Nor Cal Fly Guides
The Trinity River
Nor Cal Fly Guides
The Trinity River is One of California’s most iconic steelhead fisheries
The Trinity River is legendary for its steelhead fishing and is one of our top destinations for dedicated swing trips. This powerful river features long, glassy traditional runs with perfect steelhead structure that was made for skating dries and swinging traditional intruder-style flies. Trinity trips are ideal for anglers looking to sharpen their spey skills and experience aggressive, hard-fighting steelhead on the swing. Despite it being a top destination for swinging flies, fishing under an indicator is just as rewarding with even more action and excitement.
Nor Cal Fly Guides
Fly fishing the Trinity River
Weaverville, California Steelhead • Salmon • Trophy Brown Trout Guiding from Lewiston Dam to Weitchpec Booking well in advance is highly recommended
Fly fishing the Trinity River can be tough. It can be humbling. And at times, it can feel downright impossible. But when everything comes together—flows, weather, timing, and presentation—it becomes one of the most rewarding and unforgettable steelhead rivers on the entire West Coast. That’s why having a professional and knowledgeable Trinity River fly fishing guide doesn’t just make for a better day on the water—it turns your trip into a true journey down one of California’s most legendary rivers.
Our Trinity River Fly Fishing Guides hold both the Trinity and Six Rivers permits, which allows us to legally guide the entire river system. We float and fish the upper Trinity from the dam through the Fly Only water down to Burnt Ranch above the gorge, and from Hawkins Bar all the way to Weitchpec. With countless access points and float options, we can target different stretches of river depending on where the fish are holding and what techniques will be using on a given day.
Nor Cal Fly Guides
Steelhead, Salmon & Giant Brown Trout
If your goal is to target steelhead, salmon, or massive brown trout on the fly, the Trinity River belongs at the top of your list. This river produces some of the hardest-fighting steelhead you will ever encounter, along with trophy-class brown trout that surprise even seasoned anglers. Our guides not only know where the fish are, but more importantly, they know how to make that line come tight using every effective method in the book. Whether. you prefer traditional swinging with two-handed or single-handed rods, indicator fishing with single-handed setups, even conventional tackle or focusing on a specific technique to sharpen your skills, our guides are prepared to teach, adapt, and put you on the fish. And yes… the Trinity also offers dry fly fishing for steelhead and brown trout too. If you’re highly experienced and simply want a skilled rower who knows how to position the boat and put you in prime water, we can do that too. Either way, the Trinity delivers.
Nor Cal Fly Guides
Rugged Trinity River scenery
Nor Cal Fly Guides
Late Summer / Early Fall (July – September)
The season kicks off with unbelievable numbers of chrome-bright wild half-pounders and tweeners, ranging from 14 to 22 inches, with the occasional adult pushing up toward ten pounds. The sheer volume of fish moving through the system during this window makes it one of the most exciting early steelhead seasons anywhere. This is a fantastic time for anglers who are just getting into Spey Casting and swinging flies for steelhead too. It’s also the perfect time to dust off those smaller switch and spey rods, experiment with skating, grease lining and swinging with light tips, and to prepare you for the larger fish that will follow later in the season.
Booking is highly recommended during this period—it fills quickly.
Nor Cal Fly Guides
Late Fall / Early Winter (October – December)
As fall colors settle into the canyon and water temperatures drop, the Trinity enters one of its most consistent and productive windows of the year. This run features an extremely strong return of hatchery steelhead averaging 5 to 8 pounds, spread throughout the entire river system. These fish are aggressive, numerous, and receptive to nearly every fly-fishing technique. But if you ask Captain Brian, this is hands-down the best time of year to swing flies for “SALTY TROUT.” Medium two-handed rods and 7-weight single-handed setups come alive during this stretch of the season, and the grabs are often violent and unforgettable. This is also when the legendary Trinity River Egg Bite takes over. From the beginning of October into mid-November, salmon spawn throughout the system and steelhead stack into perfect holding water as they line up at the EGG buffet line. Swinging egg patterns during this time can be absolutely deadly. This is the most popular time of year on the Trinity, and advanced booking is strongly recommended.
Nor Cal Fly Guides
Winter / Spring (December – April)
Winter steelheading on the Trinity is for anglers who love true steelhead weather—snow, rain, wind, freezing temperatures, cold water, and huge fish. This is the most sensitive part of the season because everything depends on Mother Nature. But when conditions line up and the river is not blown out, it can be absolutely outrageous. This is when some of the largest wild steelhead of the year enter the system, with fish pushing fifteen pounds. Water temperatures drop into the low forties, but unlike the fall fish and cold water temps, these winter fish become incredibly grabby on swung flies. On the right day, with the right water, you can even skate a winter steelhead on the surface. Yes—it happens. And when it does, it is absolutely unreal. Then comes what might be the coolest secret of the entire season. As we move into late winter to early spring—February, March, and even April—on slightly warmer days with overcast skies, the Trinity can erupt with midday dry-fly hatches. March Browns, stoneflies, and Callibaetis bring steelhead and massive brown trout to the surface in true sipping fashion. Watching a full-grown steelhead rise to a dry fly in the middle of winter will change the way you think about fly fishing forever. If winter conditions become unfishable due to weather or flows, we can move to another fishery like Lewiston Lake or the Lower Sac, or we can reschedule to a later date. We want to keep your trip productive and safe. Advanced booking is a very good idea for this portion of the season.
Nor Cal Fly Guides
Winter / Spring (December – April)
The Trinity is not just another steelhead river. It is:
One of the largest Wild & Scenic river systems in California
A true multi-season steelhead fishery
Home to trophy brown trout
A river built for swinging flies
A river where dry-fly steelheading is actually possible
A river with scenery that simply leaves people speechless
Whether it’s summer, fall, winter, or spring, our Trinity River Fly Fishing Guides know how to stay one step ahead of the fish. We understand where they travel, where they rest, how they feed, and how to adapt methods throughout the season to keep your rod bent.
Book Your Trinity River Fly Fishing Trip with Nor Cal Fly Guides
Whether your goal is to learn fly fishing, improve your spey casting, chase steelhead, or explore new Northern California waters, Nor Cal Fly Guides is here to help you grow as an angler while having an incredible time on the water.