Coastal Rain River · Mixed · Northern California

Mad River

Wide blue-green river viewed from a bridge, flanked by dense coastal shrubs near Arcata, California.
Good · Steelhead
Stu's Mini-Intruder · 12–16
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
River high but settled. Match the colour and fish the seams.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Level1.76 mLast reading 10h ago
  • Water temp15.8°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
SS
Stu's Mini-Intruder12–16
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.76 m
Last reading 10h ago
Water temp15.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather14°C
WindNW 3 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Warm — slow
16°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Winter steelhead when open, green and dropping
Where
A Humboldt steelhead river close to Arcata, heavily shaped by winter rain and by the exact regulation status on the day.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is right today, though water temperature could be better.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 5 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
2
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2
American March BrownHatch
2
3
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.
BS
Brett's Klamath Intruder
12–16 · Fly
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • CDFW North Coast low-flow rules apply; threshold is 200 cfs at Mad River near Arcata
  • Verify current rules before any hatchery/wild distinction is displayed.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 2
Van Duzen River
43 km
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Eel River system
44 km
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Gallery · 2
  1. Wide blue-green river viewed from a bridge, flanked by dense coastal shrubs near Arcata, California.
    Arcata, California - Hammond bridge over Mad River
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Conservation note

Wild steelhead and listed salmonid recovery context. Separate any hatchery-retention information from wild-fish handling and verify before display.

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature4728% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5513% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity5412% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 September → 30 April
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts