Looking for a fun getaway that includes both adventure and relaxation?
Then the North Fork of the American River should be your destination.
Not only is the North Fork considered the premier Class IV whitewater rafting run in Northern California, but it has a decent smallmouth bite in the summer as well.
And because the North Fork is a raft-first, fish later destination for most visitors, this stretch is filled with spirited smallies – quite a treat for anglers from out of the region who don’t have the luxury of fishing for smallmouth on regular basis.
The only problem with the North Fork is the fact that it is a Class IV, and in some sections a Class V, river where the water moves fast and access is limited.
Avoid those treacherous edges of the American River, which originates in the high Sierra Nevada just west of Lake Tahoe, and leave the rapids to the rafters.
The fishing season usually runs from early May, depending on runoff, through October with the middle summer months presenting the heaviest fishing and rafting pressure.
The best access for shore anglers is near the Highway 49 bridge below the confluence of the North and Middle forks. The water is also slower here, so you don’t have worry about rafts spooking fish.
Fly fishermen in search of smallies usually fall back on standard Wooly Buggers or Muddler Minnows. Work the deeper pools, rocky banks and sharply sloping shorelines for larger fish.
There is a healthy population of redear and bluegill down near the Clementine Dam. Sunfish can be picked up on small nymphs.
Rainbow trout can be had in the cooler Middle Fork or far up the North Fork above where many of the rafts are launched. Some rafting outfits will even let anglers bring aboard a small pack pole, which you can break out during the hour lunch break on runs of the river that almost never get fished.
Check with the local fly shops to see what patterns are best for catching resident rainbow trout.
