Smith River (Trophy Salmon & Steelhead)
Del Norte County · near Crescent City / Hiouchi · North Coast
Fishing · Rivers & Whitewater
At a glance
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Best season
- Salmon fall–winter · steelhead winter–spring
- Season
- Winter–spring (Dec–April) · Rain-fed — best a few days after storms
Permits and booking
- Licence required
- Yes
- Licence detail
- CA license (16+) required; Steelhead Report Card for steelhead. The Smith, California's last major undammed river, runs gin-clear and produces the state's biggest king salmon and steelhead. It blows out and clears fast after rain — timing is everything. Drift-boat river.
- Permit
- Six Rivers National Forest / Smith River National Recreation Area. Free-flowing and undammed; flows are entirely rain-driven, so timing follows storms. Drysuits recommended (cold).
What is here
- Features
- California's last major undammed river · State's biggest king salmon (40+ lb) · Huge wild winter steelhead · Gin-clear emerald water
- Activities
- guided-rafting · kayaking
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- No
- Minimum age
- 10+ (South Fork) · 14+ (North & Middle Forks)
Guides, rentals and operators
- Operators
- Redwood Rides · Redwoods & Rivers
- Outfitters
- Six Rivers Rafting
Fishing detail
- Water type
- river
- Water
- fresh
- Methods
- Drift · Fly · Bait
- Boat
- both
- Target species
- King salmon (giant — to 40+ lb) · Steelhead (large, wild) · Cutthroat trout · Coho (protected)
- Intl tip
- License required (Steelhead Report Card). The state's biggest salmon (40+ lb kings) and steelhead, in gin-clear water. It blows out and clears FAST after rain — timing the drop is everything; hire a local drift-boat guide who watches the gauges. Winter is prime. Combine with the redwoods. Bucket-list water.
Rivers & Whitewater detail
- Nickname
- California's Last Undammed River
- Class min
- III
- Class max
- IV+
- Trip options
- Day runs on North, Middle, and South Forks · Winter/spring only
- Key rapids
- North Fork wilderness (100+ waterfalls) · South Fork through the redwoods · Middle Fork creeky action
- Intl tip
- The Smith flows through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park — combine a run with the finest old-growth redwood groves in California (the Stout Grove is minutes away) and Fern Canyon (hiking guide) down the coast. Crescent City is the base; this is the northwesternmost corner of the state.
The guide
The Smith River in California's far northwest corner is the crown jewel of the state's salmon and steelhead rivers — the last m…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Smith River (Trophy Salmon & Steelhead) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 41.86, -124.09