Coastal Rain River · Mixed · Northern California

Mattole River

Photo of Mattole River

Remote Lost Coast steelhead and salmon recovery water.

Poor · Steelhead
Stu's Mini-Intruder · 12–16
Poorlive now
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.
55% confidence
What moved it
  • Level3.41 m
  • Water temp22.3°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
3.41 m
Water temp22.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather23°C
WindW 15 km/h
Pressure1017 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
Winter steelhead when open and dropping after rain
Where
Remote Lost Coast steelhead and salmon recovery water.
Why this works
Very poor — water clarity is working for you, but water temperature is the limiting factor today.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 6 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

See the full sub-surface read with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 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.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • CDFW low-flow threshold is 320 cfs at Mattole River near Petrolia; check current status before travelling.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 2
Eel River system
24 km
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Van Duzen River
36 km
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of Mattole River
    Mattole River
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Remote Lost Coast steelhead and salmon recovery water. The Mattole should be a careful conditions/context page rather than a promotional hotspot: it rises and falls with rain, closes under low-flow rules, and deserves a light-touch angler message. 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.

  • Mixed
Conservation note

Wild steelhead, Chinook and coho recovery context. Conservation-first; no listed-salmonid catch scores.

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity5812% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 September → 30 April
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts