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Pit River

Current Report - call Vaughn's in Burney, CA

This is one of the best wild trout streams in Nor Cal.

The wading is not easy but the fish are wild and can be large.
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Stream Information

The Pit River has many dams on it but still comes out on top as a world class wild Rainbow trout fishery. It does have more than it's share of rough fish with tons of squawfish and suckers in the pools. Normally June is a target month depending on the snow pack and weather. The Fall is very good to with the famous Isonychia mayfly emerging in mid-September on. We recommend going with a good fly fishing guide for your first time to the Pit unless you have a good friend who is familiar with the river. The river has fairly good access with a gravel/paved road running along most of it's length. Some places you have to hike down to the river. Fish the big runs coming into the big pools and then all the pocket water above each pool. The water just below Lake Britton is usually the most crowded especially on weekends. Most fish it from the town of Big Bend upstream to Lake Britton. There is some water above Lake Britton just passed the Pit River Lodge.

We like to camp at Deep Creek Campground which is pretty much abandoned by the State. The road in there is a little rough at times too. Once you are in there it is usually pretty quiet with good fishing for miles in both directions. There is a trail on the right side of the river heading upstream for many miles.

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Tackle

Most use a 9' #5 weight rod for the Pit with a floating line. Have a sinking line for throwing streamers in the big pools. This is 90% upstream indicator nymphing in the heavy pocket water. Have some Fresh 7.5' 3x leaders and some matching 3x to 5x tippet. Have some #14 BH Princes and some large #8/10 black Isonychia nymphs. Some will try dries in the pocket water so have some #10 Royal Wulffs, Stimulators and Irresistibles. Try some large olive or white Zonkers in the pools.

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Pit River Map

• Google maps

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Article

• Wikipedia
• Google books

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Books

• CA Blue Ribbon Trout Streams by Sunderland & Lackey.
• Fly-Fishing Northern CA Waters by Lily Wong
• Fly Fishing Guide to Northern California by Seth Norman
• Headwater Guides:California's Best Fly Fishing by Chip O'Brien

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Fishing Guides

• Kiene's Pit River Guide recommendations

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Lodging/Camping

• Clark Creek Lodge - closed?
• Clearwater Lodge
• Burney Chamber of Commerce

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Private Water

• Henderson Springs Ranch

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Points of interest

• Big Bend Hot Springs  - closed?

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Some old 'Pit River people'...........

• The oldest group I knew locally who frequented the Pit River was comprised of Cappie Kramer, Frank Scofield, Bob Burrows, Gary Ellison, Frank Laprezioso and Dick Hume. I think Frank Laprezioso is the only one still with us.

• Jerry Lyerly told my friend Neil Hanson about the river many years ago.

• We came along in the 1970s with my brother Dick Kiene first finding about it from some of his friends from the Bay area.

• Our group was myself, my brother Dick Kiene, his friend Vince Dutcher, my brother's son Chris Kiene, then we had George Innes, Skip Orr, Galen Geller, Paul Keel, Phil Romig, Fred Gordon, Frank Pipgrass, and Alan Barnard.

• Mike Mercer from The Fly Shop in Redding, California is an old Pit River guy.

• E.C.Powell and the entire Powell family and friends all fished the Pit River for many years going way, way back too.

• When I first saw "The River Runs Through It" I thought of my brother Dick and I fishing the Pit River.

• This is my favorite trout stream, period. It has some 5-10# wild Pit River Rainbows in it but we won't land them.