Location Details
Fly Fishing California: Guides, Rivers, Seasons and Tips
Where to fish, when to go, the rules to know and who to fish with, from the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast.
Location Details / California
California fly fishing centres on three regions: the Lower Sacramento, McCloud, Hat Creek and Fall River around Redding; the Truckee River below Lake Tahoe; and Hot Creek and the Owens River in the Eastern Sierra. Anglers 16 and older need a license, and many of the best waters are catch and release with barbless hooks.
California packs a big tailwater below Shasta Dam, technical spring-fed rivers in the Fall River Valley, a freestone out of Lake Tahoe, an Eastern Sierra spring creek and, off San Diego, mako sharks that eat a popper. Rules change section by section. This page maps where to fish, when each water is open and what our podcast guests said about it.
Our California story starts with a drift boat. Hunter Derrek, then a high school senior near Chico and Orland, told the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast on the episode published March 3, 2020 that his home water was the Sacramento River outside Hamilton City for stripers, with trips up to Redding for big wild rainbows. Meat Market Flies, the streamer company he runs with family and friends, began after the crew watched two anglers in a drift boat double up on the Sac in water they could not wade to. They sold streamers to pay for one, took more than 200 orders in their first year, and bought a drift boat and a jet boat. The lesson for visitors: on the Lower Sac, a boat reaches water that waders cannot.
Top species
Wild rainbow and brown trout, steelhead, striped bass, golden trout, mako sharks offshore
Best months
Spring and fall for most trout water; August through March on the Lower Sacramento below Keswick; June through August for San Diego makos
Top waters
Lower Sacramento River, McCloud River, Hat Creek, Fall River, Truckee River, Hot Creek and the Owens River
License and regs
California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations; anyone 16 or older needs a license
Nearest airports
Redding (RDD), Sacramento (SMF), Reno-Tahoe (RNO) for the Truckee, Bishop (BIH) for the Eastern Sierra, San Diego (SAN)
Rule to know
The Lower Sacramento from 650 feet below Keswick Dam to the Highway 44 bridge is closed April 1 through July 31
Where to Fly Fish in California
Lower Sacramento River
The Lower Sac is the tailwater below Keswick Dam through Redding. The first 650 feet below the dam are closed. From there to the Highway 44 bridge it is closed April 1 through July 31 and open the rest of the year, barbless hooks only; from Highway 44 to the Deschutes Road bridge it is open all year, barbless. Only adipose-clipped hatchery trout or steelhead may be kept, two a day, plus up to five brown trout; wild rainbows go back.
McCloud River
The McCloud flows south into Shasta Lake. From McCloud Dam to Ladybug Creek it is artificial lures only, with a two-trout limit from the Saturday before Memorial Day through September 30 and catch and release, barbless, the rest of the year. From Ladybug Creek to Shasta Lake it is catch and release, lures only, barbless, all year. The Nature Conservancy's preserve on the river has its own access rules, covered in the questions below.
Hat Creek and the Fall River
Jim Bartschi, president of Scott Fly Rods, told the podcast in March 2021 that Scott's first nine-foot four-weight let anglers fish long, light leaders on Hat Creek and the Fall River. Hat Creek from Lake Britton upstream to Baum Lake is catch and release, artificial lures, barbless hooks, all year. The Fall River, from the Pit River up to Thousand Springs, has the same rule. Landowners began closing the Fall River to the public in the early 1950s, according to the Fall River Conservancy, so sort out access first.
Truckee River
The Truckee drains Lake Tahoe and runs east into Nevada. The first 1,000 feet below the outlet dam are closed. From Trout Creek to Prosser Creek it is flies only, barbless, catch and release, all year. From Prosser Creek to the Nevada line it is artificial lures with a two-trout limit from the last Saturday in April through November 15, then catch and release, barbless, over the winter.
Eastern Sierra: Hot Creek and the Owens River
Hot Creek, from the state hatchery boundary to the Owens River, is flies only, barbless, catch and release, all year. Conway Bowman told the podcast it is a very technical, slow, classic spring creek. The Upper Owens above the Benton Bridge road crossing is catch and release, barbless, all year; below it to Crowley Lake the season opens the last Saturday in April, with lures only and an 18-inch minimum from August 1 through November 15.
Also worth the drive
- Kern River: the upper basin is a stronghold for California golden trout. Read our Best Dry Fly Fishing in North America.
- Smith and Klamath-Trinity rivers: North Coast steelhead and salmon water; report cards required.
- Offshore San Diego: mako sharks on poppers within about two miles of the beach, Conway Bowman says.
When to Go Fly Fishing in California
Hat Creek, the Fall River, Hot Creek and the Truckee above Prosser Creek are open every month; the Lower Sac above Highway 44 closes April through July; Crowley Lake opens the last Saturday in April. Treat this table as general guidance built from California Department of Fish and Wildlife season dates and our guests' accounts, not a fishing report.
| Target | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Sacramento (Keswick to Hwy 44) | ||||||||||||
| Hat Creek and Fall River | ||||||||||||
| Truckee River | ||||||||||||
| Hot Creek and Upper Owens | ||||||||||||
| San Diego makos |
Intensity:LightModerateHeavy
Blank cells mean closed or not worth planning around. The mako row follows Conway Bowman's season: May start, June to August peak, a September dip, then October and November. Check rules the week you travel.
Book a Local Pro in California
Guide or lodge in California? Get listed. No FFIP Certified guide, lodge or outfitter is in California yet. Put your service in front of the anglers planning trips here.
Market Your ServicesBrowse every FFIP Certified pro in the guides and lodges directory.
Custom Flies and Rods from California
Independent California fly tyers who sell direct through their own sites:
- 395 Fly Co
- Sierra Trout Flies, Mammoth Lakes
- Deadeye Fly Co.
- Campbell Fly Company, San Diego
- Monroe Fly Fishing
- Ty's Flies, Laton
- Delta Bass Bugs
- Jefé on the Fly, Sacramento
California fly rod builders with their own sites:
- R.K. Bolt Rod Co., Walnut Creek
- Mario Wojnicki Handcrafted Fly Rods, Richmond
- High Sierra Rod Company, Angels Camp
- L. Kenney Fly Rods, San Rafael
- Palmborg Split Cane Rods, Emeryville: split cane rods.
- Alpenglow Fly Rods
- James Reams Bamboo Fly Rods, Fall River Mills: bamboo rods.
California Tips from Podcast Guests
-
Start managing your drift the instant the flies land
On the Lower Sac, controlled slack right after touchdown makes the drift.
Pat Dorsey, South Platte tailwater guide, on Guided EP #22 -
Read where a trout's mouth breaks the surface
On Hat Creek and the Fall River, the rise form tells you how deep fish feed.
Jan Axtell, Livingston, Montana spring creek guide -
Let the sinking line settle, then fish a foam fly above it
A buoyant fly over a sunk line stays where cruising lake trout look.
Arlo Townsend, Truckee River and Pyramid Lake guide, on Guided EP #14 -
Match fly size and sink rate to water temperature
Cold North Coast steelhead water calls for a bigger, heavier fly.
Brian Silvey, Pacific Northwest steelhead guide, on Episode 89 -
Get involved with conservation groups instead of writing off a declining fishery
Bartschi grew up chasing West Coast steelhead from the Bay Area.
Jim Bartschi, president of Scott Fly Rods, on Episode 108
Want more? Browse the Fly Fishing Tips Library.
Hear California on the Podcast
Episode 56: Hunter Derrek of Meat Market Flies: a streamer company born on the Sacramento River and its Pig Sticker pattern. Listen to the audio episode or read the episode notes.
Guided EP #1: Conway Bowman on mako sharks: poppers for makos off San Diego and his steel-leader rig. Listen to the audio episode or read the episode notes.
Also worth a listen: Jim Bartschi on Scott Fly Rods, founded in San Francisco, and Reno guide Arlo Townsend on the Truckee River and Pyramid Lake.
Shop the Water: Flies and Gear for California
Dries and caddis for Hat Creek and the Fall River, nymphs and midges for the Lower Sac and Crowley Lake, streamers for big rainbows and stripers. Everything below is in stock in the FFIP shop.
Pale Morning Dun (PMD), Size 14
Hemingway Caddis, Size 14
Goddard Caddis, Size 16
Parachute Adams, Size 16
Double Bead Pheasant Tail, Size 14
Olive Zebra Midge, Size 16
Rainbow Warrior Midge Assortment
Mini Sex Dungeon Streamer, Olive
Circus Peanut Envy, Olive/White
Clouser Deep Minnow, Black (Stripers)
theDRIFTER Furled Dry Fly Leader
Brookie Net
California Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
How much is a California fishing license?
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists 2026 fees of $64.54 for a resident annual license, valid 365 days from purchase, and $174.14 for a nonresident annual license. A one-day license is $21.09, a two-day $32.40 and a ten-day nonresident $64.54. A Steelhead Report Card adds $10.29. Anyone 16 or older needs a license.
When is the best time to fly fish California?
Spring and fall suit most California trout water, and the state fishes all year if you choose the river. Hat Creek, the Fall River and Hot Creek are open every month. The Lower Sacramento above the Highway 44 bridge reopens August 1 after its closure, and San Diego mako season peaks June through August.
Is Hot Creek catch and release?
Yes. Hot Creek in Mono County, from the state hatchery boundary down to the Owens River, is open all year to artificial flies only with barbless hooks, and the limit is zero trout. Conway Bowman described it on the podcast as a very technical, slow-moving spring creek, so expect selective fish.
Do you need a reservation to fish the McCloud River preserve?
Partly. The Nature Conservancy's McCloud preserve allows 10 anglers at a time from the last Saturday in April through November 15. Five tags can be reserved online, with booking opening February 1; the other five are first come, first served. Fishing is catch and release with single barbless hooks, and every angler signs in at the kiosk.
Lower Sacramento or Hat Creek: which should you fish first?
Fish the Lower Sacramento first for big wild rainbows from a drift boat, and Hat Creek for technical dry fly water you can wade. Both are within reach of Redding, so one trip can cover both. Check dates: the Lower Sac above the Highway 44 bridge is closed April through July, while Hat Creek's catch and release section is open all year.
Book the season you actually want
The best weeks go first, and the difference between a good trip and a great one is usually timing. Tell us the season you want and we'll find the water that fishes then.
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Tight lines, everyone!
By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed October 2026.
Prices, availability, flight routing and entry requirements change. Every figure on this page is the starting rate published by the lodge or by Frontiers International Travel at the time of writing, per angler, and is a starting point for a quote, not a quote. Seasons, lodge capacity, charter schedules, visa and passport rules and license requirements can all change without notice. Confirm current pricing, availability and entry requirements with your Frontiers specialist before you book anything.