Sonoma County California Creeks and Rivers Inquiry

[taughtlines]

Hello there,

I am looking to get some information on creeks and rivers in Sonoma County. I've recently explored again the forested hills in Annapolis, Cazadero, Seaview, and adjoining areas like Sea Ranch, Stewart's Point, and Ft. Ross. I've mapped much of the waterways on Google Earth in hopes that I could access these remote glens to fish. However, I seldom come across any information on fishing stretches such as the South Fork Gualala River, Wheatfield Fork Gualala River, Marshall Creek, and Carson Creek to name a few. I am not interested in Gualala River, Russian River, Garcia River, or any of the main rivers, I am after backcountry streams and creeks. I was only able to locate surveys done years ago for Steelhead population and cfm tracking for the aforementioned waterways of interest and an old kayak forum from 2009 talking about putting in at Hauser Bridge (crosses South Fork Gualala River), which now has Private Property signs as far as the eye can see. I am in the process of plotting out all private property boundaries that abut these waterways in search of a legal way onto the water, but that will take some time to complete.

If anyone has any information at all, maybe someone they know that fished these areas or hopefully someone here who has given it a go, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you and tight lines!

[Rossflyguy]

You should verify those creeks that are connected to coastal rivers with steelhead/salmon runs are actually legal to fish. I don’t think any creeks along the Gualala are legal to fish. I could be wrong but the DFW website should be a place to start. Also, OnX Maps would be helpful with access and private property boundaries.

[Sonoman]

I agree with Ross. All Russian River tributaries are closed to fishing and I believe that's true for most (all?) smaller tribs to the other coastal rivers as well. The closures are in place to protect spawning

[Tony Buzolich]

I used to belong to a deer club up that way and there were lots of small creeks we'd cross over before getting to the property. Two of them were near Cazadero and it seemed they all had small trout or steelhead in them. The main one we'd cross was Austin Creek on the road to Cazadero which flowed directly into the Russian river. The other was Ward Creek which was located on our property off Neistrath Rd, between Cazadero and Ft. Ross. Ward Creek was quite small but you could see small trout in any of the pools or deeper parts of the creek.

Besides being small, Rossflyguy is RIGHT. They were always considered CLOSED to fishing. I'm sure almost every creek or stream up that way is still closed as they are all NATURAL / NATIVE spawning areas for steelhead and even salmon.

Another area I used to fish was the Garcia river just above Anchor Bay and Pt. Arena. This little river had a notable run of Pink salmon every other year and it was often publicized in the local papers in the area. The problem with fishing them here was the landowners. Most of the area is owned by the Stornetta family and is off limits. Silver salmon too were scattered throughout that area and are not uncomman from the Noyo River at Ft. Bragg south to the headwaters of Tomales Bay.

As Rossflyguy said, check regulations with Dept. of Fish & Wildlife before getting into trouble. And then you have to check which areas are Private Property.
Tony

[Jcolin]

I am currently living in WA state but am from sonoma county and just here to corroborate whats already been said. sonoma county is stillwater fishing with limited opportunities on the russian and s fork gualala for winter SH. gualalas beautiful, but in a decade of swinging flies on it religiously i landed only 1 fish, a beautiful 12 lb wild buck that was spawned out and fought like a wet sock. thats it for streams. sonoma creek is open during trout season above the falls, but it shouldnt be, as the “rainbows” are just smolt of whats left of the decimated winter steelhead run. theres good stillwater flyfishing in the county, particularly at lake sonoma. and the napa river for stripers. but that said, the creeks you are looking at are almost certainly all closed to fishing, as they should be. while it remains a pretty part of the state, there is nothing close to a “backcountry” experience to be had in the county, way too developed and has been for my entire lifetime (33 yo). my recommendation is to drive a bit north to Mendo NF for what you are after.

[taughtlines]

Sorry for the delayed response, thank you for getting back to me and information. Seems I will be looking elsewhere, thank you!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Best of luck.

See if you can get a copy of the movie "Rivers of a Lost Coast."


My best advice is to go out with NorCal fly fishing guide Jason Hartwick.

He has spent about a decade or more guiding and investigating the California North Coast rivers and streams.


We had a horrific drought in the late 1970s that pretty much decimated all the anadromous runs in those rivers.

Due to being weather dependent, they were hard to hit right 50 years ago.

December through March used to be the timing.

Regulations are very strict on those fisheries due to the low runs today.

If you were to move over there or rent a place 4 months and get to know some locals, it might be worth the trouble.

I was fortunate to be taken over to the Coast with good Steelheaders of the Great Generation in the 1960s and 1970s.

For the last 100 years, most fly fished in the tidewater. Not "many" went very far up the short winter run rivers.


Watch for Pot Growers packing AR-15s up those little rivers today.

[taughtlines]

Thank you for the film rec, I'll be sure to watch it! Sounds like if there are any fish in those hills they're unreachable, protected by regulations, or simply not there. I'm not looking to get into any trouble, will def take some chances here and there, but sometimes it just ain't worth it. In the meantime, I'll fantasize of 30" steelies crushing streamers in the South Fork haha! Thank you for the guide recommendation contact Jason Hartwick, I'll reach out to him.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks TL

Keep us posted as to your noble quest for a 30" wild (female) Steelhead, fresh out of the salt water.






__________________________________________


In the 1960s, while working at "the bait shop" in West Sacramento, I met a US Marine and local Sacramento City Fire Fighter.

It was Jack McLaughlin, who was a great fly fisher, especially of the California North Coast Steelhead.

He was mentoring me to be a fly fisher, and at the bait shop, he taught me to tie Shad and Steelhead flies when I was slow.

Jack took me to the Lower American River one day and showed me how to fly fish for Steelhead. We caught some Half-pounders.

Jack told me if I wanted to catch the real, wild, fresh-run Steelhead, I had to go to the Coast in the wintertime.

He told me that I needed to catch a fresh-run, wild 10# female Steelhead on a fly to know what real Steelheading was all about.



I had been given a new Berkeley 'Parametric' 9' #9, 2-piece fly rod by the Berkeley Rep.

It had a spigot furrel and was the only competition Fenwick had at the time.

Someone gave me a large, old Pflueger Medalist fly reel.

Then some of the old timers helped me get a shooting head system together for Shad, Stripers, Steelhead, NV Cutthroat, and salmon.


__________________________________________


My friend and mentor, Mike McCune, told me that the only reason they still go to the rivers of Oregon and Washington in the Winter

months was because that was one of the last places you could hook a large, wild, fresh-run Steelhead.

[albiec22]

Try Little Stony Creek in the Mendocino National Forest. Park at the campground and fish upstream. Bring a 3wt.