Waters · United States
Smith River fishing report
Updated Sunday, October 25, 2026 · refreshed automatically through the day
California's largest free-flowing river system, famously clear and green, holding very large winter steelhead and late-fall chinook. It clears faster than any river nearby after rain, and California closes it at low flows, so check the closure line before you go.
Today's report: excellent (85/100)
Chinook salmon is the most promising species on Smith River today. Water temperature is around 53°F (11.6°C) and barometric pressure is stable. Gauge SMITH R NR CRESCENT CITY CA shows the water level steady.
Smith River water temperature and flow
- Discharge: 191 cfs (5.4 m³/s) — down 2% over 24 hours
- Level trend: steady
Measured at gauge SMITH R NR CRESCENT CITY CA · reading 61 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 85/100
- 5:00 PM–7:00 PM local time — score 77/100
- 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 | 71 — good | 75 — good | 71 — good |
| Chinook salmon | 85 — excellent | 84 — excellent | 81 — excellent |
Why this score
Cast & Scan uses a deterministic, published scoring model — no black box. The strongest influences on today's Smith River rating:
- water temperature: helping (+1)
- pressure trend: helping (+1)
- solunar period: helping (+1)
- season: helping (+1)
- cloud cover: helping (+0.95)
- precipitation: helping (+0.9)
Forecast computed Sun, 25 Oct 2026 17:46:21 GMT · data: Open-Meteo + gauge SMITH R NR CRESCENT CITY CA · refreshed automatically through the day · see our published accuracy
Winter fishing on Smith River
Winter is the Smith's steelhead season, and it is famous for very large fish. It clears faster than any other North Coast river after rain, often within a day. California closes North Coast rivers when flows drop below set levels, and the Smith is often affected, so check the low-flow closure hotline or website 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
- Klamath River (Lower) — California, USA (20 mi away)
- Rogue River (Grants Pass) — Oregon, USA (59 mi away)
- Eel River (Scotia) — California, USA (90 mi away)
- Trinity River (Lewiston) — California, USA (99 mi away)
- Umpqua River (Elkton) — Oregon, USA (127 mi away)
- McKenzie River (Vida) — Oregon, USA (180 mi away)