Keep Calm and Fly Fish

Feather River

Both the Feather River and the American River rely on landmarks to mark areas that are either closed or open to fishing. Sometimes it can be difficult for anglers who are unfamiliar with these landmarks to know which section they are fishing. Here is a bit of a cheat sheet to help pin-point the sections and fishing seasons of both the Feather and American river.

California DFG Regulations 2018-2019
*Please read the regulations for yourself for clarification!
*Open for all other species includes steelhead.
*Striped bass fishing is opened all year with a two fish limit with a minumum size of 18”.
*Wild steelhead have an adipose fin intact while hatchery steelhead do not.
*You need to have a steelhead card signed before fishing for steelhead.

DFG Regulations Article 3 – 7.50 Unless otherwise provided, waters shown as open to trout and salmon fishing below, are open to fishing for other species. Every body of water listed below is closed to all fishing except during the open season as shown. Gear restrictions listed in this section apply to the take of all species of fish unless otherwise noted.

Feather River

(A) From Fish Barrier Dam to Table Mountain bicycle bridge in Oroville.
Closed to fishing all year.

(B) From Table Mountain bicycle bridge to Highway 70 bridge.

Open: January 1st – July 15th. Only barbless hooks may be used.
Closed to salmon fishing.
2 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead**
4 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead** in possession.
No take or possession of salmon.

•  Notice that this section closes July 16th – December 31st to all fishing.
• This section is known as the “low-flow” section stretching from the Feather River hatchery to the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet.  

(C) From Highway 70 bridge to the unimproved boat ramp above the Thermalito Afterbay Outfall.
Open: All year.
Closed to salmon fishing.
2 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead**
4 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead** in possession.
No take or possession of salmon.

• This section is known as the “low-flow” section stretching from the Feather River hatchery to the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet.  

D) From the unimproved boat ramp above the Thermalito Afterbay Outfall to 200 yards above the Live Oak boat ramp.
Open: All year for all other species except salmon.
Salmon fishing: July 16th – October 31st
2 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead**
4 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead** in possession.
2 Chinook salmon
4 Chinook salmon in possession

• This section is the most fished section of the Feather River and is often subjected to regulation misunderstandings. Just remember that this section stretches from the Outlet all the way downstream to Live Oak boat launch.
• This section is known as the “high-flow” section due to the added flows from the Thermalito Afterbay.

(E) From 200 yards above Live Oak boat ramp to the mouth. For purposes of this regulation, the lower boundary is defined as a straight line drawn from the peninsula point on the west bank to the Verona Marine boat ramp.
Open: All year for all other species except salmon.
Salmon fishing: July 16th – December 16th
2 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead**
4 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead** in possession.
2 Chinook salmon
4 Chinook salmon in possession

American River @ Sunrise Bridge

American River

(A) From Nimbus Dam to the U.S. Geological Survey gauging station cable crossing about 300 yards down-stream from the Nimbus Hatchery fish rack site.

Closed to fishing all year.

(B) From the U.S. Geological Survey gauging station cable crossing about 300 yards down-stream from the Nimbus Hatchery fish rack site to the SMUD power line crossing at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park.
Open: January 1st – October 31st
Salmon fishing: July 16th – October 31st
Only barbless hooks may be used. 
2 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead**
4 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead** in possession.
2 Chinook salmon
4 Chinook salmon in possession

• Notice that this section closes November 1st – December 31st to all fishing. 
• If you zoom into the map more you will find the cables that mark this section.

(C) From the SMUD power line crossing at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park downstream to the Jibboom Street bridge.
Open: All year for all other species except salmon.
Salmon fishing: July 16th – December 31st
2 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead**
4 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead** in possession.
2 Chinook salmon
4 Chinook salmon in possession

• If you zoom into the map more you will find the cables that mark this section.

(D) From the Jibboom Street bridge to the mouth.
Open: All year for all other species except salmon.
Salmon fishing: July 16th – December 16th
2 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead**
4 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead** in possession.
2 Chinook salmon
4 Chinook salmon in possession