Lower Sacramento RIver Fly Fishing Guides
Offering daily guided fly fishing trips on Northern California’s “Lower Sac” River from a 17′ drift boat.
We fish the sections with very little angling pressure – and 25 fish days are common!
Our team of Lower Sacramento River fly fishing guides are ready to float you down a lesser-known section of the “Lower Sac” from Redding to Red Bluff – a section full of trout & epic scenery.
This year-round fishery provides fly anglers the chance to hook over 25 fish per day with regularity. We target Sacramento River trout by fly fishing out of our 17 ft drift boats, and trips maintain a customer to guide ratio of 2:1 (2 anglers per boat). We off full & half-day trips and have experience hosting retreats, fly fishing clubs, and corporate groups.
New to fly fishing on the Lower Sacramento River? No problem! Our patient guides are more than happy to provide lessons and instructions to those new to fly fishing. Most folks can pick up the techniques within an hour or so and be putting fish in the net before they know it.
If you’re looking for the premier Lower Sacramento River fly fishing experience, our guides are ready to chat. We’re conveniently located on the banks of the wild & scenic section near Red Bluff, CA, just minutes from i-5. Please browse through our website for more information and consider River Pursuit Fly Fishing for your next fly fishing adventure.
Now Booking Spring Trout Fishing Trips
Good weather, prolific hatches, active trout, and an egg bite that rivals any fall run! Springtime on the Lower Sac has it all.
Prime dates fill quickly – contact Jason Thatcher for more details.
The Lower Sac River offers something unique each month of the year – and you’ll always find us out there! Get in touch for fishing conditions & seasonality.
The experience is about more than just fishing! Our guided trips include gear, flies, and a BBQ shore lunch that our clients rave about all afternoon.
We’re proud to be able to offer wheelchair accessible fly fishing trips out of our fully customized drift boat. Call Jason for more details on our setup.
Fish the “Wild Sacramento River”
Set aside as federal wild lands in 2007, there is a “Wild Sacramento River” that fewer people have fished and experienced than the more well-known stretch from Redding to below Anderson.
This part of the Sacramento River offers anglers an amazingly diverse experience fishing for healthy, powerful, and less pressured wild trout. From dry droppers and indicator rigs to occasional top water dry fly action, the Wild Sac is a nature-loving angler’s fantasy land come true. Fascinating swirls created by powerful eddy currents hold trophy sized wild rainbows and even migratory steelhead. Dry dropper action in, and below, classic riffles provide a delightfully lighter style of fly fishing compared to indicator rigs that is the perfect mix of fun, challenge, and reward.
And nobody knows this stretch of the Lower Sac better than the guides at River Pursuit Fly Fishing. Jason fishes it constantly (and lives on it!), and knows every riffle, pool, hydraulic swirl, and eddy where large pods of trout concentrate. You won’t see lots of people, garbage, nor houses. What you will see is one of California’s relatively unknown gems filled with hard fighting wild trout that will give you a day you’ll never forget.
Request Availability
Thanks for your interest in fishing with River Pursuit Fly Fishing! We’re happy to answer any questions you may have ahead of booking. Ask about availability, conditions, accommodations, & more to plan the perfect fly fishing trip.
Fishing The Lower Sac
Best Time To Fish The Lower Sacramento River
The most popular times to hit the river for trout tend to be in the spring when the bug activity is at its peak, and in the Fall when spawning salmon create an egg feeding frenzy among the trout.
Summer fishing is incredibly productive and fun, especially in the canyon above Red Bluff we refer to as the “other” Lower Sacramento River. This stretch of river is very remote, mostly unpopulated, and receives VERY LITTLE angling pressure!
With a new 4 month fishing closure in Redding above Hwy 44 which spans from April 1st to July 31st, the trout in that stretch have the opportunity to bulk up and forget what a fake fly looks like. From Aug 1st to Aug 15th or so, the fishing is usually very, very good until the trout get reeducated. These dates can book months in advance. Don’t wait too long to reserve one of these dates for Lower Sacramento River fly fishing.
Learn more about fly fishing the Sacramento River with River Pursuit Guide Service in this YouTube video from Stacy Goes Outside:
How & Where We Fish
Although there are occasional opportunities to catch trout on the surface, we are very successful using nymphing techniques to fool these fish that spend most of their lives making a good living with their bellies near the river bottom. A floating line on a 5-6wt 10′ rod is our standard. A strike indicator leading to a double, or triple, nymphing rig with split shot rounds things out. Feel free to bring your own equipment, or use one of our set ups. All of the flies and related equipment are provided.
Our full day trips often take us through 6-12 miles of water and average about 8 hours. For a unique drift trip, check out the floats we do in the scenic lava rock canyons just upriver from Red Bluff on the “other” Lower Sacramento River. This section holds bonus steelhead nearly all year; even in the summer! If you have ever fished in Redding where homes line the banks of the river, this may be a welcome change as this stretch is surrounded by BLM land and ranches with much less fishing pressure.
We offer very competitive pricing and strive to offer our clients the best bang for the buck. We always include gear, flies, and a BBQ shore lunch in the rates; there are no hidden additional costs!
5-Star Rated
Elevate The Quality Of Your Fishing Experience
At River Pursuit flyfishing we offer our guests top of the line equipment such as our custom Pavati drift boat. Pavati has a reputation for building top tier boats with the ultimate in fit and finish. These are the luxury lines of the drift boat world! You would be hard pressed to find a nicer boat to fish from, unless it’s another Pavati. We also provide our guests with quality rods, reels, lines, and terminal equipment. We have made significant investments in gear to help elevate the quality of your experience.
On top of the quality equipment we provide, we also offer lunches outside of the normal ‘safeway deli sandwiches’. Options we can provide include bbq burgers, brauts, chicken, pulled pork, tacos, philly cheesesteak, grilled cheese, salads, and make-your-own sandwich bar. We have even grilled up steaks for special occasions. Lunches typically include a side, chips, and bottle waters. Not all items are available all year (open flame fire danger).
