Waters · United States
Eel River (Scotia) fishing report
Updated Sunday, October 25, 2026 · refreshed automatically through the day
A large North Coast river with winter steelhead and fall chinook. It is known for carrying heavy silt: after a big storm it can stay brown for a week or more, so the useful number is how long it has been dropping.
Today's report: excellent (83/100)
Chinook salmon is the most promising species on Eel River (Scotia) today. Water temperature is around 55°F (13.0°C) and barometric pressure is stable. Gauge EEL R A SCOTIA CA shows the water level steady.
Eel River (Scotia) water temperature and flow
- Discharge: 109 cfs (3.1 m³/s) — up 3% over 24 hours
- Level trend: steady
Measured at gauge EEL R A SCOTIA CA · reading 31 min ago. Published by the national hydrological service, not estimated by us.
Best time to fish today
- 12:00 PM–2:00 PM local time — score 82/100
- 5:00 PM–7:00 PM local time — score 79/100
- 8:00 AM–10:00 AM local time — score 81/100
3-day outlook by species
| Species | Sunday, Oct 25 | Monday, Oct 26 | Tuesday, Oct 27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steelhead | 72 — good | 73 — good | 67 — good |
| Chinook salmon | 83 — excellent | 82 — excellent | 85 — excellent |
Why this score
Cast & Scan uses a deterministic, published scoring model — no black box. The strongest influences on today's Eel River (Scotia) rating:
- water temperature: helping (+1)
- solunar period: helping (+1)
- season: helping (+1)
- cloud cover: helping (+0.95)
- precipitation: helping (+0.9)
- wind: helping (+0.75)
Forecast computed Sun, 25 Oct 2026 17:46:19 GMT · data: Open-Meteo + gauge EEL R A SCOTIA CA · refreshed automatically through the day · see our published accuracy
Winter fishing on Eel River (Scotia)
The Eel is a winter steelhead river, but a famously muddy one: after a big storm it can stay too coloured to fish for a week or more. The useful question is how many days it has been dropping, not how high it is. California also closes the lower Eel at low flows, so check the closure status before you go.
Seasons, closed sections and permits are set by the state and change. Check the current regulations before a winter trip, and never trust shelf ice or a forecast for your safety.
Wondering how this stacks up against the apps you already know? Cast & Scan vs Fishbrain vs BassForecast — an honest comparison, including where they beat us.
Read before you go
More steelhead waters
- Salmon River (Pulaski) — New York, USA
- American River (Fair Oaks) — California, USA
- Au Gres River — Michigan, USA
- Au Sable River (Foote Dam) — Michigan, USA
- Black River (Elyria) — Ohio, USA
Nearby waters
- Trinity River (Lewiston) — California, USA (70 mi away)
- Klamath River (Lower) — California, USA (71 mi away)
- Smith River — California, USA (90 mi away)
- Clear Lake — California, USA (124 mi away)
- Rogue River (Grants Pass) — Oregon, USA (140 mi away)
- Feather River (Oroville) — California, USA (151 mi away)