Feather River Fishing Report

Report Updated March 8, 2010

Slow steelies, stripers still hanging around

The stripers that ran up towards Marysville chasing steelhead smolts a couple weeks back are still hanging around the Shanghai Bend area but the water conditions have been variable with the rain lately. Some days, the river looks good and then others it can be a little muddy.

Our man on the creek, Craig Bentley, gives us the scoop from upriver :

The Feather ’s just fair at best for steelhead this week with only one fish reported being caught. Last week’s rains greened up the water and dropped the visibility back down to 2 to 3 foot which should have made the fish turn on, however lack of numbers has the fishermen turned off, with little angler interest lately. Only the diehards are hooking a few small steelhead. There have been a few anglers and driftboats on the low flow, but no reports on how they did.

Sal Alaimo said he caught a nice three pound steelhead on eggs near the hatchery, but was dismayed at the careless anglers spooking salmon off of their beds and then trampling around in the redds.

“Some one should say something about that,” said Alaimo.

So here it is Sal…

One step in an active nest can kill a thousand fertile eggs. PLEASE stay out of the areas where salmon are actively spawning and don’t wade there! The kings need all the help they can get and we as anglers have to be assertive in our actions if we want to see them here for future generations.

Trusted Guides

JD Richey Sportfishing

Current & Forecasted Flow

Take a closer look…this slick graph shows you current river flow, height and projected flows, which will help you plan upcoming trips. Keep in mind steelhead and salmon fishing is best as a river is on the drop — and typically tough when a stream’s on the rise.

Current Weather

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar

Feather River Map

View Larger Map

About the Feather River

After flowing out of the base of Oroville Dam, the lower Feather River twists and winds its way approximately 50 miles from the town of Oroville to its confluence with the Sacramento River at Verona.

Throughout the year, the river sees runs of striped bass and American shad in the spring, along with fall and spring-run steelhead and sturgeon (mainly in high water years). Prolific king salmon runs, however, really put the Feather on the map and though currently in a down cycle, the river is home to both spring and fall-runs. There’s also a sneaky population of smallmouth bass that’s almost completely ignored by anglers. The fish don’t get huge, but there are lots of ‘em.

Catching Feather Smallies
One Strange Day on the Feather
Basic Shad Techniques