Coastal Rain River · Mixed · Northern California

Gualala / Garcia steelhead cluster

Aerial view of the Gualala River meandering through green coastal hills to meet the ocean.
Poor · Steelhead
Stu's Mini-Intruder · 12–16
Not the day for it
River high but settled. Not much stacked in your favour today. Worth an hour if you are nearby, not worth the special trip.
40% confidence
limited temperature data
What moved it
  • Level1.38 mLast reading 1h ago
  • Water temp22.1°C
  • ClarityVery colouredColouring up
Today's fly
SS
Stu's Mini-Intruder12–16
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Rising
1.38 m
Last reading 1h ago
Water temp22.1°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather22°C
WindNW 35 km/h
Pressure1016 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
Welfare risk
22°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
Very poor — barometric pressure is working for you, but water temperature is the limiting factor today.
Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

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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.
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
0
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
  • Temperature028% weight
  • Flow5522% weight
  • Clarity1518% weight
  • Feeding Time4513% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity3012% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 September → 30 April
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts