By Dan Bacher
For the first time in three years, anglers have been able to fish sections of the Feather River, American River and Mokelumne River for salmon.
Since the opener on July 16, the fishing has been productive but by no means hot on the Feather River. But for anglers unable to fish for salmon in all Central Valley streams since 2022, the fishing has drawn many to the riverbanks near Oroville to catch a big, bright Chinook.
Recently, low counts have resulted in the continued closure of Chinook salmon fishing in the Klamath River Basin and mainstem Sacramento River by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Anglers have been focusing on the Feather River below the Thermalito Afterbay outlet since opening day, with decent numbers of early fall-run fish already showing there. The American and Mokelumne River salmon runs don’t generally enter the system in big numbers until September.
“Salmon fishing is stable and decent, but not great,” said Jason Leonard of Out Cast Guide Service. “I’ve been boating 1-to-4 fish per day. Our best day was a week ago when we caught five salmon … So far, the fish have been good-sized, except for one jack under 8 pounds, everything else has been in the 10 to 22-pound range. I’ve been staying downriver. The fish are bright and beautiful; we’re not seeing any dark fish.”
Leonard has been anchor fishing with Silvertron Spinners. He noted that they’re being allowed for the salmon since the Feather River hatchery is expected to meet its production goal, despite the fishing. Unlike in the limited ocean fishery this year, there is no inland quota.
Although he hasn’t hooked any stripers while salmon fishing like some other captains have, Leonard noted that “quite a few stripers” are being hooked below Live Oak rock dam on top water jerk baits. While the fish are going up to 14-pounds, most of them are in the 18-to-24 inch range.
Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob’s Guide Service said the opener on July 16 was the best in 10 years for him, with two bright salmon landed out of the 6 hooked-up.
“Compared to the last couple of years before the closure in 2023, the fishing is pretty good,” Reimers observed . “I think what we’re seeing now is the beginning of the fall run. On my last trip to the outlet today, we had one hook-up, but the fish came off. We should see the fishing slowly improve in August and see the best fishing in September and October.”
While Reimers has hooked all of his salmon except one while fishing below the outlet, he said other anglers have caught some while anchor fishing with plugs and spinners at Shanghai Bend downriver. Reimers has found his top fishing while anchor fishing with the Brad’s Killerfish in the dragon glow and gator colors. All of the fish hooked in his boat this year have been good-sized, ranging from 18 to 24-pounds.
In addition to the salmon hooked, Reimers’ clients have caught two 7 and 8-pound stripers on the “psycho clown” colored Brad’s Killerfish.
“In all my years of salmon fishing, I’ve never caught any legal-sized stripers while using salmon lures,” Reimers went on. “This year we managed to catch two while salmon fishing.”
Robert Dunn Weese of Northern California Guide Service confirmed the improving salmon fishing in the Feather River.
“King salmon fishing is back open again in California on the Feather River in Oroville,” Weese explained. “Lots of fresh salmon are showing every day.”
This was a surprisingly good year for Feather River spring-run Chinooks, even though between late January and mid-April, high flows required the temporary removal of fish monitoring equipment, resulting in lower Spring-run estimates.
The total number of Spring-run Chinook salmon counted between April 1 and June 30 through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station was 17,732. That compares to the just remaining 2,470 fish returning to the Feather River Hatchery in 2024.
The number of Fall-run Chinook salmon counted from July 1 through present is 397, but locals can expect that number to surge as more and more salmon move into the system.
A total of 42,533 Fall-run Chinook salmon adults and 5,002 jacks returned to the Feather River in 2024, according to the PFMC.
The California Fish and Game Commission in May unanimously adopted the sport fishing regulations for the 2025 season that opened limited Chinook salmon fishing on sections of the Mokelumne, Feather and American rivers, within adjusted seasons and a daily bag limit of one fish.
The Sacramento River and Klamath River Basin and its tributaries will remain closed to protect those stocks.
But there are a lot more fish than just salmon that the Feather River offers to the angler. The river has one of the most robust runs of steelhead in the Central Valley. Most fish anglers catch range from 2 to 5-pounds, but plenty of fish in the 5 to 10-pound range are also landed every year.
While many fishermen concentrate on the low flow area, the entire river from below the Thermalito Afterbay to the mouth at Verona features excellent fishing. Drift fishermen pulling plugs do well, as well as anglers tossing out spinners and spoons. Fly fishing enthusiasts find success on egg patterns, egg-sucking leech patterns and nymphs.
I have found my best steelhead action over the years fishing in the Oroville Wildlife Area below the outlet with Glo Bugs and nightcrawlers while wading.
Striped bass fishing can be excellent at times in the river in the Yuba City and Marysville areas during the spring, although they can be found in the river year-round. Hot spots include Star Bend, Boyd’s Pump, Nicolaus and above Verona. Anglers can drift live minnows, fish-cut sardines and anchovies or toss out swimbaits, topwater lures and wake baits.
The Feather also offers resident channel catfish action for anglers. The fish bite year-round, but the action is best in the early morning and late evening hours during the summer.
Black bass offer a sleeper fishery that few anglers target. Three species of bass can be caught in the lower Feather – smallmouth, spotted and largemouth bass. The spotted bass have apparently increased in numbers on the Feather in recent years, just like they have on the Sacramento River; I have caught them while striper fishing.
And of course, shad every spring from late April through June offer a top-notch fishery on the Feather. Anglers hook them from the bank while tossing out shad flies and an array of darts and jigs.
While salmon are the most popular fish species to target, the Feather hosts an array of species for anglers to fish for.
Salmon Season: The salmon season in 2025 is open through September 15 in the Feather River from the unimproved boat ramp above the Thermalito Afterbay Outfall to 200 yards above the Live Oak boat ramp. The section from 200 yards above the Live Oak boat ramp to Highway 99 bridge is open through October 31. The bag limit in both sections is one Chinook salmon.
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