Seasons On The “Sac”:
The Best Time To Fly Fish The Lower Sac River
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; the Lower Sac is a dynamic river with seasonal changes beyond the big 4 of spring, summer, fall, winter. There are a lot of variables in play that make this such a unique, diverse, year ’round fishery.
That being said, the busiest times (most popular) are mid-March until mid-June, August 1-15, October, and November. Please keep in mind many of the most desirable dates may require advance booking (some a full year out).
Breakdown by Fishing Season
The seasons on the Lower Sac can also be broken down into prime fishing windows as well. No matter what month you choose to do a Lower Sac Trip, there is something unique to experience.
Early Spring/Late Winter:
February and early March are wildcards. If the weather is decent and the river is in good shape, early hatches will happen and it can be absolutely epic fishing with zero pressure from other anglers. The river up towards Redding is almost always in shape and fishable this time of year, however, a little bit of stability in the conditions can take it from good to amazing! This is a window of time it would be wise to be joined in on our email list for reports; we will advise everyone if the wildcard fishing turns on.
Spring Egg-Bite:
The lower sac is renowned for the fall egg bite when king salmon arrive to spawn. With the collapse of salmon numbers there is actually a BETTER egg bite option from March through April when Sacramento suckers and the resident trout spawn. Trout go nuts for eggs…regardless of the origin.
Spring Hatches:
March, April, and May bring increased bug activity. From PMDs to stoneflies, everything starts happening. This is a highly desirable window of time for bookings.
Canyon:
Our clients look forward all year to the canyon sections turning on in May and continuing until Fall. This is a very unique, very dynamic, and scenic stretch of river with very little pressure. As an added bonus, our private river access is strategically positioned at the gateway to the canyon.
Shad:
On years with good water flows shad fishing will take place throughout June. It’s often possible to catch shad, trout, steelhead, and striper all on the same trip!
Summer:
Folks are often hesitant to book trips during the heat of summer for fear of it being uncomfortable. The water is typically in the low 50s which makes it far more comfortable while sitting on top of the water. Walk 200′ away from the river and you definitely feel the heat; but on the river we are fine! Summer fishing is typically very solid with bug hatches happening all up and down the river. There are a ton of options for different techniques, sections of river to fish, and timing for when to start/finish. This is commonly a great time to be on the more remote canyon sections.
August Opener:
Aug 1st marks the opening day after a 4 month closure of the uppermost section in Redding above Hwy 44. To get one of the first 15 days in August, you should consider scheduling about 1 year ahead of time; yes, it’s that good…
Fall:
Sept to Nov is a very, very popular time of year with great weather and consistent fishing.
Salmon Egg Bite:
The once abundant runs of king salmon have given the Sacramento River quite a reputation for throwing egg patterns behind visibly spawning salmon. With year after year of collapsed runs of salmon, the trout key in on eggs for a much narrower window of time. Mid-Oct is about the peak of spawning activity. Fortunately, regardless of salmon being present, there are still bugs around and active to keep the action alive!
Steelhead:
There are steelhead present nearly 12 months out of the year, however, your best chance at the biggest adults occurs during fall and winter (October through February). Sacramento River steelhead behave a lot like the resident trout and feed on the same food items. A steelhead trip on this river is actually a steelhead/resident trout combo. We will catch wild rainbows as we methodically pick apart known steelhead lies.
Winter:
Fishing the Sacramento River during winter requires flexibility. Weather and water conditions commonly dictate whether bug hatches occur or not and also which sections of river are fishable or not. Be ready to pivot…we might be changing plans last second which just adds to the adventure.
Late Egg Bite:
At some point in January there is a ‘late-fall’ salmon spawn. We’ve experienced many dynamite days fishing egg imitations behind spawning salmon with ZERO CROWDS! Call ahead for a report on current conditions and make sure to sign up for our email list so you have the latest update and don’t miss out on the narrow window when this bite takes off. Many of the trout we encounter are XXXL!
Contact our team
We’re here to help if you still have questions! Give us a call or send a message through the form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
