Trout Source

Introduction

The Lower Feather River runs 50 miles from rural Lake Oroville, through semi-urban Marysville and Yuba City (where the Yuba River enters), to the Sacramento River.  It is fairly scenic (though some areas are ugly), and boasts the largest steelhead run in California's Central Valley.

River Character and Access

The Feather is a big Central Valley fishery that contains little in the way of rapids, but enough structure (riffles, pools, chutes, islands) to support nice steelhead fishing.  Because of its proximity to the big towns of Oroville, Marysville and Yuba City (and easy day trip distance from Sacramento and San Francisco), it can get crowded and in some areas feels like an urban fishery.  However, most of the river is set far enough back from the roads and houses that you would not know how close you are to civilization.  The only giveaway is the crowds that can occur during salmon and steelhead season.  Some claim the cold tailwater just below the dam contains trout year-round.  The Lower Feather also gets runs of shad, stripers, smallmouth and salmon.

The main fly fishing occurs in the first 15 miles or so from Lake Oroville to the town of Gridley.  The Oroville State Wildlife Area makes up about half of this stretch, keeping it scenic.  The wildlife area also contains many access points, some of which benefit from having 4WD or a pickup, especially when it's muddy.  Highway 70 paralles the river to the east, until it crosses over to the western side just below Oroville, while Highway 99 parallels the lower sections to the west.  Just below Lake Oroville, the river has a somewhat complicated structure.  It first enters the Thermalito Diversion Pool, where large quantities of water are diverted downstream to the Thermalito Forebay.  At the forebay, the water re-enters the river via Thermalito Afterbay, also known as "the outlet."  The 5-mile section between the dam and the outlet is known as the "low flow section" because water is often diverted through the Thermalito complex, leaving this upper section with lower flows.  The low flow section has four noticeable riffle sections, with good numbers of half-pounders, separated by long slow sections not overly appealing for fly fishing.  It is accessible from the highway 70 bridge and other spots in Oroville and the Oroville Wildlife Area.  Below the outlet is the "high flow" section, accesible mainly through the Oroville Wildlife Area, which has numerous entrances.  Fishing conditions often vary between the two sections.

When and How to Fish

Fall/winter run steelhead on the Lower Feather averaging 3-6 pounds (with some over 10 pounds) are in the system from October-December, while smaller half-pounders (12-14 inches) run March-April.  Standard steelhead techniques work for the bigger steelhead (swinging big streamers or drifting/swinging nymphs, with egg imitations when the salmon are spawning), while the half-pounders seem to key in on the caddis.  The river is big enough for drift boats and even occasional power boats in the lower sections.

Because of its location in California's Central Valley, the Lower Feather River can be fly fished year-round.  Temperatures in the summer are in the 90's and 100's, with clear blue skies virtually every day.  In the winter, it rains an average of 20 inches a year, and is often cloudy.  Temperaturers average in the 50's by day and 30's by night, and snow is not a concern.  Fall and spring are transition periods when temperatures can be close to ideal.

 

Troutsource highly recommends the services of a local fly fishing guide.  We've listed the best ones below, and you can contact all of them at once using our e-mail form.  A guide can be the difference between getting skunked and catching 20 fish.   Remember, getting the right fly is only half the battle.  You need to know exactly where to put it, and how -- and this is where guides earn their money.   A customary tip is 15%.