Fishing Line

AMERICAN RIVER - Nimbus Hatchery is loaded with steelhead, so there is no question that there are plenty of fish in the river. Even so, getting them to bite is never a sure thing and so it was last week.

AMERICAN RIVER - Steelheading was tough early in the week, primarily because of the bitterly cold mornings which put ice in the guides.

AMERICAN RIVER - Steelhead fishing was tough last week, but fishing pressure decreased some.

Steelhead fishing dropped off after the opening flurry action, but was still pretty good by steelheading standards.

Fishing pressure for steelhead was heavy opening day on the Salmon Spawning Closure Area-upstream of the power lines crossing the river at Ancil Hoffman Park to the USGS cable crossing the river at Nimbus Hatchery-but angler success was spotty.

AMERICAN RIVER - The American River fishing opener of the salmon spawning area upstream of the power lines crossing the river at Ancil Hoffman Park to the USGS cable crossing the river at Nimbus Hatchery on Sunday looks good, based on the number of steelhead in the Nimbus Hatchery and reports of some nice steelhead being caught downstream of the closure.

AMERICAN RIVER - The American River reopens in the stretch know as the salmon spawning closure area upstream of the power lines crossing the river at Ancil Hoffman Park to the USGS cable crossing the river at Nimbus Hatchery.

Salmon season closed on Sunday downstream of Knight's Landing.

AMERICAN RIVER – Although the few anglers fishing below the salmon- spawning area closed to fishing had little success last week, salmon, many in still nice shape, were pouring into the holding pen at Nimbus Hatchery.

AMERICAN RIVER - Mostly dark salmon were being caught in Nimbus Basin on long leaders and beads, roe and spinners.

The stripers and sturgeon have almost everyone's attention these days.

AMERICAN RIVER - Lots of anglers have been jamming shoulder to shoulder in Nimbus Basin, and many are hooking salmon, but almost all are dark and well past their prime.

AMERICAN RIVER - Some nice salmon continued to be caught downstream of the now-closed salmon spawning area demarcation at the power lines crossing the river at Ancil Hoffman Park, by backtrolling Kwikfish.

AMERICAN RIVER - Fishing for salmon has tapered off, but steelhead fishing is starting to come on with halfpounders to 22 inches taking flies swung or dead-drifted under indicators, as well as nightcrawlers, roe, spinners and spoons.

AMERICAN RIVER - Fishing for salmon continued to be good, but most of the fish are dark as they approach spawning.

AMERICAN RIVER - The American River is full of salmon and fishing is "really really good" according to guide J.D. Richey. It's a mix of darker and new bright ones still arriving.

Fishing for salmon and steelhead continue to be good to very good. Top picks: American River, Delta, Sacramento River, Berkeley.

AMERICAN RIVER - The salmon spawning gravel augmentation project has ended and flows have stabilized back to 4,000 cfs resulting in improved fishing for salmon, steelhead and striped bass.

Top picks: Salmon fishing goes from good to outstanding.

Another school of salmon came in.

Great week if you like variety and red-hot salmon fishing.

Numbers of salmon appear to be increasing, and more catches are being reported from Harrington Access to Nimbus Basin.

AMERICAN RIVER - Striped bass were banging topwater lures, minnows, sardines and crawdads throughout the length of the river last week.

AMERICAN RIVER - Anglers are continuing to score striped bass throughout the river on topwater plugs, soft plastic swimbaits, big streamer flies, jumbo minnows, and crawdads.

AMERICAN RIVER - Striped bass are being caught throughout the river on bait, but are often being seen boiling on the surface, above Gristmill, and are blasting topwater plugs early in the morning and late in the evening.

AMERICAN RIVER - Salmon fishing was slow except for a few being caught in Nimbus Basin, but striped bass were boiling and biting up and down the river, from Sailor Bar to the mouth.

AMERICAN RIVER - Anglers were finding the best fishing conditions of the year in the 4,000 cfs release at Nimbus and some decent fishing for shad, striped bass and salmon.

AMERICAN RIVER - The salmon opener on the American saw quite a few anglers, with most concentrated in Nimbus Basin. Some salmon were being caught, with the average catch one fish per 10 anglers.

AMERICAN RIVER - River flows dropped significantly, to 5,000 cfs, the lowest of the year, and this time they might finally stick, making bank fishing a little more manageable.

AMERICAN RIVER - Running high but clearing. There are lots of rafters out that make fishing difficult on some of the bigger pools.

AMERICAN RIVER - Flows went from 12,000 to 8,000 cfs and that opened the window for shad anglers, big time, according to Yee Vang of Broadway Bait and Tackle.

AMERICAN RIVER - The river is running high and cloudy. The river rose several feet this past week and was over the concrete slab at the Hwy 49 confluence-higher than seen in years by some reports.

AMERICAN RIVER - The river is running high, but still clear. Locals in the Georgetown area have been picking up some nice rainbows and browns in the Middle Fork.

AMERICAN RIVER - River flows were bumped up again due to the continuing unseasonable weather, hampering anglers trying for shad.

COLLINS LAKE - The lake is full. Trout fishing improved and lots of limits were weighed in by both trollers and shore anglers.

AMERICAN RIVER- The American River is still high, but anglers are starting to get some shad, and a few stripers topwater and with swimbaits, according to Yee Vang at Broadway Bait and Tackle.

AMERICAN RIVER- The river is still high-7,000 cfs-and cold, so fishing for shad has not been all that great.

AMERICAN RIVER- Although still high, the river's fishability continued to improve with flows now down to 7,000 cfs.

AMERICAN RIVER- Flows dropped back to 8,000 cfs, and the river is becoming fishable again albeit still a bit high.

AMERICAN RIVER- Flows dropped again, down to 9,000 cfs, and the river continued to be almost devoid of anglers.

AMERICAN RIVER- Flows dropped again, down to 9,000 cfs, and the river continued to be almost devoid of anglers.

AMERICAN RIVER- Flows have stabilized at 10,000 cfs, and very few anglers have been fishing the river.

AMERICAN RIVER-With the sunny weather this week, lots of snowmelt has the river up to "white-water rapid" stage according to the Georgetown Ranger Station. No one is fishing.

AMERICAN RIVER-With the sunny weather this week, lots of snowmelt has the river up to "white-water rapid" stage according to the Georgetown Ranger Station. No one is fishing.

AMERICAN RIVER- Flows were too high for steelhead fishing (except by plunking: stillfishing roe).

AMERICAN RIVER- Blown out with flows at 25,000 cfs. A new run of small adults had entered the river before flows increased. Try Nimbus Basin just below the dam when the river drops by half.

AMERICAN RIVER-The spring run of steelhead has arrived, and, although flows have been high, bright steelies to around 4 pounds were being caught on small backtrolled plugs and side-drifted nightcrawlers.

AMERICAN RIVER-Major releases brought the flow up to 8,000 cfs over the weekend and pretty much blew away any chance at steelhead fishing, although there was one 7 pounder caught this past week, according to Kristian Duvall of Elkhorn Bait and Tackle.

AMERICAN RIVER-Decent steelie fishing for adults and halfpounders from Rossmoor Bar on up to the Basin.