Northern California Fly Fishing Report February 18, 2023
February’s quickly sliding toward March, so expect exciting Spring fishing to turn on soon. Let’s take a look at the past month and then jump into what’s coming up!
Best bets; Lower Sacramento River or Lake Almanor trout, Oroville - Bass or Pyramid Lake - Cutthroat!
Body of Water: Lake Almanor
Rating : Good
Flows : Lake Level Slowly Rising
Water Temps : 40°
Water clarity : 5'-8'
Weather has been unbelievably nice. Fishing pressure has been moderate with A few more fisherman on the the weekends. Everything seems to be on the menu for the Trout. Smelt, Chironomid's, Damsels and Callibaetis seem to be on the top of the menu. Striping Damsels and Callibaetis are a go to at the moment. The Chironomid Larvae are wiggling out the muddy home they have been in all year. So keep the Bobber rod ready to fish.:)
Looking forward: March, April, May. The Chironomid Hatch is just around the corner. The Chironomid Hatch is incredible at Lake Almanor with the possibility of catching over 50 trout in a day averaging 5lbs. With a mix of Rainbows and Browns
Guide Tip : Keep a Versaleader on hand just in case you need to fish a little deeper.
WATER: Delta Striper
RATING: Fair
WATER TEMPS: 50’s and climbing
CLARITY: Good
We’ve enjoyed some unseasonably warm, calm days on the delta this February. Unfortunately, the Spring temps didn’t warm up the fishing, which has been challenging. I anticipate this will change for the better soon. Still, the 10-20 hard hitting stripers we’ve been averaging per day, provide good action and sore arms. Based on last year, I expect to see bigger fish moving into the system soon. Excellent striper fishing in March and May is just around the corner.
Guide tip for Stripers: Type 6 heavy sinking lines paired with Clouser Minnows will get you into good numbers of fish but intermediate/type 3 lines & Clousers in shallow water can lead to bigger fish! This is a quality over quantity option & a fun way to chase Stripers.
WATER: Lake Oroville
RATING: Good to Great
WATER TEMPS: 50’s and climbing
CLARITY: Good
Winter fishing on the lake was outstanding, especially on float-n-fly trips. Clients enjoyed
many 50 fish days, a number which has dipped a bit lately but still remains high. The bass bite’s been best in the early mornings and late afternoons, with chunky fish gorging on Wakasagi Pond Smelt. March will see the start of explosive top water action which lasts throughout the summer.
Guide tip for Lake Oroville: For now focus on shady banks and work leech or minnow patterns 8-12’ down from the indicator.
WATER: Putah Creek
RATING: None
WATER TEMPS:
CLARITY:
We are currently not guiding Putah Creek due to the spawn but will resume guiding it on March 1st. We are currently booking up quickly for March so if you are interested in booking a guided trip on Putah please give us a ring at (707)287-2939
WATER: Lower Sacramento River
RATING: Good to Very Good
WATER TEMPS: 50’s
CLARITY: Poor to Fair
Does the Lower Sac. ever fish poorly? Well, sometimes but not lately. You can find fish of all sizes from top to bottom, although we’ve bumped a few more brutes higher in the system. Spotted Sedge hatches have been prolific at times, with spotty Grannoms popping off too. No surprise that rubberlegs and midges are producing because they usually do. BWO’s are also making an appearance, so a black midge or small mayfly nymph should bring fish to the net. Expect a spring full of hatches and productive days.
WATER: Yuba River
RATING: Good
WATER TEMPS: 50’s
CLARITY: Poor to Fair
The Yuba fished consistently throughout the winter, despite pulsing flows and unpredictable
water clarity. Its famous Skwala hatch started slowly but is now in full swing. We’re also seeing PMD’s, BWO’s and the odd Brown Drake, so bring your dry fly rod. The river always fishes well in the Spring and I expect this year to be no different. The hardest fighting wild rainbows in the state will keep their noses up through the Spring.
WATER: Pyramid Lake Nevada(Yes we know its not in Northern California…but its close enough and its epic!)
RATING: Good - Great
WATER TEMPS: COLD!!!
CLARITY: Average
Fly fishing on Pyramid is in full swing. Good reports are coming in from all over the lake. Both big fish and numbers of fish are being caught right now. Over the next couple months things are only going to improve. We need rain out west and Pyramid is no exception!!! The lake level is down around three feet from last spring. While the lake is not in any danger currently if drying up, the fish have adjusted some to new locations and the old standbys from past years do not always carry over from year to year.
Right now fish are on the chow getting ready to spawn so you cant go wrong no matter what you are throwing. Conditions still are the most important piece of the puzzle, but location also plays a part. The shallower beaches are still not holding many fish except for low light periods. Windy days and cloudy days are the best. These situations are always going to play a part. Size 12-14 midges are catching a lot of fish, especially on calmer days and smaller Woolybuggers and tadpoles’ seem to be working best. Pyramid is a time spent on the water fishery and if you can put in the time, you will eventually get rewarded.
Time to go! or at least time to plan your trip. We have key dates filling fast for this Spring so give us a ring to set your date with the fish of a lifetime!
That’s a rundown of what’s been happening to date and things you can look forward to. There are several upcoming fishing opportunities that we are excited about on their way. The Feather River, Spring steelhead run and our guiding on Putah Creek on March 1st. Check in with us every month for what’s happening here in Northern California. We’ll be adding reports on the Upper Sac., Truckee, McCloud, North Fork Feather, Putah Creek in the weeks ahead.
Thanks for reading the report! If you enjoyed it please don't forget to like and share... If you have any photos or personal reports or stories to contribute please email them to mike@offthehookflyfishing or call Mike at (707)287-2939.
Tight lines everyone!