Fish Reports

Russian River Lower River Yields Quality Largemouths

GUERNEVILLE – While smallmouth bass have drawn many anglers to fish the Russian River during the summer over the years, the lower stretch of river has been producing beautiful, chunky largemouth bass lately. King’s Sport and Tackle reported a memorable day of largemouth fishing during his latest trip:

“I took out a client, Shawn, today. It was a birthday present from his mother-in-law, the owner of the wonderful ‘Inn on the Russian River’ in Monte Rio. And it was very much like fishing with one of my buddies growing up.”

“Shawn grew up in Alaska fishing and lives in Washington. That fishing lineage scares me every single time but I had nothing to worry about. Shawn was totally happy fishing for bass, relaxing on the Russian.

“It started slow with one hookup. The morning fish bite just hasn’t happened often this summer. But in the end he reeled in around eight plus bass and lost two bigger bass, one due to a smart fish and the other due to the guide’s knot tying ability (Palomar knots rarely fail me. I still think it’s the strongest and easiest knot to tie). I was bummed.

“But Shawn’s last fish of the day, just 100 yards from his dock, ended up being 4 lbs 12 ounces, beating the previous largest bass of the season so far by one ounce!

“Good trip. Good company. I could do with a little better morning bite but overall, I call it Russian River successful!”

During a previous trip, King’s Sport and Tackle reported:

“Steve, the current record holder for biggest bass this season from a week ago, asked me to take him and his old fishing buddy Dave out on Tuesday. What a blast those two were, with a game of first fish, last fish, biggest fish, smallest fish, most species! They had me in stitches.

“Our adventure was way down river on a trip I wouldn’t do for a casual fisherman: long day, stretches of no to very little fish, sun blazing and wind which blew us around like kites at times.

“Fishing was okay, a lot of fish were caught where I least expected and some of my go-to spots were empty/nobody home. In the end Steve had 8 bass, and Dave had 6 with some fish missed.

“The biggest was over three pounds and the smallest was sucking on the tail of a D Shad. We spent some time trying for pikeminnows in a school but they wouldn’t hit; sometimes they are the most aggressive fish and sometimes they go basically dormant.”

• Dan Bacher

Shasta Lake

Trout and Kokanee still on the bite.

Shasta Lake water level is sitting at 55’ to the top and water temperature is about 78-79 degrees. The water level report is out and they say it will go down to 80’ to crest by October 1st. The water temperature is a little bit cooler for this time of year, generally it’s been around 81-82 degrees. It’s been kind of an interesting year, Kokanee started off to really well. People were catching them all over the lake. Kokanee fishing is getting a bit tougher now, they’re starting to change color a bit as well as developing the kype nose. The hot spots were by the dam, as well as Gooseneck on the Sacramento arm and McCloud was doing good. We were picking them up in the main body, but this has pretty much stopped. For a while it was getting pretty crowded in some areas. The guys that are still going for them are still using orange and reds as their go to colors, and still doing 1.3-1.8 mph and down 55-60’. The last 4 days I’ve been out I haven’t marked any in the areas that I’ve been. This year the trout bite is behind schedule. This July wasn’t as productive as it usually is, and August usually is off the charts. The fish usually have put on some weight and have fattened up. We have been getting mostly 14”-16” fish. We’re are seeing some good size fish but not as many for this time of year. We had another shad hatch last week and this changed their feeding habits once again. They were primarily feeding on 1” hatchlings so we had to change to a small spoon like a Viper, Dick Nite or Sockeye Slammer. We were running these in a white or silver. I was having great luck with a Popped Eye spoon and I have run these for 5-6 years now. The trick when they’re feeding on small bait is not to put the bend in the spoon this slows down the action. I take them out of the package and remove the red treble and replace it with a Matzuo sickle siwash hook. On the Viper or Dick Nite I use a #6 and Popped Eye a #1. We’ve been fishing in the 55-60’ range and marking lots of bait balls. We still haven’t had great bites that last for hours. It’s been good for 15-20 minutes and slows down and we peck away at them, but the early morning it’s been a bass bite until 7:00 am. Then as the sun rises it slowly becomes more of a rainbow bite. As we come off the full moon and this hot weather returns, many of us are hopeful that the bite winds up and goes full throttle. Report courtesy of Rob Hower, Shasta Lake.

Trinity River Community Unites for River Clean Up As Flows Threatened by Water Plan

GUERNEVILLE – Hoopa Valley — On Saturday, July 26, a Trinity River Clean-Up organized by Save California Salmon and the Hoopa Valley Tribe brought together over 50 community members, Tribal leaders, youth, and environmental advocates.

“The day began at the Hoopa Tribal Office with a morning ground clean-up, followed by a rafting clean-up on the Trinity River and a community lunch,” reported a press statement from Save California Salmon (SCS). “Volunteers removed bags of trash and debris from the riverbanks and waterways, helping restore critical salmon habitat in one of California’s most important and endangered rivers. Organizers said they are finding less trash every year.”

Joe Davis, Hoopa Tribal Chairman, said, “On behalf of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, I would like to thank Save California Salmon and everyone who contributed to this year’s ever-important clean up. Let’s keep the momentum going and continue our strong role as Hupa People to be the stewards of the Trinity River.”

The event centered Indigenous leadership and stewardship, bringing youth and families together to care for the river while educating participants on the deep cultural and ecological significance of the Trinity River, along with current threats to the river’s flows from the Trump administration, according to SCS.

“I’m proud to support the Trinity River Clean-Up,” said Hoopa Valley Tribal council member and local raft guide Joseph Marshall. “It’s important to keep our riverways clean and take pride in our homelands. The youth and community are involved in this cleanup so future generations will learn to keep our valley and river clean. It is our responsibility to take care of our home.”

The organizers said the clean-up was “part of a larger effort to protect salmon populations and honor Tribal stewardship in the face of pollution, drought, and increasing diversion pressures.”

The Trinity River, the largest tributary of the Klamath River, is home to endangered coho salmon, as well as fall and spring-run Chinook salmon and steelhead. It is considered a vital part of the Hoopa Valley Tribe’s culture and subsistence.

“A new diversion plan/endangered species plan, called a Biological Opinion, for the Trinity River is expected to come out for public comment this fall,” said Regina Chichizola, Save California’s Executive Director. “It will be very important for the public to get involved in this comment period as it will be the first one to be subject to the Trump administration’s new Executive Orders about maximizing water diversions to Central Valley farmers. Currently the Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes are co-leads in the process.”

“We’re thankful to everyone who showed up. The annual clean up is an opportunity to connect with, learn about, and help the Klamath River’s largest tributary,” added Chichizola. “Restoring the Trinity River is one of the most important things we can do for the Klamath salmon now that the dams are down, but unfortunately over half of the Trinity’s water is still diverted to the Central Valley, and the flows that remain in the river are now threatened by the Trump administration.”

She said engaging in the upcoming public comment periods on Trinity River flows is the best way the public can help the river. “We hope the community will be inspired by the clean up and testify for flows for fish on the Trinity when the new flows plan is released,” Chichizola concluded.

• Dan Bacher

Truckee Area Lakes Donner and Stampede Kokanee Fishing Tapers Off

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Donner Lake: Fishing at Donner Lake has been fair, with the best action coming early in the morning. Surface temps are sitting in the mid-60s°F, and while the Kokanee bite has slowed, a few pods are still hanging at 40–50 feet—pink or chartreuse hoochies behind a dodger are your best bet. Mackinaw are deeper at 120–130 feet and responding to white tube jigs and silver spoons. Shore anglers have had luck at the west-end ramps and China Cove with worms and PowerBait. As the sun climbs, boat traffic and warming water tend to quiet the bite down.

Boca Reservoir: Boca continues to produce for both boat and shore anglers, though summer heat has tapered off the Kokanee bite. Trout fishing is still solid, especially near the dam, with worms, salmon eggs, PowerBait, and small spoons getting the job done. Surface temps in the low 60s°F are pushing fish deeper as the day warms. The lake remains full, providing plenty of access and good fishing opportunities all around.

Stampede Reservoir: Stampede is full and cool, holding surface temps in the lower 60s°F. Kokanee action has slowed, but trout are still feeding near coves and rocky points in the early hours. Bass are steady at 20–25 feet and hitting finesse presentations. By mid-morning, most fish slide into deeper water, so focusing on structure and shade lines during first light will give you the best shot.

Prosser Creek Reservoir: Prosser has been producing consistent catches for both trout and bass anglers. The reservoir is around 95% full, with surface temps in the low to mid-60s°F. Shore fishing near the dam at sunrise and sunset with worms, salmon eggs, or PowerBait has been productive, while trollers are finding suspended trout around 50 feet. As with most area lakes, the morning hours are the most reliable.

Jackson Meadows: Jackson Meadows remains a good option for shore anglers despite limited access. The lake is full, with water temps in the mid-60s°F. The dam area continues to be the hotspot, with nightcrawlers and PowerBait catching most of the fish. While boating restrictions remain in place for invasive species prevention, bank anglers are finding success early and late in the day.

Report courtesy of Mountain Hardware and Sports

Truckee/Little Truckee Rivers Hit The Canyon for Best Trout Action

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The flows on the Truckee River have dropped around 100 CFS at the Farad gauge. As of today, this section of river is sitting at 550 CFS, which is just a bit above average for this time of year. The cooler than normal days have also kept the water temps peaking at 66°F around 5:00pm along this same section of river, which will often be the coolest on the entire river because of the tailwater releases out of Boca.

Remember, trout are a coldwater fish and prefer cooler temperatures. Because of this we are highly recommending to fish down in the canyon right now. If fishing upstream of the Boca confluence, continue to carry a thermometer with you and call it when temps exceed 66°F to give the fish a break when the water gets warm. This will also be the same for those fishing West Reno and down as water temps will warm back up once you hit Verdi.

At this point in the year, it’s safe to say that the best fishing is early in the morning anyways, so get on the water early and off by mid-day. The flies dejour are a mix of crawdads, large stonefly patterns imitating the nocturnal stone (size 4-6), and small flies such as PMDs, BWOs, midges, and caddis pupa.

We have also noticed an uptick in the fish’s willingness to take a streamer this week, and using most methods of presenting have been working. Stripping, swinging, and dead drifting sculpin, whitefish, baby trout, or crawdad patterns have been putting fish in the net. Just be sure to use heavy flies, a sink tip line, or even just a bunch of split shot to present your flies on or near the bottom.

The dropping of flows on the Little Truckee has begun this week. As of today, we are seeing it sit around 80 CFS, but the odds are this will continue to drop. If planning to fish out here, we advise you to take a look at the flows out of the dam before heading out. You can find them easily here on our website. When they do drop the flows down to the forecasted 45 CFS we will be recommending to fish elsewhere and give these fish a break.

As they step down flows, this will slow the fishing down a bit because the fish will need to move around and adjust to their new surroundings.

For those looking to dry fly fish, you can expect the best hatches to be at the uppermost stretch of river, with PMDs coming off daily. As the season progresses, we have been downsizing our imitations of this mayfly to more of a size 18. This is due to both the pressure the fish have seen recently and because the naturals are getting smaller as well. BWOs, midges, and worms are continuing to fish well for those going subsurface.

The LT is a tailwater, the fishing will be good all day, and we recommend getting out during those odd hours to avoid the crowds.

• Miles Zimmerman, Trout Creek Outfitters

TWIN LAKES                   The Twins are still producing pretty well lately with some good reports coming in from trollers fishing lead core and getting out 6 or 7 colors, they’re getting into a lots of kokanee as well as some good rainbows. The kokanee seem to be running a little on the small side this season but there seems to be plenty of them. Needlefish, Rapalas and Thomas Bouyants have all been doing well for the trolling. Bait anglers have been bending some rods wth power bait, mice tails, pinched crawlers and inflated crawlers. We haven’t heard much from the fly anglers but mini leeches, soft hackles and wooly buggers should all do well up there, especially if you’re running a sinking line.  Report courtesy of Kens Sporting goods

VIRGINIA LAKES                  The Virginias are still enjoying very good action, especially from the fly anglers fishing from kayaks and tubes. They’re doing excellent with intermediate sink likes dragging small wooly buggers, mini leeches, soft hackles and damsel nymphs. There’s some ok bait action with pinched crawlers and mice tails and early or late in the day there’s been some good fish caught with Kastmasters and Thomas Bouyants.  Report courtesy of Kens Sporting Goods

WEST WALKER RIVER              We’ve still been getting quite a few good reports from the West this past week with anglers reporting the best action in the Canyon along Hwy 395 up closer to the town of Walker and some decent action in the Pickle Meadows area off of Hwy 108. Bait anglers are using eggs, mini crawlers and power eggs, lure anglers are doing the best early and late in the day with Panther Martins and Roostertails. Fly anglers can fish throughout the day with hopper dropper rigs and have good action as long as they’re sneaky enough.     Report courtesy of Kens Sporting Goods

Bodega Bay/Tomales Bay Rockfish and Lingcod Action Sizzles, White Seabass and Stripers Boated in Bay

BODEGA BAY – The New Sea Angler continues to find topnotch shallow water rockfish and lingcod fishing off the Sonoma County Coast, while anglers are catching a mixture of halibut, striped bass, and white seabass in Tomales Bay.

On his most recent trip, the 16 anglers aboard the New Sea Angler bagged 160 rockfish and 15 lingcod up to 16 pounds.

“After running research trips the last three days, we went back out again today,” Powers reported. “The 16 anglers caught full limits of great quality rockfish, all bottom grabbers with no school fish. They also boated 15 lingcod to 16 pounds. Conditions were good, with no wind and light seas conditions.”

On his previous trip, the 18 anglers aboard the New Angler bagged 180 rockfish and 36 lingcod up to 18 pounds.

The anglers have been catching quality canary, brown, copper, and vermilion rockfish. Anglers are hooking the fish while using shrimp flies baited with squid strips, bars, jigs, swimbaits, and other offerings.

Meanwhile, anglers fishing inside Tomales Bay have been catching a mixture of halibut, white seabass, and stripers, although the fishing has been challenging at times.

“So what do you do when you’re on vacation but the weather turns to gale force winds? I guess you troll the back by Marshall for bass,” Willy Vogler of Lawson’s Landing reported. “I guess that because the only boat we launched today did that and caught bass – white seabass and striped bass. Flatfish are hard this year, and likely will continue to be hard for a few years if the past salmon closure is any kind of indicator.”

“Gage and I were looking at the halibut results, year over year, from Sportfishingreport.com, and they showed a drop of 50% or better in the catch per fisherman since 2023. Go catch what’s biting, is the result of that, and the twins show it. Two stripers near Pelican and two white seabass near Marshall were the catches of the day. You go, Alexanders, Johnny Sandbar (a Gerard Fitzgerald nickname if there ever was one) and Martha. The catching may suck, but certain people figure out how to catch nonetheless. Nice. Fricking. Fish,” he quipped.

On another day, Vogler reported, “Gage took his girlfriend, Amanda, out fishing this evening. Gage caught, well, nothing. But he gaffed a nice halibut on Amanda’s line. This fish was caught on a jig on the bar after 7:00 PM. Not an early bite but a good fish.”

On another day, Swampy sent over this report: “Evening Willy. Spent the day on the bay with good results. Easy anchovy bait near the yellow marker. 6 halibut to 12 pounds for three anglers north of Hog with the tide change being key. Glad to get some meat this trip. See you next time.”

Vogler’s response? “The halibut fishing may be down, but not out. There were several other halibut caught today with ‘north of Hog’ also being in common. Also, most of the fish were caught in the afternoon. My guess is that some fish came in. Hopefully there’s more following them. Nice work on the fish, Swampy and crew,” wrote Vogler.

The recreational groundfish regulations in the San Francisco Management Area (from Point Arena to Pigeon Point) are available here: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=185056&inline

• Dan Bacher

Fisherman’s Wharf/Berkeley Take Your Pick of Stripers, Halibut or Rockfish

SAN FRANCISCO – Captain Craig Hansen of Argo Sportfishing reports navigating from his berth at Fisherman’s Wharf and drifting live bait with customers at various bay and ocean locations depending on tides and weather. Capt. Craig has been finding stripers at Racoon Strait, and boating halibut at F-Buoy on the Berkeley Flats and on the North or South Bars outside the Golden Gate.

Meanwhile, Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions has been putting customers on striped bass at Angel Island and Red Rock in the bay while drifting live bait. He has also been heading outside the Gate to drift live bait at Seal Rock near the Cliff House and the North and South Bars for halibut. Weather and tides dictate his fishing spots.

This author also spent two special days on the water recently thanks to the Roger Thomas Grant. Roger Thomas, former owner and captain of the fishing vessel Salty Lady out of Sausalito, left a trust that funds trips to take children fishing. The Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA) manages these funds, which are available to children’s organizations to take youngsters—many for the first time—out on the water. As a board member of the Salesian Boys’ and Girls’ Club (SBGC) in San Francisco’s North Beach for more than 22 years, I’ve been arranging trips for the SBGC for the past five years.

This month I assisted Captain Don Franklin of SoleMan Sportfishing on two trips. We fished live bait—another first for the children—in San Francisco Bay for halibut, striped bass, and rockfish. The excitement on the children’s faces as they reeled in fish and saw them netted aboard was priceless. These outings were truly special thanks to the late Captain Roger Thomas.

Meanwhile, rockfish and lingcod action off the Marin County Coast has been excellent.

“We experienced an absolutely phenomenal day up the Marin Coast,” reported Aaron Anfinson, Captain of the Bass Tub. “Underground Construction had amazing lingcod fishing as well as rockfish, scoring limits of both for 12 anglers plus some for the crew! These things were HUNGRY.”

“We had two trips out today,” reported James Smith, Captain of the California Dawn. “Both boats got onto some quality reds and lingcod while fishing in southern waters. They also landed jumbo blues and black rockfish.”

The California Dawn 2 checked in with 19 limits of lingcod (38) to 15 pounds, 19 limits of rockfish (188), and 2 cabezon. The California Dawn 1 had 21 limits of rockfish (210), 8 lingcod, and 1 halibut.

For contact information for these captains or guides, search online.

For more information about the California Striped Bass Association (CSBA), visit www.striper-csba.org to access information about the four CSBA chapters. New members pay $25, which includes a one-time $5 initiation fee. Annual dues are $20 thereafter. Membership helps strengthen our mission to protect striped bass and our fisheries. Some chapters offer a free gift for joining. The Isleton-Delta Chapter provides two free decals and a chapter hat to new members. Membership forms are available on the website—select your chapter, go to the membership page, complete the application, and send payment to the listed address. The Isleton Chapter also accepts credit cards online for memberships, renewals, and events. The website features newsletters, photos, articles, and useful links to help plan fishing trips.

• Ken Baccetti, President of the California Striped Bass Association (CSBA), Isleton-Delta Chapter.

Half Moon Bay Shallow Water Rockfish Limits Are The Rule

EL GRANADA – Rockfishing adventures are producing limits of colorful shallow water rockfish, along with some lingcod and an occasional halibut.

The Queen of Hearts reported 160 rockfish, 4 lingcod, and 1 halibut for 16 anglers on their latest trip out of the harbor. The boat returned the previous day with 250 rockfish, 1 lingcod, and 1 halibut.

Rockfishing trips on Wednesdays are departing at 10 a.m. and returning by 3 p.m. through the end of August.

The rockfish season is the same as last year:

• May through September and November is coastal rockfishing from shore to no deeper than 120 feet.
• April, October, and December are deep-sea rockfishing, fishing depths outside 300 feet.

The only regulation change from last year is that there is no minimum size limit on cabezon or seatrout (kelp greenling).

Recreational salmon season will, barring any unforeseen changes, DEFINITELY REOPEN FOR THE “FALL SEASON” on September 4, 5, 6, and 7. The separate “fall fishery” off the Bay Area coastline is scheduled for Sept. 4–7, 29–30, October 1–5, and 27–31, or until no more than 7,500 salmon are landed during that period. Limit is 2 salmon per person with a 20-inch minimum size. These dates are available on the online booking system—reserve spots as soon as possible as they go quickly.

Perch are showing along the coastline, and squid and anchovies are appearing outside the harbor. Anglers continue to catch rock crab off the fishing pier inside the harbor and on the jetty.

Recreational Dungeness crab season is closed until the first Saturday in November, but rock crab season is open all year using hoop nets or snares.

For those interested in monkeyface eel, there are plenty hidden in the jetty rocks for poke-pole anglers. Striper fishing along the beaches has slowed, but a few are still being landed. Halibut have moved in, with some good-sized fish in the mix.

• Half Moon Bay Sportfishing Center

Monterey Bay Halibut, Rockfish and Lingcod Hit the Decks

SANTA CRUZ – There are halibut limits being reported in the Monterey Bay Area. The halibut were caught up the coast near 4 Mile and down the coast near Moss Landing, reported Todd Fraser of Bayside Marine on August 9. The halibut are hitting drifted live bait and trolled baits and lures.

The Capitola area is producing some nice halibut and a few seabass, he noted.

“The rock fishing was great up the coast near Davenport. The swell was smaller and the winds were calm all morning,” said Fraser.

“There are people talking about looking for tuna Sunday and Monday. There is a boat from Half Moon Bay who has one albacore about 60 miles out,” Fraser said.

Boats out of Chris’ Fishing Trips in Monterey continue to focus on rockfish and lingcod in shallow water. The boats are returning with daily limits of rockfish, along with a few lingcod. Anglers are using shrimp flies baited with squid strips, jigs, bars, swimbaits, and other offerings to nail the bottomfish.

On August 9, the Checkmate checked in with limits of rockfish (200) and 12 lingcod for 20 anglers, while the Caroline came back with limits of rockfish (170) for 17 anglers. On the previous day, the Checkmate tied up at the dock with limits of rockfish (90) and 6 lingcod for 9 anglers.

The rockfish season will continue to run through Dec. 30, 2025. Here are the depth restrictions now in place:

• May 1 – Sept. 30: 20 fathoms inshore fishery

• Oct. 1 – Oct. 31: 50 fathoms offshore only fishery

• Nov. 1 – Nov. 30: 20 fathoms inshore only fishery

• Dec. 1 – Dec. 31: 50 fathoms offshore only fishery

• Dan Bacher

Today we’re rolling out the Fish Sniffer stand‑alone reader and retiring the old embedded version. The switch delivers a sharper, faster experience, keeps older phones and tablets in the game, and lets you download issues for those zero‑bar stretches on the water or completely off the grid. We’ll keep adding features and will start loading a full archive, so every back issue sits alongside the latest catch. Tight lines and we’ll see you out on the water.

Pyramid Lake Nevada is home to the world famous Lahontan Cutthroat trout, including the Pilot Peak strain that have been growing in the lake for several years. The Pilot Peak trout are very aggressive and grow bigger and faster than the original Summit Lake strain. These trout make Pyramid Lake the best place in the world to catch a 10 pound – or even 20 pound —cutthroat trout! John Brassfield of Foresthill and I went up to Pyramid early on a + Wednesday morning in mid-June. We arrived at the ramp from my home in Colfax about 6:30 am. It was a beautiful morning with an air temperature of 50 degrees. A breeze was blowing from the north as we launched the Fish Sniffer Rogue Jet 21 Coastal, but it didn’t prevent us from running to the north to Fox Bay. We ran up on the east side of the lake and started trolling north of Hell’s Kitchen and into Fox bay in 60 feet of water. We didn’t do much until we started seeing bait and fish marks on the Lowrance screen, and then we started catching fish. My first fish weighed 13 pounds on yellow/red spot B-21 spoon behind Vance’s cannonball flashers at 2.3 mph. We caught fish here and there, whenever we saw bait on the screen. Mostly fishing in 40 to 70 feet of water, all right on the bottom. We saw suspended fish at 30 feet deep or so, but never could get one to bite. The B-21 spoon was the hot ticket in the morning, plus I got a few on a 4 inch chartreuse/orange Silver Horde spoon. John got some on his orange frog Built to Bite jointed plug plus a couple on a blue/yellow 4 inch Apex. The cannonball flashers really made a difference. We both caught more fish when we put them on. We found a group of 12 boats all jigging and/or fly-fishing about a mile offshore in the south east part of Fox Bay. They were catching a few fish, but it wasn’t red hot. There were folks on the radio doing well west of us near the Pinnacles. We picked up the gear and ran to the west and started marking fish immediately. I set a way point on the Lowrance graph so we could find the spot again. Fox Bay is a big place – over 9 miles wide and about 4 or 5 miles wide. We started fishing and caught a few 5 to 9 pounders before John hooked a beauty on a green frog Built to Bite jointed plug. He said this felt like a good fish and he was right – after about 10 minutes and a spirited fight, I grabbed the “big” net and landed a gorgeous, fat 19 pound cutthroat! After a quick release, we decided to head in to camp. We ended up with 23 fish landed for the day, with a 13 pounder and John’s 19 pounder for big fish. We only caught one small trout of 22 inches – all the others were over 24 inches. The average weight had to be 6 to 9 pounds! Went in about 4:30 and set up a camp in the rocks near the boat ramp. We had dinner at the lodge and came back to camp for a bourbon before the campfire overlooking the lake as dusk settled. Thursday morning, we made coffee, broke camp and were launching at 5:30. We decided to start on the north west side today, and ran up to the Needles and started trolling east. Out near the middle, where I had marked a waypoint the day before, we started really seeing a lot of bait and started catching fish. I landed a fish on the chartreuse/orange silver Horde spoon, and as John netted it we could see a red colored plug in its mouth as well. Not really in the mouth, but right up alongside it. Neither John or I had a plug that color on? We released the fish and kept the plug, which had about 20 feet of line on it and had obviously broken off from someone. It was a really nice pattern, with a black background with bright orange crackly type marks going through it, and chartreuse spots on both sides. I decided to put it on and then it was lights out!! I put it only 12 feet above the spoon on the bottom near the cannonball flashers, and about 100 feet back. Those plugs dive about 10 feet, so I knew I was near the bottom. We were fishing in 40 to 60 feet of water, and I was keeping the Bottom Line Tackle ten pound tube weight right on the bottom, bringing it up a foot or two when it started bouncing. I caught about 7 fish in a row with that lure, that we determined later on was a Dirtee Dancer plug. John was doing well with a copper/black 4 inch Doctor Spoon and a Lyman Tui chub pattern plug. We were hitting fish everywhere we saw bait. Then I had a big hit on the same plug, and the line was ripped off the downrigger and the drag was screaming. At first I thought I might be hung on the bottom, but the rod was bouncing and it seemed to be slowly coming with us. After a few minutes, I was able to gain some line as the big fish turned towards us. After the first big rush, the trout just kind of sounded and stayed near the bottom as I slowly brought him closer to the boat. He felt very heavy but was coming in obediently! As he neared the boat, he tore more line off the reel as he took a couple more long runs. Then he slowly came ever closer. John finally saw the fish, and he said “Wow! I need the big net!! “ After a couple shorter runs, he netted a super fat Lahontan cutthroat of 21 pounds!!! It was 33 inches long and the girth had to be at least 25 inches! We took a quick photo and put him back in the water alongside the boat, and he swam off easily. We continued trolling the 40 to 60 foot line towards the east, until we stopped seeing bait, and then turned around and trolled back to the west. We had another great day, landed 23 cutthroat including 13 and 21 pounders, and I swear the average size was 7 to 9 pounds. On a day like this, we didn’t bother to weigh those “little” fish. We carefully released all the trout we caught in the 2 days and may catch them again in the future! In my considerate opinion, there is no other place in the world where fishermen can “expect” to catch a ten plus pound trout like Pyramid Lake. Earlier in June, my friend Brian Garcia and I had a “mediocre” day at Pyramid, landing only 17 trout to seven pounds – that would be a fantastic day at any other trout lake I know of! Pyramid Lake closed to trout fishing on June 30th. It opens again on October first and I’m sure many of us will be there to enjoy this spectacular fishery! For more information, go to www.pryamidlake.us/fishing.

At this year’s annual family camping trip to Collins Lake June 17-19, we mixed water sports with fishing for three fun days at the modest-sized reservoir. With limited fishing time, we managed to boat five different species of fish, topped by a nice lightning trout. Each summer, my family participates in a large camping trip to Collins Lake. The lake is only about an hour from my driveway in the Sacramento Area, which makes for an easy summer getaway. The cozy 1600-acre lake, which is northeast of Marysville, features trout, panfish, catfish, bass fishing, plus a sand swimming beach, playground, and other amenities. It’s a balanced blend of die-hard fishing and other activities. This year, my family was joined by our two nieces in a cabin near the marina. The location is walking distance to the nearby store, swimming beach, and just uphill from the marina where I had the boat tied up. I’ve rigged up a makeshift rope attachment to my downrigger rail. It serves nicely for tubing and wakeboarding behind the outboard motor which is normally only used to power us to the next fishing hole. After dinner on our first day at camp, my son Adam and I motored to some underwater islands near the center of the lake. I had noticed fish blowing up on bait, so I tied some Heddon Super Spook Jr. topwater baits onto our lines. I don’t do much bass fishing these days, but I spent enough time bass fishing back in the day to know a few things. After reaching our spot, I deployed the electric motor, and we started fan casting. Suddenly, I heard some commotion on the surface of the lake. “Dad, look!” Adam exclaimed, and without hesitation I whipped my lure inside of some rings on the water’s surface. Pop-Pop-KASPLOOSH! A good-sized spotted bass had sucked my topwater bait out of sight and the fight was on! After quickly releasing the fish, I cast it to a different blowup and landed another spotty. Adam was still getting the hang of how to master the ‘walk-the-dog’ motion of the stick baits, so I moved off to a location along the shoreline. After pulling a largemouth bass out of a submerged tree, it was getting dark, so we headed back to our slip. To our surprise, the boat docked next to us at the marina was employing a green underwater fishing light. The gentleman shared that he catches crappie, and sometimes even trout and large catfish under the lights. While an impressive bait ball formed after some time, no crappie showed up. He did, however, land a small trout and attracted some other fish that he was unable to coax into biting. The next morning, I headed out before dawn while the others slept in. I trolled Rapala F9 Floating Minnows for trout and was able to land three nice rainbows in a few hours of fishing. I was hooking trout at about thirty feet deep using downriggers, but it was time to head back and set up the ski rope. We had a great time tubing and wakeboarding behind the boat, while some of our crew lounged at the beach enjoying snacks and sodas. I put the old Yamaha 115 to the test in an attempt to fling my tube riders over wakes. They were able to catch some pretty good air on some of the jumps, and I even strapped the wakeboard on for a lap or two. Right at noon, we killed the motor for a swim break near one of the submerged islands. Adam was casting the topwater lure again when something violently crashed the surface. “It’s a big one!” he shouted, and I could see the rod doubled over. I used my gripper to avoid the treble hooks and pulled the big spotted bass into the boat. I explained to him that it was nice-sized for a spotted bass, as they are smaller on average than the Florida-strain largemouth that we have in Northern California. After we released the fish, he was able to land several more before it was time to fire up the main engine for another round of wakeboarding. By late afternoon we were beat and retreated to the cabin for some chips and tacos. Adam was eager to get back to fishing, so I promised we would go back out for bass after dinner. There was a light wind creating a chop on the water that made topwater fishing less productive. We were only able to pick up a few bass that evening. I headed out solo again the next morning in search of trout. This time, it took a while before I hooked anything, and when I finally did…it was a black crappie. Not to be discouraged, I explored new waters and finally landed a small rainbow trout in the southeast corner of the lake. I circled back and hooked another fish in nearly the same location, except this fish was much larger. The fish jumped, and I got a clear look at a nice lightning trout while it was airborne. PLOP! The chunky fish belly-flopped on reentry and ripped some line as a readied the net. Netting a large fish by yourself can be a risky endeavor. This time, I was able to slide the net under the trout and get it into the boat without any fail-video-worthy footage. At almost five pounds, it was the largest fish of the trip, and the fifth species landed. I trolled back towards the marina in hopes of one last strike. My hopes were answered, and this was by far one of the biggest trout I’ve ever hooked on the end of my line. After about five minutes, the fish moved deep under the boat and suddenly came unhooked – a classic ending to a fun-filled trip. You win some, you lose some, that’s what makes fishing great! With rainbow trout, lightning trout, spotted bass, largemouth bass, and black crappie under our belts, the mid-week camping trip came to a close. My pickup resembled the truck from “The Grapes of Wrath’ movie, with ropes and tiedown straps precariously securing our belongings as we bounced down the highway. If you get a chance this summer, Collins Lake offers a potpourri of water sports and fishing activities. Don’t forget to stop for their famous ice cream at the store on the way out. Trout plants will resume in the fall, while bass, catfish, and panfish will be your best bet for the remainder of summer.

Lake Almanor

Rainbows and Browns highlight catches in perfect conditions.

The conditions have been fantastic here at Almanor, following the cold windy conditions of a week ago. Cool mornings with warm afternoons and light breezes with some occasional gusty periods later in the day. Traffic on the lake is on the increase as we approach the big summer holiday of July 4th. The water level has reached its peak and is now on a slow decline currently sitting just above 4490.5. A drop of about 6 inches in the last week. Flows on all the lake’s tributaries have reduced to seasonal norms. Water temperatures are currently running in the upper 60’s ticking up into the low 70’s during the days. Bug hatches continue all over the lake with the Hex Fly being one of the main attractions. The trout are now widely spread throughout the entire lake. Action for trollers is happening at a variety of locations around the lake, from the dam to Big Springs which has proven to be a hot spot as of late. Both sides of the peninsula have also been giving up fish as is the west shore from Rocky Point to Almanor West giving anglers plenty of locations to visit. Trout have been caught on a wide variety of offerings, with lots of options for anglers. Worms and plastics along with fast trolled spoons in bright as well as dark colors have all produced fish this week. 25 to 45 feet seems to be holding the bulk of the active fish. The catch continues to be a mix Rainbows and Browns along with a few salmon. Bait fishermen have been netting a few fish at numerous locations including Dorado, the dam Rocky Point and Red Bank. Suspended baits like worms, crickets and meal worms close to the bottom will get the job done. Fly anglers suspending nymphs under indicators are tempting the fish that are keyed in on the hex larvae as well as the midge hatches that continue. Of course, the hex action picks up in the evening, with the hot spots cycling up and down the west shore from Canyon Dam to Almanor West. Bass anglers have been throwing jigs on rocky points and shorelines for some pretty impressive smallies. We are currently in a warming trend which looks to be on the increase for the next several days before temps level off and finally decline slightly next week. The warmer temps will most certainly make the cool deeper waters of the east shore. especially around Big Springs and Hamilton Branch, attractive hang outs for the trout and salmon. Report courtesy of the Lake Almanor Fishing Association..

Lake Berryessa
Take Your Pick of Hot Bass or Hot Kokanee and Trout Fishing

SACRAMENTO – Whether you want to fish for three species of black bass or for kokanee salmon and rainbow trout, now is prime time to hit Lake Berryessa. On his latest trip to Berryessa, Don Paganelli of Paganelli’s Bass Fishing Experience reported catching and releasing over 30 bass. “The top water bite was good in the morning with fish up to 4.5 pounds. The dropshot bite and small swimbaits were on fire with many doubles.,” he observed. On his most recent trolling adventure, Nate Kelsch of Big Nate’s Guide reported a potluck catch of kokanee salmon, rainbow trout, king salmon and bass. “Today I had another awesome crew out on Berryessa and these guys smacked ‘em,” said Kelsch. “We loaded up on some of the largest kokanee I have seen in a couple pf years, as well as some gorgeous trout. Once again we experienced a very soft bite early, that led to a lot of fish coming unbuttoned, but we made the most of it and waited for our bite window to open, and when it did these guys absolutely hammered them.” “It was tough to keep the rods in the water! Every time I would refresh the Chrome Killer Corn, that rod would get pounded, so I kept busy refreshing bait, and chasing marks and the fish obliged,” he advised. “We haven’t changed tackle in months and there’s no need when we keep putting up huge numbers, day in and day out! “Today the depths were between 35 and 70 ft,, and couldn’t get any fish to go any deeper, although I did chase some very deep marks. Berryessa is back and these fish are as healthy and fat as they come,” he said. After his previous trip, he reported, “Today I had another awesome group out on Berryessa and these guys crushed ‘em. We grinded for a long time, picking up a fish here and there, then our bite window opened up and it was game on. These guys loaded up on fat kokanee, a big ole king salmon, 5 bonus trout and 2 bass in short order. “I chased marks, swapped corn and changed speeds the entire time in order to get the job done! Catch America 6in Dodgers and Tpexes continue to dominate over anything else in the arsenal. Depths were from 35 ft to 72 ft at speeds between 1.1 and 1.5 mph.” Reclamation now requires all boats launching at Lake Berryessa to participate in a seal program to prevent the spread of invasive golden mussels. All vessels wishing to launch at Lake Berryessa will be inspected, according to the Bureau of Reclamation: A red quarantine seal will be applied for 30 days during which the vessel will not be permitted to launch. Vessels that have finished the 30-day quarantine may return to the lake and have the seal removed by authorized staff and will be allowed to launch. For questions about this new protocol and vessel decontamination, contact BOR-Berryessa@usbr.gov.
Lake Berryessa is holding 1,478,220 acre feet of water, 92 percent of capacity and 115 percent of average.

•    Dan Bacher

Bullards Bar/Englebright Lakes Kokanee Limits Are The Rule!

DOBBINS – If you want to catch a 10 fish limit of kokanee salmon, it’s hard to beat Bullards Bar Reservoir at this time. “The fish are stacked in the main body near the dam and major points,” said Brett Brady of Bare Bones Guide Service. “Troll 70–80 ft deep with T-pex lures in red or purple. Don’t forget that scented corn tipped on the hook makes all the difference.” His latest trip produced the top fishing in the early morning hours. “We got 40 fish on Bullards Bar today, but it got a little rough after 9 a.m. We ended up throwing the kitchen sink at them.,” Brady advised. “It was like they wanted something different all the time. We trolled at 70 to 80 feet deep.”
Likewise, Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob’s Guide Service reported great kokanee success at Bullards Bar on his latest trip. “We had limits for two before it got hot this morning,” he said. Bullards Bar is holding 906,198 acre-feet of water, 94 percent of capacity and 109 percent of average. Few anglers have been on the water at Englebright Reservoir fishing for trout. However, this is generally a great time of year to hook rainbows and an occasional brown while trolling with Rapalas, Needlefish, Cripplures and nightcrawlers behind dodgers. Expect to hook holdover rainbows in the 12 to 18 inch range. Englebright is holding 68,050 acre feet of water, 97 percent of capacity and 103 percent of average.

• Dan Bacher

Collins Lake
Target Trout In Deep Water

OREGON HOUSE – The trout fishing is going strong at Collins Lake, but you need to troll deep for success. “The key is to troll at 30 feet deep in the main channel of the lake,” revealed Cal Kellogg at fishcalkellogg.com. “We’ve been catching the fish on Trout Trix Worms and Trinidad Tackle Popped Eye Spoons in orange and white. The fish are going up to 5 pounds.” “Fishing isn’t red hot,” Kellogg said “We’re putting in our time to catch half-limits.” Green sunfish and largemouth bass are also biting. A recent kids trip produced a 5 lb. largemouth and 7 green sunfish to 1 pound, Kellogg noted. The last trout plant of 1,000 pounds of mixed rainbow and lightning trout for the spring went into the lake in May. Trout planting programs are currently scheduled to resume in October as surface temperatures allow. The lake level is 9 feet from full and slowly dropping. The surface water temperature is 82 degrees and the water is clear. Ed Palma at the Collins Lake confirmed that “the trout bite has fallen off a bit - or else there’s just fewer fishermen on the water, but we’re still seeing occasional big catches, and a few limits…and some surprising shoreline successes.” Palma cited the following catches: Mark Yanuskiewicz caught a beautiful 9.5 lb rainbow trout using PowerBait. Stetson and Grayson caught a pair of Lightning Trout and three Rainbows also on PowerBait. The Batham Family loaded up a brag-board’s worth of big trout that they hooked using a variety of Garlic PowerBait and Salmon Eggs- and looks like someone even made a First Catch. Ilya and Anatoliy brought in four trout using PowerBait down by the dam including one that weighed in at over 4 pounds! Ronald Counts caught a 1.5 pound Redear Sunfish using Berkeley’s Jointed Rat-L-Trap. The Zaski family are long time Collins Lake Crappie Catchers and they didn’t disappoint this year- showing off seven good sized crappie caught using worms. In mid-June, Sonny and Mark from Colfax caught a double limit of trout including both Lightning Trout and Rainbow Trout while trolling worms on an old catfish classic…hot dogs. But it was Tyler from Roseville who caught the catfish. While Ethan, also of Roseville, showed off another rainbow trout:. Finally, Roman and Tim from Antelope caught a matching set of Rainbow Trout and Lightning Trout to fill a double limit, all caught using PowerBait down by the dam. “Keep an eye out for catfish to come as summer is traditionally the best time to catch the biggest ones,” noted Palma. “We expect warming water to continue to push trout deeper, so even though most of the trout in this report were caught from shore, come prepared to troll and probably best to bring downriggers if you have them. Crappie and redear sunfish are off their beds but still biting too,” he concluded.

• Dan Bacher

Davis Lake Bait Fishing and Trolling Yields Trout Limits, Catfish Are Biting

PORTOLA – After a temporary slowdown, trout fishing on Davis Lake shifted back into high gear on the July Fourth Holiday Weekend. “Yesterday I caught and released 11 rainbows, ranging from 17 to 20 inches long, while trolling Baby Simon lures in copper/red and orange at 18 feet deep,” said Ed Dillard of Dillard’s Guided Fishing. “The surface water temperature has been 73 to 74 degrees.” On the following day, he anchored up near the island at 26 feet deep. The three anglers fishing with Dillard caught limits of rainbow trout ranging 14 to 19 inches long while fishing with rainbow PowerBait. Bank fishermen are also catching trout at Davis. Jeanne Graham recommended fishing with Power Bait and worms at Camp Five, Mallard and Eagle Point. “The trout are feeding heavily on scuds and damsel flies,” she stated. “Fly fishermen fishing scud and damsel fly patterns are hooking a lot of trout at Cow Creek and Jenkins Point.” Some brown bullhead catfish are hitting at Mallard and Coot Bays. She hasn’t hear many reports on largemouth bass and bluegill lately. Davis is holding 79,814 acre feet of water, 96 percent of capacity and 126 percent of average.

•    Dan Bacher