Coastal Rain River · Mixed · Northern California, US

Mad River

Mad River from rail trail trestle, October 2023
Tomorrow · Slow going — pick your moments
Sculpin Streamer
Forecast · Tomorrow
Slow going — pick your moments
Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
45% projected
Today's fly
Sculpin Streamer
Sculpin Streamer
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Live gauge
Level
Rising
1.74 m
Lifting fast
Water temp11.0°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather12°C
WindN 19 km/h
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent1.0 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
Ideal
11°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
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though time of day could be better.
Likely species
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 21:00

12:00(now) — Mahogany Dun

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 44%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost5 food groups active

Peak activity at 21:00 — Brown Dun (Brown Dun, Weather boost)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds as a supporter.

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14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 as a supporter.

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14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

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
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
Fly box · Steelhead
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 · 3
Van Duzen River
43 km
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Eel River system
44 km
82
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
South Fork Trinity River
54 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Mad River from rail trail trestle, October 2023
  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
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time4513% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity6912% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 September → 30 April
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts