Egg Bite?

A rainbow on fishery evolves on the Lower Sacramento River Posse Grounds and the Urban Rainbow - the evolution of the Egg Bite on the Sacramento River.

 

Directions

From Redding to Caldwell Park

Take Lake Blvd off of Interstate 5 going west. Turn left at N. Market Street. Turn right at Benton Drive and then left onto Quartz Hill Road.

 

Sacramento River - Redding

A 24 inch rainbow trout landed on the Sacramento River

The section of the Sacramento River running below Keswick Dam is generally considered the "Lower Sac." Besides the large numbers of rainbow trout found here, chinook salmon and steelhead are present in the system from late summer into the winter.

Freight train moves across the Sacramento River just above Caldwell Park

The Lower Sac is one of the larger tail water fisheries in Northern California. But even with managed releases from Keswick Dam, the river flows can be in a range from 3,500 to 15,00 cfs. From spring to mid summer, the flows are typically above 10,000 cfs with the water being send downstream to support agricultural demands. Flows at or below the 5,000 cfs create ideal angling conditions in the late summer to early fall time by restricting the amount of area/water trout can hold in. Depending on the winter and spring flows, the river will morph - subtly moving where the productive fishing runs / lanes might be.

The Lower Sacramento River can consistently yield large rainbow trout

The section of the Sacramento River from Caldwell Park upstream to Keswick Dam is best experienced from a boat (and a motor is a must for multiple drifts from the top of the runs). Indictor nymphing is typically your best-bet for catching the larger trout. Be sure to get your nypmhs or egg patterns down. The Sac's fall chinook run also utilize the river here for spawning habitat. So if you are wading, pay close attention to where you are and avoid the salmon redds.

Several bridges run across the Sacramento River just above Caldwell Park