Sonoma Creek - Hwy 37 Corridor

[Jeff F]

Driving back home from Thanksgiving, I noticed lots of folks fishing Sonoma Creek as Hwy 37 crosses over. Just curious what they're fishing for? Stripers? Sturgeon? Flounder?

They all seemed to be bait fishing with very large, stout rods. Being that there are no trees out there, there's lots of room to cast a fly rod. Anyone ever chuck a fly out there? Or take a pontoon out? It's close to home for me, so I was just wondering.........

~J

[Paul B.]

Wondering the same thing. If I can get out there on a day without too much wind I'll try a clouser there.
Please post if you go.

[Tony Buzolich]

You guys hit it right on the head with what they're fishing for. I used to live in Napa and fished that area regularly. The Napa River, Petaluma Creek, and Sonoma Creek all have a fair number of stripers at various times of the year. Right now you also have flounder, sturgeon and leopard shark in all of the creeks.

The main problem there for fly fishing is water clarity. Before we get any REALLY good rains the water probably isn't too bad. Once we get a few downpours though it'll turn to mud.

The area between Sonoma Creek and the Napa River is a maze of small channels that belongs to Leslie Salt and is also good at times when the bigger creeks are blown out.

The bait guys have the most chance as all three of the major fish will eat any cut bait thrown out.

I'd say,,,, Go for it right now! Before the rains muddy it up more than it is. Good luck, Tony

[Jeff F]

You guys hit it right on the head with what they're fishing for. I used to live in Napa and fished that area regularly. The Napa River, Petaluma Creek, and Sonoma Creek all have a fair number of stripers at various times of the year. Right now you also have flounder, sturgeon and leopard shark in all of the creeks.

The main problem there for fly fishing is water clarity. Before we get any REALLY good rains the water probably isn't too bad. Once we get a few downpours though it'll turn to mud.

The area between Sonoma Creek and the Napa River is a maze of small channels that belongs to Leslie Salt and is also good at times when the bigger creeks are blown out.

The bait guys have the most chance as all three of the major fish will eat any cut bait thrown out.

I'd say,,,, Go for it right now! Before the rains muddy it up more than it is. Good luck, Tony

Thanks for info, Tony. Do you have any idea how deep Sonoma Creek is in that area? I'd like to know if I could anchor my pontoon in the middle, and also what types of heads I should be throwing out there.

Particularly interested in the stripers. So any type of striper fly would work, I'm assuming? (Clousers, etc)???

[Tony Buzolich]

I don't believe there is much depth in any of that tidal backwater as there is no steady flow to flush out the sediment. Tides move it in and out four times a day. As for depth I'd guess most areas would be under 10'. Over on the Napa River side of the marsh there are some deep channels in the bigger sloughs.

One other slough I just remembered is White Slough. It goes under Hwy.37 just east of the Mare Island bridge. I used to fish that a lot on foot even before going to work in the morning at Big O Tires on Sonoma Blvd.

One thing in any of these sloughs is to find moving water, and the faster the better. There were lots of small levee breaks in that area and on an out-going tide the stripers would stack up waiting for bait to come out the break straight to them. Geez, that was fun.

Now I'm reminiscing about the good old days :)

Word of caution, don't try wading any of those flats. You'll sink up to your crotch in a heart-beat in that mud. I used to wade where the bottom was fairly hard but often stayed too long when the tide was coming in. By all means wear a life-jacket in the pontoon OR wading.