Salmon fishing on the Feather River has remained about the same as it was, last week. Angler’s are having mixed success, as we slog along through the second week of the, Feather River Salmon season.

Not much has changed since opening week. Let’s quickly go over what happened around the famous Outlet Hole, and Shanghai Bend, two of the most popular Salmon fishing spots on the Feather River. Let me catch you up on what’s happening in these two fishing locations.

Let’s first start with the famous Outlet Hole near Oroville, California. For those of you who have never been to the Outlet Hole, nor witnessed this place, let me tell you, it is worth experiencing. Throughout the past twenty-five years, from time to time, I too, have been a witness to this enigma.

On any given visit to the Outlet Hole, there can be well over one, to two hundred anglers fishing from the bank. In addition to all of the bank anglers, there are a dozen, to two dozen boats, that somehow manage to fit into the ‘coliseum’ like Outlet Hole. Without a doubt, this may be one of the best people watching spots, in the sport fishing industry.

As far as the salmon fishing goes, this past week hasn’t shown much change in the action. The bank anglers fishing the Outlet Hole, have seen some improvement over the opening week. The spinner line has started to improve each morning, and are now seeing a half a dozen salmon, being caught this morning. The bank anglers are now hooking salmon throughout the day.

See The crowd is relatively light at the Outlet Hole for now, in comparison to what lays ahead. As for the fishing guides, and recreational anglers fishing from boats, they have continued to struggle through the early season. They have averaged one to two salmon a day.

Shanghai Bend has gained in popularity, with the salmon fishing community, over the past week. And rightfully so! As the King Salmon being taken from this stretch of the Feather River are spectacular specimens. They are dime bright, and mean as a King Salmon can be. These fish are worth bragging about. However, at this point, they are still fairly hard to come by. Similar to the Outlet Hole, salmon fishing guides struggle to get one to two King Salmon, into the boat on each trip. During this past week, there have been a few highlights, but for the most part, it’s been a grind.
Trolling with Blue Fox spinners, or the trusted Silvertron, has been producing some great, King Salmon catches, around the general Shanghai Bend area. It is a great technique for covering water. On the flip side, the anglers anchoring around the top of the shoot, at the Shanghai Rapids, have also had productive outings this past week. Once again, there have been a few highlight days, but it is a grind for the most part.

Stay tuned for next week’s Salmon Fishing Report, from the Feather River. Big changes should start happening, as we approach the August full moon. With the full moon, comes a larger push of King Salmon. And their arrival can not come soon enough. Tight Lines….