Early September Fishing Report

Fishing Report - 9/2/25

The extended forecast shows temperatures dropping back to the low 90s, steelhead are showing up, the trout are turning on, there’s no doubt fall is right around the corner. Here’s a little snippet of what’s been going down lately.

Lower Sac

Flows just dropped below 9k cfs which is prime. We’ve had yet another great past two weeks on the Lower Sac. Our experience has been this: Almost no fishing pressure, and plenty of great fishing. One report from yesterday was that the river fished as good as it has in any of the years past. We are having great number days, and seeing quality fish hit the net. The Baetis Spinnerfall in the morning has been one of the most consistent producers, but a steady bite through the day on small jigged flies like the Weiss Nymph in a #18, or Olive Hotspot, has been the normal program, with flurries of hot bites in the mornings and evenings. Also, there have been some salmon spawning up in town which has made an egg bite turn on when fished in the right spots, a very good sign for fall. Below Bonny, the Rubber legs are also cleaning up. Some evenings, we’ve been seeing the fishing as good as it’s ever been. There are some subtle and extremely specific things our guides do to drastically improve our success, that in years past wasn’t near as critical. Boat placement, and fly placement has been paramount to keeping rods bent in the narrow feeding lanes.

Fall River

We are very happy to report that the grass at the beginning of the month has cleared out. Since then, the fishing has been phenomenal. Our guide Travis has reported seeing no other boats on his last day out, and had some of the best fishing he’s ever seen up there. There has been a reliable Callibaetis Spinnerfall in the morning, and scattered BWO hatches throughout the days, PMDs are on the forecast to return for September as the weather cools slightly. This will be a great option until it gets colder in November.

McCloud River

The McCloud has been the best walk n wade option in Nor Cal over the past two weeks and should continue into September. This is the perfect time to be in the canyon near Ash Camp, and it’s been great the past few weeks. The reason for this is the cold, consistent flows from McCloud Reservoir entering the river just upstream from Ash Camp. The clarity has also been excellent. Pocket water is great, but there are also fish in the pools. This is that classic time of year when any small dark Perdigon will probably be a top choice for flies. Mornings and evenings have been top producers with the mid-day heat slowing the bite a little. October Caddis are about a month or so away, but the fish are already eating their nymphs, so don’t be afraid to even fish a big mop fly. Looking ahead, the McCloud should be on everyone’s radar.

Trinity River

We just received a fast flow bump last week, which shot a BUNCH of steelhead upriver into the stretches we like to fish from Lewiston all the way down below Junction City. Since then, the flows have dropped to 500 cfs. It has fished awesome on the drop. Yesterday there were a pile of fish around, and they were pretty good biters. Nymphing small egg patterns, or the classic Trinity flies like rubberlegs or copper johns have all been safe bets. These early adult fish have averaged 22-25” with some 28” + monsters getting hooked. These early fish are some of the hottest steelhead you’ll ever encounter. Over the next few weeks these early steelhead should be a great option.

Upper Sac

We haven’t fished the Upper Sac much recently because of the warmer water and hot outside temps making it strictly an early morning / late evening bite. That being said, there are still plenty of bites to be had on the little Weiss nymph initiating a Baetis in the early mornings before it gets hot outside and the sun hits the water. We have also heard that the carpenter ant patterns have been producing some action. The McCloud is simply a better full day option right now. As weather cools later into September, the Upper Sac will become a better option again.

Feather River

We are entering prime season for the Feather. There have been some really fresh early valley steelhead already starting to push in, in addition to the resident fish always present. There have also been lots of early fall salmon in the system, which has begun the egg bite on the Feather. In recent years the Feather has been a fish factory. The next three months should be an awesome time to be on this valley stream, which for many folks does not take nearly as long to drive to as other further north options.

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March Madness in the North State

By Matt Formento • March 9, 2026

It’s March Madness time - basketball lovers and trout fishermen unite in a love for this month. March marks the beginning of spring, and the beginning of spring bug hatches that wake up nearly every trout in the North State from their winter sluggishness. It’s time to string up those 5 and 6wts. As the weather warms, the first streams to really “wake up” are the Central Valley streams, because that’s where it gets warm first. The Lower Sac and Feather River often have trout / steelhead fishing in the month of March that can rival or beat the madness of fall. The reason being, is that as temps rise significantly, the PMDs really start to hatch. Caddis, other mayflies, and even some stoneflies will begin kicking around in March, but on the Lower Sac it is usually the PMDs that take center stage. With this abundance of food on the Lower Sac, the trout tend to be willing to expend more energy to feed, and become far more accessible for the fly angler. This means they are out looking for food, rather than just taking the food that drifts by them. These same trout have received very little pressure all winter from anglers, and are thus less “educated” and more bold about how they take a fly, and less picky on the more popular patterns they will have seen plenty of by the time the month of June rolls around. On the Lower Sac, March is the last chance to fish the famous upriver stretch from the Posse Grounds down to Highway 44. While there is plenty of epic water below highway 44, this upriver stretch is known for plenty of big aggressive fish, and March is the last chance to fish it before it closes on April 1st. On the Feather River, March typically marks the beginning of more elevated spring flow releases in the “low-flow” stretch of the Feather River. This can make for some of the most epic fishing of the year on the Feather, and those who have experienced it will attest to just how hot and heavy the fishing can be for the Feather’s feisty Valley Steelhead due to these elevated flows. March also marks the beginning one of the better chances for dry-fly fishing on the Lower Sac. Although still rare, when the stars align on a cloudy day in March during the first strong PMD hatches, you might just find some mega-sized trout softly sipping PMDs in the shallow and undisturbed current edges, flats, or soft riffles. Another fishery which is often overlooked in March is the Trinity River. March is hands down the best month to throw single dry flies on the Trinity. March Brown Mayflies are hatching strong on the Trinity, and feeding one of the Trinity’s wild winter steelhead, or large resident browns on a single dry fly is an experience like no other. There are typically plenty of “half-pounders” mixed in during this time as well, so action is consistent. Right now, all of this is on the table. All of these great options for epic fishing are part of what makes up the madness of fly fishing Nor Cal in the month of March.

Preparing for the Spring Transition in Nor Cal

By Matt Formento • February 23, 2026

A keen angler is focused on the present moment, but also keeps in mind what’s ahead so that they are ready when the time comes. Don’t get caught with your waders down. Right now, steelhead are swimming heavy through our brains, and for good reason. We have at least a month and a half, maybe even two months of prime steelheading left in Nor Cal. Often, the last part of steelhead season is the best part. Fewer people out targeting them, warming temperatures turning on the bite, and both inward and outward migrating fish in the systems. Looking ahead, we know that the transition from winter fishing to spring fishing will happen sometime in March, and when it does, an angler should be ready. It happens fast. Typically, these first few weeks of spring fishing ushered in by the warming weather will trigger some of the best fishing of the entire spring. The portion of the trout population that are relatively dormant in the winter come alive and start feeding ferociously at the first sign of a good Caddis, PMD, or BWO hatch. They haven’t been pressured, and they are hungry. The month of March can mean fishing on the Lower Sac that rivals the fury of the egg-drop in October. While there is always a small chance of rain showers in March, usually the weather is nice, and either way the fishing is usually great as soon as the temperature warms up just a little bit. On the Upper Sac, March also marks the beginning of some angler’s favorite season on this river. We see great numbers of large lake-run rainbows enter the lower portion of the river from lake Shasta in March, some of which can rival the punch of a coastal steelhead. They are aggressive, opportunistic, and hands down the best fighting fish you will find in this river. The transition from winter to spring also often creates a small window of ideal flows on this river, where snowmelt from Mt. Shasta has yet to begin in full force, and the rains of winter have subsided. Other great spring opportunities abound in March, and sometimes anglers miss out on weeks of good fishing with no crowds if they are not prepared for when spring begins. The Feather River, Lake Shasta, and McCloud River should also be on an angler’s radar in March in addition to the Lower and Upper Sacramento. April and May are when spring fishing is in full swing on nearly every body of water in Nor Cal and is by all means a fantastic time to go fishing. However, if you like taking advantage of every good opportunity, the winter / spring transition time in March should not be overlooked. Usually water levels are ideal, fish are unpressured, and memories are made. In the fly box, having PMDs, BWOs, and small dark colored Caddis are the key to being ready for these early spring hatches. If the stars align, you might even see some pretty epic dry fly action.

February Fishing Report

By Matt Formento • February 9, 2026

Fishing Report 2/9

Winter Steelhead

By Matt Formento • December 27, 2025

Winter Steelhead "The Pinnacle" of freshwater Fly Fishing

December Fishing Report

By Matt Formento • December 12, 2025

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No crowds and epic fishing. Winter steelhead are showing up in good numbers, and the stable weather over the past two weeks has produced some epic trout fishing on the Lower Sac. The main focus lately has been on Lower Sac trout and Trinity Steelhead. Rain on the extended forecast means more of this, as well as an increase in steelhead numbers on all rivers!