Wade94/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
All California reports
Fly fishing report · West
Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam
Is Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for California before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Generated artwork: BlueStreamFly · Regional illustration; not the exact location.
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Great
Yes. This is a strong time to fish.
94
No clear best access mode. Wade, Bank / edge, and Float have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callHighCurrent flow, weather, alerts, and trip-critical signals support this decision.
Score calculated Sep 1, 2026, 1:33 AM PDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Access choicesNo clear best mode
Wade, Bank / edge, and Float have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Bank / edge94/100
Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.
Float94/100
A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.
Your plan
Today's Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam plan.
Below La Grange Dam, the Tuolumne is shaped by releases, warm Central Valley weather, public access limits, and salmonid conservation. The right plan starts with the LGN/USGS flow, CDFW rules, and posted park access before flies or timing.
- Check first
- RiverReports is used as the quick chart, backed by USGS 11289650 Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam and CDEC LGN metadata.
- Try
- Check the LGN/USGS flow first, then decide whether the release is safe and useful from public access.
- Leave when
- Skip during hot low-water trout-stress windows, unsafe release changes, closures, or unclear public-access status.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing server-checked river conditions while current readings refresh.
- Flow
- 179 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.Water 54.0°F · 24h high 55.9°F · USGS provisional
- Air now
- 62°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 78.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 0%
For this forecast period
Latest stored weather check
Partly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy
- Wind
- 12 mph
- Weather checked
RiverReports preview · current series loading
Recent flow
RiverReports gauge
Showing the available RiverReports chart while the current structured flow series loads. Check the chart on RiverReports Opens in a new tab.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
Tuolumne River below La Grange forecast point
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam
Water 54.0°F · provisional · 24h high 55.9°F provisionalWater observed · high observed
How to fish it
How to fish Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam today.
The reach is most useful when releases are stable, temperatures are reasonable, and public access is clearly open. It loses value during hot low-flow periods, high release changes, poor clarity, or when posted local restrictions make a bank plan impractical.
Stable release
Best for reading banks, current seams, and legal public access without sudden wading changes.
Hot low water
Usually a reason to skip trout handling and treat the river as a conservation-first plan.
High or changing release
Back away from wading and re-check park access, flows, and safe footing.
Cooler shoulder-season water
The best window for cautious nymphing or streamer work if rules and access allow.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Seam
- A seam is the line where fast and slow water meet.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
- Midge
- Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
- River reach
- A reach is one named section of a river or stream.
- Soft hackle
- A soft-hackle fly has moving fibers that can look like an insect rising through the water.
Why this call
Why this score
FlowHelps
USGS shows 179 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1971-2025, 55 readings) show a typical middle range of 23 cfs to 310 cfs. Flow is within the typical range for this date, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.
SeasonHelps
Fall: Check CDFW and conservation context closely before assuming angling opportunity.
Water temperatureHelps
USGS water temperature is about 54F, and the rolling 24-hour high did not trigger a heat caution. USGS marks the temperature data provisional and may revise it.
Public alertsHelps
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Fishing usefulnessHelps
Skip during hot low-water trout-stress windows, unsafe release changes, closures, or unclear public-access status.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Stable releases that leave safe public-bank edges and readable seams without creating warm, stagnant, or suddenly changing conditions.
Skip during hot low-water trout-stress windows, unsafe release changes, closures, or unclear public-access status.
Check LGN/USGS, confirm CDFW and posted park rules, then fish the safest public edge with a short plan rather than roaming private banks.
Move to the Stanislaus or an upper Tuolumne reach when the lower river is warm, restricted, or operationally awkward.
What to try
Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam flies through the year.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
Winter
What to look forMidges, BWOs
Spring
What to look forCaddis, mayflies, small baitfish activity
Summer
What to look forCaddis, terrestrials, warmwater forage
FallCurrent
What to look forMidges, BWOs, baitfish windows
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. Check CDFW's current freshwater rules and any emergency or local posted restrictions before fishing. Do not rely on a broad statewide assumption for this regulated lower-river reach.
Basso Bridge area
Use Stanislaus County and posted local rules to confirm access and allowed activity before fishing.
Fox Grove area
A lower Tuolumne public-access reference that still requires current park and river-rule checks.
Signed public river parks
Use only clearly public access with legal parking and posted fishing permission.
Public access below La Grange is not the same as unlimited bank travel. Posted local rules, closures, and private-property edges matter.
Park rules can be stricter than a statewide rule summary, so confirm the sign at the actual access point.
Release changes, steep banks, and warm lowland conditions make conservative wading and fish handling important.
River sources
Official Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This report uses official regulation, flow, weather, access, and public-land sources first, then adds practical planning guidance for fly anglers.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 8 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
Quick answers
Quick Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam answers.
Is this the same as the upper Tuolumne?
No. This page covers regulated lower-river water below La Grange Dam, not the Sierra or Hetch Hetchy reaches.
What flow should I check?
Use RiverReports/CDEC LGN for the quick chart and USGS 11289650 as the official below-dam flow reference.
Can I fish anywhere below La Grange Dam?
No. Use signed public access only and follow posted local rules plus current CDFW rules.