Sacramento River, California
Below Keswick Dam — Northern California's premier tailwater wild rainbow fishery
The Upper Sacramento River below Keswick Dam near Redding is the largest and most productive tailwater trout fishery in California — a wide, powerful river maintained by cold releases from Shasta and Keswick reservoirs that supports exceptional populations of wild rainbow trout from the dam downstream through the canyon sections near Redding.
The cold tailwater environment below Keswick Dam creates year-round fishing opportunities in a river that would otherwise be a warmwater fishery in California's Central Valley heat. Water temperatures from the dam release hover between 46–54°F year-round, maintaining prime trout habitat through summer months when temperatures in Redding regularly exceed 100°F. The contrast between the desert heat above and the cold, clear river below is genuinely dramatic.
Wild rainbow averaging 14–18 inches populate the prime sections from the dam downstream through the canyon, with the most productive water concentrated in the first 15 miles below Keswick. The river runs large — averaging 150–300 feet wide in accessible sections — requiring either drift boat access for comprehensive coverage or careful reading of the wade-able sections. Guides operating on the Upper Sacramento have decades of experience reading these big-water lies and are valuable investments for visiting anglers.
The Upper Sacramento's midge and BWO hatches are exceptional for a California river — consistent cold temperatures create the same tailwater insect conditions found on the San Juan or Missouri. Summer PMD hatches and fall Caddis provide additional dry fly opportunities, while streamer fishing for trophy rainbows is productive year-round in the deeper canyon pools.
Keswick Dam — Upper Tailwater
Access near the dam outlet for the coldest, most productive water. Limited parking but excellent wade access on the gravel bars below the outlet.
Redding — City Reach
Multiple access points through Redding via the Sacramento River Trail. Urban fishing with surprisingly good wild trout quality.
Balls Ferry to Red Bluff
Lower Sacramento below the canyon transitions to valley character. Warmer water but good spring run fishing. Float access preferred.
Rainbow Trout
Dominant species in the upper tailwater. Wild fish averaging 14–18 inches with trophy specimens over 22 inches in the canyon section. Most active during midge and BWO hatches in cooler months.
Brown Trout
Present in limited numbers in the canyon section. Less common than rainbows but significantly larger on average. Best targeted with streamers.
Summer fishing on the Upper Sacramento is actually excellent due to the cold dam releases — an underrated option when Sierra Nevada rivers are running high.
Drift boat guides on the Upper Sacramento know every lie — book a guide for your first visit to learn the river's productive sections.
Winter and spring midge fishing below Keswick is the Sacramento's best-kept secret — cold, consistent flows and relatively few anglers.
Combine with Hat Creek and the Pit River for a comprehensive Northern California tailwater and spring creek trip based out of Redding.
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