Suggested Flies for Clavey River area:
Western Sierra Hatch Selection

Other Local Favorites:

Nymph Flies:
Pheasant Tail Nymph #14-16
Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear #14-18
Bird’s Nest #14-18
Prince Nymph #14-16
Burk’s Damsel Nymph #12-14
Mercer’s Poxyback Callibaetis Nymph #12-14
Denny’s AP Emerger #12-14

Streamer Flies:
Mohair Leech #8-10
Woolly Bugger, Brown and Olive #6-8
Denny’s Seal Bugger #8-10
J.Fair’s Wiggle Tail #8-10

Directions:

From Sonora, drive four miles east on Highway 108 to Tuolumne Road (Rd E17). Turn southeast and drive 6.8 miles to Tuolumne City. Take Road 14 (FR 1N04) 16 miles east to a bridge over the Clavey River

Notes:

The Clavey River has one of the few distinctions within the state as a river that has not been altered by civilization. There have been no dams, weirs, or diversions built along this river system so that the fish reproduce within an unaltered natural environment. For this reason, it was named as one of six waterways as Heritage Trout water in 1998. In fact, it may be the only river system within the Sierra Nevada in which the original strains of Rainbow trout have been kept intact.

Part of the reason for this distinction, is that access is so difficult. Only two paved roads reach the 29 mile long river and with the numerous dirt roads throughout the region, it is easy to get lost. Most of the lower 20 miles of the river lays within a bedrock canyon with deep pools and boulder cascades. It is not easily accessed. The upper reach of the river is small with more access roads and has a developed campsite at Hull Creek Spring. Rainbow trout is the only trout species within the system although there are some Brookies reported within Lily Creek and some Browns that come up from the Tuolumne River to spawn. The lower portion of the Clavey also contains some warm water fish such as Sacramento Suckers, Sacramento squawfish, and Hardhead.

Fish stocking of the Clavey ended in 1976. From the 1930’s to 1953, fingerling browns and rainbows were stocked. The browns were never able to successfully reproduce to maintain their presence. There was a final effort in 1975 and 1976 to stock over 100,000 brown fingerlings and this effort failed as well. The native rainbows are mostly within the upper reaches and surveys estimate the population at 2,000 to 5,000 trout per mile. Most of these fish are under 6 inches, with only 10-15% over 6 inches. Within the lower reaches of the Clavey, there are few rainbows but almost two thirds of the population are over 6 inches. The largest fish found within deep pools.

Most of the Clavey’s tributaries also have native rainbows. Fish surveys have been conducted since 1980 and found healthy populations of rainbows in Bell Creek (1980, 1996), Lily Creek (1991), Bourland Creek (1991,1992), Hull Creek (1980), Reynolds Creek (1980), Reed Creek (1989), Two-mile Creek (1989), and Cottonwood Creek (1992).

Fishing Regulations

Clavey River:

From the last Saturday in April through November 15, five trout daily bag limit, 10 trout in possession; and, from November 16 through the Friday preceding the last Saturday in April, 0 trout bag limit, artificial lures with barbless hooks only and trout must be released unharmed and not removed from the water.

Other Lakes and Reservoirs:

Open all year. No restrictions. 5 trout per day. 10 trout in possession.

Other creeks and tributaries:

From the last Saturday in April through November 15, five trout daily bag limit, 10 trout in possession; and, from November 16 through the Friday preceding the last Saturday in April, 0 trout bag limit, artificial lures with barbless hooks only and trout must be released unharmed and not removed from the water.