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Thread: Fishing (very) high flows in the Fall

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
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    san francisco
    Posts
    138

    Default Fishing (very) high flows in the Fall

    Anybody have any CA experience fishing high flows in the Fall? We have a trip planned for Mccloud next weekend. Our timing is impeccable.

    We've been monitoring every sensor imaginable trying to set our expectations: turbidity, flows, weather, etc. We are anticipating high to very high flows, maybe in the 800's, if not higher. At those flows, the silt turbidity from the lake should dissipate a bit with all the clear feeder streams adding volume.

    Is it laughably optimistic that the fish might still be eating/scavaging along the banks for worms, terrestrials, etc, instead of whatever baetis and october caddis might have survived?

    Can anyone out there help us keep our dreams alive?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
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    Sacramento, Driggs
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    1,204

    Default

    It’s gonna be tough. Consider the USac or Trinity as potential alternatives.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Guerneville
    Posts
    290

    Default

    Theres also the pit, dont know how that is right now as far as clarity/turbidity. I fished the mccloud a few years ago when it was at least 700, it was tough but we got into fish when we switched to black rubber legs. I would think sj worms would be a good call too.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    the Lost Sierra
    Posts
    750

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Pupa View Post
    Anybody have any CA experience fishing high flows in the Fall? We have a trip planned for Mccloud next weekend. Our timing is impeccable.

    We've been monitoring every sensor imaginable trying to set our expectations: turbidity, flows, weather, etc. We are anticipating high to very high flows, maybe in the 800's, if not higher. At those flows, the silt turbidity from the lake should dissipate a bit with all the clear feeder streams adding volume.

    Is it laughably optimistic that the fish might still be eating/scavaging along the banks for worms, terrestrials, etc, instead of whatever baetis and october caddis might have survived?

    Can anyone out there help us keep our dreams alive?
    I'd look for a tailwater.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Fremont when not out there
    Posts
    189

    Default

    Fish the edges. Fish will seek out softer water during high flow events and be in higher concentrations instead of dispersed in their usual fashion. They still have to eat. Weather is the only variable that cannot be controlled.
    Last edited by gitt; 10-23-2021 at 12:21 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Dunsmuir,CA
    Posts
    177

    Default nope, sorry, no help, more like kill the dream

    "We've been monitoring every sensor imaginable trying to set our expectations: turbidity, flows, weather, etc. We are anticipating high to very high flows, maybe in the 800's, if not higher. At those flows, the silt turbidity from the lake should dissipate a bit with all the clear feeder streams adding volume. "

    Ah, no, unless you are talking about fishing the bollibokka, there are not enough feeder streams above the Ah-Di-Na area to make much of a difference in turbidity.

    On the other hand I would not expect high flows, the reservoir is not full so there should not be water coming over the spillway.
    Take right now for example:
    The MSS gauge which is close to Shasta lake (on the bollibokka) is showing flows of 1,171 but the MCA gauge (Ah-Di-Na) is showing only 328 and is already going down.

    However the turbidity has really gone up. Talked to someone who was fishing the Ash Camp area on Friday and they reported that at the start of the day visibility was about 1 foot but by the afternoon visibility was essentially 0.

    I would not expect the water to clear enough to be fish-able by next week-end.

    You can come on up and give it a try but I would plan on fishing the USac as a back up.

    Right now the USac is muddy here in Dunsmuir, but the rain is supposed to be done by mid-week and the USac drops and clears quickly.

    Just look at today on the DLT gauge:

    The river topped out at 4,902 at 1:00 PM and is already back down to 2,537 at 9:00 PM

    I would expect it to be fish-able by next week-end.


    More to the point of your specific question, yes I have a lot of experience fishing the rivers at high flows in the Fall
    However much more on the USac than on the McCloud.
    They are both fishable in select spots but you have to cover a lot of ground to find those spots which is why I usually fish the USac at high flows, much more water choices and much easier to get to.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    san francisco
    Posts
    138

    Default

    thanks for the tips guys.

    We'll be at Bollibokka. Looks like that Friday turbidity shot up from 10 to 150. it is now climbing back up towards 150 after the spike and fall from the rains. I was hoping that the numbers were relative to the mud coming from Squaw creek and some of the other tribs, but it sounds like mud creek got flushed and the sediment stream is now pushing through the dam. Agreed that is is highly unlikely to be fishable this weekend. Even at 20, there are only a few inches of visibility and kinda a drag to fish.

    Upper sac should hopefully be in good shape by the weekend. Otherwise, looks like the Klamath is producing...

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