Briefly on Sacramento, CA Fishing
Sacramento is one of the fishing capitals, thanks to the American and Sacramento Rivers. The influx of fish from both rivers into Sacramento includes over 55 different fish families. Hence, the reason is that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued and sold over 2 million valid California fishing licenses in 2020.
Sacramento offers excellent fishing opportunities where you can learn to catch your dream trophy fish or enjoy the outdoors.
The following text breaks down Sacramento fishing, including fish species, best fishing techniques for the most popular fish types, best fisheries, fishing spots, and much more.
Get Outdoors in the California Delta
Sacramento, California, is the ninth-largest city in the US and the sixth-largest in California. Located in the Sacramento Valley in Northern California, right in the middle of the Sacramento and American River intersection, Sacramento has a lot to offer besides King Salmon fishing.
Sacramento serves as both the legislative and executive branches of government for the state of California, with a significant focus on research institutes.
Beyond the corporate and business world, the clean waters of the American and Sacramento Rivers provide suitable habitat for many fish to call home. Anglers enjoy fishing on the Sacramento River for the high quality and quantity of fish, as well as the availability of guided fishing trips.
So, let’s see where to fish and what fish species you can expect in Sacramento.
Best Fishing Seasons in Sacramento, California
Fishing in Sacramento is suitable for all ages, thanks to the variety of fish species. There are constantly many fishers in this part because there’s always a good fishing season – it just depends on the type you’re angling for.
Here’s how you can navigate through seasons:
- Winter season: King salmon (Chinook salmon) are caught from October to December. They reach 20-40 pounds around the winter months when they head to the Pacific Ocean. You can test different fishing techniques with local anglers there.
- Spring season – April to June is best for striper fishing because of their spawning season. They usually reproduce at the Sac River, mostly between Princeton and Sacramento.
- Summer season – Striped bass are best caught in late spring and mid-summer, especially in the California Delta. Summer also means plenty of catfish and shad activity. The salmon season starts around July and goes through all summer and fall. Late summer fishing is excellent for pulling a heavy-loaded striper of over 10 pounds.
- Fall season – From mid-summer to November, it’s the salmon season again. Additionally, fall is trout season too.
Good Fishing Spots
Apart from the fishing seasons, another strength of the Sacramento fishing charter is knowing a few spots to move around. So, let’s see where you can throw the baits in Sacramento, CA.
Sacramento River
- Convenient for wading
- Excellent shore fishing spots
- Lots of Boat options
Sacramento River is the longest river in California, with heavy flows. Apart from the outstanding fishing grounds, the Sacramento River is surrounded by scenic meadows and lakes decorated with nature’s finest northern flora.
The Sacramento River is separated into two divisions: the upper and lower sections. The Upper Sacramento River begins around 200 miles north of Sacramento at Lake Siskiyou and runs down to Shasta Lake.
This 40-mile stretch of water offers excellent fly fishing in California. It’s best for trout fishing.
The Lower Sacramento River runs from Shasta Lake to San Francisco Bay. This area here is mainly populated with salmon, largemouth bass, striped bass, sturgeon, and shad.
American River
- Fun for wading
- Good for shore fishing
- Great for kayaking
From Folsom Lake to the Sacramento River confluence, the American River runs for 30 miles. This river is well known for its Sacramento River king salmon, but also has a healthy population of rainbow trout, American shad, and striped bass.
The vastness of the American River is a considerable advantage for fishing. Because of its small length, it is easier to locate big schools of fish.
Many local operators along the river offer night fishing expeditions, since that is when the Chinook begin to feed. Mooching, drifting, and trolling are just a few of the strategies utilized.
Late August to late November is the optimal time to go to the American River and try one of the many salmon fishing trips. That is when the Chinook bite is at its peak. Shad fishing is also quite good.
Feather River
- Excellent shore fishing fields
- Great wading spots
- Open to kayaking
- Boating is also in the game
The Feather River is one of the best places to fish year-round. Although steelhead and salmon fishing are predominant, the Feather River is an excellent option for all kinds of fish registered in Sacramento.
The river is approachable from many places. You can go fishing with jet boats, drift boats, or go on foot. Bank fishing and wading are also popular options.
Folsom Lake
- Great for fishing on foot
- Great for motor boats
- Great for paddleboarding, kayaking
Folsom Lake is a great spot for some bass action and the best area for rod-bending action.
The spot where the South Fork and the American River enter the lake is the hotspot for some scorable-sized bass fish. The average bass caught here varies by around 10 pounds.
The prime time for bass fishing is during the spring and summer, especially in April and May. Water temperatures are warmer, allowing bass to thrive during these months.
Although the bass family is predominant in this area, you can find other fish here, like rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, crappie, blue gill, etc.
Fish Species in the Sacramento River
Master anglers always advise learning everything about the prey you’re after, then throwing the bait. To have a successful fishing day or catch the biggest fish, you must know their habits, nature, and what they like.
Sacramento is home to a variety of fish. However, the predominant species are:
- Wild rainbow trout
- King salmon
- Largemouth bass
- Striped bass
- Catfish
The content below will familiarize you with the predominant fish species and everything you need to know before fishing.
Wild Rainbow Trout
Rainbow trout are carnivorous fish, but their diet varies as they age and grow. While they’re small fish, they eat more insects, larvae, worms, snails, or other light creatures.
Once they grow larger, they eat smaller fish such as minnows and anchovies. Therefore, the best bait for trout is undoubtedly live bait.
The best times to fish for them are early morning (dawn), maybe two hours after sunrise at most, and late evening (dusk). This is because trout tend to eat in low light.
Best Trout Fishing Spots in Sacramento River
Sacramento is home to the trout family because of the water temperatures. Trouts prefer a large influx of running and cold water – preferably icy.
The Lower Sacramento River’s dams regulate the flow of icy water from Shasta Lake, California’s primary water source.
Best Rainbow Trout Season
There are several reasons for trout fishing on the Sacramento River. The most prolific fishing seasons are spring, summer, and fall. During those seasons, flows at places like Keswick Dam are usually sufficient.
Best Trout fishing technique
Fly fishing is undoubtedly the best technique for rainbow trout in the Sacramento River.
However, local anglers suggest trying the drift-boat technique from a powerboat for a massive catch of rainbow trout. Speaking from their experience, this way, anglers catch more trout in a day than other fishermen who use fly-fishing.
Nevertheless, the fly fishing technique is only for the patient angler. It takes a lot of time to master this technique, but with every failed effort, you’re getting closer to landing a trophy-sized rainbow trout.
So, the technique choice is only a matter of preference. Do you value quantity or quality?
King Salmon (Chinook)
Salmon fishing is a traditional sport in Sacramento, CA. Looking back, the Sacramento River was host to California’s best salmon fishing in 1932 because of the heavy flow of the streams.
However, once the dams were constructed and locals began mining, the flow was obstructed, disrupting the salmon’s natural habitat. Hence, the tradition paused.
Later, the locals made efforts to resume the tradition of salmon fishing. Although today the Sacramento River flows freely compared to the past, it’s still not the same as before the dams. Nonetheless, it’s sufficient enough to provide a home to salmon families in California.
Local Sacramento Fishing Guides
Meet the team of Sacramento Fishing Guides, we know the best spots, baits, and techniques to give you the most outstanding fishing experience in the Ione area.
Sacramento River Fishing Climate
To have a great fishing trip, you must consider the weather conditions.
Generally speaking, the Sacramento area has excellent weather, but the water can be pretty cold.
Currently, it’s ideal for striped bass fishing and shad fishing. Since there are excellent conditions during summer, you can learn more about fly fishing techniques and test your luck with the fast shad fish.
You can book boat trips and learn a thing or two about fly fishing. Here’s what you can expect.
Fly Fishing
Fly fishing in Sacramento is a technique practiced since locals learned about salmon in the area. The craft of using a light, artificial, insect-like lure to catch fish defied the laws of nature, but in the end, only the best succeed.
Fish often get lured by flies because it are easy prey for them and a quick meal. However, the difficulty in fly fishing lies in setting the scene with an artificial fly on a fishing line. The problem occurs because the line is heavier at normal angles due to gravity. Once you throw the bait, it falls.
Unlike traditional angling, fly fishing uses different techniques and requires many tries because the bait must not fall but hover on the surface, as flies do in real life.
If you’ve never tried fly fishing before, it’s best to join a boat trip. You will learn many more tips and tricks from the locals this way. Besides, the Sacramento River is one of the best locations for fly fishing because it’s densely populated with fish on an insect diet.
Different Ways to Fish in the Sacramento
Sacramento offers excellent fishing conditions, spots, and species. Plus, it opens a few paths to go angling and have the best fishing experience.
Current Fishing Articles
Book a Fishing Trip
The Sacramento area is full of fishing charters from every side you can think of. Some of the top-rated ones are the following:
- Striped Bass Fishing Charters
- Largemouth Bass Fishing Charters
- Crappie Fishing Charters
- Salmon Fishing Charters
Kayaking
Apart from the boats, you can elevate your experience just by getting a kayak for a solo trip. There are many fishing piers or boat rentals in the Sacramento area. Check out our best picks:
- Clearly Tahoe
- Whitewater Adventures
- American River Rental
Before you leave for kayaking and fishing, ensure the weather is suitable. Of course, if you haven’t tried this before, look for a professional to help.
Top Trophy-Sized Catches in Sacramento, CA
Catching a trophy fish is all about knowledge, versatility in techniques, proper timing, and patience. The last season has been prolific, with anglers showing off their trophies on social media.
Thomas Fitzpatrick, in March 2022, caught one of the largest stripers Sacramento has ever seen. According to the size, which reached over 52 pounds, we can deduce that there was a great fight involved.
Back in September 2021, Ryan Tripp came out on Instagram with another trophy in his collection. This time, he managed to tackle a 40-pound king salmon.
Otherwise, Ryan Tripp is a master angler in the making. He has been fishing continuously for salmon and bass on the Sacramento River, steelhead on the North Coast, and many more.
Last but not least, we must mention one of the rare and historical moments when Mike Rasmussen and Robert Petty caught a 230-pound Sturgeon.
They are the fishermen who tutored Amanda Gradney, and, luckily, they showed their skills at their best on their trip. They caught two American sturgeon, a fish considered prehistoric, one of which was 7 feet long and weighed 230 pounds.
Sacramento Fishing License
California Department of Fish and Wildlife imposes some regulations that can result in a heavy fee.
Therefore, all anglers aged 16 or older must have a fishing license. Getting your license is super easy, and you can do it online, reach out to a licensing agent, or simply get it physically at any certified retailer.
Each fishing license is valid year-round (January 1 to December 31). Remember that for some species, like steelhead, you must have a report head.
However, these regulations also depend on the season and area you’re fishing in.
The fees can range from $50 to $150. Therefore, make sure to re-read the rules and regulations from the California official government website, as there are many updates along the way.
Also, you can ask the locals for more details and help.
Fishing in Sacramento: Final Say
Fishing in Sacramento, CA, is a vast topic. The area is a fishing paradise for many anglers, offering plenty of opportunities to test their skills against the giants.
Sacramento offers some of the best boat launch facilities you can use to hunt down giant fish. Or approach them on foot – that’s the beauty of Sacramento.
If you’re looking for a spot to discover better fishing opportunities, Sacramento is the answer! Book your boats, or put on your boots; either way, you’ll have a great fishing experience.
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