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Mad River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Humboldt's steelhead sleeper: a coastal river of hatchery chrome and redwood fog, drift-fished between crab feasts.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
40 cfs
Air / High
65 / 66 F
Wind
W 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 11481000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Mad River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 40 cfs, on the rise. Today brings a mixed sky, wind W around 5 mph, steady pressure near 1015 hPa and a high of 66. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown troutGood

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

SteelheadSlow

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Similar at 64 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Mad River near Arcata.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 11481000.

38424640 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp65 F
High / Low66 / 51 F
WindW 5-7 mph
Pressure1014.8 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain30% cloud, 11%
Sunrise / Sunset06:46 / 19:43
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 66/51 F, wind 7 mph, rain 11%

Fair or better. Calm and stable: plan around the solunar majors at dawn and dusk.

Species guide

The species that matter on Mad River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Mad River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Mad River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 66 F, wind to 7 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 62 F, wind to 11 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

California requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

California license + steelhead card. Low-flow closures: check CDFW's hotline. Hatchery fish retention rules by year.

Access

Blue Lake hatchery access, Hatchery Road bars, Mad River County Park (lower).

About this water

Coastal steelhead river at Arcata, Humboldt County, CA. The quick-clearing Humboldt option.

Fishing Mad River: the full guide

The Humboldt option

The Mad slips into the Pacific north of Arcata: a mid-sized coastal river whose hatchery steelhead program (Blue Lake's returns) delivers December-February chrome with a fraction of the Smith or Eel's fame. When the bigger rivers blow out, the Mad's quicker clearing saves Humboldt weekends.

Winter program

Drift boats work the lower river's slots (side-drifted roe, plugs in the deep bends): bank anglers ladder the accesses (the hatchery reach, Blue Lake's bars): and the run peaks with each January rain-drop. Fish run 6-10 pounds with the odd teen: pressure concentrates at the hatchery: walk for solitude.

Reading the coastal window

The Mad rises fast with rain and drops fishable within two days (our Arcata gauge tells it): the green window between storms is the whole game. Low-flow closures apply (check the county line rules): and fall's half-pounder-and-cutthroat fishing offers a September prelude the winter crowds skip.

Humboldt practicalities

Access threads Highway 299 and Blue Lake's roads: the hatchery anchors the culture: and the redwood-country rhythm (fog, crab pots, espresso shacks) makes even blank days atmospheric. Arcata sits fifteen minutes from the ramps: the Mad is the town's backyard run.

Common questions

When do steelhead run the Mad River?

December-February on the rain-drops: the hatchery returns peak in January. Two days after a storm, green water: the window that matters.

Is the Mad River good for bank anglers?

Among the coast's best: the hatchery reach and Blue Lake bars serve the boatless honestly. Walk downstream from the crowds: the slots repeat.

Is fishing good at Mad River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Trinity River (CA)60 miSmith River61 miTrinity Lake68 miWhiskeytown Lake82 miShasta Lake90 miRogue River106 mi
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