Share your catch

Smith River Fishing Report

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

California's crown jewel: the last major undammed river, running emerald through redwoods with the state's biggest steelhead and king salmon.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
62 / 62 F
Wind
SW 8 mph

Sources: 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.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Smith River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings a mixed sky, wind SW around 8 mph, rising 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 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 63 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.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp62 F
High / Low62 / 53 F
WindSW 8-11 mph
Pressure1014.8 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain28% cloud, 47%
Sunrise / Sunset06:45 / 19:44
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 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Rain, 62/53 F, wind 8 mph, rain 47%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Smith 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 Smith 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 Smith 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 62 F, wind to 9 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 59 F, wind to 16 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 65 F, wind to 11 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 report card. Low-flow closures and gear rules by reach: check CDFW's Smith River regs and the daily flow line.

Access

Jed Smith SP accesses, Ruby/Society Hole drifts, forks' pullouts along US-199 and South Fork Road.

About this water

The last undammed major river in California, Del Norte County. Wild steelhead and kings in redwood country.

Fishing Smith River: the full guide

The free river of the redwoods

The Smith runs dam-free from the Siskiyous to the sea: emerald-clear water through old-growth redwood canyons, dropping and clearing within days of the biggest storms. It is California's premier steelhead river and its most beautiful: protected end-to-end as Wild and Scenic, holding fish that run genuinely huge.

Chrome of consequence

December-March brings the steelhead: wild fish averaging 8-12 pounds with 20s every season: side-drifted roe from driftboats, plugs in the deep slots, and swung flies for those who accept the math. The river's quick-clearing nature makes it the North Coast's storm-week salvation: when everything else blows out, the Smith drops in first.

Kings in the fall

October-December kings (some past 40 pounds) stack the tidewater and lower pools after the first freshets: back-bounced roe and Kwikfish in the emerald slots. The runs are wild and precious: regulations tighten by year: check current rules: and the ethic runs toward respect: these are the state's last great wild-fish returns.

Wild and Scenic realities

Low-water closures protect the fish (angling shuts when flows drop below thresholds: check DFW's low-flow line daily); bait rules and gear windows vary by reach. Access runs through Jedediah Smith Redwoods and the forks' road network: the Middle and South forks' swimming-pool clarity is the summer consolation when the anadromous water rests.

Common questions

How big do Smith River steelhead run?

The biggest in California: 8-12-lb averages, 15-20-lb fish annually. December-February after rain-drops are prime: the river clears in 2-3 days when everything else needs a week.

Why does the Smith close at low flows?

Wild-fish protection: below set thresholds the fish concentrate and become too vulnerable. The daily low-flow hotline/page is mandatory homework: closures are automatic, not discretionary.

Is fishing good at Smith River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Rogue River47 miMad River61 miTrinity River (CA)95 miTrinity Lake97 miCoos Bay108 miUmpqua River111 mi
Share your catch