Yuba River

Guided Float Trips

$650 for 1-2 anglers including shuttle

Year-round
Drift Boat Trips

The Lower Yuba River is home to healthy wild trout and a variety of hatches. Open and usually fishable year-round, this crystal-clear trout stream is home to some of the best dry fly fishing in northern California. Scroll down to learn why our guides and fishing guests love to fish the Yuba!

Flowing from the bottom of Englebright Dam, the Lower Yuba River stays clear and cold all year long. Consistent flows provide for excellent bug life and predictable hatches. Baetis mayflies are present throughout the winter months and are joined by skwala stoneflies in January and February. Early spring is a great time for March Browns and Pale Morning Dun mayflies. Caddisflies become active in April and hatch throughout the summer months. Summer is hopper time and is also a great time to wet-wade and fish trout-spey techniques. Fall is time for salmon-egg imitations and blue wing olive mayflies.

The Yuba River is less than an hour from Sacramento and within a three hour drive of the Bay Area. Guided float trips begin near the Highway 20 Bridge east of Marysville where the river emerges from the foothills into the valley. Our guests float to Sycamore Ranch or all the way to Daguerre Dam. The Yuba River is a great place to wade and we frequently spend a fair time out of the boat during a typical guide trip. We fish dry flies on 5wt rods and nymphs on 6wt rods.

Trout on the Yuba River come in all sizes. Most days we connect with fish up to 16 inches and 18 inch fish are not uncommon. The biggest Yuba River trout are in the 24 inch range. Many of these fish are likely to be steelhead rather than resident rainbows. These larger fish come to the net more frequently during the fall and winter months. There is no hatchery on the Yuba River, so it's quite rare to hook into anything other than a wild, native rainbow here.

Ben Thompson and Mat Squillante are our go-to guides on the Yuba River. Both have private access above the Highway 20 Bridge and also at Daguerre Dam. This private access makes possible a great full-day float of about 7 river miles. The section of river below the Highway 20 bridge is open year-round and excellent fishing can be had at any time of year. Every trip offers our guests numerous opportunities at quality wild rainbow trout.

Recent Yuba River Fishing Reports

May 17, 2025

Yuba River Report by Mat Squillante

I got to share a great day with a nice couple early in their fly fishing journey. They combined their positive energy with great attitude and were rewarded. With only a few lulls, action was good from start to finish. Some picky fish snubbed our dry offerings but maybe next trip. All around, a great day! Thanks you two!

May 11, 2025

Yuba River Report by Mat Squillante

I was on the Yuba a few days this week and it went from good to really good. Flows are still on the high side but we're finding decent numbers of hard fighting rainbows willing to grab a nymph. In a few places, we've spotted fish rising and had a few eats with a well presented dry. Flows should be dropping and temps should be rising which means hoppers and streamers aren't too far off! More fun is coming!

July 27, 2024

Yuba River Report by Mat Squillante

Come July and August, most hatches are on a down slide or they're over until fall. It's now, that hoppers and terrestrials start showing up on the menu. Fish are looking up and if you've ever fished hoppers, you know it's a lot of fun. It's one of my favorite ways to fish. Working the water, searching for fish that want a big meal, you're hunting fish with well placed casts. I look for the hopper action to stay solid through August and into early September. If you want to play the hopper game, now's the time.