Hat Creek Fishing Report – Oct 18, 2026

Hat Creek's prime time for me is May–June, with the salmonfly hatch, and September. Fall still offers fewer anglers, cold spring water, and browns getting ready to spawn. First-hand reports are thin; the latest shop report (10/14) points to BWOs and midges in the flats and Powerhouse 2 riffle. Treat the rest as seasonal guidance.

Current Conditions

Flow: About 120 CFS, steady at 108–122 this week. That's the USGS gauge on upper Hat Creek, well above the wild trout water, so use it as a trend check, not a Powerhouse 2 number.
Water temp: About 46°F at the same gauge, ranging from about 44 to 49°F this week.
Bugs: BWOs and midges. A few October Caddis show in the faster riffles, but it's not a major hatch on Hat.

What's Working

Dry-dropper: A small dry with a tiny Baetis nymph or midge under it picks off fish that won't rise.
BWO dries: On cool, overcast days, look for risers from late morning through mid-afternoon. Accurate, drag-free drifts are a must.
Pre-spawn browns: Early and late, strip olive buggers or sculpins along weed beds and undercut banks.
Weed channels: Drift small pheasant tails and hare's ears through the lanes between the weeds.

Quick Rigging Tips

Go long and fine for dries in the flats; step up to about 3X for streamers. Watch a fish's feeding lane before casting.

Access & Wading

The wild trout section runs from the Powerhouse 2 riffle, at the top, down past the Highway 299 bridge to Lake Britton. It's about 20 minutes from Fall River Mills. Wade slowly and quietly in the flats, and stay off the weed beds and spawning gravel.

Weather & What to Wear

Mornings near freezing (low–mid 30s); highs upper 60s early week, near 60 Thursday. Rain chances reach 40% Tuesday night and 50% Wednesday, with rain likely Wednesday night. Gray, drizzly days are often the best BWO days, so bring warm layers, gloves, and a rain jacket.

Season & Regulations

Hat Creek from Lake Britton up to Baum Lake (not including the concrete Hat No. 2 intake canal) is open all year. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks, catch-and-release (0 trout).
Check current CDFW regs before you go.

Ready to book? Call or text me at (530) 722-8331.

Hat Creek questions this week

Is the Hat Creek fishing well right now?

As of October 18, 2026: Hat Creek's prime time for me is May–June, with the salmonfly hatch, and September. Fall still offers fewer anglers, cold spring water, and browns getting ready to spawn. First-hand reports are thin; the latest shop report (10/14) points to BWOs and midges in the flats and Powerhouse 2 riffle.…

What flies are working on the Hat Creek right now?

As of October 18, 2026: Dry-dropper: A small dry with a tiny Baetis nymph or midge under it picks off fish that won't rise. BWO dries: On cool, overcast days, look for risers from late morning through mid-afternoon. Accurate, drag-free drifts are a must. Pre-spawn browns: Early and late, strip olive buggers or sculpins along weed beds and undercut banks. Weed channels: Drift small pheasant tails and hare's ears through the lanes between the weeds.

Hat Creek Fishing Report – Cold Spring Water, Fall BWOs and Pre-Spawn Browns

Current conditions in brief