The Sacramento River below Shasta Dam – known as the Lower Sacramento, or “Lower Sac” – has to be rated as among the best tailwater fisheries in the country. Its wild rainbows are big, tough, and plentiful, and the river’s controlled flows, combined with northern California’s temperate climate – result in near-optimum fishing conditions nearly every day of the year.

Our guides concentrate on the 16 trout-filled miles between Redding and Anderson, and the 30 red-hot fly fishing miles as the river winds its way toward Red Bluff. The character of the Lower Sacramento changes dramatically as it carves its way south through the Central Valley. The upper sections meander through the city, through parks, below office buildings, beside golf courses, and through the back yards of residential Redding, while downstream stretches flow through majestic canyons and designated wilderness areas. Each of the half dozen float trips cover from 6 to 14 miles during a typical fishing day, and our guides typically choose the best float for the day based on conditions.

Seasons

The Lower Sacramento is more than just a year-round fishery. With varied flows and the sometimes-ethereal presence of salmon, the Lower Sac can display many different faces throughout its seasons. To really discover the river and understand its wild rainbow trout and steelhead, one must not only see the different sections of river, but also take advantage of its different seasons. For more on the different seasons of the Lower Sacramento, click here.

Fly Fishing the Lower Sacramento River

The Sacramento River was dammed just north of Redding in the early 40's, resulting in the formation of Shasta Lake, and the taming of the powerful flood waters that habitually threatened the rural communities and farmlands of the Central Valley. Whether by design or as a by-product, this flood control project guaranteed California agriculture millions of acre-feet of cheap water which could be utilized for agriculture, irrigation, and enough hydro-electric power to supply tens of thousands of homes. At the same time, the Sacramento River Delta began a catastrophic decline, and one of the most formidable runs of Chinook Salmon in the world was decimated.

When we opened The Fly Shop© in 1978, the tail water below the dam, now commonly known as the Lower Sacramento River, could hardly be considered a quality trout fishery. The hatcheries were a failure, and the town of Redding had a population larger than spawning runs of salmon that had once numbered in the millions.

Then the California Department of Fish & Game, in a desperate search for a solution to the decline of the King Salmon hit upon the construction of a Temperature Control Device (TCD) to extract colder water from the depths of Shasta Lake and send it downstream. The logic was that cooler temperatures would enhance successful salmon spawning. In 1992 the TCD was completed, and the Lower Sacramento River near Redding maintains a consistent temperature today of approximately 56 degrees. These colder flows at first appeared to be working, as the salmon runs slowly began making a comeback. But the cooler, more consistent water temperatures have proven to be far more beneficial to the Sacramento River trout population.

Harry Rectenwald, former DF&G Fisheries Biologist for the Sacramento River, has explained that the phenomenal trout fishing that developed on the Lower Sacramento River after the implementation of the TCD is another (albeit unintentional) by-product of the cold water: "The growth cycle of resident trout has been extended by thirty percent." With consistent water temperatures every day of the year, the resident rainbows on the Lower Sacramento are able to continue to feed – and to grow – 100% of the time.

That means the fish can grow fast, sometimes exceeding their length with girth. The average size of the rainbows on the Lower Sacramento is 16 inches, while fish over 20 inches are relatively common, and they are all fat and healthy. These trout are of trophy proportions, and growing up in the haughty currents of the Lower Sacramento River they are strong fish and full of fight.

What's more, cooler water extending further south in the river has created viable trout habitat for an extended 50 miles or so. This means fly fishermen on the Lower Sacramento River are frequently able to spread out and avoid crowds. Even on the busiest of days, it is easy to find yourself catching huge trout on the river, without another soul around.

Our Lower Sacramento guide staff is outstanding! Several have grown up on this river, learning how to fly fish and navigate the river from a young age. If you are planning a fly fishing trip to Northern California, our guide staff can turn that average fishing day into a great trip. These river guides don't just provide the landed fish, they also provide an experience to remember.

To make a reservation, please give us a call at 800-669-3474 during business hours any day of the week. We can give you the answers you need or the detailed explanations to questions you might have, or check on guide availability and confirm your guide reservation in minutes.

If you prefer to correspond on-line simply e-mail us at info@adventuresinflyfishing.com and we will respond promptly.