Putah creek and steelhead card question

brian clemens · Senior Member

Putah creek and steelhead card question

shon42073 · Senior Member

I noticed that last year and I assume that is for putah creek below the solano lake diversion dam, as i have never been asked for a steelhead card by a warden.

brian clemens · Senior Member

also what is the situatio non the fish ladder. keith i know you told me about it. is this really going to happen, cuz if it is that means steelhead and salmon will be coming to town. a lot more steelhead that salmon, but still that would be freaking awsome. just that catchin a salmon or steelhead on a 5wt in such a small creek would be challanging but a blast at that.

AC22 · Senior Member

can you catch stee;head on Putah?

-- Edited by AC22 at 17:01, 2008-01-19

brian clemens · Senior Member

I didn't think steelhead could get up into Putah any longer and that the Putah Group is trying to change that by the way of a fish ladder.

this is what i was told by a respectable and knowledgable source.

shon42073 · Senior Member

It may be possible to catch a salmon or steelhead on the lower section of the creek but I wouldn't count on it. I've been stopping on my way home from putah sometimes and seeing if i can see any fish below the diversion dam and i have not seen anything. Brian if there was a fish ladder built I'm sure we would have a closed season on putah, and a project like that would take years to complete or even start. Lower creek meaning below solano lake diversion dam.

-- Edited by thecaptain at 17:05, 2008-01-19

brian clemens · Senior Member

gotcha thanks for the info. i need to check that out one of these days when i leave putah early. its the first right that you come to when leaving the creek. the one that goes to the lake.

WytEurp · Senior Member

Brian, great point.....

On page 22 of the 2007-2008 fishing regulations booklet it says "a steel head trout is defined as any rainbow trout greater then 16" in lenth found in anadromous waters"....so I thing you guys that keep catching these 20+ inch pigs are safe....

dtp916 · Senior Member

Its for lower Puath, not above Lake Solano.

Xnjb707X · Senior Member

�If a fish ladder is ever going to come about, there will be change with the fishing regs on putah to protect the salmon and stealhead. I talk with somebody from the DFG from time to time, and he has told me that "if"�a putah ladder ever gets built, the creek will probilly end up being closed to fishing from oct1st-dec1st, or it will just be closed from nov16th till open season. Which would be good for the stream in my opinion, it'll just suck that we all cant fish, but it will preserve putah for the future. who knows what will happen, only time will tell, and I think it'll be years before the project will be in the works. We will all just have to see what happens...

- Nic -

brian clemens · Senior Member

ya i agree with ya nic, it will be a few yrs before this even happens and thats even if it does, but can you just imagine what type of fisher we might have when it does happen. dont know about you but ill be bringin my chainsaw to cut down and move all the trees that are blocking the creek, just incase a steelie or salmon wants to take off, dont want to get into a pickle because of a tree that is stretch across the river.

i am just glad that putah is starting to get some attention, and that things are starting to look up for an overlooked fishery.

dtp916 · Senior Member

Putah is definitely not overlooked. It's crowded and small, and close proximity to the Bay Area and Greater Sac Area make it an ideal spot for day trips for fly fishers (and others). Plus it has big fish, that everyone talks about.

brian clemens · Senior Member

no i meant about dfg, i am glad that its not being overlooked anymore. and that dfg is finally doing something right for putah.

Chris Laskodi · Veteran Member

If a ladder were built on Putah, they would probably adopt the same regs as other Central Valley streams like the Moke and Stan which I believe close Oct 1 thru the first of the year. May not be such a bad thing but thats a whole different thread.

I agree with James as well. Putah is no secret. It hasn't been a secret for probably 20 years. Like he said, its close to the metro areas and you can easily do it on the day trip. Its the same with the Yuba. Its a close fishery so it gets all the attention even though it may not be as good as other places.

And Brian, don't go hacking away with a chainsaw. It is quite illegal to clear your own paths like that, even if it is just with pruning shears.

brian clemens · Senior Member

i meant on the water, there are a few trees that go across the creek that are blocking water traffic. just stated that id like to due it. but it wont happen.

LilWhippersnapper · Senior Member

I think making a ladder would bring in steelhead, but it will also bring in tons of more fishermen. Like little old putah needs that.

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

The whole fish ladder thing is still a looong way off and if it ever did happen yes the creek would be closed for a period during the fall/winter.As far as catching salmon or steelies during the regular season,that probably wont happen because the fish will be long gone by then.So no need to cut down all the trees!!