TF CA FF
Northern Cal
Near Chico
Butte Meadows
The first stop is Butte Meadows, about 35 miles from Chico. You’ll see the signs from highway 32. Travel up this road about 5 miles and you’ll see the CDF station. There is a dirt logging road just before the station. Drive down to the river, get out, and walk downriver. The fishing gets really good about a mile downstream. The farther you walk, the better it gets. The creek is about 20 feet wide on average, with heavy overgrowth. You’ll want to stand in the middle of the stream when you cast. Also, there are no trails after about half a mile. It’s rough country.
Chico Creek
Stay on highway 32 and drive past the Butte Meadows exit for another 5 miles or so. You’ll go across a little bridge. Park there and walk downstream. No trails. Narrow creek. Heavy overgrowth.
The next spot is even further up highway 32. About 40 miles out of town you’ll go across another bridge that crosses Deer Creek. Park here and walk downstream. The trail is a little hard to miss–if you stand on the middle of the bridge facing downstream, it’s on the right hand side. Walk down into the canyon for a good 30-45 minutes and work your way up. Be prepared to do some rock hopping. The brush isn’t as thick down here and the creek is much wider.
Deer Creek
A few miles before the end of the highway 32-highway 36 junction there is a huge meadow. It’s about a mile past the campground on the left hand side (I forget the name of the campground). Park here and walk up the creek. Not a lot of trees or big bushes here. This would be a good place for newbies to start. Up here the fishing regulations change: you can use barbed hooks and keep some fish. A good place to get out would be where Deer Creek crosses highway 32 again and walk the mile-and-a-half back to your truck.
Or you can drive up to this little bridge and park. Work your way upstream until you hit highway 36. I’ve never fished this stretch of the river but Heath has. He’s caught a lot of fish back in there. From the road it looks like it gets rugged real quick.
Mill Creek
Mill Creek is back in heavily regulated waters. I’ve seen some huge salmon up there. This is about 65 miles from Chico, but the drive is worth it. Take highway 32 until it T-bones with highway 36 and go left (north). About 10 miles up the road you’ll cross Mill Creek. There will be a huge meadow on your left hand side. Take the next left, I forget the name of the road, and skirt the meadow. That’s all private property. You’ll see lots of cows and maybe some deer or horses. Drive down that road 1 mile until you see the US Forest Service housing area on the right hand side. On the left you’ll see a picnic area–park there. You’ll have to hunt around for the trail that leads you to the stream. Stay within the high water marks and you won’t be trespassing. Work your way all the way up the river to the road. The creek is wide and the overgrowth is light. This is the most amazing stretch of trout stream I’ve ever found in California.