sac' by Mike Mercer courtesy Fly Fisherman magazine.
  

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Fishing Guides

• Kiene's Lower Sacramento River Guide recommendations.

Local Shop

• The Fly Shop in Redding,CA.