Coastal Rain River · Mixed · Northern California, US

Russian River

Photo of Russian River

A famous Sonoma steelhead river and coho recovery system, close enough to population centres that bad advice can do real damage.

Tomorrow · Slow going — pick your moments
Hopper
Forecast · Tomorrow
Slow going — pick your moments
Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
55% projected
Today's fly
Hopper
Hopper
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.37 m
Water temp16.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather22°C
WindN 4 km/h
Pressure1014 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 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
Warm — slow
17°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Winter steelhead when open, with enough water for migration and fishable clarity
Where
A famous Sonoma steelhead river and coho recovery system, close enough to population centres that bad advice can do real damage.
Why this works
Very poor — water clarity is working for you, but water temperature is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Mayflies
Caddisflies
terrestrials
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 12pm

12pm(now) — Grasshopper

Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 95%
Also:Reed Smut78%Trico45%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost7 food groups active

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

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

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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
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
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 300 cfs at Hacienda Bridge near Guerneville
  • Coho are endangered/protected; do not target or harass them.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 1
Gualala / Garcia steelhead cluster
60 km
Steelhead · Coho salmon · Chinook salmon
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of Russian River
    Russian River
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A famous Sonoma steelhead river and coho recovery system, close enough to population centres that bad advice can do real damage. Treat it as a low-flow, closure-aware winter steelhead venue with strong endangered-salmon language: open status first, then water shape, then tactics. 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

Coho recovery river and winter steelhead water. Do not target coho; do not score listed salmonids. Handle wild steelhead carefully.

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

Recreation: Bacteria/pathogen advisory — mind wading cuts and immersion.

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Russian River HU, Lower Russian River HA, Guerneville HSA' (CAR1141104119990614110247), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Temperature, Sediment, Metals Other Than Mercury, Pathogens. 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) · CAR1141104119990614110247

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time4013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity4212% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 September → 30 April
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts