Fishing Report

March 11, 2024

Lower Yuba

The flows on the Lower Yuba and Deer Creek have been dropping to great fishable levels, the combined total is 3300 cfs. The clarity is great! Fish are eating Rubber Legs, Caddis nymphs, small baetis nymphs, Hogan’s Clinger, pheasant tails. Swing some March Brown Soft Hackles and some small fry patterns.

Bullards Bar: The lake is fishing good. I spent Friday on Bullards and had pretty darn good day. We fished the Float n Fly technique and stripped some streamers and leeches. Most fish came off the float n fly. We had a mix bag of fish, catching, spotted bass, large mouth, trout and kokanee.

April 18,2023

Lower Yuba and Foothill Lakes

The Lower Yuba is still flowing high but the fishing has been good to great. You will find fish in the deep slow water, use lots of split shot! The trout are keying in on Sucker Spawn and PMD nymphs. The Foothill lakes are fishing Great for bass. Float n Fly techniques are producing the best.

April 10, 2023

Lower Yuba, Foothill Lakes and small creeks.

The Lower Yuba is running high and clear. The fishing has been up and down just like the flows. Once the flows stabilize so should the fishing. So far the flows have stayed right around 4,800 to 5,000 CFS as long as the flows stay consistent fishing should improve. With this warm weather expect to see some hatches of PMD’s (Pinkies) and Caddis. Fishing nymphs has been picking up fish. Best nymphs have been Rubber Legs, Red Copper Johns, Sucker Spawn, San Juan Worms, PMD nymphs, Hogan’s Clinger and Hogan’s S&M

Foothill lakes have been fair to good, with the warming trend the lakes should warm up and the bass fishing should get really good. Best techniques is the Float N Fly.

Small local creeks are flowing high but fishing good. If you like small creek fishing Wolf Creek and Deer Creek are great options.

March 29,2023

Lower Yuba and Foothill Lakes

After several weeks of high and dirty water, the Lower Yuba has finally got back into shape. The flows have been fluctuating between 5,000 and 6,000 cfs. Some people believe that the river doesn’t fish good at those levels and I will disagree with you. Target slow water and the inside seams.

Bullards Bar has been fishing fair to good depending on the barometric pressure. On the low pressure days the lake has fished good on the high pressure days the lake has been fair. We have had best results with the Float n Fly set ups. Stripping streamers has been picking up trout and bass.

All the atmospheric rivers have finally past.

Posted: January 30, 2023   by Tom Page

The Lower Yuba is fishing fair.

The Lower Yuba water levels peeked at around 30,000 CFS during January, at the present time the river is down to 2,200 CFS. I spent 3 days on the river this past week. Day 1 the river was running around 3,500 CFS the 2nd day it was around 3,200 and yesterday it was at 2,200 CFS. We caught fish every day, but the best day was when the river was up at 3,500. The visibility the 1st day was about 2 feet yesterday was around 4 feet. Nymph fishing has been the most productive. We have had the most success with, egg patterns, San Juan Worms, Rubber Legs, and a variety of small attractor nymphs.

We have seen a few Skwala’s flying around but not enough that fish are keyed in on them. With the river clearing, it is a good idea to start fishing them with a nymph dropper.

The Foothill bass lakes have been fishing fair to good. the method of choice for winter is the Float n Fly.

Big Storms equal good fishing

Posted: December 12, 2022   by Tom Page

The Lower Yuba is fishing fair to good. We got much needed rain that has brought in a fresh run of some steelhead. Nymphs are on the menu as the egg bite is pretty much over. We are getting some decent Baetis Hatches on overcast days.

Feather River – We are seeing some good size steelhead on the high flow and the low flow

Winter Bass fishing is in full swing. We are catching lots of spotted bass on Bullards Bar and Lake Oroville.

Posted: January 7, 2022   by Tom Page

The Lower Yuba is seeing some of the largest fish we have seen in years! The river is currently off color, with visibility around 2 feet. Nymph fishing is the best way to catch fish right now. Best bugs are rubber legs, eggs, san juan worms, copper johns, and anything with red and flash. With the dry weather forecasted this next week, we should see some good dry fly fishing. Before the storms we were seeing hatches of Blue Wing Olives and Pink Alberts. Get those Skwala stones ready!

Winter Bass Fishing is starting to get red hot! Full report on this will be coming soon.

9-27-2021

The Lower Yuba is starting to get really good! Salmon are making their way into the system to start their spawn. The trout have been keying in on eggs, Rubber Legs and flashy nymphs.

North Yuba has been fishing fair, (super low water) look for deeper riffles and fish heavy nymphs. Lots of October Caddis nymphs on the rocks, we expect that hatch to happen any day now. The Kokanee have started their migration up the North Yuba, the trout should start to key in on the eggs.

PLEASE DO NOT WALK ON THE SALMON SPAWNIG BEDS!!!

8-11-2021

Lower Yuba is fishing fair to good.

Water temps have been between 58 to 60 degrees, yes cold water and healthy fish. Nymph fishing has been the most productive. Rubber legs, TJ Hooker, small may fly nymphs and caddis pupas. Hopper dropper fishing has been fair through out the day. The caddis hatch isn’t strong but the fish are willing to eat dries and emergers. Swinging soft hackles into the O-dark thirty has been productive.

North Yuba has not changed much. Last week we had lots of smoke and seemed to put fish down, this week we have clear sky’s and the fish are back on that early morning bite. Water temps are warm, bring a thermometer! STOP fishing when water temps reach 67 degrees. Caddis, PMD’s, Parachute Adams, Royal Wulff, Humpy’s, Ant’s, Hopper’s, Copper John, Prince Nymphs, Holographic Prince, Rio’s Rain Drop

Fuller Lake has been fishing fair to good. The water temps are cold! Striping or trolling with an I-line or type III has been productive. Flies: Buggers, leeches, damsel flies and soft hackles. Early mornings and late afternoon into evenings can be productive with dry flies. Black Caddis, Parachute Adams, Ants, hoppers and Quigley Cripples.

7-7-2021

Lower Yuba is fishing fair to good!

It’s Hopper season! Hopper dropper fishing has been fun so far this summer. Fat Alberts, Chubby Chernobyls and Juicy Hoppers Have been working well. Drop a Euro style jig fly bellow the hopper, I like dropping the nymph about 18″ – 24″. my go to flies have been the Peaches & Cream and Rio’s Rain Drops. 

The evening hatches have been good to great! Fish the chop and the riffles with Caddis. Fish the slow water with Caddis and PMD’s (aka Pinkies).  E/C Caddis, X- Caddis, Rio’s Body Double Caddis, Snow Shoe Caddis, Yuba Pinkies and  Quigley Sparkle Stacker.

North Yuba is fishing fair to good.

Fish early and watch the water temps. Once the Water temps reach 65 degrees please stop fishing.

Caddis, PMD’s, Parachute Adams, Royal Wulff, Humpy’s, Ant’s, Hopper’s, Copper John, Prince Nymphs, Holographic Prince, Rio’s Rain Drop

Bullards Bar is fishing fear to good.

Fish poppers at first light then switch to popper and dropper. As the day progresses fish deeper with crawdad patterns and small bait fish streamers.

Fishing Report 4/8/2021

 

Lower Yuba is fishing good!

Spring and Early summer hatches are in full swing! I have been fishing the evening hatches the past couple of weeks and the bug life is abundant. The bugs that I have been seeing are PMD’s (Pink and Standard PMD’s) March Brown spinners, Caddis, Little Yellow Sallies, midges.

Low water techniques

With the low and clear water this year the fishing is technical! Long leaders are a must. I like using a 9’ 4x and adding 3’ of 5x or 6x. Perfect presentations are a must. Try throwing a reach cast and good mends to help improve your odds.

Swinging Soft Hackles

If your dry fly game is not good switch over to swinging soft hackles. Soft Hackle fishing is a different leader system for me because now the line is tight.  When swinging flies, you will feel the take, do not set the hook, the fish did that already, just lift the rod and enjoy the fight. When swinging flies, you will cast quartering downstream, throw a mend in the line and let the fly swing, it is that simple, extremely effective and a load of fun.

I like to beef up the tippet, I use a 9’ 4X leader and 4x tippet.

Foothill bass lakes are starting to fire!

Post spawn is in full swing, these fish are hungry and eating good right now. This is a good time of year to throw some bigger flies and flashier flies. I like throwing Intermediate lines and big white flashy streamers, the visual takes are loads of fun. Do not be afraid to throw some top water flies, the big females start moving into the shallows to find their spawning beds and they need to eat before they spawn. If those techniques do not work you can fish the float n fly, that seems to always work.

Fishing Report 3/25/2020

Lower Yuba is still fishing really good. The dry fly fishing is the best we have had in years. Skwala stones are still around. The best action has been on Pinkies, Caddis, March Browns and Blue wing olives.

Best Flies have been Pinky cripple, sparkle duns, Quigley’s Sparkle Stacker Yuba Pinky, Parachute March Brown’s, March Brown Emerger, March Brown Cripple.

North Yuba fishing is slow but should start to fire shortly. This is the time of year when I usually find the bigger fish. Here’s a hint, fish bellow Downiville.

Bullards Bar is fishing good the water temps are still in the low 50’s  so the bass bite is soft. The best technique for cold water bass is the Float -n- Fly. You can also pick up fish slow striping streamers on a sinking line. This is the time of year when the big girls come up to the shallows to spawn.

Englebright Lake fishing has been tough but should start picking up. This time of year it’s best to hunt the shores for moving fish. Usually in April, Skipper Cove Marina will release the big trout they raise in net pins. These fish are known to eat big streamers.

Lower Yuba is fishing really good right now. Skwala Stones are on the menu. Start the day with Tom’s Klinken Stone or a Biot Epoxy stone in sizes 10 and 12 drop a size 16 – 20 baetis nymph below. Best Baetis nymphs have been Baetis Bead Head, Tailwater Tiny, Sloan Mighty May, and Panty Dropper Baetis. Best dries have been Lo Pro skwala, Tom’s Flush Floater Skwala, Quigley’s Sparkle Flag BWO, Parachute Adams, Tom’s Yuba Pinky and Quigley’s Sparkle Flag pink. Swinging March Brown Emergers, Pinky Emergers and BWO Soft hackles have all been doing well.



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