McCloud River

The McCloud River flows approximately 77 miles from its headwaters on the southern slopes of Mount Shasta to its confluence with the Pit River in Shasta Lake. The river's claim to fame rests on its role in fish conservation history. In 1872, Livingston Stone established a fish hatchery on the McCloud and began collecting eggs from the river's native rainbow trout population. Over the following decades, millions of eggs were shipped from the McCloud to stock waters across the United States, Europe, and beyond. The McCloud redband trout became the genetic foundation for rainbow trout populations worldwide.

The prime fly fishing water on the McCloud is the section below McCloud Reservoir, where the river tumbles through a narrow, steep-walled canyon over volcanic rock. This is pocket water and plunge pool fishing at its finest, with the river cascading through boulder gardens, around bedrock outcrops, and into deep, jade-green pools shaded by Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and incense cedar. The canyon walls rise steeply on both sides, and the sound of the river echoes off the rock.

Access to the McCloud is limited and challenging. The Nature Conservancy manages the McCloud River Preserve, a 2,300-acre property encompassing several miles of prime river. Fishing on the preserve is by reservation only, limited to a small number of anglers per day, and strictly catch-and-release with barbless flies only. Public water above and below the preserve offers additional fishing, though the steep terrain and lack of maintained trails require scrambling and route-finding skills.

The McCloud's wild trout are not large by tailwater standards. A 12-inch redband is a respectable fish, and anything over 14 inches is a trophy. But what these fish lack in size, they make up for in beauty, with brilliant rose-pink lateral stripes, and fighting spirit. The genetic distinctiveness of the McCloud redband population makes every fish landed a connection to fly fishing history.

The McCloud River is a cold, clear freestone stream with spring-fed characteristics. Water clarity is excellent, typically 6-10 feet of visibility, and the water has a distinctly emerald hue from the volcanic rock substrate. Water temperatures remain cold year-round, rarely exceeding 60 degrees even in summer, thanks to spring inputs and the river's high elevation origin.

The substrate is primarily volcanic basalt, boulders, and cobble, with pockets of gravel in the pool tailouts. This creates outstanding pocket water and plunge pool habitat. The insect community includes golden stoneflies, caddisflies (multiple species), Blue-Winged Olives, and various small mayflies. Terrestrial insects contribute to the trout diet in summer and fall.

The McCloud's water quality is exceptionally high, supporting a healthy aquatic ecosystem. The wild redband trout population is self-sustaining through natural reproduction. While trout density is not as high as in heavily managed waters, the fish are truly wild, genetically unique, and beautifully adapted to their environment.