Any good fishing near Sacramento?

[pjstevko]

I'll be in the Sacramento area at the end of the month for work and was wondering if there any decent fishing around Sacramento area?

I'll be at training during the day but may have time in the late afternoon or evenings....

Please let me know if you know anywhere where a guy can cast a line.....

Thanks
Pj

[Benni3]

Never been there,,,,, but if fine some bait and tackle shops in the area,,,,best help ever my friend,,,,,,

[Gfish]

Like Benni says, hit a Fly shop if you're interested in some finesse trout fishing on the "upper" Sacramento River. There's Salmon and Steelhead runs on the lower part of the river, 'cept I'm not familar with the seasonal timing for March/April, again---the tackle shops. Any NW River system usually has several diffrent-time-of-the-year runs for each of anadromous species. Also, it seems like it might be a boat/guide thing on the lower river.
Bill(tarfu) may know about it, as he used to reside somewheres around there.

[Jim Fujitani]

I haven't freshwater fished in decades, so my info is ancient but here goes:

Benni is right.  Depending on where your training/rooming location is, I would check with the:

Fisherman's Warehouse, on Folsom Blvd.  Big outfit, east side of town off US50.
Pacific Extreme Sports, on 24th Street.  Industrial/warehouse area south of Sac City College.
Sacramento Pro Tackle on Northgate Blvd. Small shop in north Sacramento area, south of I80.

All three can be googled for numbers.  

Late Winter is a slow time for the area.  Lakes are open for trout fishing.  I was never into LMB, so my info there is extremely limited.

Good Luck!!

[MarkT]

The striper bite has been picking up in the delta.

[jon_elc]

What part of Sacramento are you going to be at?  I've noticed quite a bit of commute traffic around Sacramento, so i would think that you may want to fish close to where you are, not sit in traffic.

[pjstevko]

What part of Sacramento are you going to be at?  I've noticed quite a bit of commute traffic around Sacramento, so i would think that you may want to fish close to where you are, not sit in traffic.

I'll be staying at a hotel in Sacramento and my training is in McClellan AFB....

[Bill B]

Paul, you might check out Discovery Park, there is a fee to get in, the Sacramento and American river converge there.  There is also the Sacramento Ships Channel that can have some good stripper action, check the area on the south side of the channel, west of Jefferson Ave. The Miller Regional Park near the harbor mouth can be good. Farther south on the river is Garcia Bend and Shoreline Park. Cut sardines and blood worms are good bait. Fish don't seem to be very line shy on the river.   

I lived in the area for 3 1/2 years at Sherwood Harbor Marina and RV park.  Without a boat you pretty much stuck with bait and wait, but you might get lucky and hook a sturgeon. So far I'm 0-2 for sturgeon.  Hooked 2 landed 0. Google maps is your friend here. 

If you can get the to the river where the 5 freeway crosses the American, stripper like to hang out there.  But check your surroundings, lots of homeless and druggies in this area. 

Farther east about 30 minutes is Folsom Lake, but I have never fished it.  In the fall the American River has good salmon fishing, but its jungle style fishing there.  Better off jigging or trolling from a boat on the Sacramento River.  There can be some good shore casting for salmon, but that is for a later time.

There's a good place to eat on the riverfront called Fat City, home style food at ok prices.  Sams Hof Brau on Watt Ave near McClellan is good too.  Domonick's NY Deli and pizza is good if you go east towards Folsom, Ca. If you have time visit the Folsom Prison Museum on Folsom State Prison grounds, nominal fee.  You will get to see the famous East gate where Johnny Cash too the picture for his Folsom album. 

Broadway Bait and Tackle in downtown Sac and Fishermans warehouse in Rancho Cordova are two good bait and tackle shops. Penny's Rod and Bait shop is an ok place for information, but a good place for fresh bait.  Just hold your nose going in as he's primarily a bait shop that's been there forever.

PM me if you want to talk and I'll give you my number......Bill

[pjstevko]

Paul, you might check out Discovery Park, there is a fee to get in, the Sacramento and American river converge there.  There is also the Sacramento Ships Channel that can have some good stripper action, check the area on the south side of the channel, west of Jefferson Ave. The Miller Regional Park near the harbor mouth can be good. Farther south on the river is Garcia Bend and Shoreline Park. Cut sardines and blood worms are good bait. Fish don't seem to be very line shy on the river.   

I lived in the area for 3 1/2 years at Sherwood Harbor Marina and RV park.  Without a boat you pretty much stuck with bait and wait, but you might get lucky and hook a sturgeon. So far I'm 0-2 for sturgeon.  Hooked 2 landed 0. Google maps is your friend here. 

If you can get the to the river where the 5 freeway crosses the American, stripper like to hang out there.  But check your surroundings, lots of homeless and druggies in this area. 

Farther east about 30 minutes is Folsom Lake, but I have never fished it.  In the fall the American River has good salmon fishing, but its jungle style fishing there.  Better off jigging or trolling from a boat on the Sacramento River.  There can be some good shore casting for salmon, but that is for a later time.

There's a good place to eat on the riverfront called Fat City, home style food at ok prices.  Sams Hof Brau on Watt Ave near McClellan is good too.  Domonick's NY Deli and pizza is good if you go east towards Folsom, Ca. If you have time visit the Folsom Prison Museum on Folsom State Prison grounds, nominal fee.  You will get to see the famous East gate where Johnny Cash too the picture for his Folsom album. 

Broadway Bait and Tackle in downtown Sac and Fishermans warehouse in Rancho Cordova are two good bait and tackle shops. Penny's Rod and Bait shop is an ok place for information, but a good place for fresh bait.  Just hold your nose going in as he's primarily a bait shop that's been there forever.

PM me if you want to talk and I'll give you my number......Bill

Bill thank you very much for all the great information! I'm not even sure how much free time I'll have but if seems like I should bring a rod just in case 

[Benni3]

Paul, you might check out Discovery Park, there is a fee to get in, the Sacramento and American river converge there.  There is also the Sacramento Ships Channel that can have some good stripper action, check the area on the south side of the channel, west of Jefferson Ave. The Miller Regional Park near the harbor mouth can be good. Farther south on the river is Garcia Bend and Shoreline Park. Cut sardines and blood worms are good bait. Fish don't seem to be very line shy on the river.   

I lived in the area for 3 1/2 years at Sherwood Harbor Marina and RV park.  Without a boat you pretty much stuck with bait and wait, but you might get lucky and hook a sturgeon. So far I'm 0-2 for sturgeon.  Hooked 2 landed 0. Google maps is your friend here. 

If you can get the to the river where the 5 freeway crosses the American, stripper like to hang out there.  But check your surroundings, lots of homeless and druggies in this area. 

Farther east about 30 minutes is Folsom Lake, but I have never fished it.  In the fall the American River has good salmon fishing, but its jungle style fishing there.  Better off jigging or trolling from a boat on the Sacramento River.  There can be some good shore casting for salmon, but that is for a later time.

There's a good place to eat on the riverfront called Fat City, home style food at ok prices.  Sams Hof Brau on Watt Ave near McClellan is good too.  Domonick's NY Deli and pizza is good if you go east towards Folsom, Ca. If you have time visit the Folsom Prison Museum on Folsom State Prison grounds, nominal fee.  You will get to see the famous East gate where Johnny Cash too the picture for his Folsom album. 

Broadway Bait and Tackle in downtown Sac and Fishermans warehouse in Rancho Cordova are two good bait and tackle shops. Penny's Rod and Bait shop is an ok place for information, but a good place for fresh bait.  Just hold your nose going in as he's primarily a bait shop that's been there forever.

PM me if you want to talk and I'll give you my number......Bill

Bill thank you very much for all the great information! I'm not even sure how much free time I'll have but if seems like I should bring a rod just in case  but make it happen

It's difficult fishing a different area,,,,,,, try to find out what gear and techniques,,,,,, but try your techniques too,,,,that might be the trick,,,,,,,

[Jim Fujitani]

Since your training is at McClellan, but again, this time of year is tough:

Bill (Tarfu) has some good suggestions. 

Broadway Bait and Tackle has closed, about 12-18 months ago (hmmm, coincidence, isn't that about the time Bill moved back down south???  LOL!!). 

Of the two closest Tackle shops closest to McClellan, I'd go to Sacramento Pro Tackle.  There is Elkhorn Tackle to the north, but has greatly scaled back its business. 

Fishing Folsom Lake is tough.  Like a lot of recreational areas, you'd have to know where and when to go.  A large body of water frequently requires a boat and some knowledge.  Folsom has trout, and the three main black bass (it hosts its own local Bass Club Tourneys, as well as the occasional National Bassmaster's).

Nimbus Lake (and dam) is closer to Sacramento (it is the downstream after bay for Folsom), and has planters, hold-overs, and some large Rainbows (steelhead-size, possibly some descendants of Steelhead, land locked when Nimbus Dam was completed decades ago).  It is smaller, and is also a recreational area (but not restrictive to gate closures like most of Folsom Lake) just above Nimbus Dam.  The bigger rainbows are usually caught in the upstream area, above the Rainbow Bridge in the city of Folsom, in the river section.  Night crawlers bounced along the rocks in the current are best. Fisherman's Warehouse would be a good contact.

Stripers can be found in the American and Sacramento Rivers.  (And there are a few strippers (and dancers) around too, in North Sacramento and Rancho Cordova.)  There is the Garden Highway that frequently tops the east levee of the Sacramento River from Discovery Park to mouth of the Feather River, and beyond, to Nicolaus.

So if your bringing just one rod, decide what you want to try for and where.  Be it a heavy spin or conventional out fit for stripers in the Sacramento River, or lighter fresh water spin or conventional for trout and bass, or in between for big rainbows or fishing the American River.

And again, Good Luck!

[pjstevko]

Since your training is at McClellan, but again, this time of year is tough:

Bill (Tarfu) has some good suggestions. 

Broadway Bait and Tackle has closed, about 12-18 months ago (hmmm, coincidence, isn't that about the time Bill moved back down south???  LOL!!). 

Of the two closest Tackle shops closest to McClellan, I'd go to Sacramento Pro Tackle.  There is Elkhorn Tackle to the north, but has greatly scaled back its business. 

Fishing Folsom Lake is tough.  Like a lot of recreational areas, you'd have to know where and when to go.  A large body of water frequently requires a boat and some knowledge.  Folsom has trout, and the three main black bass (it hosts its own local Bass Club Tourneys, as well as the occasional National Bassmaster's).

Nimbus Lake (and dam) is closer to Sacramento (it is the downstream after bay for Folsom), and has planters, hold-overs, and some large Rainbows (steelhead-size, possibly some descendants of Steelhead, land locked when Nimbus Dam was completed decades ago).  It is smaller, and is also a recreational area (but not restrictive to gate closures like most of Folsom Lake) just above Nimbus Dam.  The bigger rainbows are usually caught in the upstream area, above the Rainbow Bridge in the city of Folsom, in the river section.  Night crawlers bounced along the rocks in the current are best. Fisherman's Warehouse would be a good contact.

Stripers can be found in the American and Sacramento Rivers.  (And there are a few strippers (and dancers) around too, in North Sacramento and Rancho Cordova.)  There is the Garden Highway that frequently tops the east levee of the Sacramento River from Discovery Park to mouth of the Feather River, and beyond, to Nicolaus.

So if your bringing just one rod, decide what you want to try for and where.  Be it a heavy spin or conventional out fit for stripers in the Sacramento River, or lighter fresh water spin or conventional for trout and bass, or in between for big rainbows or fishing the American River.

And again, Good Luck!

Wow thanks for the run down on the area....

I'm thinking of bringing my fly rod setup and targeting trout. I'll have waders so maybe that will let me get away from the shoe based crowd......

[Bill B]

Bummer about Broadway B&T, they used to buy salmon roe from the fishermen.  Good luck PJ let us know how your trip turns out.  Bill