Feather Low-Flow

[slage]

Looking for info/ help regarding the Low-Flow section of the Feather.

Went down Sunday to find, SMALL, posted signs reading:

"Fishing closed from Hatchery to Hwy 70, July 16th-December 31st."


Wha??
Is this new, this year, etc???
I've never heard of the Low-Flow closing, let alone until the end of the year?

[Adam Grace]

That closure has been in effect for a while, to protect the spawning salmon.

[slage]

Thanks Adam-
Really?
I have fished down there over the last five winters before Dec. 31st?
Always with crowds??
Does DFG change the opening?

[Katz]

It always closed from the Hwy 70 bridge to the hatchery. That is a relatively small stretch of water from Oroville upstream.

You can still fish from the Hwy 70 bridge downstream.

Kraig

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Is that the green bridge that Oroville Dam Blvd goes over just above the gravel plant on the low flow?

[slage]

Bill-
That's exactly the spot.

I am really spun around on this?
Not that it excuses my apparent illegal fishing but numerous web sites and message boards continue to report, specifically on the Low-Flow section.

The mentioned sites report other closings, special regs, etc? Even currently there are several that are up to date, stating nothing about the closure. But, reporting fresh kings and steelhead soon, even flies and best times, etc.

At least over the last couple of winters, there are loads of people down there from, even before November. I know that doesn't make it okay, by any means, but again, adds to my confusion.
Wouldn't the area also be extremely easy to levy fines from. I know understaffed is the way of things but 20 people fishing illegally from the hatchery?
One phone call from a staffer at the hatchery on a busy Saturday could yield $$$ thousands??
Really glad I finally the skinny-- :oops:

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I think there is always a fall salmon closure from the green bridge that Oroville Dam blvd goes over above the gravel plant riffle upstream to the hatchery.

I believe the low flow from that bridge downstream and all the high flow(below the Thermalito Outflow) is open year round?

I could be wrong or confused ....again.

[slage]

Accumulations of confusion.
Apparently the enforcement and knowledge of the closure isn't wide spread, at least as it should be.

Reports, as current as yesterday:

#1
Feather River Below Oroville


General Conditions: Flows are at 3700 cfs. Low Flow is running 550 cfs, the normal flow for this section. Still a few Steelhead running 3-5 lbs. Good Salmon action.

Fishing & Hatches: Steelhead fishing slowing a little in the low flow section, but Salmon are arriving. Try Elk Hair Caddis in tan and olive colors.

#2
Feather River (below Lake Oroville) Salmon are in the low flow in good numbers. Best fishing is early in the morning and in the evening before dusk. Salmon are sitting in the deeper pools during the warmest part of the day and moving to the riffles and runs early and late in the day. Swinging a brite fly or a polar shrimp on a type 2 sink tip or Skagit line is catching fish. Best to use a 9 or 10 weight rod or a spey rod in the same weight. Look for steelhead to start showing up in the next month.


#3
Salmon & Shad Report--Salmon fishing seemed to perk up a bit toward the end of the week after a two-week long downturn. Still, anglers were working hard for a fish or two, and the Low Flow Section seemed to be producing better fishing, at least early and late, than the Outlet. Fish in the Low Flow Section were a mix of darker spring run kings and fresh early fall fish.

#4
Feather River - Fair - Low Flow is normal. Some Steelhead being caught

Wha??

[Ffdoc]

I think you are getting confused by the terminology. My understanding is that the low flow section is from the base of the dam to the outlet hole. The part of the low flow section above the 70 bridge is closed from the middle of August until January, but the low flow section below the 70 bridge is open year round and that is the part you are getting reports on.

FFdoc

[slage]

There's a second Low-Flow?

In the Wildlife section?
Where is it?

[Ffdoc]

There is one low flow section as I understand it. It starts at the dam which is above the 70 bridge and extends down to the outlet hole where water dumps in from Thermalito afterbay and raises the flows to the current 3500 cfs. It is the upper portion of this above the 70 bridge that has the closures mentioned, but you can fish the low flow section from the hwy 70 bridge downstream to the outlet hole for steelhead and Salmon now.

FFdoc

[Darian]

Hopefully, this info will resolve some of the confusion:

Art 3., Section 7.50, Item (68), (A) Fish Barrier dam to Table Mountain bicycle bridge....; Closed to fishing all year.

Item (B) Table mountain bicycle bridge to highway 70 bridge; Open season: Jan. 1 thru July 15th.

Item (C) Highway 70 bridge to Sunset Pumps 5 miles downstream of the town of Live Oak; Open season: Jan. 1 thru Last Day in Feb.; Mar. 1 thru July 15th; July 16th thru Sep. 30th; Oct. 1 thru Dec 31st. These periods differ only by the take limits imposed during each.

Item (D) Sunset Pumps downstream to Highway 20.......

I believe "....the green bridge...." (Oro Dam Blvd) referred to in Bill's post is the Hwy 162 bridge which is dwnstream of the Hwy 70 bridge.

For the area beginning below the Hwy 70 bridge at the north end of town and continuing downstream to the pumps below Live Oak. The current limit for Salmon/Steelhead/Trout is 1 hatchery Trout or 1 hatchery Steelhead, 1 Salmon.

On Oct. 1st, Salmon fishing will close in the above area.

Hoe this helps.... 8) 8) 8)

[Tony Buzolich]

Okey you guys, quite guessing if you're at the least unfamiliar with the area. Darian got the right information right out of the book, now it's up to the individual to KNOW where these landmarks are, and, if you haven't been to some of those areas in a while, things have changed.

First off, Bill, the green bridge I think you are remembering has been gone for at least two years. This would have been the old Hwy.162 bridge (which was green metal) which turns in to Oro Dam Blvd. The new bridge is quite nice and much larger and wider and is in the exact same spot as the old green one.

Some of the confusion comes from the fact that there IS another green metal bridge at the hatchery called the Table Mtn. bridge.

The river is closed to all fishing between the Table Mtn.bridge and the diversion dam at the spillway to the hatchery.

Now, lets drop down stream a little to the Hwy.70 bridge. This bridge (and highway) run north and south. It borders Bedrock Park on the west and the newly developed city park on the east. The new park really is beautiful with a new paved launch ramp, docks, playground with water features for the kids, a frizbee course,etc.
The Hwy. 70 bridge should be everybody's landmark to learn.

Above Hwy.70 the river is open to fishing Jan.1st through July 15th up to the Table Mtn. bridge.
From July 16th through Dec.31 this same part of the river is closed.

So, using the Hwy.70 bridge as a reference, the entire rest of the river is open to fishing until the next closure on Sept. 30th. And, this closure is ONLY for the take of salmon. You can still fish for steelhead, or trout, or carp, or whatever you want EXCEPT salmon.

Now, for the last clarification, the LOWFLOW is considered the area between the hatchery and the outlet at Thermolito. As someone else already said, the lowflow stays most of the time at around 550-600cfs.

The mainflow which comes out of the same Oroville dam goes in to the AFTERBAY which is a warming basin before it goes back into the main stem again and mixes with the lowflow. The reason behind the warming of the water is for the rice growers. Rice won't grow in cold water.

I hope this helps a few folks better identify where they've been or plan to fish in the future.
Tony
www.feather-river-fly.com

[slage]

Aboslutely cleared everything-thanks to all. I am sooooo embarrased I, inadvertantly, have been the problem. Oh my god, I cannot believe it, the only reason I haven't run away from this thread is the confusion, I hope confusion and not worse, so many other people have.

#1. Are there, technically or not, 2 low-flows?


if "yes" that voids the following...AND I and the rest of the poachers are idiots.

if "no" .....

#2. Why are there so many poachers down there ALL THE TIME, unpunished? It's not like the spot is hidden, it's right in town?

#3. Why do so many different reports continually updated on the Low-Flow section and how the fishing is ? Are all of these shops and web sites that mis-informed?


I don't catch much, don't ever take anything, always fish barbless, break off too much, too long, etc. etc.
This is all very strange to someone who is hyper diligent in research to fishing locales. I have to admit I am guilty of not checking with the state regs, but going off of on-line AND, more importantly, from the Bay Area to Sac shops for my info. Is everyone this misinformed.
I don't mean to get out of my wrong-doing, however, I was and have only gone where I thought, multiple resources checked, have ok'd.

[bigtj]

I've seen similar threads asking regulation advice on a lot of other boards now and I just want to say that I think a bulletin board is a good place to get fishing advice, but it is definitely not the best way - or daresay even an appropriate way - to get advice on anything legal such as fishing regs.
The variety of good vs. mis-information in this thread is an excellent argument for never trusting second-hand information when you don't know the accuracy of the source, regardless of the destination.

So, how what's the most reliable way to get fishing regulation information? Get a good map (available online, for example, at topozone.com) consult the regs - also available online as a .pdf - and if it isn't clear to you or make sense, call fish and game and get in touch with the folks that enforce the regs, they will clear it up for you (that is their job!). A trusted source like a knowledgable guide is a good second bet but who better to ask than the folks who make and enforce the regulations? I have done this kind of research for regs in every state I've travelled to fish unfamiliar waters (prior to my trip) and in each case it only took an hour or two max and in every case the folks were very helpful, and in some cases, they gave away some good fishing secrets. All the contact information for fish and game departments for all sates is available online.

My grandpa taught me that a sportsman has the responsbility to be aware of both regulations and private property issues before fishing. He told me that if I wasn't 100% sure of the regs for a location before I went, then I should be asking myself it was the right thing to go fishing there. I think that was pretty good advice. This same ethic is taught for hunter's safety (don't tresspass, don't shoot if you don't know what it is, never hunt where you don't know if the season is open) and I wish a similar class would be at least avaialble - and maybe even required - for folks to get a fishing licenses. Hey a lot of this stuff isn't common sense to some folks and the information in a "fisherman's safety" class would be of good use, I would take it in a heartbeat if it were available.

[AndreD]

I agree that a BB isn't always the best palce to get information on the legal aspects, but I think Tony's is a great post that clearly puts DFG's regs in easy tems to read and understand. Great job Tony.

Can any type of boat launch at the new city park?

Tony, stopped by last Wed around 5:30pm to check out your shop and to introduce myself, but I was told you weren't there, then I had to talk to the lady about the new line of boats they are carrying :D

Andre

[Tony Buzolich]

Hi Andre,

Sorry I missed you but I usually guide on M-T-W and work at the shop the rest of the week.

Stop by again and say hi. I'm always glad to meet board members and new faces.

The owners of the shop, Bob and Cherie Boucke,would like me there seven days a week but a guy has to get out on the water once in a while.

Good Fishin' guys,
TONY