Fall weather is finally here, and since it also came with spring like rainfall, steelhead season has really picked up. The water has started to come down and is currently flowing at 4440 CFS with the gage height at 7 1/2 feet. Water temps also experience a decline from 61 degrees on Monday to 57 degrees on Friday. Water Clarity is still not too bad, not “blown out” or muddy by any means.
Although there were good numbers of steelhead in before the rain, they’ve increased significantly since and fishing has been excellent. Although the high water dictates the types of fishing that prove effective (Swinging streamers is still a very difficult task simply because it’s next to impossible to cast a heavy enough tip to reach the right depth and to slow the swing down) those employing methods that get the presentation down have been reporting absolutely great fishing. Bottom bouncing (aka chuck and duck), pulling plugs, casting and retrieving crankbaits, spoons or spinners, and fishing under floats.
With the colder water trout fishing has also improved greatly and we do still have numbers of Kings in the river too.