Steelhead are the most highly prized anadromous fish on the West Coast. Renowned for their size, strength, beauty, and willingness to take a fly, these seagoing rainbows have been an obsession with West Coast fly fishers for over a century. They return to spawn several times in their natal waters.

The American River has three steelhead runs. Half-pounders run in April and May and again in September and October. Large Eel River-strain steelhead run December to March.

The lower American has three steelhead runs. The spring and fall runs are relatively small fish called "half-pounders." Spring fish are in the river April and May and average 14 to 16 inches. Fall fish come into the river in late September and October. These steelhead average 16 to 20 inches.

Most anglers fish with 5- to 7-weight outfits and use short-line and indicator nymphing techniques with egg patterns, Pheasant Tails, Rubberlegs, and Z-wing Caddis. Flies such as black and orange leech patterns, Copper Shrimp, and black and purple steelhead flies fished on a sinking-tip line are also effective. Spring and fall caddis hatches often provide good dry-fly opportunities, particularly in the evenings. Spring fish seem to prefer the upper reaches of the river, above Goethe Park, while the fall fish stay lower in the river, from Goethe Park down to Paradise Beach.

When Nimbus Dam was completed in 1958, creating Lake Natomas and defining the lower section of river, the Nimbus hatchery began stocking the Eel River strain of steelhead. Eel fish average from 6 to 10 pounds but can run up to 20 pounds. They form the majority of the winter run and arrive in early December. The fishing is excellent through March. These are the prime Spey-rod steelhead, using 7- and 8-weight rods with sinking-tip lines and bright steelhead flies in black and purple, as well as the leech patterns mentioned above. Conventional tackle and dead-drift nymphing techniques also work well. These bigger fish like to hold in the upper river in the prime salmon spawning area and feed on salmon eggs that wash out of the redds.