The Middle Fork Feather River
A Designated Wild and Scenic River!
Middle Fork Feather River Fly Fishing - The Lost Sierra Crown Jewel!
Click here Check out The Ultimate Guide To Fly Fishing the Middle Fork Feather River!!
The Middle Fork of The Feather River is recognized by the US Government for its untamed beauty and is designated a National Wild and Scenic River. It stretches over 100 miles but the 33-mile stretch inaccessible to roads is home to some of the best wild trout fishing in California and Matt is one of few guides permitted to fish this magical stretch of river!
The Middle Fork Feather River is divided into three zones, the Wild, Scenic, and Recreational areas.
The Scenic and Recreational Areas
Within the Scenic and Recreational areas, The Middle Fork of the Feather River is divided into three main sections, the upper stretch, the middle section, and the box canyon to Nelson Point. The beauty of this is that all of the sections fish differently at different times of the year, adding to the year-round diversity of this magical wild and scenic fishery. Check out my “Ultimate Guide To Fly Fishing the Middle Fork Feather River for more details, access points, and information.
The Upper section from Clio to Plumas Pines is known for its calmer flows and great winter fishing as the water tends to be deeper and slower moving. Big trout love to hide out there and the streamer fishing is amazing once the cold weather sets in. The upper section is also planted by Fish and Wildlife and contains a mix of stockers and native trout although some of my personal best Native Fish have come from this upper stretch. This section is not primarily on Forest Service Land and is the most popular for easy day fishing on the river or some amazing Winter Streamer fishing!
The middle section from Two Rivers to Sloat, is a bit more complicated to access but with some research, trial and error, or hiring a permitted guide it is worth the effort! This is where the river becomes more remote and the scenery is amazing. The bulk of this stretch and the river below is on US Forest Land and requires a Forest Service Permit to guide it. There are only a handful of guides permitted to guide the Wild and Scenic Middle Fork of the Feather River and Matt is one of them! The middle section holds some nice fish and is well worth the work to get into!
The lower section, or Box Canyon, is truly a magical place! Inaccessible by roads or railway the canyon above Red Bridge is an amazing Backcountry Fly Fishing experience! Due to the steep-walled rock canyons, hiking into this section is limited, requiring a raft to access most of the water. Being that the river is narrow and rocky in many places, a drift boat or full-sized inflatable raft is just too much work and smaller packrafts or inflatable kayaks become the key vehicles to access this stretch of water. This section requires a lot of research, careful planning, and backcountry experience to navigate the area safely. It is highly recommended that you do extensive trip planning before entering this area for the first time. Matt is one of the only guides in the area that guides this water section! It’s a lot of work but well worth the effort!
Seasons - The Middle Fork Feather River is open year-round with peak fishing times from Spring to early Summer and Fall into winter. The middle of summer tends to be too hot and the fish should be left alone during the warm summer months, water temps in the upper section can reach 60 degrees.
Fish - Medium to Large Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout
Peak Seasons - Spring (April - Early June) depending on snow melt and Fall, usually starting in Sept going well into November.
Winter Fishing - can be really good on the Middle Fork Feather River with lots of big fish on the streamer bite! The days are short and cold, and with snow-covered river banks, access can be limited. Winter fishing is one of my favorite times of year so don’t hesitate to reach out about a winter fishing trip. I do guide half days during the winter if you are interested in getting on the river for a few hours.
Where to fish on the Middle Fork Feather?
The Middle Fork Feather River fishes well from Portola to Nelson Point past the Red Bridge on La Porte Road.
Look for easy access points at Clio, Graeagle, Two Rivers, Camp Layman, Sloat, and Red Bridge Campground.
From those access points, you can enter the water walk and wade up or down the river for a truly unique experience of solitude, nature, beauty, and outstanding fishing opportunities. The diversity of the river allows fantastic fishing year-round. The Middle Fork of the Feather River, Clio to Graeagle, fishes well during the colder months when the river is high. When the air and river temps go up, exploring the Middle to Lower Section of the river is the best bet.
You can explore the river on your own and find some amazing places along the way. I spend 80-100 days a year on the river and have a detailed guide of where to go at the right time, if you are interested in getting the most out of your experience on the river, let’s connect!
Reach out to learn more and book a fly fishing adventure; get lost in the Lost Sierra!
What kind of Fish are in the Middle Fork Feather River?
The Middle Fork Feather River holds some amazing wild and native Rainbow and Brown Trout. The native trout have a deep red band that is distinctive and beautiful. The rainbow population thrives in the river system with the average fish size around 12-16 inches. There are days where 18-22 inch rainbows will be aggressively feeding, making for some of the best small river trout fishing you could imagine!
The afternoon dry fly hatches can be overwhelming at times! With so many fish feeding at once, your dry fly gets lost in the crowd! The most productive way to fish the Middle Fork of the Feather River is by nymphing, either on a tight line, Euro Rig, or using an indicator. The Winter Streamer Fishing can be outstanding, and this winter, 2023-2024, has been one of the best years we have seen since the Fish and Wild Life Reg have opened the river year-round to fishing.
In addition to the Redband Rainbows, the river has a decent population of Brown Trout ranging in size from juvenile to large hook-mouth fish that will snap your line and bring you to your knees! The Brown Trout tend to hang out in more fishy waters, stalk their prey, and eat aggressively.
It can be hard to focus on the fishing with all the stunning beauty around you. Bald Eagles fly overhead, deer strolling the river banks, while the fresh mountain air is calming your soul. This river is one of the most relaxing rivers I have ever fished, rafted, and explored. Come check it out for yourself. The Wild and Scenic Middle Fork of the Feather River is a true natural beauty!