Lower Sacramento River Guide Trip Reports

The Lower Sac is fishing well, depending on where you are. Most guides have been targeting the lower floats from Anderson to Jelly's Ferry recently and the bite down there has been consistently good from early morning until late afternoon. The grab has been turning off later in the afternoon and evening. Multiple hookups on these lower drifts have been common as of late. The trout down there are a generally smaller (10"-16") on average than up river but we usually find a few trophy Rainbows over 18", along with an occasional steelhead or two.

Rubberlegs and various mayflies have been the featured items on the menu while a few fish are still coming on eggs. When the wind has laid down in the afternoon, and particularly when there has been some cloud cover, we have enjoyed some action on the flats with fish up top eating Blue Wing Olive dries. Several guests have experienced outstanding fishing and though this can be a rewarding experience, it sometimes can be technical and challenging.

The upper floats from Redding to Anderson have been slower, particularly in the morning. We've found a few on Rubberlegs and eggs until the afternoon when the hatches get going and the fishing has been picking up. Most fish have come on smaller nymphs including Birdsnets and Fox Pupas along with small and tiny mayfly patterns. Flows out of Keswick have dropped to 5,000 cfs which concentrates the holding water. This is the place and time of year when a trophy can find it's way into your net.

This is also one of the warmest winter venues in the Northstate and the weather forecast is calling for more fair weather with a small squall and a chance of showers midweek. The forecast is also calling for calm to light winds. We recommend you take a break from your holiday shopping and treat yourself to an enjoyable day on the Lower Sac with one of our fantastic local guides.

A complete report with pictures from recent trips are available on our website. Drop us a line if you are headed our way for the latest conditions. We are always pleased to help point you in a direction you are most likely to enjoy.

Happy holidays!