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Russian River Fishing Report

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

Wine-country steelhead: the Russian still runs chrome through the redwoods when winter rain opens the mouth.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
112 cfs
Air / High
62 / 62 F
Wind
W 7 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 11467000, 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Russian River sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 112 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind W around 7 mph, steady pressure near 1015 hPa and a high of 62. 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 bassExcellent

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

Brown troutExcellent

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

SteelheadFair

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

Tomorrow: Similar at 61 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 Russian River at Hacienda Bridge near Guerneville.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 11467000.

94106117112 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp62 F
High / Low62 / 53 F
WindW 7-9 mph
Pressure1014.8 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain65% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset06:44 / 19:37
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 · Showers, 62/53 F, wind 12 mph, rain 1%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Russian 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 Russian 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 Russian 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 64 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

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 69 F, wind to 9 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 68 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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 plus steelhead report card. Wild steelhead release; hatchery fish (adipose-clipped) may be kept per current limits. Low-flow closures and salmon restrictions: check CDFW before each trip.

Access

Steelhead Beach and Forestville accesses, Monte Rio, Vacation Beach, Duncans Mills bars, and Jenner at the mouth.

About this water

A 110-mile coastal river through Sonoma County wine country to the Pacific at Jenner: winter steelhead, spring shad, summer smallmouth.

Fishing Russian River: the full guide

The comeback river

The Russian drains 110 miles of Mendocino and Sonoma county hills to the sea at Jenner, and for a century it was California’s most famous steelhead river: the old photographs of shoulder-to-shoulder anglers at the Monte Rio riffles are its scripture. Decades of habitat loss cut the runs hard, but hatchery and wild winter steelhead still climb the river from December through March, joined by a fall king salmon run and, in the lower river, a robust smallmouth and shad fishery once the water warms.

Winter steelhead windows

The game is timing: the sandbar at the mouth must breach (first big rains), and the river fishes on the drop after each storm: the Hacienda Bridge gauge falling through 1,000 cfs toward 300 with four feet of visibility is the green light. Classic runs: Duncans Mills, Monte Rio, Vacation Beach, the Ulpf riffle at Guerneville: fish best with drifted roe, beads and plugs from prams, or spoons and jigs from the gravel bars.

The other seasons

Summer belongs to smallmouth: the middle river from Healdsburg through Alexander Valley fishes like an underrated bass stream: wade wet, throw small topwaters and grubs through the willow pockets. American shad run in May-June below the Healdsburg riffles. Salmon (mostly kings, October-November) are largely a closed or restricted fishery in recent years: check current DFW rules before targeting them.

Working the lower river

Access stacks along the Highway 116 corridor: Steelhead Beach, Sunset Beach and Forestville River Access, Monte Rio beach, and Casini Ranch near Duncans Mills. Low-flow closures are the crucial rule: the river closes to fishing when flows drop below thresholds: check the DFW low-flow hotline before every winter trip. Guerneville makes the natural base, with Santa Rosa thirty minutes away.

Common questions

Is the steelhead run still worth fishing?

Yes, managed expectations attached: a few thousand fish still return, and a post-storm drop at Monte Rio can feel like the old days for an afternoon.

What flows should I look for?

Falling water between roughly 300 and 1,000 cfs at Hacienda with greenish visibility. Rising or chocolate water is a day to tie leaders.

Can I fish it in summer?

The smallmouth fishery from Healdsburg up is legitimately fun and nearly private: light tackle, wet wading, and dozens of fish on a good day.

Is fishing good at Russian River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Bodega Bay11 miLake Sonoma19 miClear Lake44 miLake Berryessa50 miPutah Creek59 miSan Pablo Reservoir61 mi
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