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.
Prime · Steelhead
Primelive now
About as good as it gets
River dropping into shape after a lift. The kind of afternoon you remember — a weighted nymph through the clearing seams, the dry as it settles.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.19 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp12.8°C
  • ClarityClear
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.19 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp12.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather10°C
WindNE 6 km/h
Pressure1017 hPa
Rain · recent2.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Ideal
12.8°Cideal 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
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Likely species
Mayflies
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 21 Uhr

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 6 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 as a supporter.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

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

Through the year
0–3 scale · October 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
30 km
75
Steelhead · Chinook salmon
North Fork Feather River
34 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
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time8013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity6112% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout Verify → Verify
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts