Putah Creek landlocked steelhead above Berryessa

[Sonoman]

Anybody fished Putah Cr for landlocked steelhead ABOVE Berryessa and below Hwy 29 east of Middletown? I was invited to fish by a landowner who does not flyfish. I assume the fish are small and the creek is like Putah Cr below Berryessa or where it crosses Hwy 29, so a 9ft 5wt is adequate.

What rigs and bugs? Swing comets or soft hackles...or drift nymphs under bobbers? What bugs?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I always heard there were smallmouth bass in Upper Putah Creek above Lake Berryessa.

Trout will swim up the tributaries of reservoirs and lakes to spawn.

There was probably land locked Steelhead in Lake Berryessa after they built the dam.

Small black egg sucking leech?

[DPLee]

A long long time ago I surveyed Putah Creek from Middletown downstream to Lake Berryessa. And yes, the creek did and most likely still has a good population of smallmouth bass. Access is difficult due to private property but some anglers access the lower reaches of the creek from a boat at the mouth where it flows into the lake. Similar to many low elevation reservoirs constructed on California anadromous rivers and creeks, a few landlocked steelhead are often reported by anglers for a few years following. However, it is not uncommon for rainbow trout to migrate from a lake into a tributary stream to spawn in the late winter and early spring. This has been documented for many places including Lake Berryessa. And after more than 60 years ago and hundreds of thousands of domestic rainbow trout of various strains stocked in the lake, it is doubtful any “landlock steelhead” still exist. By the way, trout migrating from a lake to a tributary stream to spawn have life history called potamodromous.

Dennis
www.dennisplee.com

[Sonoman]

Thanks for your insights. I fished Putah above Berryessa years ago for smallmouths. A landowner insists there are "landlocked steelhead" in the river Feb-Mar and invited me to fish with him, but I have my doubts they are steelhead and likely spawning rainbows. If they are spawning rainbows, my inclination is to pass on the invitation and leave them alone.

[cmcdhuibh]

All steelhead are rainbow trout, but not all rainbow trout are steelhead. The upper putah has no access to the pacific.
You should take him up.

[Woodman]

The upper putah has no access to the pacific.

I think that's why he said landlocked above Berryessa.

[Rossflyguy]

Thanks for your insights. I fished Putah above Berryessa years ago for smallmouths. A landowner insists there are "landlocked steelhead" in the river Feb-Mar and invited me to fish with him, but I have my doubts they are steelhead and likely spawning rainbows. If they are spawning rainbows, my inclination is to pass on the invitation and leave them alone.

Now that I have a boat and I troll berryessa for salmon the trout I catch at that lake are AMAZINGLY strong and big. If I cuaght one from a river I’d swear they were steelhead based solely on their looks. They’re most likely the eagle lake strain that gets stocked in there. They focus on Shad in that lake. You should at least go and take a look. I’m sure there are some big fish.

[mike borba]

Unless the regs have changed all Berryessa tributaries are only open during regular trout season. I live in Hidden Valley Lake close to the hwy 29 bridge and fish it often for smallmouth. I usually don't start fishing it until late May. There are trout/steelhead in there. Not sure how last year's drought will effect this year's fishing. The few trout I've caught were taken on small closers or small leech patterns.

[winxp_man]

Now that I have a boat and I troll berryessa for salmon the trout I catch at that lake are AMAZINGLY strong and big. If I cuaght one from a river I’d swear they were steelhead based solely on their looks. They’re most likely the eagle lake strain that gets stocked in there. They focus on Shad in that lake. You should at least go and take a look. I’m sure there are some big fish.

In Alaska there are big lakes that have rainbows. And big bows! They look dead on like they would pass as steelhead of one was to post a pic and stat steelhead. But they are just big now and don’t go to the ocean. So you’re right about trout that look like steelhead for sure.