Fish Reports

The stretch of river below Nimbus Fish Hatchery is producing steelhead. Anglers are throwing spoons, drifting nightcrawlers under floats and pulling an array of plugs.

The steelhead season is in full swing. Boaters are hooking bright steelies while pulling plugs, while shore anglers are using fish pills, yarn and salmon roe.

Rainbow and brown trout are hitting flies on the Truckee River. The stonefly hatch is expected to begin in March.

Steelhead fishing has been tough since dam removal. However, one guide reported catching and releasing 6 adult fish while fly fishing on a recent trip.

The lake reopened to fishing on February 6. 4,000 pounds of rainbow trout went into the reservoir before the opener

Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing has been productive. Use ghost shrimp, salmon roe and lamprey eel for the sturgeon.

Rockfish and lingcod season will begin on April 1. Expect to bag limits of colorful rockfish, along with lingcod, while using bars, jigs and shrimp flies.

It won’t be long before the striper run begins in the Sacramento and Feather rivers. The fish typically start moving into the rivers in early March.

Expect the perch fishing to pick up off the Sonoma County Coast in March and April. Toss out pileworms, shrimp and plastic grubs for the best action.

Bay Area party boats will begin trolling anchovies and herring for halibut in March. This should be another great halibut season.

Open to shoreline fishing and private boating. Boat rentals are closed to day for maintenance. Boat shop closed next week due to storms. Lake still scheduled to be open.

Spoons in brighter colors working well from shoreline, try Dancin Fish Baits in Spicy Mango color to attract rainbows. Make sure to hit around 15 or 20 ft of water before reeling

Mike did recently well and jigs are working really well, especially those imitating bait fish. Try MADE baits rainbow trout pattern along shorelines.

Half released at the dam, other half at the spillway. Minnow pattern jigs doing well.

10 lber caught from shore in Camp 7.

Shoreline is doing great with bright spoons around markers 2 and 3 of pro maps.

Shoreline fishing is great with spoons right now

Big plant, jigging with MADE Baits works very well at this lake

Boat launch opens 2/8/2026

23.7 lb catfish caught on mackerel

Jigs working well after last week’s big plant.

Bite has slowed a bit but trout are biting on brighter colors. Try Chartreuse color minnow patterns

Jigs imitating bugs working well, try MADE baits hopper. Boat launch or dam area.

Spoons in bright colors working well. Try Rasta color way from Dancin FIsh Baits. Aim for weed lines or Marker 6 on the pro map.