The first big storm of the year finally passed through adding much needed snow to the higher elevations and rain relief to the valley. When it comes to steelhead fishing rain is what triggers movement. My last couple of visits to the hatchery section of the Feather River have been fruitful however my most recent trip yielded no grabs. The fish that were holding in this section most likely finished spawning and fled downstream back to the ocean during the rainstorm.

One of the things that makes the Feather River a great system is that it will always have andramous fish in it. The absence of the winter-run simply means that the spring-run are well on their way.

Does This Count As A Steelhead?

Spring time on the Feather River is absolutely beautiful. Fishing on a warm sunny day surrounded by clear water and pretty greenery is what it’s all about. It’s not quite spring yet but it felt like that during my last visit. Mayflies and caddis where hatching and the fish that I found were on them. Although I couldn’t find any adult fish, I was able to swing up four small hatchery trout.

Different seasonal steelhead runs will hold in different riffles, runs, and pools therefore you’ll need to change your strategy if you can’t find them. After no luck in the hatchery section I quickly changed locations and found some fish. Cover water and find your target.

It’ll probably be a few weeks before the fishing gets better on the Feather River however I have a good feeling that this spring is going to be a good one.