Fly fishing inCalifornia
From the McCloud to the Lower Sacramento, California offers world-class trout fishing in stunning settings.
California waters
50 rivers, lakes and creeks with fly picks and reports.
Big Sur River
A unique coastal stream offering seasonal steelhead opportunities and resident rainbow trout in a dramatic redwood canyon setting.
Flows, flies & reports→lakeBridgeport Reservoir
A large, high-desert reservoir famous for its trophy Lahontan Cutthroat Trout and robust Brown Trout, offering diverse stillwater fly fishing opportunities.
Flows, flies & reports→riverClear Creek (Shasta County - below Whiskeytown Dam)
A productive tailwater below Whiskeytown Dam, known for its strong runs of winter steelhead and resident rainbow trout.
Flows, flies & reports→lakeConvict Lake
A stunning alpine lake at the base of dramatic mountain peaks, offering both stocked and wild trout fishing, popular for its scenic beauty and accessibility.
Flows, flies & reports→riverEast Fork Carson River
A beautiful freestone river in the eastern Sierra, offering excellent dry fly fishing for wild brown and rainbow trout, especially in its scenic canyon sections.
Flows, flies & reports→riverEast Fork San Gabriel River
A Southern California gem, offering small stream freestone fishing for wild rainbow trout amidst rugged canyon scenery.
Flows, flies & reports→riverEast Walker River
East Walker is a classic Western tailwater flowing through a high-desert canyon into Nevada. It is famous for producing trophy-sized brown trout and having intense hatches.
Flows, flies & reports→spring creekFall River
Fall River is a massive, crystal-clear spring creek flatwater system that must be fished from a boat. It is home to very large, very selective wild rainbows that feed primarily on tiny Trico and PMD mayflies.
Flows, flies & reports→riverFeather River (Low Flow Section below Oroville Dam)
A productive tailwater renowned for its runs of anadromous steelhead and a healthy population of resident rainbow trout.
Flows, flies & reports→spring creekHat Creek
Possibly the most famous spring creek in the West, Hat Creek's lower three miles are a legendary catch-and-release, fly-fishing-only sanctuary. It challenges anglers with its slow, glass-calm water and technical trout.
Flows, flies & reports→lakeHeenan Lake
A unique Lahontan Cutthroat Trout conservation lake, offering limited-access, catch-and-release fly fishing for large, vibrant native cutthroats.
Flows, flies & reports→spring creekHot Creek
Located in the Eastern Sierra, Hot Creek is a small, meandering spring creek known for its high trout density and stunning views of the Sierra Nevada. It offers classic technical dry fly fishing in a lush canyon setting.
Flows, flies & reports→riverKings River (Upper/Middle Forks)
Pristine wilderness freestone sections offering exceptional dry fly fishing for wild rainbow and brown trout in a stunning Sierra Nevada setting.
Flows, flies & reports→lakeLake Almanor
A large, productive lake known for its healthy populations of rainbow trout, brown trout, and king salmon, offering excellent stillwater fly fishing.
Flows, flies & reports→lakeLake Crowley
A large, high-altitude reservoir renowned for its trophy-sized trout, offering diverse stillwater fly fishing from boats, float tubes, or shore.
Flows, flies & reports→creekLee Vining Creek
A picturesque Eastern Sierra freestone creek flowing from Tioga Pass into Mono Lake, offering accessible and enjoyable fly fishing for rainbow and brown trout.
Flows, flies & reports→riverLittle Kern River
A remote, pristine high-Sierra river famed for its native Little Kern Golden Trout, offering a wilderness fly fishing experience for elusive, vibrant fish.
Flows, flies & reports→riverLower American River
Famous tailwater fishery for anadromous steelhead and resident rainbow trout, especially good in winter and spring.
Flows, flies & reports→riverLower Owens River
A classic Eastern Sierra tailwater famous for its large wild brown and rainbow trout, offering technical nymphing and streamer fishing.
Flows, flies & reports→riverLower Sacramento River
The Lower Sacramento is a massive, productive tailwater that stays cold year-round, supporting a huge population of wild rainbow trout. It is best fished from a drift boat to cover its long, broad runs effectively.
Flows, flies & reports→riverLower Stanislaus River
A productive tailwater fishery below New Melones Dam, offering year-round fly fishing for robust rainbow and brown trout, with strong hatches in spring and fall.
Flows, flies & reports→riverLower Yuba River
A celebrated tailwater fishery known for its healthy population of wild rainbow trout and a significant winter steelhead run, offering year-round fly fishing.
Flows, flies & reports→riverMcCloud River
A legendary freestone river, home to the famous McCloud River Redband Trout, offering stunning scenery and challenging dry fly and nymph fishing.
Flows, flies & reports→riverMerced River (Yosemite Section)
A stunning freestone river flowing through Yosemite Valley, offering a unique wilderness fly fishing experience for rainbow and brown trout amidst iconic scenery.
Flows, flies & reports→riverMiddle Fork American River
A wild and scenic freestone river flowing through a deep canyon, offering excellent wilderness fly fishing for abundant wild rainbow and brown trout.
Flows, flies & reports→riverMiddle Fork Feather River
A designated Wild and Scenic River offering a remote and rugged freestone fly fishing experience for wild rainbow and brown trout in northern California.
Flows, flies & reports→creekMill Creek (Lassen National Forest)
A picturesque freestone creek flowing from Lassen Volcanic National Park, offering wild trout fishing in a pristine, often overlooked northern California setting.
Flows, flies & reports→riverNorth Fork Feather River
Flowing from Lake Almanor to the Sacramento River, the North Fork Feather is famous for its 'Stairway of Power' and high-density trout populations. High-sticking nymphs and dry-fly fishing are productive here.
Flows, flies & reports→riverNorth Fork Stanislaus River
A beautiful high-country freestone river offering classic Sierra fly fishing for wild rainbow and brown trout in a scenic canyon.
Flows, flies & reports→riverOwens River Gorge
A deep, rugged canyon holding a wild brown trout fishery, known for challenging access and rewarding technical nymphing in a dramatic landscape.
Flows, flies & reports→creekPigeon Creek (June Lake Loop)
A small, intimate spring creek on the June Lake Loop, offering technical dry fly fishing for often selective wild and stocked trout.
Flows, flies & reports→creekPine Creek (Owens Valley)
A small, technical freestone creek high in the eastern Sierra, known for its wild brown trout and challenging, rewarding fly fishing in a stunning canyon.
Flows, flies & reports→riverPit River (Sections 3, 4, 5)
A series of rugged tailwater sections below dams, known for powerful currents, slick rocks, and large, hard-fighting rainbow and brown trout. Not for the faint of heart.
Flows, flies & reports→lakePleasant Valley Reservoir
A small, easily accessible reservoir on the Owens River, known for year-round fly fishing for large rainbow and brown trout, especially popular in winter.
Flows, flies & reports→creekPutah Creek
A highly technical tailwater near Winters, known for its challenging clear water and large, wary rainbow and brown trout.
Flows, flies & reports→creekRush Creek
A classic Eastern Sierra freestone stream with spring creek characteristics, offering diverse fishing from challenging technical water to open meadow sections.
Flows, flies & reports→creekSespe Creek (Wilderness Area)
A designated Wild and Scenic River, offering remote backcountry fishing for rare Southern California Steelhead and resident rainbow trout in a pristine wilderness setting.
Flows, flies & reports→spring creekSilver Creek (Sierra Nevada)
A classic spring creek in the northern Sierras, known for its consistent flows and large, wary wild rainbow trout, demanding stealth and skill.
Flows, flies & reports→riverSouth Fork Kern River
Another remote gem in the southern Sierra Nevada, renowned for its pure strain California Golden Trout in a stunning alpine environment.
Flows, flies & reports→riverSouth Fork Yuba River
A scenic freestone river with numerous pools and riffles, holding wild rainbow and brown trout, especially in its quieter stretches.
Flows, flies & reports→riverTrinity River
A world-class tailwater fishery below Lewiston Dam known for legendary runs of steelhead and big resident trout. Its cold, consistent flows make it a year-round fly fishing destination.
Flows, flies & reports→riverTruckee River (California Section)
A challenging but rewarding freestone river known for large, wary rainbow and brown trout, especially below Lake Tahoe.
Flows, flies & reports→riverUpper Kern River
A legendary high-Sierra freestone river, famous as the native home of the Golden Trout and offering remote wilderness fly fishing adventures.
Flows, flies & reports→riverUpper Owens River
A high-elevation meadow stream in the Eastern Sierra, famous for its large "Alpers" trout migrating from Lake Crowley, particularly in spring and fall.
Flows, flies & reports→riverUpper Sacramento River
The Upper Sacramento is a freestone river stretching from Lake Siskiyou to Shasta Lake, offering miles of public access and hungry trout. It is known for its incredible dry fly fishing during the Giant Stonefly hatch.
Flows, flies & reports→riverUpper San Joaquin River (Wilderness Sections)
Remote, high-elevation freestone sections accessible only by foot, home to native California Golden Trout and wild rainbows.
Flows, flies & reports→riverUpper Tuolumne River (Yosemite National Park)
Pristine freestone fishing for native rainbow and brown trout within the stunning landscapes of Yosemite National Park, often requiring hiking.
Flows, flies & reports→riverWest Fork San Gabriel River
An accessible wild trout fishery surprisingly close to Los Angeles, offering small stream dry fly fishing for wild rainbow and brown trout amidst a rugged canyon.
Flows, flies & reports→riverWest Walker River
A classic eastern Sierra freestone river, known for its consistent flows and healthy populations of wild brown and rainbow trout, offering varied water types.
Flows, flies & reports→spring creekYellow Creek
A famed spring creek near Chester, known for its extremely technical dry fly fishing for wild brown and rainbow trout in crystal clear waters.
Flows, flies & reports→California reading
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