Fly Fishing near Grass Valley/Nevada City, California

The towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City in the heart of California Gold Country offer lots to do for outdoor enthusiasts. The down town areas have a Victorian gold rush feel with quaint shops, boutique clothing stores, coffee shops, wine tasting and breweries. Outdoor lovers enjoy hiking, paddling, rafting, and fly fishing for a variety of fish including, rainbows, browns, steelhead, striper, shad. Options include guided trips on the Lower Yuba, Feather and Truckee Rivers.

No prior experience or personal gear is required. If you will be in the area on business or pleasure and would like to add some exceptional fly fishing to your plans, were here to help!

Fly Fishing on the Yuba

The Yuba River Just a few minutes down the hill from Nevada City and Grass Valley offers something for beginning fly fishers and seasoned anglers alike. It is a fantastic fishery with enough healthy wild fish to keep the attention of even the most jaded fly fishers. Not only are there great dry fly opportunities for die hard anglers we also can also employ nymphing techniques that make catching fish on this river very doable even if this is your first time out. Our guides are incredibly knowledgeable and patient. They will assist you in learning the necessary tips and techniques that will give you success on your trip. Additionally along with great memories these skills will be of value wherever your next trip takes you.

Experienced anglers and dry fly "purists" will enjoy the challenge of hooking and landing the Yuba's hard fighting rainbows using dries. It is exhilarating to see a fish come to the surface and engulf your fly! There is nothing else quite like it.

We are permitted to access the Yuba River via drift boat above the highway 20 bridge. This limited access has reduced traffic on the river and greatly improved the fishing and overall experience of our guests.

in Addition to trout fishing, we also have access below Daguerre dam to float or provide jet boat trips for Shad and Striper! Avoid the frustration of not catching fish by booking and reserve a trip with us! Don’t miss out! Check out the information below then reach out!

The Seasons

January-April

Starting in January there can be opportunities to fish dries on the Yuba. Blue wing olives hatch on overcast and sunny days alike but seem to prefer overcast ones. Starting in late January and into February Skwala Stone flies begin their annual migration from the gravel bottom to the shore. Fish eat the nymphs year round, however usually by February they begin to target the adults as they float along. The Skwala hatch is our favorite time of the year to be on the Yuba. Right behind them come March Browns mid March through April. Throw in sporadic hatches of Caddis, PMD’s and Baetis and the Yuba’s notoriously hard fighting bows and you have potential for some exciting fishing action. As long as we get a few days of respite from winter rains, the river can be one of the best options for mid winter fly fishing!

May-June

Early Summer can offer good fishing dependent on good stream flows and hatches. Traditionally Pale Morning Duns and Pale Evening Duns are seen early and late in the day. This is interspersed Stoneflies and some occasional evening Caddis action to keep things interesting. Shad begin showing up in the lower Yuba during this time as well and both species can be caught throughout the course of a day.

July-August 

PMD's continue to be an item of interest for the trout and Caddis come into the picture. However, late Summer is Hopper season on the Yuba. At this time of the year anglers pound the seams and runs with grass hopper patterns. A "Hopper Dropper Rig" can be very productive and fish are often caught on both offerings. Shad also show up at this time and combo this with the potential for catching some hefty striper on streamers and you get some pretty diverse and exciting angling possibilities. The prime summer dates fill up quickly so book early.

September-December

Fall offers great opportunities for Steelhead as well as trout on the Yuba. They follow Salmon to the spawning areas and can be found below reds gorging on Salmon eggs. We partially switch gears away from dry fly fishing this time of year to take advantage of the the "egg hatch". Fall is when some of our larger fish are caught. 

Yuba River Fly Fishing Guide Rates

Drift boat Trips - Consist of 8 hours of guided fishing and instruction with lunch and drinks provided - $625 (1 or 2 anglers)

Walk and wade trips - Walk and wade trips are available - $625

Half day walk and wade trips are also available upon request - $485

Guided fly fishing trips with Off the Hook endorsed guides include rods, reels, bottled water, terminal tackle and flies! In addition we offer a limited supply of boots and waders available at no additional cost!

Note: California fishing license, Steelhead report card, transportation and Gratuity not included.

Exciting trout fishing on the Lower Yuba awaits! Call Now (707) 287-2939 for up to date fishing reports, current river conditions and information on experiencing enjoyable and memorable fly fishing for yourself. Dates fill up quickly for many of highly sought after guides so don't delay. You may also fill out our Online Trip Request Form. 

Striper or Morone Saxatilis are a migratory species which spend most of their lives in the salt before returning to fresh water rivers to spawn in the spring. They work their way under the Golden gate Bridge up through the San Joaquin River Delta and into the Yuba. As opportunists and ambush predators they are more than happy to pounce on smaller baitfish that happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Subsequently they will also waylay a well positioned fly. We target them on the Yuba from May through the summer. They can add some additional excitement to a lower Yuba float or jet boat trip and add up to some pretty staggering fish numbers for our guests.

Another yearly favorite which has developed a fervent following is the Alosa sapidisima or American Shad. Also referred to as the "poor mans Tarpon" because of their tendency to jump when hooked they along with the silver king are both members of the Herring family of fishes. An anadromous species, they spend a bit of time out in the salty Pacific before migrating back to propagate in fresh water. They tend to pod up into schools and at the height of the run can be seen as clouds in many areas in the river. Shad will readily take a myriad of gaudy colored small flies and are a lot of fun on a single or two handed rod. Swing a fly through a school of shad and you are going to get hit! What’s more during the height of the run 50 to 60 or even 100 shad are possible. 

The Yuba really does provide some amazing opportunities for anglers here in Northern California!

Jet boat trips - We offer full and half day jet boat trips on the Lower Yuba below Daguerre Dam for striper, shad and trout.
Full Day - $650
Half day - $485

Directions to the Yuba

Most of our Yuba River trips begin with you meeting your guide at the Brown’s Valley Mini Mart and Gas Station. It is located at 5003 state Highway 20 in Browns Valley California. You will find it at the corner of Brown’s Valley Road and Highway 20, 12 miles East or Marysville. 

From the San Francisco Bay area head East on Highway 80 towards Sacramento. In Sacramento take I-5 North for just over 3 miles. Take Highway 99 north to the 70 split. Continue North on Highway 70 to Yuba City. In Yuba city look for Highway 20 East. Take this to Browns Valley Mini Mart and Gas Station.

From the North take Highway 99 South to Marysville. Take Highway 20 East Through Yuba City. Continue east to Browns Valley Mini Mart and Gas Station. 

Your exciting Lower Yuba River fly fishing adventure awaits! Call Now (707) 287-2939 for up to date fishing reports, current river conditions and information on experiencing enjoyable and memorable fly fishing for yourself. Dates fill up quickly for many of highly sought after guides so don't delay. You may also fill out our Online Trip Request Form. 

Booking your fly fishing trip near Roseville California

To make a reservation, please give us a call at (707) 287-2939.