South Fork Eel River Fishing Guides
The redwood-corridor steelhead river, running north past Leggett and through Humboldt Redwoods with a winter run that lives or dies on the rain.
Map of the South Fork Eel River
21 numbered points: 1 access point, 9 campsites, 6 parks and conservation areas, 2 agency offices, 1 regulation section limit, 2 USGS gauges. Tap a marker for details. Reviewed Oct 22, 2026.
- Access / boat ramp (1)
- Campsite (9)
- Park / conservation area (6)
- Agency / conservation office (2)
- Regulation section limit (1)
- USGS gauge (2)
Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
Open the printable mapAll 21 points on this map
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USGS 11475800 South Fork Eel River at Leggett Primary flow reference | USGS gauge | 39.87460, -123.72058 | The gauge the South Fork is read from; sits at chain-km 63 of 171, just above Standish-Hickey. |
| 2 | Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area California State Parks, Leggett | Campsite | 39.87695, -123.72972 | Three campground loops off US-101; a seasonal summer footbridge crosses to the Redwood Campground on the far bank. |
| 3 | Redwoods River Resort Campground Private riverside campground | Campsite | 39.92006, -123.76773 | Fee campground on the river bank at chain-km 75. |
| 4 | Reynolds Wayside Campground Wayside campground off US-101 | Campsite | 39.94252, -123.78131 | Small roadside campground on the east bank; mapped in OSM as a park. |
| 5 | Richardson Grove State Park California State Parks | Park / conservation area | 40.01709, -123.79280 | Old-growth park straddling the river at chain-km 95, with the main summer swimming and fishing frontage. |
| 6 | Oak Flat Campground Richardson Grove State Park | Campsite | 40.01549, -123.78810 | The riverside loop at Richardson Grove, open in summer only. |
| 7 | Richardson Grove State Park Visitor Center State park visitor centre | Agency / conservation office | 40.02025, -123.79183 | Staffed contact point for the Richardson Grove reach. |
| 8 | Benbow State Recreation Area Campground California State Parks, Benbow | Campsite | 40.06001, -123.78270 | Campground on the summer-impounded reach above Garberville. |
| 9 | KOA Benbow Private RV campground | Campsite | 40.06956, -123.78778 | Full-service RV park on the Benbow reach. |
| 10 | Tooby Memorial Park Public park, Garberville | Park / conservation area | 40.08974, -123.79665 | County park frontage on the east bank at Garberville, chain-km 114. |
| 11 | John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Natural Reserve State natural reserve | Park / conservation area | 40.13419, -123.81384 | Undeveloped old-growth reserve on the west bank; foot access only. |
| 12 | South Fork Eel Fishing Access Marked fishing access, Miranda | Access / boat ramp | 40.18227, -123.77601 | The closest of several signed access turnouts strung along the Miranda reach either side of the gauge. |
| 13 | USGS 11476500 South Fork Eel River near Miranda Lower-river gauge | USGS gauge | 40.18181, -123.77614 | The lower gauge, at chain-km 132; the usual reference for the bottom third of the river. |
| 14 | Hidden Springs Campground Humboldt Redwoods State Park | Campsite | 40.27694, -123.86562 | Hillside campground above the river on the Avenue of the Giants. |
| 15 | Giant Redwoods RV & Cabin Destination Private RV and cabin park | Campsite | 40.26224, -123.87812 | Private campground with river frontage at Myers Flat. |
| 16 | Williams Grove Day Use Area Humboldt Redwoods State Park | Park / conservation area | 40.27521, -123.88721 | Day-use grove with the park's main river frontage and swimming hole; fee area. |
| 17 | Garden Club of America Grove Day Use Area Humboldt Redwoods State Park | Park / conservation area | 40.29124, -123.90053 | Second day-use grove with bank access, 2 km downstream of Williams Grove. |
| 18 | Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor Center State park visitor centre | Agency / conservation office | 40.30845, -123.90818 | Staffed centre at Burlington, beside the park headquarters. |
| 19 | Burlington Campground Humboldt Redwoods State Park | Campsite | 40.30977, -123.90985 | Year-round campground at park headquarters, chain-km 163. |
| 20 | Humboldt Redwoods State Park California State Parks | Park / conservation area | 40.31328, -123.92585 | The largest park on the river, carrying the bottom 20 km of the South Fork. |
| 21 | South Fork Eel low-flow section Downstream boundary: junction with the Eel River | Regulation section limit | 40.35420, -123.91864 | CDFW names a low-flow reach running from Rattlesnake Creek downstream to this junction with the main Eel. Check the current notice before fishing it. |
Guides on the South Fork Eel River
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
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About the South Fork Eel River
The South Fork Eel runs through some of the most photographed country in California and much of its length is shadowed by old growth redwood. It flows north rather than south, gathering from the coast range above Leggett and running down past Garberville and through Humboldt Redwoods State Park to meet the main stem at Dyerville. The gauge at Leggett sits near the top of the reach that matters to anglers, and the river below it is a classic coastal winter steelhead stream.
Everything here depends on rain. The South Fork is unregulated, with no dam to hold water back, so it runs low, clear and warm through the dry season and transforms the moment the winter storms arrive. Steelhead enter on the freshets, and the fishery is a matter of timing the window between a river too high and muddy to fish and one that has dropped back into shape. Anglers who live nearby fish it on days’ notice. Visitors who book far ahead take their chances with the weather.
The runs are a serious conservation story rather than a footnote. Coho are listed and fully protected, chinook numbers are a fraction of historical levels, and the winter steelhead run, while still the backbone of the sport fishery, is closely watched. The Eel basin has dealt with sediment from historic logging, water diversion and, more recently, heavy unregulated water draw in the headwaters. Management has tightened accordingly.
Anglers need to understand California’s low-flow closure system before planning a trip here. The state closes coastal rivers to fishing when flows drop below set thresholds, and the determination changes through the season, so it must be checked close to the day rather than assumed. Gear restrictions and hatchery retention rules also apply. The upside is a river that runs through redwoods, sees moderate pressure and fishes beautifully when conditions line up.
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Access
Leggett - the gauge reach and access at the top of the fishable water.
Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area - developed access and campground near Leggett.
Richardson Grove State Park - redwood corridor access on the middle river.
Benbow - the standard access near Garberville.
Garberville area river access - bank access on the middle reach.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Weott - lower river access through the old growth.
Dyerville - the confluence with the main stem Eel and the bottom of the reach.
Seasons
Spring: the tail of the winter run, dropping flows and closures arriving as the river falls.
Summer: low warm water, largely closed to fishing and best treated as a swimming season.
Fall: the first rains bring the earliest fish, but the river is usually still too low.
Winter: the season, entirely governed by storm timing and the low-flow closure status.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the South Fork Eel River?
As of Nov 2, 7:30 am, the USGS gauge SF EEL R A LEGGETT CA reads 17 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the South Fork Eel River?
Anglers target American Shad, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Sacramento Pikeminnow, Sacramento Sucker, Steelhead on the South Fork Eel River in California.
Where can you access the South Fork Eel River?
Leggett - the gauge reach and access at the top of the fishable water. Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area - developed access and campground near Leggett. Richardson Grove State Park - redwood corridor access on the middle river. Benbow - the standard access near Garberville. Garberville area river access - bank access on the middle reach. Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Weott - lower river access through the old growth. Dyerville - the confluence with the main stem Eel and the bottom of the reach.
When is the best time to fish the South Fork Eel River?
Spring: the tail of the winter run, dropping flows and closures arriving as the river falls. Summer: low warm water, largely closed to fishing and best treated as a swimming season. Fall: the first rains bring the earliest fish, but the river is usually still too low. Winter: the season, entirely governed by storm timing and the low-flow closure status.
Where are the fishing regulations for the South Fork Eel River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the California agency site: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations