South Fork Gualala River

Fishing the South Fork Gualala River

The South Fork is the upper part of the Gualala system, a small coastal steelhead stream that runs parallel to the coast just inland from Sea Ranch, on the Sonoma-Mendocino line about 130 miles northwest of San Francisco. Its fishable water runs roughly 7 miles along Gualala River Rd, from Annapolis Rd down to the Iron Bridge over the North Fork, where the North Fork comes in and the river carries the Gualala name for its last few miles to the sea. Expect gravel bars, holes, runs and riffles, with the best holding water at the creek mouths. At the top, the South Fork and the Wheatfield Fork meet just below the western of the two Twin Bridges on Annapolis Rd, a short drive in from Highway 1. Valley Crossing Hole sits at the confluence. This is dry, easy ground with access to both banks, good for anglers who would rather not wade, but steelhead only get this far when the water is up, and every high water rearranges the gravel. Below the forks, Gualala River Rd follows the river downstream. In 1989 that road was private and gated at both ends, and the 7 miles were walk-in water best fished from a boat. Hot Spot and roughly 6 pools below it are boat water, with Sea Ranch on the west side. Further down come Potatoe Flat and its big gravel bar, Summer Fording Point, the holes at the mouths of Buckeye, Rockpile and Pepperwood creeks, #4, #2 and #1 Holes, and Groshong Gulch just above the Iron Bridge. Steelhead are the only fish this water is known for. They come in after the first big rains of fall, with November through February the best months. At low water the fish stay down in the lower river, below the Iron Bridge, so the South Fork is a higher-water fishery, and the reach at the Twin Bridges needs more water still. Bait, lures and flies all have their place. Roe and lures such as the Little Cleo, Panther Martin, Corky, Spin-N-Glo and Kastmaster work the deeper holes, but at low water many of these runs are too shallow for hardware. That is when the creek-mouth holes come into their own for a fly; Gold Comet, Silver Comet, Fall Favorite, Boss, Skunk and Glo-Bugs are the standard patterns. Several of the better runs lie against the far bank, so plan on wading across, and a boat opens up the pools that roads do not reach. Regulations change and differ by section, so check the current California regulations before you go.