Coastal Rain River · Mixed · Northern California, US

Van Duzen River

Photo of Van Duzen River

A smaller Eel-system coastal steelhead river: quick to rise, quick to drop, and often more delicate than the big-name mainstems.

Good · Steelhead
Stu's Mini-Intruder · 12–16
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Flow0.3 m³/s
  • Water temp13.7°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
SS
Stu's Mini-Intruder12–16
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Flow
Steady
0.3 m³/s
Water temp13.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather16°C
WindNW 18 km/h
Pressure1016 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
14°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Winter steelhead on legal, dropping flows
Where
A smaller Eel-system coastal steelhead river: quick to rise, quick to drop, and often more delicate than the big-name mainstems.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is working for you, but time of day is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Mayflies
Caddisflies
terrestrials
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 9pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 8 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(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 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
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 150 cfs at Van Duzen River near Bridgeville; check current open/closed status.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 4
Eel River system
17 km
65
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Mattole River
36 km
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
South Fork Trinity River
39 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Mad River
43 km
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of Van Duzen River
    Van Duzen River
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A smaller Eel-system coastal steelhead river: quick to rise, quick to drop, and often more delicate than the big-name mainstems. Open/closed status, water colour and a falling hydrograph matter more here than generic seasonal advice. 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 and salmonid recovery context. Conservation-first; no catch score for listed salmonids.

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature7828% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time4013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity6012% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 September → 30 April
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts