Foothill Freestone · Volcanic · Northern California, US

Butte Creek

A wooden covered bridge crossing Butte Creek, with a gravel bar and calm water in the foreground, near Chico, California.
Tomorrow · Not the day for it
Hopper
Forecast · Tomorrow
Not the day for it
Not much stacked in your favour today. Worth an hour if you are nearby, not worth the special trip.
55% projected
Today's fly
Hopper
Hopper
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp18.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather25°C
WindN 14 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Warm — slow
19°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Do not score for fishing until rules and access are verified
Where
A famous Central Valley spring-run Chinook recovery stream — worth knowing about for where salmon recovery is happening and why water temperature matters, not…
Why this works
Fair — water clarity is working for you, but water temperature is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Mayflies
Caddisflies
terrestrials
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 12pm

12pm(now) — Grasshopper

Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 95%
Also:Trico59%Reed Smut56%
Peak emergence windowWeather boostDegree-days at peak5 food groups active

Peak activity at 12pm — Grasshopper (Grasshopper, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Treat as conservation-first and verify CDFW rules before any angling recommendation.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 2
Feather River
34 km
Steelhead · Chinook salmon
North Fork Feather River
37 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. A wooden covered bridge crossing Butte Creek, with a gravel bar and calm water in the foreground, near Chico, California.
    honey-run-bridge-from-butte-creek
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Conservation note

Central Valley spring-run Chinook recovery context. No catch score, no targeting language, and strong temperature/conservation messaging.

Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Supporting
  • Fish consumption: Impaired
What this classification means

Fish consumption: Consumption advisory (Mercury) — fish for sport, not the table.

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Butte Creek (Butte County)' (CAR5204000020020610131525), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Fully Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Mercury, Toxic Organics. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · CAR5204000020020610131525

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature3028% weight
  • Flow6022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5513% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity5312% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout Verify → Verify
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts