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17 km of the Napa River navigation corridor, with channel depths from USACE hydrographic survey. The river tops out around 35 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Napa River maps at 13,302 acres behind 36.3 miles of shoreline. A development index of 2.2 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 58% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 10.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 3.3 mi at the beam. If the bite dies, San Pablo Bay is 13 mi to the south.
Spring puts steelhead in skinny water — 3 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 35 ft, wintering in 4 to 15 ft. Summer steelhead concentrate at Current seam (mile 0.6), a prime-rated current seam around 20 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. An orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Come spring, look for chinook salmon tight to the bank in 4 to 35 ft. Through summer count on 11 to 35 ft; the winter hold is 11 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Current seam (mile 0.6): a current seam around 20 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 11 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 7 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 11 to 35 ft, wintering in 11 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Outside-bend hole (mile 3.0), a creek channel in the 15 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 11 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.0) (15 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Napa River carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Outside-bend hole (mile 4.8), about 23 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for California waters are set by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Napa River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Napa River is about 35 ft (11 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target steelhead, chinook salmon, striped bass on Napa River. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Current seam (mile 0.6) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for steelhead in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For steelhead, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Napa River is regulated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Check the official California regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
San Pablo Bay 13 mi · Petaluma River 13 mi · Suisun Bay 20 mi · Richardson Bay 26 mi · Lake Berryessa 26 mi · Big Break 35 mi · Franks Tract 40 mi · Clifton Court Forebay 47 mi · Bethany Reservoir 48 mi · Lake Del Valle 53 mi · American River (Lower) 57 mi · Clear Lake 62 mi
See how Napa River stacks up: best striped bass lakes in California · best chinook salmon lakes in California · best steelhead lakes in California
Browse all California fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.