Delta water slips under 70 as Tedford looks for more stripers

Fall is finally showing on the California Delta, Capt. Bryce Tedford wrote in his Oct. 13 report for Fly Fishing Specialties. After weeks of highs in the low 90s, the next 10 days are forecast in the mid-to-upper 70s, and water temperatures have just dipped below 70°F.

The warm stretch left striped bass spread out and the bite inconsistent. Over the past week Tedford still boated several stripers from 10 to 16 pounds, though the numbers stayed thin. His Oct. 13 trip landed 25 fish, the largest about 7 pounds. He hopes the cooling will bring more stripers into the system. A 16-pound fish on a 5/0 Pole Dancer topwater fly, fished on a 10-weight, was a highlight of the recent fishing, and his 2026 guide season is booked full.

Launch access in Stockton is tighter for the rest of the fall. A Western Outdoor News Delta report updated Oct. 9 says the Buckley Cove ramp at Ladd’s Marina is closed from October through December for dredging.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Fly Fishing Specialties — Delta Report 10-13-26 (Capt. Bryce Tedford, Oct. 13, 2026). Ramp note: Western Outdoor News — California Delta fish report (updated Oct. 9, 2026).