Lower Sacramento River fishing guide reports

The murky water conditions we have been experiencing on the Lower Sacramento River have cleared with clarity returning to the typical six to seven feet on the upper reaches. Flows out of Keswick continue to be very low and fishable @ 3610 cfs with no scheduled releases at this time. Lower tributaries continue to cloud the river during stormy periods but the river has become fishable soon afterwards. Another short storm pulse is predicted by the National Weather Service for the next two days with warm sunny days returning for the weekend.

The fishing continues to be good to very good, including some very happy anglers who are finding some exceptional fish. Our local guides have all enjoyed some outstanding days of late. The bite has been slow in the early morning but has picked up nicely midday through early evening as good hatches of Pale Morning Dun mayflies have sparked the action. There are still a few lingering March Browns and Blue Wing Olives emerging as well. On overcast and particularly on drippy days the hatches have been very heavy, but the dry fly fishing has been disappointing at best as we have found very few fish looking up.

Nymphing riffles and flats with PMD patterns has been the most productive method with a few fish still coming on caddis, attractor nymphs, rubberlegs and egg patterns. A number of Rainbows are spawning this time of year and we recommend avoiding anchoring over prime spawning areas and targeting these fish. As the weather warms we hope and expect the caddis bite to take off as well. We are looking to have opportunities to dry fly fish soon as the clear water and strong hatches get the fish looking up.

For a complete report with pictures from recent trips visit our website. As always feel free to drop a line for the latest conditions whether you are seeking guide service or not, we would enjoy sharing all we can. We hope to see you soon and often.