Looking at the American River on a map, you'd never figure it was a steelhead stream.

Most of the American River's steelhead are 6- to 9-pounders with an occasional 15-pounder in the mix. These are hatchery fish originally of Eel River stock. Photo courtesy of J.D. Richey.

The river flows right through the heart of the densely populated Sacramento region, where more than a million people live.

Yet this river isn't what you think.

When you get down on the river, you'll be amazed -- there's a thin greenbelt along much of its 23 miles that isolates the American from the endless strip malls and tract homes that surround it. There are beautiful riffles and pools down here -- and gravel bars, too. The water's clean and cold -- and there are steelhead.

In fact, the steelies here get as big as they do in most of the coastal drainages.

WINTER STEELIES
American River winter steelies are mainly adipose-clipped hatchery brats in the 6- to 9-pound class. But these Eel River-strain fish were originally used in the hatchery program, and fish more than 15 pounds are taken each season.

Winter fish begin the upstream migration as early as the first week of December, but the action doesn't really get going until the upper river opens on Jan. 1. After the initial flurry of activity on opening day, the bite will often taper off again until the second half of the month.

Though it's always subject to change, the peak of the winter run normally takes place somewhere between the last two weeks of January and the first half of February.

After that, there are some smaller spring "football" steelhead that ascend the river. They appear to be remnants of the American's original steelie population -- 2- to 5-pounders, stout and full of energy. These guys arrive in February and can continue through April.

EASY TO GET TO
From a numbers standpoint, the American doesn't get the largest run of steelhead in California. But it does possess several unique features that make it a very attractive alternative to the state's famed North Coast steelhead streams.

First of all, it's easy to get to.

While rivers like the Eel, Smith, Trinity and Mad all require nearly a day's drive to reach from the Sacramento and San Francisco areas, the American is within easy striking distance of several major population centers.

It's a 58-minute flight from Los Angeles or a 90-mile drive from San Francisco.

Anglers living in and around the Capital City are so close to the action that they can fish on their lunch breaks.

Another appealing characteristic of the American is that it's a tailwater stream. Even in the heaviest of downpours, its dam-controlled flows rarely blow out and, several times each winter, it's the only steelhead stream in California that's fishable. When everything else is a raging wall of mud, the American is usually stable.

SHORE FISHING
Because the American is easily accessible and wadeable in most spots, it's very popular with bank-anglers. Bankies throw a wide array of offerings for the river's winter fish and none is more effective than drifted roe.

To rig up, tie a black snap swivel via a Palomar knot to the end of your 12-pound main line. Attach a Slinky-style sinker to the snap (use just enough weight to get down to the bottom), and then fasten a 36-inch section of 10-pound fluorocarbon leader to the other eye of the swivel.

At the end of the leader, you'll need a No. 4 octopus bait hook tied on with an egg loop. Add a thumbnail-sized chunk of bait to the loop and then slip the point of your hook through a ball of foam, such as a Fish Pill, and slide it up around the bend so it rests against the back of your egg cluster. It adds buoyancy and a splash of color to your bait.

Roe is the top bait in December and January, but many American River anglers start switching to drifted night crawlers in February.