Smith River - Coastal California Fly Fishing Guides

We Are The Smith River Fly Fishing Experts, Call Us For Updates & Reports

The Smith River In Northern California is located 12 miles northeast of Crescent City in Del Norte County. The Smith River is 25.1 miles long as it flows freely to the ocean from the Siskiyou Mountains in Oregon into far Northern California, it then becomes the second longest undammed river in California.

Located in the wettest region in California, the steelhead and salmon know this, waiting each year for the optimal time to replenish future generations of family, we like to track their every move as we concentrate throughout the season so we know where to guide our clientele on this river and others in the region that are heavily influenced by winter storms.

The Smith River is a spectacular turquoise glacial colored river that clears up as fast as a storm blows it out, lined with ancient redwoods, fir trees and ferns, many have claimed this is THE most beautiful river in California.

The steelhead & salmon that frequent this river can be enormous, we always carry the right gear for you to land these beasts. Knowing when to be on this river is our specialty, give us a call to go over gear, regulations and our advice on open dates. Most of the years we are going for salmon November through December, while January through April we target steelhead. (Note The Smith may not be open on some years if flows above Rowdy Creek are not above 700 CFS.)

Cost: $495 One or Two Anglers Per Day Includes Lunch, Gear and Flies.

Ask Us About Fly Fishing Steelhead & Salmon In Northern California Coastal Rivers On Up Into Oregon And Lodging too. We also offer trips on the Sandy, Clackamas, Metolius, Deschutes, Rogue, Umpqua Rivers, McKenzie, Santiam, the Fall River, Crooked, and most of the Cascade Lakes in Oregon. Upper, Middle & Lower Klamath, Trinity, Smith & Eel Rivers in Northern California.

When you land a Smith River Steelhead for the first time you will never forget that incredible experience, well be right there with you to help you land your great catch with a huge net!

LIST OF FLIES FOR FLY FISHING SMITH RIVER

STREAMERS

TRADITIONAL SWING FLIES USING SPEY RODS

• Lady Caroline
• Skewey's Spawning Purple
• Golden Demon
• Fire Ant
• Green Butted Skunk
• Mojo Magic
• Purple Peril
• Purple Matuka
• Freight Train
• Egg Sucking Leech
• Intruders & Hobos

Lodging near smith river

• KLAMATH OVER LOOK HOUSE (OCEAN VIEWS)
• Arky's B&b
• VRBOVRBO
• AIR BNB
• Jedediah Smith State Park & Camping

GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR smith RIVER

• Fish species: Cutthroat Trout, Steelhead & Salmon
• Fishing regulations: CLICK HERE TO SEE FISHING REGULATIONS
• Fishing seasons: November through December Salmon – January through April Steelhead
• Nearest airport: Crescent City, CA. Eureka, Ca.
• Recommended fly fishing leader: 9 foot leader 0X
• Recommended fly fishing tippet: 1X or 0X Tippet for streamers or Spey. 3X 2X Tippet For Nymphing
• Best fly fishing rod: 9 & 10 foot - 7 or 8 weight
• Best floating fly line: WF Rio Fly Line for Nymphing
• Best sinking fly line: Skagit Heads and a Variety of Sink Tips T8, T11, T14 in 10’-12’ Lengths.
• Fly lines: Sink Tip or Floating Line

Reviewed October 24, 2016

BEST HONEYMOON FISHING TRIP ON THE SMITH RIVER!

We had a great time fishing on the Smith River with guide Kenton. We hooked into some monster salmon and really enjoyed floating down the wild, scenic, and incredibly beautiful Smith River. Kenton was a great guide and taught us a lot about fishing the river. He even spent time to teach us how to spey cast. Great way to spend a day for honeymooners who love to fish together!

Need more information on the Smith River and others in California, Oregon & Nevada? Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. * 530-926-4540 or 530-918-8879 or 530-925-0331 Cell

JACK TROUT CATCHES 35 LB SALMON ON THE SMITH RIVER ON HIS FLY ROD