Feather River Fishing Report

Report Updated Aug. 30, 2010

SALMON SEASON CLOSES ON A HIGH NOTE

Salmon fishing is now finished for the year in the Feather. It was a weird 1-month affair that opened with much fanfare and poor fishing on July 31. For the next few weeks, the action was very tough (and the grass was brutal) in the Gridley to the Oroville Wildlife Area stretch, but the folks who fished on anchor near Yuba City below the mouth of the Yuba found a scratch bite.

That’s pretty much how it went all season, with a few spikes in action here and there near Yuba City and generally slow fishing above Gridley. With good high flows and 63 degree water the last 10 days of the season, the gang fishing up top finally started getting some nice days in over the final week and some boats checked in with scores of 3-6 kings. It was a short lived deal, but at least a few guys got a little taste of what the Feather used to be like.

The good positive news is the Outlet (closed to fishing this year!) is loaded with salmon and the Low Flow section of the river is also stuffed with them all the way up to the Hatchery, so maybe just maybe we are seeing a turnaround in the fishery here!

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

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Feather River Map

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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