Putah Creek

Anyone ever kayak Putah Creek for bass? Was told by a friend it can be good place to take my son, wondered if it was and when/where to go?

Rode down it in tubes from just below the dam to a couple miles downstream in college - potentially dangerous water, and I think there are more trout than bass.  Good luck.   

I'm new to California but the only Putah Creek I know of is up on lake Berryessa.  There are smallmouth, spotted bass, and largemouth there.  It can be pretty good fishing if you can avoid all the power boats!  It's getting cooler and will get better once the skiers leave.

I don't know much about Berryessa except for the Putah Creek arm, towards the northwest end of the lake.  It was my grandfather's stomping grounds and where I learned to fish with my dad.  I haven't been back in 25 or so years, but I recall it going back quite a ways with lots of sunken timber somewhat similar to Yorty at Lake Sonoma. 

Putah Creek also exists downstream from the Dam which was at one point flyfishing domain for trouts, as I understand it.  In recent years I've heard the fishing there has declined.  Lake Solano is also along this stretch of Putah Creek, which does or did have various bass as well as trout, or so I understand from some buddies who grew up in Davis. 

I have no idea how healthy the fisheries are in those areas these days, but I will get back to upper Putah Creek sometime soon to at least paddle and reminisce.  I do know that the upper stretches of Putah hold quite a few smallmouth, pikeminnow and some smaller trouts as I have a few friends with access to private land where the streams/creeks run through and a few deep holes can be found.  No huge fish, but fun in the summer with ultralight gear.  I would strongly advise against trespassing on private land.

That's about what I know, which unfortunately is not much.  However, when I see Putah Creek anywhere it instantly reminds me of my father and my youth so I'm compelled to write something.   And remember, with the kiddos, whether or not you catch something, make the most of your time together.  My father and I hardly ever caught anything and we would be frustrated.  But all these years later I treasure those times alone with him, especially now that he is no longer with me. 

Cheers

 

Lower Putah Creek below the Dam, is Class II+ with significant strainer hazard.  If you decide to kayak it in a Sit On top, you will swim and loose anything not tethered, 100% for sure.  There is also high entrapment hazard along the willows, so yourself or anything else that goes over has a high probability of not being recovered.

As for fishing, from the Monticello dam to the headwaters of Lake Solano (as denoted by the final merging of the two forks below the last island) is Artificial, barbless, No Keep.  That is per Regs though this does get broken a lot by people who have no idea and bait fish / retain illegally either knowingly or unknowingly.  If you break the law and someone sees you, chances are you will be confronted, as there is a very passionate group of Fly Fishing folks who frequent the area.  This is a good thing!

Lake Solano is bait/barb / keep ok, but the water is cold and swift and shallow, aka it is mostly a dead lake slowly filling itself in at the dam for the irrigation diversion about 3 miles down.  There are bass, some trout, and carp in Lake Solano, but catching fish there is tough, REALLY tough and general not worth the effort given Berryessa 10 minutes up the road.  The area does also have a history of car break-ins from dam to dam.  Leave no valuables in your car, PERIOD.

Below the diversion dam is a decent warm water fishery.  They are trying to deepen the channel to keep the water cold because technically this stream can be considered anadromous and there are legit recorded instances of both salmon and steelhead spawning the in the lower reaches.

Regardless, from Winters down to the sink hole in the delta marshes past Mace LMB, Bluegill, Pikeminnows, and even some Sacramento Splittails are in there.  It can be hard to access but the fishing is actually decent.  Just no way in hell you want to eat anything from there, and you have to be willing to get muddy/portage around snags etc..  Think jungle adventure fishing.

I fly fish below the dam, and kayak fish below the diversion dam using an inflatable.  I have given up on Solano, but may start bowfishing the carp in there at some point.  If you want more detailed beta about a specific spot, PM me

Great info, Aaron.  I'll never forget seeing my wife (GF at the time...) flip her tube on the first rapid and I was a bit downstream - I felt helpless as I realized she got close to being strained.     The area below the Berryessa dam is absolutely not safe for boats.

Also really appreciated your input, Fishgr.  I too cherish memories of being out on the ocean, on the river, or other water with my Dad, and I do my best to create such memories with my kids.  Once you grow up and lose your Dad it becomes exceedingly obvious that those times - fish or no - were some of the best in life.

Aaron is spot on the Putah intel.
Plus, the area near low water bridge/UCD raptor center area is a Super Fund site, so I def. recommend not eating anything from the area.
There are fish in the area, I have seen numerous huge carp nailed to the telephone poles while on bike rides between Davis and Winters.

Putah creek can be extremely beautiful to kayak and I have caught bass and carp out of there. If you stay more towards lake solano and below the fork you will be fine in a kayak if you go up past the fork the closer you get to berryessa the stronger the current is and rougher the water. I have successfully taken a sit on top down outage creek and into lake solano but on most of my attempts I went for a swim.  I would not recommend for kids. Carp fishing on light tackle is fun and can be done near lake solano beach. If you want bass berryessa is much better

I really appreciate the responses, for clarification I spoke with my friend again, he states the lower portion , somewhere not far from Dixon?

I don't know where that is but would live to explore it.

the area near UCD is shallow and slow. we used to wade it when i was in college for bass.  but super shallow in sections.