Foothill Freestone · Volcanic · Northern California

Butte Creek

A wooden covered bridge crossing Butte Creek, with a gravel bar and calm water in the foreground, near Chico, California.
Poor · Rainbow Trout
Glo Bug / Egg · 6-10
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
Low and clear — careful approach country. A morning for the obvious fish only.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp23.0°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Glo Bug / Egg
Glo Bug / Egg6-10
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp23.0°C
ClarityClear
Weather28°C
WindSE 21 km/h
Pressure1013 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
Warm — slow
23°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
Water at 23°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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
Rainbow Trout fly box
CO
Comet (orange)
4-8 · Comet
Proven pattern for this period
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Treat as conservation-first and verify CDFW rules before any angling recommendation.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 23°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. A wooden covered bridge crossing Butte Creek, with a gravel bar and calm water in the foreground, near Chico, California.
    honey-run-bridge-from-butte-creek
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Conservation note

Central Valley spring-run Chinook recovery context. No catch score, no targeting language, and strong temperature/conservation messaging.

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

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

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Butte Creek (Butte County)' (CAR5204000020020610131525), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Fully Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Mercury, Toxic Organics. 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) · CAR5204000020020610131525

The full read · show the working · for Rainbow Trout · confidence 90%
How the 6 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature3 × 28%0.8
Flow60 × 22%13.2
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity49 × 12%5.9
Limiting factor: Water temperature (23°C) is outside Rainbow Trout's preferred range (10–18°C)= 46
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–18 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout Verify → Verify
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts