Tailwater · Mixed · Northern California

Lower Mokelumne River

Still water on the Mokelumne River near Lodi, California, with trees and a small boat reflected on the surface.

Short, cold tailwater below Camanche Dam, run by East Bay MUD rather than the Bureau, and it punches above its weight for wild rainbows holding over clean gravel.

Prime · Rainbow Trout
Sparkle Dun · 14-18
Primelive now
About as good as it gets
Low and clear — careful approach country. Take your time — read the water before you cast.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp10.3°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
SD
Sparkle Dun14-18
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp10.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather17°C
WindN 15 km/h
Pressure1015 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 Rainbow Trout
Ideal
10°C est.ideal 10–18°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Rainbow Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 3 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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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
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Western Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Pale Morning DunHatch
2
3
3
2
TricoHatch
2
3
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Open all year; barbless, with low-flow / steelhead closures — check CDFW
  • ESA-listed steelhead present: handle with care
  • Flow tracks Camanche releases.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 2
Lower American River
49 km
Rainbow trout
Lower Stanislaus River
55 km
Rainbow trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Still water on the Mokelumne River near Lodi, California, with trees and a small boat reflected on the surface.
    Symmetry
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Short, cold tailwater below Camanche Dam, run by East Bay MUD rather than the Bureau, and it punches above its weight for wild rainbows holding over clean gravel. It also carries ESA-listed Central Valley steelhead, so those fish get a wide berth and a gentle hand. It's a drift-boat and wade fishery best in the cooler months — blue-wings and midges in winter, caddis as it warms, and the familiar egg bite behind the autumn salmon. Flow is whatever Camanche sends down, so the weather upstream barely enters into it.

  • Mixed
Conservation note

Holds ESA-listed Central Valley steelhead. We surface their presence only — no catch score, no go-get-'em. Treat any you encounter as the rare thing they are.

Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Impaired
  • Fish consumption: Impaired
What this classification means

Fish consumption: Consumption advisory (Metals Other Than Mercury) — fish for sport, not the table.

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Mokelumne River, Lower (in Delta Waterways, eastern portion)' (CAR5440000019980818095133), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Oxygen Depletion, Metals Other Than Mercury, Mercury, Total Toxics. 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) · CAR5440000019980818095133

The full read · show the working · for Rainbow Trout · confidence 90%
How the 82 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time65 × 13%8.5
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity62 × 12%7.4
Conditions total= 82
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts