Fishing Season: Year Round

Feather River - CA

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

61

Joe Garza's Tip of the Week

If you find an open pocket behind a pod of salmon, take the opportunity to make a few drifts through. Use tan Caddis (#14) and egg patterns (#12). If you do hook a Steelhead, try to end the fight quickly, as the salmon are super aggressive and will chase your fish.

Directions open in app

Map of Feather River

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

J.A.G. Fly Fishing

5-Day Outlook as of 9/10/26

It's not quite time to put those swing rods away just yet. Steelhead have started showing up. However, getting a good drift to them between the salmon is challenging. Plus when you do end up hooking a Steelhead the salmon attack it. We are still a few weeks out for targeting Fall Steelhead.

Techniques & Tips as of 9/10/26

Spey/Switch, Single Hand Swing, Tight Line/High Stick Nymphing, Indicator Nymphing, Dry Fly.

Local Species Available Year Round

  • Fish Icon

    Steelhead

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    Striper

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    Salmon

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    Shad

Joe Garza's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Shaky Worm Red 12
Hickey’s Tungsten Bead Auto Emerger N/A 18
Higa’s S.O.S. Olive, Black 18
Meg A Egg Sucking Leech Pink, Orange 8
Vitso's Psycho Spawn Chartreuse, Pink 14
Prince Nymph N/A 14, 16
Fox Poopah Cinnamon 12, 14
E.C. Caddis Tan, Olive 12, 14
Hale Bopp Leech Olive, Black 8
Sac Fry N/A 12, 14

Shaky Worm

This trout fishing worm pattern will make you a believer.

3.99

Item #0K7T

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Joe Garza's Recommended Gear

Description: About Feather River

This tailwater fishery flows out of Oroville Dam, the tallest earthen dam in the country. The river is best known for its Steelhead and Salmon fishing. Holding both hatchery and wild Steelhead/Salmon, there are also opportunities for Striped Bass or Shad during certain times of the year. Just below the dam, water is diverted to the Forebay and Thermalito Afterbay for water storage, hydro-electric power, and flood control for the local area. This causes the Lower Feather River to be broken into two different sections, known as the low-flow area and the high-flow area. The low flow starts at the Feather River hatchery and ends approximately 5.5 miles downstream at the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet. The high flow starts at the Afterbay outlet and ends approximately 8.5 miles downstream at the Gridley boat launch. With 14 miles of river to fish, there are many options for both drift boat trips and walk and wade trips. The Lower Feather River offers a variety of methods to search for hard-fighting steelhead throughout the year. Those methods include indicator nymphing, tight line/high stick nymphing, single hand swing, and spey/switch. The best times to fish for Steelhead on the Lower Feather River is during the Fall run (September through December), and the Spring run (February through May).

Nearest Airport:

Sacramento International Airport

Hatches:

Leech's, Caddis, Chironomids, PMD's, Worms, Baetis, Little Yellow Stones, Micro Spawn.

Best Time to Fish:

6am to 10am

Best Stretch:

High Flow

Best Access:

Hell Hole