Releases from Oroville and Shasta dams make the popular fishing rivers of the Central Valley and most all points south, unfishable, as regulators struggle to manage reservoir levels to a point where future rainfall and the inevitable snowpack melt can be retained without “uncontrolled flooding”.

At this time of year, Shasta should be, at max, 40 feet below full pool. With the lake level currently at spring-like 29 feet from full pool, an average of 36,000csf has been released from the dam the last few days, and may continue to do so  according to officials at the Shasta Dam's Visitor's Center. The releases are calculated by various criteria including snowpack storage, current inflows, and projected rainfall to the various watersheds. While there are some guesstimates involved, hard math formulas dictate how Shasta and other lake levels are managed.

With the Redding area at 171% of seasonal average, a larger than average snowpack in the watershed, the view of Mt. Shasta is magnificent by the way, expect higher than seasonally normal flows on the Sacramento River for the near future.

The same can be said for the Feather River as water from Lake Oroville is being released.  The massive watershed of the Feather River actually includes more snow laden watershed area than Shasta Lake and with some impressive lake level increases during the last storm, such as 50 feet of level in about 3 days time, future rainfall and snowmelt storage availability is of concern.

Many coastal rivers are still “blown out,” so, as the saying goes, contact local shops in the area for current conditions before making the trek to any coastal river. In fact, many of the rivers are still at, or just below flood stage, as this is written. As a rule of thumb, the Smith River clears the quickest, and currently has high, but fishable, water on tap until the next heavy rains hit.

One river that  is, and may have fishable water for the near future, is the upper reaches of the Trinity River near Lewiston and Douglas City, as Trinity Lake is still holding water for storage, keeping in mind the drought the lake suffered with severe drawdowns in excess of 250 feet.  But at less than 80 feet from full pool and plenty of snow in the Trinity Alps and more rain on the way, those conditions and the possibility of releases, could change at any time. The positive is the outlook for a full lake mid-spring or early summer is a real consideration.

Shasta and Oroville anglers are struggling with the dramatic level fluctuations, and with the smaller foothill impoundments spilling over, or near capacity. The only real good fishing options are ocean or in the San Francisco / San Pablo Bay region where all this fresh water is a boon to sturgeon and striper fishing. The Delta waters are just too high, muddy, and debris-filled to be safely fished in most areas.

That being said, for many, the ISE show in Sacramento this coming Thursday thru Sunday is coming at just the right time and should offer a good distraction as more rain forecast this week will continue to keep anglers off the water.

Gary Heffley has been a valued contributor to MyOutdoorBuddy for over 10 years serving as manager, sales representative and reporter for much of Northern California. He is an avid outdoorsman and loves to fish and write about his adventures. He has a long history in the Sporting Goods field and uses that extensive experience to impart his wisdom in his writing.