NORTH COAST RIVERS

North Coast streams and rivers are regulated by low flow closures. Always call ahead to determine the condition of the river you want to fish. If not mentioned, the river is closed. The DFG’s Low Flow Closure Hotline for north coast rivers is 707) 822-3164. For the Russian River and counties of Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin, call (707) 944-5533. South Central Coast streams number is (831) 649-2886. For the Eel and other North Coast rivers, call (707) 822-3164. Many streams close, and others change to artificial/barbless only on March 31.

ROGUE RIVER-A little slower than last week for the spring kings, but still some 30-pound-class slugs caught in the lower section. The best 4 weeks are coming up historically, beginning right about now. Setting up in the troughs and dropping back spinners or spinnerbaits and then just waiting is the way to go.

RUSSIAN RIVER-Major problems here as some dead coho have already been found in Sulpher Creek, a tributary, due to wineries pulling water from the low flows. County water officials have asked to cut flows in the river by half on May 1 due to lowered conditions of Lake Mendocino, which is expected to go dry by mid-summer. Currently, fishing conditions are still good, with flows at 500 cfs at Guerneville, according to Steve Jackson of Kings Sport and Tackle. Good color, and two nice adults hooked at Johnson’s on Saturday. There’s some fresh straggler steelies, but the bluebacks already shot through. Some downrunners still being caught.

SMITH RIVER-Nobody fishing and no reports available from anyone. It’s been a dismal year over here.

TRINITY/KLAMATH RIVERS

KLAMATH RIVER, Iron Gate Dam-Fishing conditions are good throughout most of the Klamath, down to the mouth of the Trinity, but very few anglers have been on the river, and reports are tough to get. The best bet is to concentrate high on the river to about Seiad. There are still some steelhead as well as nice rainbows available. While the most effective methods continued to be sidedrifting and boondoggling roe, fly fishing has picked up because of warmer water conditions.

TRINITY RIVER, Douglas City-Winter steelheading has held up surprisingly well considering it isn’t winter anymore. Yes, there are lots of downrunners, as well as small bait-stealing smolts, but there are also some bright adults still coming upriver. The best bet is to fish from the Old Lewiston Bridge to Junction City. Flows are higher and fishing conditions tougher the farther downstream you go below the North Fork. Fly fishers definitely have the edge over bait and lure tossers, and driftboaters are doing better than bankies.

SACRAMENTO VALLEY

AMERICAN RIVER-Flows went up again to 3,250 cfs on April 6. No, this is not for rafters, but rather because, believe it or not, Folsom Reservoir is expected to fill. And, much of the flow will be diverted into State and Federal pumps to, among other things, fill San Luis Reservoir. Striper fishing at the lower end of the river was still spotty, but fly fishermen were picking up an occasional schoolie-sized fish on streamers from Paradise Beach up to Howe Avenue.

FEATHER RIVER-It’s been quality over quantity, with anglers fishing the Yuba City area typically not getting more than a couple of bites a day, but many of the fish being caught have weighed 20 pounds and over. Shanghai Rapids to Mosquito Beach has been the most productive stretch around Yuba City. Try super jumbo minnows, Hair Raiser jigs, plugs below Shanghai Rapids. Farther downstream, the odds have been a little better for those good enough and lucky enough to navigate the river upstream from the mouth. A 38 pounder was caught by an angler trolling a Rapala who started his trip at Verona Marina. Throwing big plugs at night has worked, too.

FOLSOM LAKE-Even with the great conditions, it hasn’t been a wide open bass bite. Most of the fish continue to be small, in the 1- to 2 1/2-pound range, and the bite seems to pick up later in the morning. It might be on a reaction bait, or it might be on a drop-shotted Robo-Worm. It might be in a few feet of water or it might be at 20 feet. In other words, don’t live or die by one method. Be flexible. Sadly, there’s been a number of reports of poaching of undersized bass and over-limits. Call 1-888 DFG-CALTIP (888 334-2258). Trout and landlocked king salmon fishing was spotty last week-a euphemism for lousy.

RANCHO SECO LAKE-Trout fishing was still pretty good, but the lake is warming, and anglers wanting to catch trout at Rancho Seco have relatively few weeks left before the water will become too warm. As always, float tubers, pontoon boaters and kayakers had better shots at fish.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento-The striper bite picked up quite a bit from Garcia Bend to the Verona. Most fish were schoolies, weighing up to about 6 pounds, but a few fish to 20 pounds were also being reported. A variety of methods were effective, from soaked sardines and bloodworms and drifted minnows to trolled Bombers and Rebels. Sturgeon were still being caught, as well. South River Road and Verona were two of the better spots.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, Grimes-Striper fishing really took off last week, at least in comparison to the week before. Several reports indicated that most boats were scoring at least a striper or two. Most were small, though, from 3 to 5 pounds. Drifting minnows seemed to be the best method, but even flies were scoring fish. Fish were being caught from Knight’s Landing to Chico Straits. Sturgeon fishing slowed from the previous weeks, but there were still a decent number of fish being weighed in.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Redding-Fly fishermen have been doing very well, with good hatches and great river conditions. Even dry flies have been fooling fish under certain conditions. Mayfly and caddis imitations have been doing the trick, and nymph representations continued to provide the best opportunities for hookups.
YUBA RIVER- Trout fishing was “hit-or-miss” with the stone fly hatch pretty much petered out, and Baetis May flies, March browns and caddis just getting started. Good fly fishermen have been scoring around half a dozen fish to around 15 inches, plus an occasional bonus fish up to 20 inches. Parks Bar Bridge (Hwy 20) to Daguerre Dam is the standard drift with many folks getting out at Sycamore Ranch, which charges an access fee.

NORTHERN FOOTHILLS

BULLARDS BAR-Lake level is up 3 more feet to 81-percent capacity. Bass bite is good for spots up to 4 pounds, though most are small fish. Trout trollers are doing well up in the river arm on flasher combos.

CAMP FAR WEST-Lake is full. Very windy weekend kept fishing pressure low, but lots of bass boaters have been hitting the lake and doing well on worms and jigs.

COLLINS LAKE-Lake received 4 plants this week including the release of two pens of 3 pounders raised since last fall at the marina. Boaters are trolling in the top 10 feet with Rapalas and Kastmaster spoons for trout up to 7 pounds. Shore anglers are doing well all over the lake on Power Bait and Kastmasters for trout up to 7 1/2 pounds with many in the 3-pound class. The dam, marina/ramp and bridge areas are producing the best for shore anglers. Tim Little of Grass Valley had a day of a lifetime when he caught a 9 1/2-pound largemouth on a Huddleston swimbait. He brought that fish in for a picture and went back out to release it and caught a 15 pounder. Little said he fished a rocky section of the east side of the lake at 14 to 16 feet for his lunker pair.

ENGLEBRIGHT RESERVOIR-Lake is at 88-percent capacity. Very windy, cold conditions over the weekend slowed down the fishing. Trollers and shore anglers are still catching trout, both rainbows and browns on a variety of rigs. Campers fishing off the shore at Hogsback landed 4 browns, 14 to 20 inches, on worms. Bass are cruising the bank and cooperating for anglers willing to slow down their retrieve with worms and jigs.

LAKE OROVILLE-Water level came up slowly another 6 feet to 57-percent capacity. Bass are already on the beds and anglers are sight fishing with bright colored baits. There are still plenty of fish staging and in deeper water hitting worms and jigs. Wind was a problem over the weekend and a front is forecast to come through the area mid-week.

ROLLINS LAKE-Lake is at full capacity. Seasonal boaters are putting their boats in wet berths. Marina and Outrigger Grill are only open on weekends for now at Long Ravine Campgrounds. Brown trout are hitting flasher combos and Rapalas up in the river arm of the lake.

SCOTT’S FLAT LAKE-The lake is at 96.5-percent capacity. Smallmouth bass action has been very good for anglers throwing worms and jigs as fish move up onto spawning flats. Some fish to 4 pounds reported this past week.

SUGAR PINE RESERVOIR-The Foresthill Ranger Station reports that the roads to the lake and into the parking lot and boat ramp are open and free of snow. They also remind you that the lake is on the “No Stocking” list and will not receive any more DFG trout plants for the foreseeable future. There should be some holdover fish left for shore anglers and trollers.

THERMOLITO AFTERBAY-Water releases into the Afterbay were increased, pretty much washing out the bass bite because of the big drop in the water temperature. Bass anglers will have to wait until the temp goes back up enough to trigger spawning activity again.

SIERRA LAKES/RIVERS

BOCA LAKE–Ice nearly all gone here and anglers have plenty of open water now. However, boat launching is “iffy,” depending on the amount of snowfall from most recent storms.

CAPLES LAKE–Ice has started breaking up around the lake edges and Dave Kirby at Woodfords Station in Woodfords said that, while the ice still might be safe for ice fishing, he hasn’t been recommending it. Now’s the time to be real cautious if out on the ice.

CARSON RIVER (East, West)–River continues to rise as snowmelt starts to pick up. Flows are up by at least a foot or more and water is a bit more murky now. Big question is what kind of shape the flows will be in when trout season opens on April 25. Both East and West forks are scheduled to be planted with rainbows at least three times before the opener.

DAVIS, LAKE–Ice is out and plenty of open water. But the muddy shoreline has been a trap for unwary anglers. Calls for help from anglers with vehicles stuck in the muck have been numerous. Fishing reports have been few and far between.

DONNER LAKE–Mackinaw action has finally turned on and fish in double-digit weights are being caught. Macks are near the surface and top-lining lures like AC-Plugs has been working. Kokanee have jumped into an early bite and fish 10 to 12 inches have been hitting pink bugs trolled behind silver or green dodgers. Keith Kerrigan with Sierra Anglers Guide Service in Truckee said both macks and kokes are scattered all around the lake and anglers have to hunt for them.

FRENCHMAN LAKE–Lake is near completely ice free now and boat ramps are accessible. Terri Stancil at Wiggin’s Trading Post in Chilcoot said snow and ice are generally melted off roads around the lake, except for a few patches here and there. She said anglers have been catching an average of 2 or 3 rainbows weighing 1 to 2 pounds each. Nightcrawlers, Power Bait and marshmallows have been working.

ICE HOUSE RESERVOIR–Specifics are hard to come by, but Julie Siebert at Ice House Resort said plenty of boats have been at the lake and anglers are reported to be catching good numbers of fish, mostly last-year’s planter rainbows.

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR–Action rated only fair here. Dave Kirby at Woodfords Station in Woodfords said a few fishermen have been catching some fish. Fly fishermen in float tubes have been using black or olive Woolly Buggers, while shore anglers have been using nightcrawlers. The bite has been slow at best, he said.

JENKINSON LAKE (Sly Park)–Smallmouth on a good bite as they approach spawning time. Rainbows, browns and some Mackinaw also providing some action. Winds have been a problem for anglers at times.

PROSSER LAKE–Here, too, ice covering the lake is all but completely gone now. Lots of open water now, but launching may be a problem, depending on how much snow remains on ramp from the latest storms.

PYRAMID LAKE–Fishing still up and down, according to Carla Molino at the Pyramid Lake Store. She said some nice fish are being caught from time to time but anglers are having to really work at it. She reported a 12-pound, 13-ounce cutthroat caught by Reno fisherman Brandon Carlson. Water temperatures are still cold, Molino said.

STAMPEDE RESERVOIR–Road finally plowed early this past week and access to the lake became possible. Still, conditions don’t offer much to entice fishermen and ramp conditions can make launching boats a real challenge.

LAKE TAHOE–Mackinaw action has dropped into a slow mode and, good weather or bad, fishing has been tough. Mickey Daniels, who operates Mickey’s Big mack Charters out of Carnelian Bay, has been “frustrated” by both erratic wind conditions and finicky fish. He said even on days when weather is good, the lake’s surface is flat, and he graphs lots of good macks, the fish just aren’t interested in anything they’re offered. He said there are lots of fish, they just aren’t hitting.

TOPAZ LAKE–Trout action has picked up here after being slowed by a snowstorm prior to this past weekend. Chuck Fields at Topaz Landing Marina said the rainbow bite had started to come back around and anglers had been checking in with limits.

TRUCKEE RIVER–Water looks pretty good, but Mark Chamberlain at Mountain Hardware and Sports in Truckee said the runoff has started. He recommended fishermen use fairly big dropper flies like big Prince nymphs or rock rollers, and get down deep, trailing a tiny, dark fly behind.

WEST WALKER RIVER–Lots of action set for opening of trout season here on April 25. Sam Foster at the Toiyabe Motel in Walker said, as usual, the river will be stocked heavily during the fishing season. The first big plant will be a load of Alpers trout to be planted on April 23, just ahead of the opener. Foster said these Alpers will average 3 pounds, so some bigger fish, as well as smaller, will be in the load.

NORTH COAST LAKES

CLEAR LAKE-Still needs a week of warmer weather and the water to get to 60 degrees or above and stay there, then we will see masses of fish move in to spawn, although smaller males have started to move in and have been seen making some beds. Weightless baits like Senkos, flukes, and weightless worms will do the trick when fished slowly and thoroughly. Some of the best colors included watermelon varieties, June bugs, white, and green pumpkins. Try along retaining walls. Best bet for a big fish will be a swimbait, if you have the stubbornness to stick with it all day. This bite will improve as the water continues to warm.

LAKE BERRYESSA-The kokanee bite was tremendous this past weekend, with the largest reported measuring 18 1/4 inches. While fish were scattered, many fish were found mid-lake by the Big Island in 22 to 40 feet. Sep’s 3/0 dodgers in chrome or watermelon and pink/purple Rocky Mountain Tackle spinners or Uncle Larry’s spinners in a Hot Belly color caught fish, with a scent attractant of Carp Spit.

NORTHEASTERN AREA

LAKE ALMANOR-Trout are feeding heavily on pond smelt. Brown trout averaged 3 pounds with a few smaller fish in the 2-pound class and a few in the 4- to 4 1/2-pound range. Black and silver Rapalas, imitating the pond smelt in the lake, have continued to work their magic in the shallows. Trolling these baits 150 to 200 feet behind the boat with a healthy dose of Pro-Cure’s Trophy Trout Sauce found limits on the south side of the Peninsula and a few in the east side.

BAUM LAKE-Small nymphs and dries, with black variations worked best here. Bait fishermen continued to find their best luck with nightcrawlers, while lure fishermen continued to use Panther Martins and Kastmasters.

IRON CANYON RESERVOIR-Latest report showed fish were still biting well, but the water was quite low.

LEWISTON RESERVOIR-There have have been plenty of 12- to 16- inch trout weighing from 1-pound to 1 1/2 pounds are around. Rainbow colored Power Bait with a flasher works in front of the dock at the Pine Cove Marina, as well as slow trolls up to the dam and back. The wind at this time of year can be unpredictable, if it is windy choose Power Bait or a Cripplure. Without the wind, nightcrawlers are a good bet, especially down by the “10 mile an hour” sign. Not too many fly fishermen have been out but the kokanee are hitting on the surface and the rainbows are still deep. As soon as the weather warms up, expect lots of action.

PIT RIVER-Water flows are back to normal, and though the water is still off-colored, fish are biting. Try dark lords, prince nymphs, pheasant tails, copper John’s, and black AP’s in sizes 16 or larger.

LAKE SHASTA- The winds kept the waters stirred up and off-colored but helped to push some of the debris off the main lake and to the sides, making trout trolling challenging, but doable. Stay close to Digger Bay, Toupee Island and the dam, with slow moving lures, as water is still in the high 40s. Smaller salmon can be around Dry Creek, fairly close in this time of year, down about 30 feet. The dam is one area you can target trou; troll from the surface down to 20 feet with Cripplures in oranges or reds, Sling Blades with a paddle-tail in glow patterns, as the water is still off-colored. Anglers fishing a recent bass event said the Pitt and Sac arm saw most of the action. Ripbaits and small swimbaits in the 5- to 7-inch size and in trout and shad patterns, is what many of the anglers said they used. Senkos and tubes fished off the bottom were also popular.

SISKIYOU LAKE-Latest reports suggested trolling a Sep’s dodger with a worm trailer, very slowly (1 mph) worked here. If it doesn’t, try a broken-back Rapala at a speed of 2 to 3 mph and always troll in an “S” pattern. One can expect to find rainbows, brookies, or brown trout in sizes ranging from 12 to 18 inches, with the occasional larger and smaller trout mixed in.

TRINITY LAKE-The south end is the better bet, with the only reasonable launching site at Minersville now. One 6-pound smallmouth was caught here recently. Getting to bass with the water as low as it is has been is the problem, but bass are on a good bite. If you can get to them they are hitting everything: reaction bites in particular are a good choice, and fish are shallow.

NORTH SALTWATER

BERKELEY-The boats finally started getting out for halibut, the New Easy Rider running mid-week trolling up for 9 halibut to 16 pounds for 7 anglers. On Saturday, the El Dorado had a trolling trip that produced 7 halibut for 7 anglers, big fish a 14 pounder. The action came from all over, including Oyster Point, Paradise and the Berkeley Flats.

BODEGA BAY- Surfperch action was good after the swell dropped at Doran Beach for anglers soaking cooked shrimp, Berkely Gulp! sandworms and sand crabs and real sand crabs. Rockfish opens in June, and until then, not much to entice boaters to the area.

CROCKETT-Captain Gordon Hough on the Morning Star reported good action all week on sturgeon trips to San Pablo Bay, although not all the action was from sturgeon. Also caught each day were a half dozen or so striped bass and up to 11 starry flounders. “If you used smaller hooks and pile worms, which are flounder candy, you could really load up the flounder right now,” said Hough. In addition, his anglers caught keeper sturgeon every day but one, two oversized sturgeon and several shakers.

EMERYVILLE-Trolling trips produced both halibut and striped bass action, with lots of shakers reported as well of both species. On Saturday, the New Huck Finn ran with 9 anglers, finding 5 halibut and 11 stripers. On Sunday, the Tigerfish was on watch with 11 anglers who caught 7 halibut. “On both trips, the crews reported tons of shaker bass and halibut,” said John Perrodin at the landing.

EUREKA-The ocean finally laid down and the jetty bite went off with great rockfish action producing some quality black rockfish for the locals who fish regularly. Redtail surfperch reports came from Mad River Beach and Gold Bluffs, where the night smelt are running also. Pacific halibut season opens May 1, and rockfish for boaters opens May 15. Abalone season opened April 1, and by the weekend, ocean conditions were suitable for safe diving in most locations, but no reports had filtered into the dive shops by deadline.

FORT BRAGG-The abalone opener was tough due to poor weather, but the ocean laid down on Saturday offering excellent conditions with a light swell, sunny skies, great visibility and hundreds of divers, including some 200 who rented their gear sets at Subsurface Progression. Most reported good success, said Cory Kilgus at the shop. More popular than ever is spearfishing, with cabezon and greenling the top targets. “Russian Gulch and Glass Beach are favorite spots, but the fish are all over,” said Kilgus.

HALF MOON BAY-Captain Tom Mattusch on the Huli Cat reported windy conditions most of the week, but on Saturday, the wind started to lay down so he ran with a group to target sanddabs and crabs. The sanddab action produced some good multiple hookups and “all you want” action, and when everyone had all they wanted, they switched to check the crab pots. A mix of Dungeness and rock crabs was the result, with 3 dungies per angler, along with a handful of rock crabs.

MARTINEZ-Steady action was hampered by winds most of the week, but a few keepers came in including two on Flash Fishing. Captain Steve Talmadge reported success at the first row of ships and off of Ozol.

POINT SAN PABLO-Captain Frank Miller on Fury found good action and a great variety fishing the south side of San Pablo Bay, his group finding a small keeper sturgeon, 3 leopard sharks, a sevengill shark, and some striped bass. He starts live bait Saturday whether the anchovies are available or not. “We’ll use live shiners, if we can’t get anchovies,” said Miller.

SHELTER COVE-Abalone season opened on April 1, but weather conditions didn’t condone diving until the weekend. Pacific halibut season opens May 1, and Captain Trent Slate of Shelter Cove Sportfishing has already booked his first trips targeting the big flatties up near Punta Gorda.