So, the weather is all over the place…imagine that it is spring in Nor-Cal. Brings me back to days when we actually had a spring. 80 degrees and gorgeous to 55 cold and rainy in the span of 48 hours. Makes for interesting fishing this really optimistic attitude for May through September to be honest. Last year about this time weather was gorgeous, and had been for a month or so, fishing was amazing but I was feeling this incredible sense of dread for what was to come in June-September with the impending drought…It was hard to revel in the great fishing and weather when I know what the price was going to be. This year I have a totally different attitude. Here is some reports but keep in mind they could change any day…I will be on the water a bit over the next week or two so if something totally changes stay tuned.

Lower Sacramento River – Trout fishing has been good to really good…just depends on the day and weather. I have not been up trout fishing much, but everyone I talked to has been doing really good. On over cast days fish are eating the bigger rubber legs and eggs, on warmer sunnier days fish are keying on March brown nymphs, caddis, and PMD’s…Best fishing is from about 9am to 2pm. From Hwy 44 above is closed and be cautious of trout spawning areas as most of the trout are getting up on reds to make babies!

Lower Yuba River – Flows are back up to around 4000cfs and I have not heard any good reports. I had a trip or two over there recently that I moved to the feather and Lower Sac. I have done really well in previous years when the flows get down to about 3500-3000cfs, but the one time I rolled the dice and went over the last few weeks we struggled to get fish. I have no idea where the fish are or what is going to happen to the Yuba…I hope for good things but it may be a tough summer as fish get reacquainted and adjusted. Even when I was out there and the flows were around 4000cfs there were hatches of bugs and bug life seemed to be decent. Just need to find the fish and where they are holed up.

Lower Feather Spring Steelhead – Flows on the feather are back down to around 750cfs in the low flow and about 1000cfs in the high flow. There is a good amount of spring steelhead, both half pounders and adults up in the river…spread out throughout the low flow and high flow. Nymphing and swinging flies is catching about the same amount of fish to be totally honest so what ever you enjoy do I would say do…nymphing with egg patterns and attractor nymphs like princes, PT’s and such is catching fish. Swinging with small bait fish patterns and attractor nymphs is catching fish.

Warm Water Fishing on Rivers,Lakes, and Puddles – Bass and stripers are turning on in the lower sac outside of chico, clarity is fair to good. Fish are most active on warmer days. On warmer days carp are up sunning themselves and one can endlessly frustrate themselves trying to entice one…On most foothill lakes the spots, large and smallmouth bass are getting going from talking to some of my buddies that fish Englebright, Scotts Flat, Bullards, etc. As soon as we get some stable 75-80 degree weather the bass fishing on many of these lakes is going to go off!