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Trinity River (CA) Fishing Report

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

California's steelhead refuge: cold Trinity Dam water and wild-feeling canyon runs.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
1,210 cfs
Air / High
66 / 71 F
Wind
WNW 4 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 11525655, 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.

Trinity River (CA) lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 1,210 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind WNW around 4 mph, rising pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 71. 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: Warmer at 77 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 TRINITY R BL LIMEKILN GULCH NR DOUGLAS CITY CA.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 11525655.

5668201,0731,210 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp66 F
High / Low71 / 43 F
WindWNW 4-7 mph
Pressure1013.7 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset06:42 / 19:39
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 · Overcast, 71/43 F, wind 12 mph, rain 3%

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 Trinity River (CA): 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 Trinity River (CA) 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 Trinity River (CA) 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 14 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 61 F, wind to 5 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.
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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

Barbless; steelhead card required; section closures protect spawners. Confirm with CDFW.

Access

SR-299 pullouts: Junction City, Pigeon Point, Del Loma...; Lewiston's fly-only section upstream.

About this water

Klamath tributary tamed by Lewiston/Trinity dams, Trinity County, CA: the state's most reliable steelhead water.

Fishing Trinity River (CA): the full guide

The Trinity difference

The Trinity holds California's most dependable steelhead water: cold releases, fall-through-winter runs of hatchery and wild fish, and canyon pools built for swung flies. Spring brings salmon fry chaos and quiet trout fishing while the crowds chase rumors elsewhere.

The steelhead schedule

Fall-run steelhead enter August-September behind the salmon; winter fish push through February. Junction City to Del Loma's pools swing beautifully; nymphers work the walking-speed seams. Flows from Lewiston dam hold the river fishable when coastal rivers blow out: the Trinity's superpower.

Reading Trinity water

Half-pounders and adults stack differently: adults own the deep slots and tailouts, half-pounders riot in the riffles. Cover both: swing the bucket, then dead-drift the choppy water above before moving. Spring salmon fry make March streamer fishing underrated for resident rainbows.

Swing water

The Trinity is California's steelhead swing-water: a fly-rod river of walking-pace runs where traditional wet-fly and spey technique still rules. Half-pounders arrive August, adults through winter, and the cold Lewiston tailwater holds fishable flows when coastal rivers blow out. Brown trout past 20 inches ambush the same swings: the state's most classical anadromous experience.

Common questions

What is a half-pounder?

An immature steelhead returning after months (not years) at sea: 12-16 inches of pure attitude. The Trinity and Klamath host the run: nowhere else in California.

When do Trinity steelhead arrive?

Half-pounders show by late August, adults build October-February: the cold Lewiston releases hold fish all winter. Flows are dam-stable: the rare North Coast river fishable after rain.

Is fishing good at Trinity River (CA) 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

Trinity Lake11 miWhiskeytown Lake22 miShasta Lake31 miMad River60 miSmith River95 miLake Almanor99 mi
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