Lower Stanislaus River
Knights Ferry (below Goodwin Dam) · near Knights Ferry · Gold Country & Central Valley
Fishing
At a glance
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Best season
- Fall, winter & spring; salmon mid-Oct, steelhead Feb-May
Permits and booking
- Licence required
- Yes
- Licence detail
- CA license (16+). SPECIAL REGS: Goodwin Dam down to the Hwy 120 bridge is artificial lures / barbless hooks only. Federally listed Central Valley steelhead - steelhead are catch-and-release / no-take. Salmon and trout seasons/limits are restrictive and change - verify current CDFW rules before keeping anything.
What is here
- Features
- Genuine wild-rainbow tailwater in Gold Country · Fall Chinook & winter-spring steelhead runs · Wade & drift-boat water at Knights Ferry · Historic covered-bridge rec area
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- No
Fishing detail
- Nickname
- Knights Ferry Tailwater
- Water type
- river
- Water
- fresh
- Methods
- Fly · Spin
- Boat
- both
- Target species
- Wild rainbow trout · Fall-run Chinook salmon · Steelhead (catch-and-release)
- Intl tip
- Fish fall through spring when irrigation releases drop; nymph the riffles below Goodwin Dam. Always check the USGS flow gauge before wading - releases change fast. Steelhead are catch-and-release.
The guide
The Lower Stanislaus is a genuine wild-trout tailwater in the heart of Gold Country - a cold, clear river below Goodwin Dam tha…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Lower Stanislaus River — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.821, -120.665