Excellent and diverse steelhead fishing opportunities abound in the rivers of Northern California's Central Valley. A huge advantage to fishing these dam-controlled streams is that they, unlike coastal rivers, rarely blow out – even during the heaviest of rain. Combined with the fact that these rivers are easily accessed from places like the Bay Area and Los Angeles, it's clear they are tough to beat.

Feather River Fall Steelhead | As the salmon runs taper off in October on the Feather River, the riffles near Oroville fill up with fresh fall steelhead. The fish begin arriving in September and show up en masse in October and November. They are enthusiastic biters and provide excellent action on fly and spin gear alike. Feather fall steelies typically run 3-6 pounds, but can top 10 pounds on occasion.

Yuba River Fall Steelhead | In October and November, the lower Yuba River gets plugged with fall-run steelhead. These fish are very aggressive and are equal-opportunity eaters: they'll eat plugs, bait and flies with reckless abandon. The scenery and solitude also make fishing for fall steelies on the Yuba a treat.

American River Winter Steelhead | The American River hosts solid runs of winter steelhead from December through the end of February and these wonderful fish can weigh anywhere from 6-18 pounds. Beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife and solitude are the hallmarks of a winter day on the water here…not to mention some absolutely incredible battles with bright steelhead fresh from saltwater.

American River Spring Steelhead | Spring steelhead fishing on the American River has become one of our most popular trips in recent years and it’s easy to see why. The river is nearly void of anglers during the peak of the run (March through mid-April) and the fishing can be fantastic. Springers run smaller than their winter cousins but make up for their lack of size in sheer fighting ability. They are an outstanding fish to pursue with flies and conventional tackle.

Next up? Striped Bass...