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Thread: Putah Creek landlocked steelhead above Berryessa

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Santa Rosa
    Posts
    108

    Default Putah Creek landlocked steelhead above Berryessa

    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?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

    Default

    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?
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    California
    Posts
    57

    Default Landlocked steelhead?

    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

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Santa Rosa
    Posts
    108

    Default

    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.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    O'vale Ca., Estes Park Co.
    Posts
    131

    Default

    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.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    847

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by cmcdhuibh View Post
    The upper putah has no access to the pacific.
    I think that's why he said landlocked above Berryessa.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    East Bay
    Posts
    681

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sonoman View Post
    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.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Hidden Valley Lake, Ca.
    Posts
    174

    Default

    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.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Dunsmuir,CA
    Posts
    177

    Default yes the regs have changed

    First for Mike B.

    Yep. Regs are different.

    As I understand it the controlling reg for Putah above Berryessa
    would be this section:

    (2) All inland streams, rivers, and canals, except
    those listed in Section 7.50(b), are open to fishing
    from the last Sat. in Apr. through Nov. 15, with a five
    trout daily bag limit, and ten trout possession limit,
    with no gear restrictions. From Nov. 16 through the
    Fri. preceding the last Sat. in Apr., a zero trout bag
    limit applies, and only artificial lures with barbless
    hooks may be used. In waters where the
    bag limit for trout is zero, trout must be released
    unharmed, and should not be removed from the
    water.
    (3) Exceptions:
    (A) All waters in Section 7.50(b), Alphabetical List
    of Trout Waters with Special Fishing Regulations,
    are those having regulations different from the
    General Statewide Regulations for trout.
    (B) Brook Trout bag and possession limits may be
    taken in addition to the statewide trout daily bag
    and possession limits. See Section 5.84.


    Note that this is the general state-wide regulation.

    What this means is that every stream in the state that is not listed by name in the special reg tables
    and is not an anadromous waterway is most likely now open year-round.

    I do not insist I am right on this piece of water cause I just did a quick look at the Regs,
    but this is what I think is right. (assuming the water in question is in the Valley district).

    More to the point for Sonoman

    Man, Private access, cool! go for it.

    Just watch for Redd's and avoid. Also watch for pairs of fish sitting in unusually shallow spots on gravel
    (spawning pair).

    You will end up catching some spawning fish (it is unavoidable) but you can minimize it by being careful of where you are fishing.

    As far as actual fishing usual stuff should mostly work, but I have fished the Lake run rainbows here on the Sac for years and I find that they like swung streamers (black bunny leaches ) more that the stream resident fish,
    also by fishing down and across with a sink-tip I catch quite a few Bass.

    You can fish the streamers in a regular floating line if necessary which also allows you to try other techniques.
    IE: the usual stuff (nymphing and dry flys)

    Think BWOs and Midges and LBS (Little Black Stuff*)

    Other than that you will have to go and see. It all depends on what the water looks like.



    *Family friendly version

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    O'vale Ca., Estes Park Co.
    Posts
    131

    Default

    When Berryessa is at 440’ that puts the “lake” to Pope valley so beyond Pope valley it would be “putah creek”. I think. Really doesn’t matter. I did like going back there when the lake was full.

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