Coastal Rain River · Mixed · Northern California, US

Gualala / Garcia steelhead cluster

Aerial view of the Gualala River meandering through green coastal hills to meet the ocean.
Tomorrow · Not the day for it
Zebra Midge
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
Zebra Midge
Zebra Midge
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.43 m
Water temp17.6°C
ClarityClear
Weather23°C
WindN 12 km/h
Pressure1017 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Warm — slow
18°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
A short window after winter rain, when the river is open and dropping into green
Where
A pair of small, rain-driven coastal steelhead rivers north of the Russian — the longer winter steelhead option once you're willing to drive past Sonoma's…
Why this works
Good — water clarity is working for you, but water temperature is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Mayflies
Caddisflies
terrestrials
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 9pm

12pm(now) — Reed Smut

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 77%
Also:Trico69%Flying Ants59%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost6 food groups active

Peak activity at 9pm — Spotted Sedge (Spotted Sedge, Weather boost)

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 3 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
Trout seasonSeason
2
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
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.

Ranked for today
Steelhead fly box
SS
Stu's Mini-IntruderTop
12–16 · Fly
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
HB
Hoh Bo Spey
12–16 · Fly
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
SC
Sculpzilla
12–16 · Fly
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • CDFW low-flow closures (September 1 – April 30) frequently close these rivers
  • Check current open/closed status before travelling
  • Coho are endangered — do not target or harass them.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 1
Russian River
60 km
Steelhead · Coho salmon · Chinook salmon
Gallery · 2
  1. Aerial view of the Gualala River meandering through green coastal hills to meet the ocean.
    Gualala River mouth
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Conservation note

Wild winter steelhead with coho and Chinook recovery context. Do not target or score listed salmonids; surface presence, closures and careful catch-and-release handling. Wild steelhead only — handle gently and keep them wet.

Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Not assessed
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Gualala Regional Park Beach' (CAC1138503020081029150443), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: not assessed. 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) · CAC1138503020081029150443

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature3028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time4013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity5612% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 September → 30 April
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts