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.

A famous Central Valley spring-run Chinook recovery stream — worth knowing about for where salmon recovery is happening and why water temperature matters, not as somewhere to fish for salmon.

Tomorrow · Not the day for it
Hopper
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
Hopper
Hopper
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp18.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather25°C
WindN 14 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Warm — slow
19°C est.ideal 413°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
Fair — water clarity is working for you, but water temperature is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 12pm

12pm(now) Grasshopper

Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 95%
Also:Trico59%Reed Smut56%
Peak emergence windowWeather boostDegree-days at peak5 food groups active

Peak activity at 12pm — Grasshopper (Grasshopper, Peak emergence window)

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 2 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
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
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
About this water

A famous Central Valley spring-run Chinook recovery stream — worth knowing about for where salmon recovery is happening and why water temperature matters, not as somewhere to fish for salmon. Volcanic bedrock underlies this river. These are steelhead and salmon waters managed by CDFW under strict, frequently-changing seasonal rules — salmon retention is often prohibited and catch-and-release is widely required; check current CDFW regulations before fishing.

  • Volcanic
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 lifeSupporting
  • Fish consumptionImpaired
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
  • Temperature3028% weight
  • Flow6022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5513% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity5312% weight
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout VerifyVerify
Related guides
Booking & contacts