Fly Fishing McCloud River California
Includes a McCloud River fishing report
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone and Tailwater
Species
Rainbow Trout
Brown Trout
Size
Small
Location
Northern California
Nearest Towns
McCloud
Season
Year Round
Access:
Fair but some are very tough to
access
Non-Resident License
State of California
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 & 12 ft., 5 or 6X, Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Superb Five or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
McCloud River – Fishing Report – December 15, 2024
Fair conditions exist. The stream is still flowing at a good level and the color varies from location to location. There are some good hatches taking place.
Rate: 260 cfs
Afternoon Water Temperature: 43
Below Lake McCloud
Weather:
Trout Flies:
Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
Blue-winged Olives: size 16, 18 nymph, emergers, duns and spinners
Aquatic Worms, size 12, pink, red, and others
Midges: Cream and Red (Blood) midges sizes 20/22, larva, pupa and adult. Our larva and pupa midge flies, pre-rigged in tandem, are very popular here. You can fish them under a strike indicator keeping the larva fly near the bottom. https://perfectflystore.com/product/pre-rigged-tandem-midge-larva-pupa-tippet
Pale Evening Duns, size 14, nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners
Spotted Sedge Caddis, size 14/16, larva, pupa and adults
Perfect Flies are designed and tied to to imitate and behave like the natural foods the trout rely on to survive as much as possible. The more your fly looks like and moves through and on the surface of the water like the real things, the higher your odds of success.
Fly Fishing On The McCloud River In California: The McCloud River is one of the main tributaries of the Sacramento River. It has the famous Oncorhynchus Mykiss species of rainbow trout that has been used to stock many streams throughout the World. McCloud rainbows have been used to first stock most of New Zealand, and parts of Argentina and Chile along with many other trout fisheries all across the western hemisphere.The Upper McCloud River’s headwaters are south of Mt. Shasta near the small town of McCloud. The river starts in a meadow type situation with springs and water that is almost still in places. Near the Algoma camp the stream picks up more water from small branches and springs. The stream runs through a small canyon into another meadow. Below Lakin Dam the river falls into another canyon. There are a total of three waterfalls in this area – Upper, Middle and Lower. There is short section with good fishing above the first waterfall. The section below Fowler Camp and between Middle Falls and Lower Falls has some deep pockets a big rocks that provide excellent pocket water. Below the Upper and Middle falls, the stream there are some very deep pools.The Loop Road off highway #89 will take you to Fowler Camp near where the stream’s headwaters begin. These trout are plentiful and respond to dry flies very well. This is a beautiful stretch of water that requires quite a lot of effort to fish. The area has bears, eagles, fox, deer and cougars that add to the adventure. Below Fowler Camp the river drops a lot and gets even rougher in character with heavy pocket water. This section flows into McCloud Reservoir. Fly fishing the McCloud River in this section requires a lot of effort. The lower section of the McCloud River flows from the McCloud Reservoir to Shasta Lake. Most of the lower section is controlled by private clubs but there are three miles of public water. The public section starts at Ash Camp below the reservoir and tumbles down to the Ah-Di-Na Camp.The Ah-Di-Na Nature Conservancy area is strictly catch and release rules with barbless hooks only. It provides three additional miles of water. Access to the Nature Conservancy part of the McCloud River is limited to ten anglers per day. This river is known for its huge hatches of stoneflies, especially its large Salmonflies and Golden Stoneflies. October Caddis is another of the favorite aquatic insects.
McCloud River Fly Fishing Guide: The McCloud River is quite different than most northern California trout streams. It is more classic run, riffle and pool type water but with plenty of boulders and riffles. It is surrounded by thick evergreen forest. The forest helps keep the river flowing cool. The river has a good pH level that keeps the aquatic insect populations very high. Nymph fishing is probably the most all around productive fishing method but there are also plenty of large hatches that keep the dry fly angler well pleased. The river flows through beautiful canyons that provide the prefect fly fishing background. Fly fishing the McCloud River is much about the overall experience, not just hooking and landing trout. The headwaters of the McCloud River come from underground springs. That provides a higher than normal pH level for the freestone stream and is responsible for its large aquatic insect population. This area is near the little town of McCloud. There is a section of fine looking pocket water in the area full of small to medium size rainbows that are always eager to take your fly. High sticking this sections is always productive although it does have its fair share of hatches.The waterfalls in the area prevent upstream migration of the rainbow and brown trout. Below Fowler Camp, the McCloud river flows through some very rugged country and consist mostly of heavy pocket water. You need to be in good shape to fish this part of the river. We suggest having a partner along with you in the event of an accident. The stream falls rapidly with short runs and plenty of steep plunges and small but sometimes deep pools. The river then flows through the Hearst property and on into McCloud Reservoir. Green Sedges will hatch from mid June through July and into early August. The larvae of the Green Sedge will produce throughout the season. These are called Rock Worms. There are also some Little Sister Caddis that hatch in July and August. There are a few other species that hatch in the Summer but the above represents the majority of them. The stream has much less pressure from anglers during July, August and September. The fishing opportunities continue to be good but most anglers stop fishing as soon as the stonefly hatches are over. That can be a big mistake. The McCloud River stays cool all summer long. The deep canyons are shaded from the sun much of the day. Caddisflies will represent the bulk of the hatches during the Summer but the PMDs will continue to hatch in sparse numbers. Late September, October, & November is a great time to fish the McCloud River. The giant October Caddisfly hatch gets most of the attention but more trout can be taken on the second phase of the Blue-winged Olive hatch. These little mayflies will continue to hatch even when the water temperature gets down into the low forties The big October Caddis will hatch about the entire month of October and on into November some years. The most productive fly is an imitation of the October Caddis pupae. Fish an imitation of the adults only when you see trout taking them from the surface during the egg laying process.Brown trout begin their annual upstream migration Shasta Lake. The pre-spawn brown trout become aggressive and will usually attack a streamer that imitates a baitfish or sculpin. Sculpin patterns become deadly around the spawning time. The naturals steal the eggs and the trout well know it.
T