The Best Early Spring Fly Fishing Options in Northern California

Top 3 Early Spring Fishing Venues - the Best Fly Fishing Options in Northern California

With flows dropping on the Lower Sac and many good options on the horizon, it's time to dust off your gear because early spring fishing season is here. Here are our top three early spring fishing venues we get excited for each year as warmer weather approaches.

Lower Sac

The Lower Sac may be a year-round favorite for many of us, but there are some notable highlights to fishing the big river in early spring. In early spring, especially the first few weeks, the trout typically become far more aggressive and opportunistic feeders than they were during the winter months. The warmer weather usually brings on our first major hatches of PMDs and small darker colored Caddis. In winter, the feeding windows shorten and some of the trout grow dormant, meaning you have to land a nymph precisely in front of their nose to make them eat. As the first warm weather starts to appear, the fish who haven’t had much to eat for the past few months will begin heavily feeding, anticipating their spawn later in the spring. In addition, the fishing pressure in winter is almost non-existent so you will find these unpressured fish more easily fooled in the more popular areas up in town.

Feather River Steelhead

The past week of Feather River Steelhead fishing has been remarkable. The Feather is an excellent option in early spring, often due to its regulated flows keeping us fishing when other places are blown out. Historically, March is a great month to be on the Feather River. There is a mix of fresh spring run valley steelhead and holdover steelhead from the previous fall, which results in some really big number days at times. Crowds on the Feather in March are also typically much much lower than you would see in the fall. It’s not known as a river of solitude, but there are times during early spring where you will find yourself with far less other anglers.

Coastal Steelhead

Through late February and most of March our Coastal steelhead rivers are still a great option if conditions allow. Fishing the coastal rivers is a game of being at the right place at the right time.These fish are still very challenging to catch, and equally as rewarding. Chasing chrome steelhead in an ancient redwood forest is an experience like no other. These rivers are susceptible to blowing out, but when they are in shape, there are usually fish to be had well into the month of March. Our primary coastal steelhead venue in California is the Eel River.

Other Spring Fishing Notes

Lake Shasta Bass

As the temperature warms in early spring, those who like catching a TON of fish should be thinking about Lake Shasta Bass fishing. As the Bass go on the pre-spawn bite, anglers typically can catch these hard fighters all day until their forearms are sore. This is a great option as well for taking kids fishing as there is usually lots of action.

Trinity River

Another early spring fishing venue we love is the Trinity River. As of this writing, the Trinity is still at 3500 cfs and we don’t know when these releases from Lewiston will slow down. This is unusual for the Trinity this early in the spring. Typically we would see more normal flows into the month of March providing great fishing opportunities on the Trinity.

More Photos

< Older Post

Newer Post >

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!