Hat Creek, How Do I Fish This

How Do I Fish This: Hat Creek

by Matt

Hat Creek is known as one of the best spring creeks in California. Originating from its headwaters near Mt. Lassen, this creek flows downwards through rugged terrain, meadow valleys, and several campgrounds before reaching Baum Lake. Baum Lake diverts the creek into two flows: one flow directed into the famous Powerhouse #2 and the other below Baum Lake’s dam. Both flows eventually merge below Powerhouse #2.
The upper section of Hat Creek is primarily a freestone put-and-take fishery that is known for its large brook trout that are stocked by DFG during trout season.
The lower section below Powerhouse #2 is a spring creek wild trophy trout section that is known for its wild well-educated brown and rainbow trout.

Hat Creek has a long and interesting history. Officially recognized as California’s first wild trout water, Hat Creek was a world class fly fishing destination in the 1970’s. The creek has since declined due to a sediment plug burying a majority of the creek’s aquatic plant life as well as invasive muskrats which have contributed to eroding the banks making the creek wider and shallower over the past few decades. Caltrout, Trout Unlimited, and many other agencies have recently come together to work on restoring lower Hat Creek back to its former glory.

Although Hat Creek is recognized as past its prime it continues to offer the challenge of spring creek fly fishing. It is one of the few spring creeks in California where you can freely stalk your target and watch as they ignore every single fly you throw at them.

Open Season
A) From Lake Britton upstream to Baum Lake, exclusive of the concrete Hat No. 2 intake canal between Baum Lake and the Hat No. 2 Powerhouse.
Open all year
*Only artificial lures with barbless hooks
*Zero limit. Catch-and-release only.

B) Baum Lake to headwaters
Open from the last Saturday in April – November 15th
*No restrictions. Five fish limit.
November 16th – Preceding last Saturday of April
*Only artificial lures with barbless hooks
*Zero fish limit. Catch-and-release only.

Access Points
Both upper and lower Hat Creek are easily accessible as HWY 89 parallels most of the creek up to Cassel.

Primary access points to upper Hat Creek are in and around the numerous campgrounds near the creek.
Hat Creek campground is one of Hat Creek’s first campground. It is south of Old Station closer to Mt Lassen making it a bit more scenic than the other campgrounds.
Cave Campground is the first campground north of Old Station. Across from this campground you can find entry to the Subway Cave which is an ancient lava tube.
Rocky Campground is the second campground heading north. It is a nice spot to fish with plenty of holding areas for fish.
Bridge Campground is perhaps the most popular campground and is the third campground further north. This campground is probably the best out of all the campgrounds and has a nice bridge that  overlooks Hat Creek.
Honn Campground is the fourth and final campground north of Hat Creek. It is right off the HWY and is less developed than the other campgrounds.

In between upper and lower Hat Creek is Baum Lake. There is no overnight camping at Baum Lake however you can find plenty of campsites near the lake at Cassel Campground.

Lower Hat Creek begins at Powerhouse #2. There is a maintained road that leads you down into lower Hat Creek that ends at the Powerhouse #2 parking lot.

You can also access lower Hat Creek at Hat Creek park. The creek is deeper in this section making it difficult to fish from the bank.
The furthest access to lower Hat Creek is off a forest road downstream from Hat Creek park.

Seasons
Spring

The season on Hat Creek always starts off well as the creek is spring-fed and generally not affected by the spring
run-off.
There are many different insects that can be hatching during this time of year and each year presents a different prolific hatch therefore having multiple different types of imitations is a good choice. The most common patterns that you should always have on Hat Creek are PMDs and BWOs patterns ranging from size 14 -20.
I usually find the strongest hatch mid-morning and in the evening about an hour before sunset.
As the weather warms in May the Salmonfly hatch begins giving you an opportunity to throw big stonefly patterns.

Summer

Dry fly fishing on Hat Creek in the early summer continues to be best during mid-mornings and evenings.
Must have fly patterns to bring in the summer are caddis, trico, and yellow sally patterns in size 14 – 18.
June will bring about the Green Drake hatch allowing you to again throw big patterns to rising fish. This hatch and be a hit or miss and will usually take place in the evening.
Mid-day on Hat Creek is best fished with a hopper dropper. I like to sight fish for fish that hang out near the bank during the mid-day slump in the spring creek section or go down to the riffle section and look for fish with a euronymphing set-up.

Fall

Hat Creek tends to fish exceptionally well in the fall. Fishing pressure is pretty much nonexistent giving you tranquil access to the entire creek.
The caddis hatch will still be around with less and less activity happening each day as the temperatures gradually drop.
The trico hatch is one of the better hatches and can be caught in the early in the morning. Fish can be found sipping spinners along the edge of the bank and undercuts.
The October Caddis hatch happens in October giving you one last opportunity to fish big patterns.
BWOs start becoming a prominent hatch as the weather cools. Overcast days tend to bring out the strongest hatches.

Fish Species
Rainbow Trout
Brown Trout
Brook Trout

Gear
3WT or 4WT for upper section
5WT for lower section
5x, 6x, 7x leaders for spring creek section

Fly Patterns

  • Nymphs
    • Pheasant tail
    • S&M nymph
    • Copper john
    • Prince nymph
    • Zebra midge
    • Rubber leg stone
    • Hare’s ear
    • Lance’s X-May
  • Wet flies
    • Soft hackle
    • Bird’s nest
  • Dry flies
    • Adams
    • Sparkle dun
    • Comparadun
    • CDC dun (PMD & BWO)
    • Quigley cripple (PMD & BWO)
    • Hackle stacker emerger (PMD & BWO)
    • Trico spinner
    • Yellow sally dries
    • Foam salmonfly
    • EH caddis
    • EC caddis
    • X caddis
    • Morrish October caddis emerger
    • Morrish October caddis stimulator
    • Spring-creek hopper
    • Morrish hopper

Technique
Upper Hat Creek
The upper section of Hat Creek is primarily a freestone fishery made up of riffles, runs, and pools. This area is affected by the spring-run off therefore flows for fishing aren’t ideal until about June. Upper Hat Creek is narrower than the lower section making a shorter 3WT or 4WT rod a better choice.
With plenty of places for fish to hold this section is much easier to fish than the lower section. All techniques work well here so it’s just up to you to choose what you want to do.

Lower Hat Creek
The lower section of Hat Creek is a spring creek fishery that offers one of fly fishing’s greatest challenges. Stalk, cast, and pray.
Dry fly fishing usually takes place mid-morning or in the evening. Although hatches can happen sporadically throughout the day you’ll have the best chances of fooling fish during low-light periods.
These fish are incredibly difficult to target when they are feeding on top as they tend to key in on both specific stages and different species that are hatching all at the same time.
Bring several different flies and their respective stages. I have found that downsizing the pattern that the fish have been refusing can work well. Use 12ft long leaders with light tippets. I’ve gotten away with 5x but have done much better on 6x.
Sometimes the perfect drift is not enough. Try twitching your dry to get the fish you are targeting to react. This technique is well-known on Hat Creek and the Fall River as the Fall River twitch.

Nymphing can also be done in the spring creek section although the majority of the fish you’ll be catching tend be on the smaller size 4″ – 8″.
The best way to nymph Lower Hat Creek is with a hopper dropper rig. I prefer a hopper over an indicator because it spooks less fish and is another fly a fish could potentially take. Most of the creek isn’t very deep however the gradient can change quickly. I sometimes find myself adding a small splitshot like a #4 or #6 in-between my hopper and dropper to help my dropper sink faster.
I’ve had good results euronymphing the lower riffle section by covering water particularly the seams and buckets. The fish in the riffle section like to hold in the softer deeper water.
Takes will often be super subtle so pay close attention to how your indicator or line moves.

Powerhouse #2 Riffle is the most popular spot on Lower Hat Creek as it is the only riffle in the spring creek section. This is where I see 90% of anglers fishing when I’m visiting the creek. The riffle is shallow only about ankle to waist deep and receives tons of fishing pressure. Further downstream from PH riffle you can find spots that are less fished and worth a try such as Carbon Flats, Teal Island, HWY 299 bridge, and Lake Britton weir.
If you decide to pay Hat Creek a visit make sure you bring some mosquito repellant if you are fishing the evening hatch. There are always a ton of them out there in the evening and fighting them all the way back to the car is not fun.

The average Hat Creek trout ranges from 8” – 12” and anything over that is uncommon. I’ve caught some nice +18″ fish out there but it took a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and time to find them. These Hat Creek trout are wild, educated, hard fighting, and any success hooking one deserves a job well-done.

How Do I Fish This, Middle Fork Feather River

How Do I Fish This: Middle Fork Feather River

by Matt

The Middle Fork of the Feather River is one of three forks that feeds into Lake Oroville. It is the only fork that is not dammed and one is of the first rivers to be officially designated nationally as a wild and scenic river. The Middle Fork can be divided into three sections: the upper Middle Fork of the Feather River that runs through the towns of Portola, Clio, and Graeagle, the middle of the Middle Fork from Graeagle downstream to Sloat, and the lower section that runs below the town of Sloat to Lake Oroville. The Middle Fork is home to both warm and cold water fish making it a unique fishery through and through.

The Middle Fork of the Feather River is one of my favorite fisheries because it rewards exploration. From it’s accessible upper half to it’s steep lower canyon, the middle fork is full of riffles, runs, and holes that receive very little pressure throughout the season. The fish run wild on the Middle Fork of the Feather River just as they have for thousands of years making it a fishery full of healthy hard fighting fish.

Open Season
Open from the last Saturday in April – November 15th
*No restrictions. Five fish limit.
November 16th – Preceding last Saturday of April
*Only artificial lures with barbless hooks
*Zero fish limit. Catch-and-release only.

Access Points
Starting upstream of Portola is the upper portion of the Middle Fork of the Feather River. The first landmark is the Union Pacific Railroad bridge and Beckwourth A-23 bridge. You can find parking on the south side of Beckwourth A-23 bridge below the bridge.

You can park below the bridge and hike upstream or downstream.
This area has slow stagnant water that often freezes during the winter.

The small town of Clio is where the next access point can be found. This section is where the Middle Fork of the Feather River starts becoming more of a trout stream with riffles, runs, and pools.
The flows can be either too high or too low in this section therefore consult the flow charts before heading out. This section is made up of mostly tall grass, dirt, and rocks.

The last bit of the upper Middle Fork of the Feather River runs through the towns of Blairsden, Graeagle, and Mohawk. Access to the river can be found on various roads off HWY 89.
This section is where the Middle Fork will begin to look like a traditional freestone trout stream.

The middle section of the Middle Fork of the Feather River starts as the Mohawk Valley ends and the river becomes enclosed within a canyon. There are two popular well-known access points in this section: Two Rivers and Camp Layman.
This section is usually fishable during the late spring and early summer after the spring run-off. Possible fishing exist during the summer however it depends on the amount of that year’s run-off,.

Twin Rivers is the first access point. You can find parking in a small area just before the bridge.
Although fishing pressure is more often light than heavy, this is one of the most fished sections of the Middle Fork of the Feather River.

The next access, Camp Layman, can be found just a few minutes away. You can find parking just before crossing the bridge.
This is the last access point to the middle section of the Middle Fork of the Feather River.

Access to the lower canyon section of the Middle Fork of the Feather River begins at La Porte Rd bridge.
There are campgrounds on both sides of the bridge with the northern campground having the best access to the river. Depending on the flow and time of the year this section can be a good spot for a quick Middle Fork of the Feather River fly fishing fix.

You can find a turn-off about few hundred feet south of the bridge to China Beach.
This road requires a 4WD vehicle.

A few hundred feet below the China Beach access is the access road to Nelson Creek.
A 4WD vehicle isn’t required but is a good option. This road is easily missed if you are driving southbound on La Porte Road. With the road being steep and the access being difficult to see I will often drive past in on purpose and loop back around. There is a mild hike to get down to the river so be prepared to do some hiking.

There are more access points lower in the canyon that I am aware of such as the Pacific Crest trail and Fingerboard trail however I have yet to trek these paths.

Seasons
Spring

The upper section Middle Fork of the Feather River opens the first Saturday of April. Depending on the weather of the previous four months the river may or may not be fishable on the opener.
The water temperatures are typically very cold during the opener therefore the fishing can also be a hit or miss.
Try dredging the bottom with heavy flies or use streamer tactics on a sink-tip line to entice bites
Fish the nooks and crannies but also try the slower and deeper runs and pools.
As the water begins to warm you can start finding trout holding where they should be.
Hatches of an assortment of insects will begin as the weather warms in May and June. The fish aren’t too picky so any general pattern will work however don’t ignore the different types of insects they may be keying on such as mayflies, caddis, midges, stoneflies, etc.
The entire river usually fishes well between late April – late June

Summer

The Middle Fork typically fishes well in the early summer from June to early July depending on the weather.
From July to September the water temperature throughout the river becomes too warm for trout making them difficult to find and unsafe to catch and release.
Shifting focus on the upper section of the Middle Fork during the summer is a good option for those who want to sight fish for carp or catch other warm-water species.
Finding cooler water is the key for targeting trout during the summer. A good strategy is either fishing the main tributaries or below them.

Fall

The Middle Fork will begin fishing well again when the temperature drops in late September. The surrounding trees and flora will begin to change colors making fall the most beautiful season to visit the Middle Fork.
Lower flows during the fall make it easy to get around the river.
The majority of the hatches during the fall will be caddis. Both the North Fork and Middle Fork experience epic caddis hatches during mild autumn evenings.
All techniques will work during the fall as the fish fatten up for the long winter ahead of them.

Fish Species
Rainbow Trout
Brown Trout
Smallmouth Bass
Common Carp
Sunfish

Gear
4WT or 5WT
Floating line
Rio versileaders
9′ 3x – 5x leaders

Fly Patterns

  • Nymphs
    • Pheasant tail
    • S&M nymph
    • Copper john
    • Prince nymph
    • Zebra midge
    • Rubber leg stone
    • Hare’s ear
    • Lance’s X-May
  • Wet flies
    • Soft hackle
    • Bird’s nest
  • Dry flies
    • Adams
    • EH caddis
    • EC caddis
    • X caddis
    • Sparkle dun
    • Stonefly dries
    • Hopper patterns
  • Streamers
  • Carp patterns
    • Backstabber
    • Bread flies
    • Crayfish patterns

Technique
Upper section of Middle Fork
The upper Middle Fork of the Feather River is a unique section within California because it is the only trout stream that opens on the first Saturday of April rather than the last Saturday.
The upper most section within the town of Portola is more of a stillwater fishery than a stream. This area is made mostly of tall grass and mud. In the winter the river around A-23 bridge will become an ice skating rink and in the summer the water in the shallower areas will dry out. In the spring the river will rise from the run-off and make this section a beautiful place to kayak and bird watch. The tall vegetation growth however makes bank access difficult.

The upper Middle Fork of the Feather River is a more suitable habitat for hardy fish therefore species such as carp, sunfish, and bass are more commonly found in this section The carp in the upper section of the middle fork respond well to flies and are very fun to catch. Sight fishing is the best way to target these fish. Always be sure to lead your flies and be sneaky in efforts to not spook these powerful gentle giants.

Further downstream between Clio and Mohawk the Middle Fork of the Feather River flows through the Mohawk Valley. This is where anglers can begin finding rainbow and brown trout. The fish on the Middle Fork of the Feather River aren’t too picky however it can be a bit challenging finding them early in the season. Fish the nooks and crannies of riffles, runs, and pools. During the early season try fishing the slower water that is exposed to the sun as fish will congregate to these areas for warmth.

The Middle Fork of the Feather River around Clio tends to have a brown tea clarity however don’t let that fool you into thinking that there aren’t any fish in the area. The water begins to clear around the Fraizer Creek area and the Middle Fork begins to look more like a traditional trout stream.

There are several tributaries that feed this section of the Middle Fork of the Feather River. The major tributaries in this section are Fraizer Creek, Sulphur Creek, and Gray Eagle Creek. If the flows permit, you can find great small stream fly fishing opportunities on these tributaries during the late spring and summer.

Middle section of the Middle Fork
The middle section of the Middle Fork of the Feather River begins where the Mohawk Valley ends. The road begins to shift away from the river as it becomes enclosed within a canyon. There isn’t a lot of access here however with some hiking you can find excellent places to fish. The section between Two Rivers and Camp Layman has great fishing depending on the flows.

Most of this area can be easily fished through nymphing techniques. You can find fish rising for insects during various times of the day in the spring making it a good place to try and rise a few trout. Wading and getting around in this area is fairly easy depending on the flows. Jamison Creek is a tributary in this section that is also a good choice for small-stream dry fly fishing.

Lower section of the Middle Fork
The lower section, also known as the canyon section of the Middle Fork of the Feather River, carves its way through a steep canyon and contains the most difficult access points to the river. Hiking, wading, and canyoneering is the only way to fish this section. Although not the easiest path to traverse, you can find some of the best waters within in the system in this section. A wading staff can be helpful with both wading and hiking. Riffles, runs, and pools will hold hungry trout ranging from 8” – 20”.

The fish in this section will take a variety of flies. Nymphing is the most productive way to fish this section. Some runs and pools can get deep therefore additional tippet and weight may be necessary to get to where the fish are. Dry fly fishing works best when you can see the fish rising. You can try blind fishing with dries by targeting seams and riffles. Streamers work very well in the canyon. These fish are aggressive and will hit streamers any time of the day.

If you’re planning a day-trip into the canyon make sure you plan on estimating the time it will take to get back to your vehicle. It takes about twice as long to get up the canyon than down it so be aware.

Middle Fork of the Feather River System
Fly fishing guide Jon Baiocchi is one of the few guides that books trips on the Middle Fork of the Feather River. Here are just a few of his many helpful tips.
The fish on the Middle Fork of the Feather River often don’t respond well to flies early in the season when water temperatures are below 55 degrees. The ideal water temperature lies between a slightly warmer 55 to 60 degrees. Nymph deep and slowly during this time of the year or throw streamers on a sink-tip line to try and entice a big bite. As the water warms up to 58 degrees the fish will begin to look up for flies. Try fishing above the feeder creeks to find warmer water in the early season. Feeder creeks run ice cold water into the system and will make fish less comfortable and less likely to eat. Although brown trout are quite rare on the Middle Fork they tend to be caught more during the early season. Don’t expect the fishing to be red hot early in the season, just appreciate the fact that you can get out there and fish some moving water.

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