The Upper Sacramento River

The portion of the river commonly called the Upper Sacramento begins below Lake Siskiyou (near the town of Mt. Shasta) and tumbles downstream for nearly 40 miles through canyons and a terraced, typical freestone setting, eventually dumping into Lake Shasta. Much of the river is within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and the Upper Sacramento River can reasonably be called one of the best 'roadside' fisheries in the West. Despite having nearly 40 miles of easily accessible water (there are over 15 freeway exits and railroad tracks that parallel the length of the river) the Upper Sacramento River remains surprisingly lightly fished. In fact, anglers willing to hike even a mere 10 minutes along the railroad tracks from almost any access spot will find themselves fishing water that remains relatively untouched for most of the year.

The "Upper Sac" is freestone fishing at its best. The river is made up of riffles, runs, pocket water, small holes, huge pools and undercuts, all of which provide anglers with opportunities to fish dry flies, a variety of nymphing techniques, or even streamers, all in a day's fishing. Rainbow trout are the predominate fish in these waters, and most are healthy, wild, and native to the river system. They are full of fight, and often go straight up in the air when they feel the prick of a fly in their lip.

Seasons

Regulations were changed a few years ago to allow year-round fishing on the main stem of Upper Sacramento River from Box Canyon down to Lake Shasta. The tributary streams, where virtually all the spawning occurs, continue to follow the General Trout Season (open to fishing only during the last Saturday in April through November 15th).

• Spring fishing on the Upper Sacramento, if water conditions and weather cooperate, is terrific. There are hatches of March Brown mayflies and smaller caddisflies throughout March and April, and the huge pteronarcys californica (salmon fly) begins to hatch as the weather warms in April.
• Summertime on the river is best known for wet wading, highsticking the pocket water, and phenomenal hatches of Golden Stoneflies and caddisflies every evening. By late July or early August the many submerged boulders on the river begin to turn black with midge larva, providing a new delicacy for the trout from late summer through the fall.
• Fall brings on a giant October Caddis hatch and some great blue-winged olive hatches on overcast days. This is wonderful fishing in absolutely beautiful weather!
• Wintertime on the Upper Sac provides some great late-season opportunities for die-hard trout anglers. The mornings and evenings are often cold, but midday sunshine can warm the river up and provide some good action on nymphs and streamers for some of the river’s bigger fish holding in the deeper pools, and overcast afternoons can have some memorable Baetis mayfly hatches and dry fly opportunities.
  Click here for more detailed information on the seasons to fish the Upper Sacramento River.

Fly Fishing the Upper Sacramento River

The Upper Sacramento River has been a popular destination for recreation in California since the 1800s, and is still one of our favorite local fisheries. Though the region was recognized for it’s great salmon and trout fishing by indigenous groups for centuries, the area that is now the town of Dunsmuir first became recognized as a resort destination for 19th Century health enthusiasts. With many natural mineral springs bubbling up in, near, and around the river’s canyons, the headwaters of the Sacramento were believed to help fend off disease as well as rest the mind.

Craig Ballenger writes, in Shasta’s Headwaters: An Angler’s Guide to the Upper Sacramento and McCloud Rivers : The Sacramento River canyon, in particular, has been blessed with an abundance of mineral springs, each with variations in the contents of the waters. As early as 1857, the virtues of these waters were being expounded, ‘There are numerous soda springs in the country. Most or all of which, we believe, possess valuable medicinal properties…during the present summer, especially the sick season, many of our townsmen, ourselves among the number, have tested the benefits of the water and the unrivaled mountain air, as it floats down, pure and uncontaminated, from the snowy summit of Mount Shasta which overlooks the spot….The active medicinal properties of the water combined with the pure mountain air, the excellent trout fishing in the Sacramento and the small streams putting into it in the neighborhood, and plenty of game in the mountains and hills, make the Soda Springs a very desirable resort during the summer season for invalids and persons of leisure who can afford time for a little healthful recreation.’ (Sacramento Union 9/24/1857)

Of course, in the 150+ years since much has changed along the Sacramento, but the trout fishing remains spectacular and continues to draw recreationists to the region.

In 1991, the entire Upper Sacramento River watershed received a deadly shock when a train accident caused a chemical tank car to fall into the river, spilling 19,000 gallons of the herbicide metam sodium and killing nearly every living fish and plant in the river. Fortunately, the Upper Sacramento River – in a true testament to the overwhelming power of nature – has recovered remarkably since the spill. Aquatic insect hatches have returned to pre-spill conditions, and anglers fishing the river today will find the fishing for the river’s resident rainbow trout to be as good as ever.

The Upper Sacramento River re-opened to fishing in 1994, and every season since has shown us prolific insect hatches and healthy, hungry rainbow trout in every section of river from Box Canyon downstream to Lake Shasta.

The most distant access points (Upper Ney Springs and Cantara Loop) on the Upper Sacramento are about 50 minutes from our front door, and the great fishing in the popular sections above Lake Shasta are only a half an hour away. When our guide staff isn't working hard on the Lower Sacramento River, this is where they spend their fishing time, and some of our guides specialize in fishing this wonderful river. They know the river well, and have figured out the secrets to success for all the different seasons. Despite the easy river access on the Upper Sacramento, utilizing one of our river guides can dramatically increase the learning curve, saving hours of guesswork and frustrating lost time. Our guides are all excellent instructors, so your day on the river will be a great learning experience, not only about the river itself, but also the various techniques that can be successful there.

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.