September, October & November ---- Fall is one of the busiest times on the Lower Sac. In September, the water starts to recede from the high flows of summer, and shortly thereafter the salmon begin to arrive. As salmon begin to lay eggs in the shallow water, fat hungry trout move into the shallows as well to gorge themselves on the eggs and aquatic insects kicked up by the spawning salmon. We also begin to see the arrival of steelhead in the lower reaches of the river, from Anderson down to Los Molinos, and our guides that fish this lower river will frequently hook into these angry brutes (although landing them is often an entirely different story!). The famed evening caddis that feed trout (and excite anglers) during the summertime become scant, and smaller mayflies and midges become more prevalent.

December, January & February ---- By December the hordes of anglers that come to the Sacramento in the fall have begun to dissipate, and anglers on the river frequently have the water to themselves. The Late-Fall run of Chinooks enter the spawning gravel, so there are still plenty of eggs popping loose. The trout have been feeding heavily on a high-protein diet for several months, and their girth in the winter is evidence. We don't always get the number days this time of year, but it is definitely the best time of year to catch truly massive trout; we're talking about fish that are better measured in pounds than inches!

March, April & May ---- The Springtime on the Lower Sac is the most productive time of year to fish dry flies. Mid day caddis hatches can blanket the water, occasionally producing sporadic surface activity from hungry trout. However, sometimes there's just plain too many caddis on the surface, and the fish will focus on subsurface patterns. Although our guides are careful (as everyone should be) to avoid fishing through trout redds, the trout are spawning this time of year. These fish are trying to bulk up before they spawn, so they eat very actively, and the spring can be one of the best times on the river for hooking epic numbers of fish.

June, July & August ---- Summer can be hot on the Lower Sac... both the fishing and the weather. In fact, days of 100 degrees and more are quite common. Fortunately, the constant cool water temperatures (56 degrees) we have on the river help to keep both anglers and fish cool during the midday heat. All summer long there is a focus on the hydropsyche caddis that emerge in the late-afternoon and evening. This creates excellent fishing throughout the afternoon on emerging caddis pupa and even dry fly opportunities sometimes in the evenings.