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← Back to mapCalifornia Rivers › North Coast – Humboldt County
A redwood-country coastal river known for its winter steelhead run
The Mad River flows through Humboldt County and reaches the Pacific just north of Arcata. CDFW calls it an outstanding steelhead fishery. Its native fish are northern California steelhead, which are federally listed as threatened. The Mad River Fish Hatchery, east of Arcata near Blue Lake, has supported this run since 1971. In May 2025, CDFW announced it would stop hatchery operations: the hatchery's last steelhead were to be released that spring, and operations were expected to end in June. Because of this, expect fewer hatchery-origin fish in future seasons and more reliance on the wild run. CDFW says the hatchery grounds will stay open to the public from sunrise to sunset for river access. The hatchery once raised Chinook salmon and rainbow trout, but those fish were stocked in inland lakes and lagoons, not in this river. This record's centroid falls on the middle river upstream of the lower-river hatchery access. Check current CDFW freshwater regulations for seasons, gear limits, closures and steelhead report card requirements before you fish.
Best Season
Winter (roughly December–March, when the steelhead run peaks)
River Type
Coastal freestone river
Skill Level
Intermediate
Best Techniques
Drift fishing, swinging flies, and float fishing for steelhead
Access
Public access at the CDFW Mad River Hatchery grounds (1660 Hatchery Road, Arcata), off Highway 299 near Blue Lake
Review seasonal insect hatches on the Mad River, including timing windows and fly pattern suggestions for your next trip.
Check current seasons, limits, and special rules for Mad River before you go. Regulations change, so always verify with IDFG.
The latest fishing conditions and hatch notes for Mad River. Older reports live in the Mad River report archive.
These YouTube videos have been hand-curated by our team because we feel they best represent the Mad River fishery. Watch for river character, access context, and techniques that translate to your next trip.
No towns within 30 mi
Map data © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap
These YouTube videos have been hand-curated by our team because we feel they best represent the Mad River fishery. Watch for river character, access context, and techniques that translate to your next trip.
Fishing guides, outfitters, shuttles, and shops that operate on the Mad River.
Review seasonal insect hatches on the Mad River, including timing windows and fly pattern suggestions for your next trip.
No data for this season.
The latest fishing conditions and hatch notes for Mad River. Older reports live in the Mad River report archive.
The Mad River is closed to fishing through January 1, 2027 due to low-flow restrictions, with current flows at 52 cfs well below the required 200 cfs minimum.
