Flows have finally dropped to safe levels at the Russian, and the smallmouth bite is firing (largemouth too). The river’s running at around 250 CFS near Hacienda, which means plenty of sections are now navigable by kayak. Anglers working the edges, pools, and riffle transitions are getting into solid numbers of 2- to 4-pound bass.

Topwater poppers are producing in the low-light hours, but Senkos, twin-tail grubs, and spinnerbaits are doing most of the heavy lifting during the day. There’s plenty of recreational pressure on the river, which can definitely get in the way of anglers. Aim for early morning or late evening... fish are more active then, and the crowds thin out.

A few hatchery steelhead are still being picked off with spinners, and early signs of shad movement are starting to show. No bait allowed until November.