The North Fork of the Stanislaus River starts at Mosquito Lake located near Pacific Grade Summit on Highway 4. The Middle Fork Stanislaus River starts near Kennedy Meadows at the junction of the Clarks Fork and Kennedy Creek. The South Fork of the Stanislaus starts in the mountains east of Pinecrest Lake (Main Strawberry Reservoir) on Highway 108. This scenic river flows down through the foothills and into New Melones Reservoir. Tulloch Reservoir, located downstream from Melones, serves as a diversion point for irrigation, below Tulloch lies an awesome fishery. This section is under special regulations so read & heed the warning signs! The Stanislaus River flows from here through the eastern central valley until it joins the San Joaquin River west of the town of Stockton.
While the size of the fish usually run 8-14", fish to 20" are routinely caught. The largest I have caught was 22". These fish are quite acrobatic and even the smaller fish will challenge your tackle and your handling abilities.
The North Fork of the Tuolumne River starts near Dodge Ridge and follows Highway 108 on it's south side. The Middle & South Forks of the Tuolumne River start near Tioga Pass on Highway 120. The Middle Fork also receives water from Cherry, Eleanor and Hetch Hetchy Reservoirs. All three forks flow into Lake Don Pedro. From Don Pedro the water flows down through the valley eventually mergin with the San Joaquin River on it's way to the Delta.
The North Fork of the Merced River starts west of Pilot Ridge and between Highways 120 and 140. The South Fork of the Merced starts near the town of Wawona on Highway 41. The Main stem of the Merced River starts near Merced Peak. This river drainage covers quite a bit of Yosemite National Park and is very scenic. The forks come together into Lake McClure (Exchequer Resrevoir). From Lake McClure the river then flows through the eastern central valley until it eventually merges with the San Joaquin River near the town of Hills Ferry.