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Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta
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FISHING REPORT
Updated 9/15/23
Scroll down for information about lodging, and map of the area

 

Water Condition- off color but clearing.  Click here for tide reports Temperatures in the 60s


Fishing Report - Good:  Reports continue to come in that there are lots of stripers spread out in the L Sac from Rio Vista south to the San Joauin. Top water fishing in the side sloughs for Largemouth is still doing great.  If you want to  learn how to fly fish for bass give us  a call and we can set you up with guides who specialize in this exciting sport, 

 

. . . and speaking of Bass: Bassmaster Magazine just published its list of the best North American bass lakes of the decade and our own Clearlake was #1 with the Delta ranked as #5.  We are located in one of the hotbeds of Bass fishing in the world and yet most fly fishermen don't take advantage of this amazing year round fishery.  We at Kienes are passionate about Bass fishing whether it be Stripers, Largemouth, Smallmouth or Spotted.  Give the shop a call if you want to speak to an expert on what it will take to get into this great sport.  

 

If you don't own or have access to a watercraft, give us a call (800)410-1222 or click here and we will set you up with one of our guides.  The Delta is a popular place this time of the year so contact the shop now if you want to book a guide.  Slots fill up fast

 

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LODGING
Delta Area

Get what you need
before you go at
Kiene's Fly Shop
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Fishing Regulations
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Book a Guide
About the Delta
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The Sacramento Delta is located just to the north east of the San Francisco Bay Area and to the west of the city of Stockton CA.  The major tributaries of the Delta are the Sacramento River that enters the Delta from the north, the San Joaquin River that enters from the south and the Mokelumne River that enters from the west.  The water from all of the rivers that drain the mountains that surround the Sacramento Valley and northern San Joaquin Valley eventually find their way to the Delta.  Once they reach the relatively level gradient of the valley they spread out into a spider web of channels that eventually coalesce and flow into the San Francisco Bay.  Once they reach the delta the water temperature warms up to the point that is perfect for most Bass species.  Where Bass are found in all locations of the delta, the Smallmouth Bass tend to be found in the relatively cooler water in the north half of the delta that is fed by the Sacramento River, though the Largemouth Bass and Stripped Bass can be found everywhere.  The adult Striped bass, being migratory, may or may not be in certain areas during particular times of the year, but their juvenile progeny, many of which achieve lengths of up to twenty inches, can be found in most sections of the Delta and also in the cooler waters of the rivers that feed the Delta.  It’s the north Delta that offers the Delta Grand Slam.
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Cold water species are by far the most popular targets for fly fishermen and for most of the urban bound fishermen you have to travel a distance to the Sierra’s to fish for them.  Most fly fishermen often overlook the fact that warm water species can be found literally everywhere, particularly in the delta which is less than an hour from the Bay Area, and the cities of Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto.  Where the delta is often off the radar for fly fishermen, the fact that it is one of the best fisheries in the country for Bass, has not been ignored by the conventional tackle bass fishermen which can be attested by the multitude of Bass tournaments that occur each year of which the prestigious Bassmaster Elite Series tournament which has been held three times in recent years.  It was at Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament held in the delta that the heaviest bass in Bassmaster tournament history, a 14 lb 9 oz largemouth was caught.  Bassmaster consideres the Delta as the 13th best largemouth fishery in the US.

 

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