October 1st -Fishing Report
The Rivers Across Northern California are Buzzing with Life
The calendar flipped, the nights are cooler, and the rivers across Northern California are buzzing with life. Salmon are pushing through, steelhead are sliding in behind them, and trout are eating like they just got handed a golden buffet pass. Everywhere you look—from valley tailwaters to crisp mountain creeks—the stage is set for one of the best fall seasons in years.
If you’ve been waiting for “the right time” to book, you’re standing in it. These next few weeks will be the kind of fishing that fills photo albums and fuels stories all winter. Don’t scroll past—get your spot locked in before someone else grabs it.
Fishing Report
-
Cooler nights are giving these creeks a second wind. Temps are staying lower through the day, and the trout are making the most of it. The Upper Sac is crisp and alive, Deer Creek is waking back up, and the McCloud is running clearer and fishing strong. This is your moment for pocket-water magic—fast drifts, quick eats, and wild trout that punch way above their weight.
If you want solitude and classic mountain fishing, now is the time. Once the leaves drop, you’ll wish you had one more crack at summer’s high-country energy.
Top Flies:
Small Stimulators (#14–16)
Parachute Adams (#14–18)
Mercer’s Missing Link (#14–18)
Copper Johns (#16–18)
Hare’s Ear Nymphs (#14–18)
Ants & Beetles (#14–16)
Tasmanian Devil, Brush Hog, Blow Torch other attractor nymphs
Why Go Now: Fall has flipped the switch, and the trout are on the feed. Cooler nights have lit up the creeks with steady action, and windows like this don’t stay open long. Every day you wait is a day someone else is out there catching your fish. Book your trip now and get in on it while it’s hot.
-
The Lower Sac just doesn’t let up. Flows are steady at 7,500 CFS, and right now it’s a full-blown buffet. Trout are eating all day, salmon are starting to spawn, and the steelhead are cashing in like eggs are about to go extinct. Nymphing is still the workhorse, but swinging soft hackles or leeches in softer water is paying off too. Evenings? Absolute chaos—caddis and PMDs popping everywhere, fish blowing up like popcorn, and plenty of hooksets missed because you’re too busy watching the show.
The bottom line: this river is as reliable as it gets, and October is shaping up to be electric. Don’t wait for “later”—later is now. Every drift could be the one that has you bent to the cork.
💡 Pro Tip: Don’t leave early. The evening bite is the encore, and walking out before it happens is like leaving a concert before the lights drop.
Top Flies:
Small cinnamon caddis pupae (#16–18)
Small PMDs (Split Case, Wonder Bug, Crack Back #16–18)
Olive Hotspots (#16–18)
Weiss nymphs (#16–18)
Rubberlegs (#14–16)
Peach & Tangerine egg patterns
8 mm & 10 mm orange/tangerine beads (egg imitation)
-
The Low Flow is locked in at 650 CFS and it’s serving up exactly what you want right now. The spring-run fish are still holding in their buckets, but the real story is the early fall steelhead sliding in behind salmon redds. Salmon are on the move, eggs are rolling, and steelhead are eating them like candy at Halloween. It’s the kind of fishing where every good drift feels like it’s about to get slammed.
Crowds? Light. Fish? Hot. This stretch is a gift before the big fall push and the shoulder-to-shoulder circus it brings. Miss this window, and you’ll spend the rest of fall wishing you’d gone when the pressure was down and the grabs were up.
💡 Pro Tip: Slow down and hit every bucket with precision. A short, clean drift through the right slot is money right now.
Top Flies:
Soft hackles (#14–16)
Small attractor nymphs (#16–18)
Small cinnamon or olive caddis pupae (#16–18)
Small PMDs (Split Case, Wonder Bug, Crack Back #16–18)
Peach & Tangerine egg patterns
8 mm & 10 mm beads (egg imitation)
-
At 8,000 CFS, the High Flow looks heavy—but the fish are there, and they’re there for a reason. Salmon are starting to dig, which means eggs in the drift and steelhead stacked up to take advantage. Finding softer seams, side channels, and inside bends has been the ticket, and once you locate fish, it’s game on.
Steelhead hooked here have room to run—and they know how to use it. This isn’t lazy water fishing. This is “hold on tight and hope your knots hold” kind of fishing. It’s raw, it’s powerful, and it’s wide open right now for anyone willing to step into it before the fall crowds arrive.
💡 Pro Tip: Don’t just fish the obvious main seams. Side channels are gold mines in these flows, and swinging through them can turn a slow day into one you’ll be talking about all season.
Top Flies:
Split Case PMDs (#14–18)
Olive Hot Spots (#14–16)
Egg patterns (peach, pink, chartreuse)
Caddis pupae / Fox’s Poopah (#16–18)
Soft hackles (#14–16)
Swinging flies like Hoh Bo Spey, leeches, and streamers
-
The Yuba is firing up. Flows are holding steady around 1,200 CFS, which means access is tighter than usual thanks to closures by the Yuba County Board of Supervisors—but if you’re willing to hike a bit, there’s plenty of water to explore. And right now, it’s worth it. Salmon are beginning to stage, and steelhead are in full-on egg-eating mode, treating redds like an all-you-can-eat buffet.
This is a river that rewards persistence. While hopper season has faded, the real action now is in the egg and nymph game. Focus on small mayfly imitations, split-case PMDs, and egg patterns tight behind salmon. Swinging soft hackles or attractor nymphs through quieter seams can also produce explosive takes.
Top Flies:
Caddis pupae (#16–18)
Peach egg patterns (#08–10)
Tangerine egg patterns (#08–10)
Beadhead mayfly nymphs (#16–18)
Copper Johns (#16–18)
Olive Hot Spots (#14–16)
Rubberlegs (#6–8)
Hare’s Ear Nymphs (#14–18)