Gualala in Early December?

[pvsprme]

A friend has offered me his timeshare near Point Arena for December 4 weekend. It’s only 13 miles to the Gualala and maybe some other rivers are nearby? I have no idea, but think it’s probably too early for Steelhead on that part of the coast? Thoughts/ comments appreciated, dates aren’t flexible.

[PV_Premier]

Gualala is very tricky. It rises and falls very fast and the fish tend to move on the high water. It’s a short stretch of fishable water so they can move through fast, often at flows that aren’t “fishable”. The river is so short the fish don’t really “need” to hold.

Furthermore, a sandbar blocks the river mouth until the first good storm hits and blows it out. The fish can’t get in until that time. So in short it really depends on the weather. If you can catch the river on the drop between 200-700cfs it can happen. You’ve gotta be flexible with your timing. Good news is that area is worth a visit regardless of steelhead, which even if you’re fishing, you’re most likely not catching even with A+ conditions.

[Jcolin]

I fish the gualala and further mendo coastal rivers a lot in the winter...like PV says theres really no way to tell. Hopefully the river will be open ( call 707 944 5533 for the low flow hotline for the gualala, call 707 822 3164 for low flow for the other streams north of there in mendo county)...if theres early rain its worth a shot, that said i dont start fishing those rivers seriously till about xmas thru march. Theyre all wild fish and small runs so when i do swing one up its very much the exception to most trips, i live close by or wouldnt fish up there much at all. Beautiful place though unfortunately more anglers with 2 handed rods every year it seems like. An old timer who was involved in the illegal “hatchery” on the north fork gualala some time ago told me that the first rains do bring up the biggest fish...most of the SH ive seen and hooked on the G are like 6-8 lb wild fish, usually Hens if youre swinging, but he said there are very large early run fish that he called the “A run” fish that he saw hooked up to 17 lbs going back to the 70’s. The biggest ive seen on that river was a 12 lb buck an old guy caught stripping a comet with a single hand rod and an old frankenstein lead core rig he’d had since the 70s. I would say i definitley hook/see hooked way more fish on the russian than those rivers, ive fished up there hard for years now and only had 2 to hand and a few lost.

[PV_Premier]

@Jcolin, I think the low flow closure on the G kicks in at <150cfs on the South Fork gauge, right?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

The Garcia and Gualala rivers can fish Dec through Feb but rain and flow is 90% of the deal.

The Garcia river mouth is usually open all the time.

It will always be beautiful over there.

[Jcolin]

@Jcolin, I think the low flow closure on the G kicks in at <150cfs on the South Fork gauge, right?
Yeah its 150 cfs measured on the south fork, and the sonoma hotline even though the rivers in both counties. The rest of the mendo streams with the mendo hotline are based on the navarro gauge, its 200 or above if i remember right. Like Bill and others said, can be very hard to judge the drop on these rivers. I remember last year after the first big storm i drove up the coast to fish the gualala, flows seemed perfect at 300 or so after they dropped overnight but river was chocolate milk, from all the sediment from the first storm. Later on it gets more predictable

[pvsprme]

Thanks to both for the replies, pretty much aligned with what I’ve been told by others. Expecting a fish on any steelhead trip is not realistic anymore, but we still put in the time, right? I wouldn’t consider it if I weren’t going to be in the area, thought most of those North Coast rivers were later run fish; January-March.

[PV_Premier]

Thanks to both for the replies, pretty much aligned with what I’ve been told by others. Expecting a fish on any steelhead trip is not realistic anymore, but we still put in the time, right? I wouldn’t consider it if I weren’t going to be in the area, thought most of those North Coast rivers were later run fish; January-March.

It's still worth going especially if you have a decent place to stay. Beautiful area and very relaxing out that way. The fishing, if you can time it, is just a bonus IMO.

[fishing&beyond]

Thanks to both for the replies, pretty much aligned with what I’ve been told by others. Expecting a fish on any steelhead trip is not realistic anymore, but we still put in the time, right? I wouldn’t consider it if I weren’t going to be in the area, thought most of those North Coast rivers were later run fish; January-March.

Check out the Garcia. It’s not too much farther north, and seems to fish a little better in my opinion.

[Rossflyguy]

Yeah its 150 cfs measured on the south fork, and the sonoma hotline even though the rivers in both counties. The rest of the mendo streams with the mendo hotline are based on the navarro gauge, its 200 or above if i remember right. Like Bill and others said, can be very hard to judge the drop on these rivers. I remember last year after the first big storm i drove up the coast to fish the gualala, flows seemed perfect at 300 or so after they dropped overnight but river was chocolate milk, from all the sediment from the first storm. Later on it gets more predictable

When it’s chocolate milk that’s when you through the roe. Or some jigs tipped with shrimp/roe.

[JasonB]

Yeah its 150 cfs measured on the south fork, and the sonoma hotline even though the rivers in both counties. The rest of the mendo streams with the mendo hotline are based on the navarro gauge, its 200 or above if i remember right. Like Bill and others said, can be very hard to judge the drop on these rivers. I remember last year after the first big storm i drove up the coast to fish the gualala, flows seemed perfect at 300 or so after they dropped overnight but river was chocolate milk, from all the sediment from the first storm. Later on it gets more predictable

This has been my experience too on the north coast streams (except the Smith!) too. Most of the streams have such a sediment load that it can take quite a bit to flush some of it out, of course sometimes the big flows come with storms that cause additional landslides that add a bunch more mud. It is tricky to get it all right, but it sure can be sweet when it comes together.

[PV_Premier]

When it’s chocolate milk that’s when you through the roe. Or some jigs tipped with shrimp/roe.

Or a big pink rubber worm ;)

[Rossflyguy]

Or a big pink rubber worm ;)

Yes sir!!!!