Fishing in Sacramento

Looking for somewhere to fish near Sacramento? The water around Sacramento is mixed — 18 rivers and 9 lakes among 38 named waters within 20km. The closest is American River, 2.1km out — and 4 more sit inside 5km.

What you can expect to catch near Sacramento

What's realistic here follows the water you've actually got in range, and it varies by type:

• Rivers (18, closest 2.1km) — Smallmouth bass, catfish and panfish through most warmwater rivers; trout where the water runs cold and fast.
• Lakes (9, closest 4.3km) — Largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish are the usual mix, with walleye and pike in the northern states.
• Canals (9, closest 4.5km) — Canals and channels tend to hold catfish, panfish and bass that have moved in from connected water.
• Reservoirs (2, closest 9.1km) — Largemouth and spotted bass, crappie and catfish, with striped bass in the larger impoundments.

Fishing the water around Sacramento

On rivers, read the flow before you cast. Fish hold on the seam where fast water meets slow, in the crease behind obstructions, and under undercut banks. Approach from downstream where you can — fish face into the current, so you'll be behind them.

On stillwaters, features do the work: margins, islands, weed edges, drop-offs and any wind-blown bank. Plumb the depth before committing to a spot, and remember the uncomfortable windward bank is usually where the food ends up.

Before you go

Fishing licences in the US are issued by the state, so you'll need one for the state you're fishing in — check your state wildlife agency for the current rules, and note that seasons, size limits and bag limits vary by species and water.

Every named water within 20km

38 in total, closest first — a live slice of the 500,000+ waters in CastLog. Photograph a catch on any of them and the app names the species, estimates its size, and logs the spot and conditions automatically.