General Seasons

King Salmon

The Sacramento River is home to some of the best King Salmon fishing in California. Thousands of Chinook or “King Salmon” enter the Sacramento River from the Delta and migrate North to spawn. These fish are chrome bright and great eating. The Sacramento River King Salmon season begins July 16th and and continues to mid December. The main run usually takes place between mid to late August, to mid October with September being the prime month. King Salmon caught during this time period will average around 18-25lbs, but every year we catch plenty of fish in the 40lb plus range. The record King Salmon caught on the Sacramento River is 88lbs! These fish are caught backtrolling plugs and drifting roe. If you have never had the pleasure of having one of these monsters at the other end of your line, you are in for a treat.

Shad

When the cotton starts blowing in the wind, get ready, as the American Shad are making their way through the mighty Sacramento River. Known as the “poor man’s tarpon”, these Shad generally enter the Sacramento River in early May and continue through July. Numbering in the hundreds of thousands, these hard fighting silver beauties travel in huge schools and to catch 30 Shad or more a day is not uncommon. These Shad, pound per pound, fight harder than any fish in the River and with the light tackle you will be using, there is a good chance you may end up throwing in the towel, as your arms will not be able to take another beating! Most Shad trips will be offered in the Chico area, north to Woodson Bridge and South to Ord Bend.

Striped Bass

Striped Bass, otherwise known as “Stripers” will usually enter the Sacramento River in late March and are present throughout the summer. While there always seems to be a Striper lurking in the Sacramento River, this is the time that you will find huge schools of Striped Bass bullying their way through the river like they own it. Striped Bass or Stripers are extremely aggressive and will eat almost anything and everything. Whether drifting minnows, casting Rapalas, or simply baitfishing with Anchovies,Sardines and Pile Worms, Stripers will keep you on your toes. Stripers range in size from a couple of pounds to over 30 lbs. The limit is two Striped Bass per person/day, but catching and releasing large numbers of Stripers is not uncommon. We focus most of our attention to Striped Bass fishing on the Sacramento River in the Colusa, CA area North to Butte City and South to Meridian

Sturgeon

Sturgeon fishing usually heats up in mid February on the Sacramento River and can be good clear into May. We target these monsters in the Colusa, CA area. These prehistoric monsters patrol the depths of the Sacramento River in search of food. If you are lucky enough to have a Sturgeon take your offering, look out! You are in for a ride! Sturgeon on the Sacramento River range in size from a couple of feet to over seven feet long and weighing 150lbs plus! To see a Sturgeon of that size come completely out of the water again and again is something that can not be explained; you have to experience it for yourself. There is a slot limit for Sturgeon of 40″ to 60″ and the limit is one Sturgeon per person/day. These trips generally require spending the night on the boat, as that is when some of the best action will take place, so bring your sleeping bag, if you dare sleep!

Wild Rainbow Trout

The Sacramento River in the Redding area is home to some of the best world class wild Rainbow Trout fishing in the state. To catch 10-20 plus fish a day is pretty common and these are beautiful fish. The range from around 12 to 20 plus inches. We offer both drift boat and jet boat trips on this stretch of the Sacramento River and use ultra light tackle. The scenery and wildlife in Redding is something that every outdoorsman can appreciate. This is a great fishing experience for both the advanced fisherman or the beginner.