It’s a fishing day

Trinity River (Lewiston) fishing conditions · California

Now until 5 pmChinook salmon

The bite peaks at 100. Water is 49°, close to the 50° chinook salmon like best.

Log a trip here
Right now: 96 for chinook salmon, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Chinook salmon, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 961 pm
  2. 96
  3. 96
  4. 1004 pm
  5. 92
  6. 92
  7. 827 pm
  8. 82
  9. 82
  10. 8210 pm
  11. 82
  12. 82Sun
  13. 841 am
  14. 84
  15. 84
  16. 824 am
  17. 82
  18. 82
  19. 827 am
  20. 82
  21. 82
  22. 8210 am
  23. 82
  24. 82
  25. 821 pm
  26. 82
  27. 82
  28. 824 pm
  29. 82
  30. 82
  31. 827 pm
  32. 82
  33. 82
  34. 8210 pm
  35. 82
  36. 82Mon
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
49°F

Chinook salmon range 42–58°

Wind
2 mph

From the east

Flow
310 cfs

steady · +0% in 24 h

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:01 pm

Sky
Sunny

No rain expected

Air
70°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Falling

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are California regulations for these waters.

Chinook Salmon

Chinook salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

100GoNow until 5 pm

Water

49°
32°42–58° · ideal 50°68°

Why

Right in chinook salmon's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 15–150 ft down.

Keep

1 a day (Jul 1–Aug 31); 2 a day (Sep 1–Dec 31)

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Spring chinook 1 a day Jul 1–Aug 31. Fall-run quota fishery: 2 chinook a day, no more than 1 over 23" until the adult quota is met, then only fish 23" or under. Quotas are set each May (2026 season shown). Closed to salmon Jan 1–Jun 30.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Trinity River, Old Lewiston Bridge to the Hwy 299 bridge at Cedar Flat

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon

Steelhead

Steelhead

Oncorhynchus mykiss

100GoNow until 5 pm

Water

49°
30°40–55° · ideal 48°65°

Why

Right in steelhead's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 2–60 ft down.

Keep

2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Open all year: 2 hatchery trout or steelhead a day plus 10 brown trout. Above the Old Lewiston Bridge the river is fly-only and open only Apr 1–Sep 15.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Trinity River, Old Lewiston Bridge to the Hwy 299 bridge at Cedar Flat

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Oct–Apr. More on steelhead

Coho Salmon

Coho salmon

Oncorhynchus kisutch

–Not scoredNo targeting

No targetingClosed to targeting. Release any you hook at once.

Water

49°
34°44–58° · ideal 53°68°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside coho salmon's active range. Holds 10–120 ft down.

Keep

no harvest

Closed to targeting. Release any you hook at once. Coho (silver) salmon may not be taken in any California water; an incidentally hooked coho must be released unharmed immediately.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · California

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Oct. More on coho salmon

The water

  • Water temperature49°F
  • River310 cfs · steady · +0% in 24 h
  • Barometer30.10 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:01 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:49 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Major solunarTonight 10:10 pm–12:10 am
  • Minor solunarTomorrow 6:10 am–7:10 am
  • Major solunarTomorrow 10:30 am–12:30 pm

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. California CDFW has the state’s fishing pages.

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisory

About this spot

A cold Klamath-system tailwater below Lewiston Dam in the Northern California mountains — wild and hatchery steelhead and chinook and coho salmon in classic drift water. A renowned fly and drift-boat river. Live USGS flow and temperature at Lewiston.

Old Lewiston Bridge to Cedar Flat: 2 hatchery steelhead and 10 brown trout a day all year; spring chinook 1 a day Jul 1–Aug 31; fall-run quota 2 a day (only 1 over 23") from Sep 1. Above the Old Lewiston Bridge the river is fly-only, open Apr 1–Sep 15, with no salmon. Coho must be released; report cards required.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Shasta Lake26 mi · CaliforniaBest now until 5 pm
76Worth the trip

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Trinity River (Lewiston)?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Trinity River (Lewiston) you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Trinity River (Lewiston)?

Trinity River (Lewiston) is listed on this site for 3 commonly-targeted species: Chinook Salmon, Steelhead, Coho Salmon. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Trinity River (Lewiston)?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Trinity River (Lewiston) against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Trinity River (Lewiston) have?

Trinity River (Lewiston) has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Old Lewiston Bridge to Cedar Flat: 2 hatchery steelhead and 10 brown trout a day all year; spring chinook 1 a day Jul 1–Aug 31; fall-run quota 2 a day (only 1 over 23") from Sep 1. Above the Old Lewiston Bridge the river is fly-only, open Apr 1–Sep 15, with no salmon. Coho must be released; report cards required.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Trinity River (Lewiston)?

state agency regulations apply at Trinity River (Lewiston). Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Trinity River (Lewiston) tidal water?

No. Trinity River (Lewiston) is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.