Summer flows on Putah Creek are tough. I’ve been attempting to learn where the trout hold during the summer on Putah Creek and this visit I covered water from the Monticello dam down to Access 5. From now on I will be calling it quits on Putah Creek at 700 CFS.
The previous week I had visited Putah Creek the flows were around 630 CFS. This visit the creek was cranked up to 700 CFS. It appears that every ~100 CFS rises the creek about 3-6 inches. I learned this the hard way after I stepped into a spot where I could usually wade in and my waders started to fill with water. Not the best way to start the day… After slogging around in waders for a bit I opted to just wet wade in shorts and sandals. This was more comfortable than wet waders however it also was not the best idea because my leg and feet got pretty beat up by all the berry bushes and weeds.
I checked out the spots where I had caught some fish the last visit and noticed that although there were still fish there were a lot less of them. I hooked four fish and landed two of them the biggest being about 20”. It appears that the fish were only taking midges.
I hiked and covered water throughout the day checking out all available access spots. About 80% of the creek was too high to fish and spots that looked like they should have held fish (nooks, crannies, soft seams, etc) didn’t yield any. As I was making my way around the creek I spotted a Putah Creek beast in soft water that looked like it was +25”. Unfortunately it spooked into deeper water before I could get the chance to cast to it.
I ran into two guys that were interested in fishing the Putah Creek at access 5. Apparently the ranger they spoke to told them they could keep fish at access 3. I kindly iterated that all of the creek is catch-and-release only. If you are ever unsure about the regulations make sure you reference the DFW fishing regulations book. Respect the law and most importantly respect the fishery.
Typical Putah fish, taking only midges. That’s a really nice fish for the creek. I also highly doubt that such a ranger exists, or that they would actively tell people to keep fish…
Some people…
What does soft water mean?
Soft water is water that is walking pace or slower; runs, seams, or pocket water.
I watch the flows at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/dv/?site_no=11454000&PARAmeter_cd=00060
I haven’t fished there in a few years but when flows drop to below 100, the creek becomes very fish able. I avoid the spawning areas during the “spring” Late Feb thru April. Also some times during a wet year the water from the Lake can go down the glory hole and create flows above 7000 cfs (extremely dangerous).
I stopped fishing it regularly when the NZ mud snails showed up. They were going to try and eliminate them with poison but one of those wet years happened and washed out any chance for that to happen.
So if you wade the creek beside to clear you equipment both on site and when you get home. I actually had a second pair of wader just for Putah creek. Brought them home cleaned them and then put the in out spare garage freezer.