FISHING EXPERIENCES
Go beyond the cast with CalTrout
Extraordinary waters. Exceptional guiding. Meaningful relationships. Lasting conservation impact. Experience California, authentically.
California Trout’s fishing experiences are about stepping inside the work of restoring California’s rivers alongside the guides, scientists, conservationists, and community making it happen.
Whether you’re chasing wild steelhead beneath towering redwoods, learning to read a spring creek alongside one of California’s most respected guides, or sharing dinner with the people leading river restoration across the state, every experience is designed to deepen your connection to California’s diverse waters.
“Recreation on California’s rivers is a gateway to conservation. When you’re standing in a river, thinking about what the fish are eating, thinking about their whole life cycle, it forces you to think more deeply about these places and why they matter.”
Riley Renick, Trout Camp Caretaker and Owner of Wild Waters Fly Fishing
Why fish with CalTrout?
Extraordinary Rivers
Fish legendary waters that define California fly-fishing, from the Smith and Trinity rivers to the newly freed Klamath and the iconic spring creeks of the Eastern Sierra.
Learn From the Best
Spend your days alongside many of California’s most sought-after guides while refining your skills, learning new techniques, and developing a deeper understanding of fish, rivers, and the ecosystems they depend upon.
Become an Insider
Every CalTrout experience offers something few people ever receive – time with the people shaping the future of California’s rivers. Share meals with restoration practitioners. Ask questions around the campfire. Learn directly from CalTrout’s scientists, conservation leaders, and staff about the projects, partnerships, and challenges shaping the future of wild fish. Build community doing what you love while being part of something bigger than fishing.
Leave a Legacy
With CalTrout’s fishing trips, you have the opportunity to do what you love, while supporting efforts to protect and restore California’s iconic landscapes. Every trip directly supports California Trout’s work restoring habitat, reconnecting rivers, and ensuring these fisheries remain wild for generations to come.
Signature Fishing Experiences
Limited Registration • Small Groups • Open to Conservation-Minded Anglers
Our Signature Experiences are the only CalTrout fishing trips available for direct registration.
Capacity is limited to create a highly personalized experience where participants build meaningful relationships with guides, fellow anglers, and CalTrout’s conservation community.
California’s premier wild trout competition
Five Rivers Challenge
November 1–5, 2026 · Circle 7 Ranch | Fall River Mills
Six two-person teams. Five legendary rivers. Three unforgettable days.
The Five Rivers Challenge brings together twelve anglers for California’s premier wild trout competition across the Pit River, Fall River, Hat Creek, Upper Sacramento River, and McCloud River.
Each evening, participants gather back at Circle 7 Ranch for chef-prepared dinners, conservation conversations, daily awards, and stories from the water.
You’ll fish with exceptional guides, compete alongside passionate anglers, and spend four days immersed in California’s finest trout country.
- Four nights lodging
- Three days professionally guided fishing
- Five iconic fisheries
- Meals & beverages
- Professional photography
- Evening conservation discussions
- Tournament prizes
$10,000 per team — $5,000/participant (50% tax-deductible charitable contribution)
Winter steelheading perfected
Trinity River Trip
December 1–3 & December 3–5, 2026 · Strawhouse Resorts
Whether you’re new to steelheading or returning for another season, the Trinity offers one of California’s most rewarding steelhead experiences.
Nestled in the Trinity Wilderness Area, stay at Strawhouse Resorts, fish alongside exceptional local guides, and spend your evenings sharing meals and stories with fellow conservation-minded anglers. This trip is as much about community as it is about fishing.
- Two nights lodging
- Two full days guided fishing
- Meals
- Local expert guides
- Conservation discussions
- Shared cabins
$3,000 per person (50% tax-deductible charitable contribution)
Watch
Preview the 5 Rivers Challenge experience
CATALYST CIRCLE EXPERIENCES
Catalyst Circle Experiences
For Those Who Want to Go Deeper.
California Trout’s most intimate fishing experiences are reserved for Catalyst Circle members and prospective philanthropic partners.
These invitation-only gatherings provide extraordinary fishing and extraordinary access to remarkable rivers, renowned guides, and CalTrout leadership and perspective that few people get to have.
Each experience is curated around learning, relationship-building, and a shared commitment to California’s rivers.
Smith River Steelhead
January 2027
California’s largest undammed river. Wild winter steelhead. Riverfront accommodations. One of the most coveted steelhead experiences in the state. Best suited for experienced anglers.
Hot Creek Ranch
May 2027
Private spring-creek fishing beneath the Eastern Sierra. Wild trout. Classic technical fishing. Cabins overlooking the creek. Chef Ryan Teasley. For anglers of all levels.
Klamath Spey Camp
October 2026
Travel by jet boat into a private riverside camp. Learn to spey cast or build your technique. Fish the newly restored Klamath River. Sleep beside the water beneath towering redwoods.
Klamath River Club
October 2026
Private club access. Boat fishing for steelhead. Tributary opportunities. Exceptional guides. An insider’s view of one of California’s greatest restoration stories.
Why we’ve updated our pricing
For years, many thought that registering for a CalTrout fishing trip also meant making a meaningful contribution to California Trout.
In reality, the cost of exceptional guides, lodging, meals, facilities, transportation, and trip operations meant registration fees primarily covered the experience itself.
Beginning with our 2026 season, we’ve thoughtfully restructured pricing to better reflect both the true cost of these extraordinary experiences and the charitable investment that makes CalTrout’s work possible.
For our Signature Fishing Experiences, 50% of every registration directly supports California Trout’s statewide conservation work and is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Your participation helps reconnect rivers, restore habitat, recover wild fish, and ensure future generations can experience the same remarkable waters you enjoy today.
UPCOMING EVENTS