Wade · Best fit94/100
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
See if Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam is worth the trip today. Check the current flow, weather, hatches, flies, access, and rules before you go.
Photo: BlueStreamFly Opens in a new tab. · BlueStreamFly generated; not exact location
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Great
Yes. This is a strong time to fish.
94
Best option: Wade. Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
See 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 Aug 12, 5:33 AM UTCUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Best way to fishWade
These scores compare the risks of wading, bank fishing, and floating.
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
Keep today simple.
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.
- 1Start here
Check the LGN/USGS flow first, then decide whether the release is safe and useful from public access.
- 2Watch the water
Use signed public sites and posted park rules. Do not turn private banks or restricted areas into informal access.
- 3Make one change
Fish cooler windows and stop when water temperature or fish-handling risk becomes the main issue.
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.
Loading current flow and weather.
How to fish it
Start with the water in front of you.
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.
Why the score changed
FlowHelps
USGS shows 188 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. same-date USGS history (1971-2025, 55 readings) puts the normal middle range around 21 cfs-286 cfs. Flow is inside the same-date normal range, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.
SeasonHelps
Summer: Often limited by heat, lowland temperatures, and ethical fish-handling concerns.
Water temperatureHelps
USGS water temperature is about 55F, with no heat stop triggered.
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.
More trip notes
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
Start small. Change with the river.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
Usually active summerCaddis, terrestrials, warmwater forage
Foam ant, caddis dry, small streamer
Fly group to try · Foam antAnt PatternsAnt patterns can be foam, fur-bodied, winged, or sunken. The narrow waist and paired body lobes matter more than one material recipe.Open the fly guide ↗
Fly group to try · caddis dryCaddis Patterns by StageCaddis is not one fly. Larvae live below, pupae and emergers rise through the column, tent-wing adults ride or move on top, and spent forms create other silhouettes.Open the fly guide ↗
Fly group to try · small streamerTrout Streamer PatternsStreamer is a method-and-silhouette family, not a recipe. Size, color, weight, and presentation phrases stay visible, while baitfish, leech, sculpin, Woolly Bugger, and articulated identities link to their more specific destinations when known.Open the fly guide ↗Start with one change at a time. The river will tell you more than a crowded fly box.
Access and safety
Check access before you go.
Use these places as starting points, then open the access link and check signs. Check CDFW's current freshwater regulations 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 regulation summary, so confirm the sign at the actual access point.
Official river links
Check before you fish.
Check rules, closures, flow, weather, and access at the source. The agency has the final say.
Trip notes checked . Live flow and weather update above. Official links checked on the date shown with each link.
Reviewed by BlueStreamFly source review. See how we check river reports.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed and whether a rule or closure affects your reach.
Fishing rules: Reviewed linkClosures: Reviewed link
How we checked this source for CDFW freshwater sport fishing regulations
Status: We reviewed this link. Open it for the latest information.
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Use this for: fishing rules
Area covered: This report: Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam report reach
Keep in mind: Rules can change by season and river section. Read the source before you fish.
How we checked this source for California Department of Fish and Wildlife emergency or current-status authority
Status: We reviewed this link. Open it for the latest information.
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Use this for: closures
Area covered: Statewide: California
Keep in mind: A notice may cover only part of the river and can change quickly. Check it before you go.
Show 1 more link in Rules and closures
How we checked this source for California Department of Fish and Wildlife fishing regulations
Status: We reviewed this link. Open it for the latest information.
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Use this for: fishing rules
Area covered: Statewide: California
Keep in mind: Rules can change by season and river section. Read the source before you fish.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
River level: Helpful link — verify firstWeather: Reviewed link
How we checked this source for CDEC LGN station metadata
Status: We reviewed this link. Open it for the latest information.
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Use this for: river level
Area covered: This report: Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam report reach
Keep in mind: A gauge may cover only one part of the river. Check its location before you use the reading.
How we checked this source for NWS forecast for Tuolumne River below La Grange
Status: We reviewed this link. Open it for the latest information.
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Use this for: weather
Area covered: Map point: Tuolumne River below La Grange forecast point
Keep in mind: Weather can change quickly and may be different along other parts of the river.
Show 2 more links in Flow and weather
How we checked this source for TUOLUMNE R BL LAGRANGE DAM NR LAGRANGE CA
Status: This link may help, but we have not fully checked it. Verify it before you rely on it.
Last reviewed:
Use this for: river level
Area covered: This report: Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam report reach
Keep in mind: A gauge may cover only one part of the river. Check its location before you use the reading.
How we checked this source for RiverReports: Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam
This link may add useful background, but we have not fully checked it. Confirm the details with the right agency before you rely on it.
Access and land
Check public entry, land rules, parking, and seasonal access.
Public access: Reviewed link
How we checked this source for Stanislaus County parks and river facilities
Status: We reviewed this link. Open it for the latest information.
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Use this for: public access
Area covered: This report: Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam report reach
Keep in mind: Access can change. Follow posted signs, respect closures, and stay on public land.
Local river help
Use these links for local background and added trip context.
Local conservation: Not yet confirmed
How we checked this source for Turlock Irrigation District La Grange Dam
This link may add useful background, but we have not fully checked it. Confirm the details with the right agency before you rely on it.
Show 1 more link in Local river help
How we checked this source for State Water Board La Grange FERC project
This link may add useful background, but we have not fully checked it. Confirm the details with the right agency before you rely on it.
See which kinds of links we found
River levelHelpful link — verify first
This river-level link may help, but we have not fully checked it. Verify it before you rely on it.
WeatherReviewed link
We reviewed a weather link. Open it for the latest details.
Public accessReviewed link
We reviewed a public access link. Open it for the latest details.
Fishing rulesReviewed link
We reviewed a fishing rules link. Open it for the latest details.
ClosuresReviewed link
We reviewed a closure notice link. Open it for the latest details.
Local conservationNot yet confirmed
We have not confirmed a reviewed local river group link. Check the right agency before you rely on it.
Quick answers
Before you leave.
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 regulations.