Tailwater · Mixed · Northern California

Trinity River

Trinity River venue image
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Cold, regulated tailwater below Lewiston Dam, and a classic California steelhead and salmon river — the kind of place a steelheader thinks about in the off-season.

Species

About as good as it gets

River high but settled. Fish are looking up — bigger flies, confident takes.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for steelhead
Ideal
10.0°Cideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for steelhead
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity6212% weight
Conditions
Level
4.45 m
Water temp
10.0°C
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
27°C
Wind
W 23 km/h
Moderate breeze
Pressure
1015 hPa
Rain · 48h
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

How to fish it · for steelhead
When
Autumn through winter as fish move in; best on dropping, clearing flows
Where
Cold, regulated tailwater below Lewiston Dam, and a classic California steelhead and salmon river — the kind of place a steelheader thinks about in the…
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though time of day could be better.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June 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
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Pale Morning DunHatch
2
3
3
2

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

Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • CDFW steelhead regulations — barbless, wild-fish release; reach/seasonal closures apply
  • ESA-listed coho and Chinook present: do not target listed fish; release unharmed.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

Cold, regulated tailwater below Lewiston Dam, and a classic California steelhead and salmon river — the kind of place a steelheader thinks about in the off-season. It carries ESA-listed coho and Chinook alongside hatchery and wild steelhead, and the listed fish are here to recover, not to be chased, so the whole game is run-timing and respect. The steelheader's real question is always the same: is it in shape? You swing flies on a Skagit head or nymph the runs from autumn into winter, and the best of it is fishing the tailout of a recent bump as the water drops and clears. Flow is reservoir-managed for fish and water supply.

  • Mixed
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Other water nearby · 3