The lower Stanislaus is currently running at 150cfs, which is down slightly from last week. Unfortunately, these favorable conditions will be short-lived, as flows are scheduled to spike to 1,200cfs this evening. At this time, there is no indication how long the river will remain at these elevated flows. The weather this week is expected to be much warmer, with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s for most of the week.

Fishing Conditions & Tactics

With the significant increase in flows expected, we would strongly recommend looking at alternative local waters over the next several days. At 1,200 cfs, this stretch will become extremely difficult to fish safely. Both wading and floating conditions will be heavily impacted, and the river will be moving with a very swift current. Access to productive water will be limited, and approaching the river at these flows is not recommended.

Overall Outlook

If you are planning to fish the lower Stanislaus, the best opportunity will be before the scheduled increase in flows. Once the river jumps to 1,200 cfs, conditions will likely become unsafe and largely unfishable for most anglers. Keep an eye on future flow schedules, as this river can change quickly and improve just as fast once releases are reduced.