NORTH COAST RIVERS

North coast rivers are under low flow closures for the most part, except the Klamath and Trinity which are listed separately.

ROGUE RIVER, LOWER-Down low near Gold Beach, the king bite wasn’t red hot last week but anglers caught some absolute toads. Fish to 50 pounds were netted by trollers and there were several 40-plus pounders taken as well. Everything is happening pretty much below the 101 bridge on spinnerbaits.

ROGUE RIVER, UPPER–Up at Gold Ray Dam, the king bite has been fairly steady for anglers fishing eggs or Kwikfish and the fly guys at the top end of the river have been doing well on Ugly Bugs, Copper Johns and Glo Bugs on trout 18 inches and the occasional steelie.

RUSSIAN RIVER-Forget about it – low and full of swimmers and canoes. There won’t be much happening here until the first steelies start poking around sometime around Turkey Day.

TRINITY/KLAMATH RIVERS

KLAMATH RIVER, Klamath Glen-Fishing improved dramatically last week, according to Harvey Young of Fishawk River Guide Service. He said that there were quite a few steelhead being caught around Blue Creek and jack salmon, a precursor to the fall run were entering the river in greater numbers by the day. Pressure had been light, but he said that quite a few new boats were seen on the water over the weekend-and it’s going to get a lot worse. Best get up there quick if you want some relative elbowroom. It’s gonna get crazy.

TRINITY RIVER, Willow Creek-More and more steelhead were being caught from Hoopa to Willow Creek and the lower water made fishing conditions quite a bit easier. Drifting spinners and spoons was effective for bankies, while driftboaters pulled little Hot Shots and Wee Warts.

TRINITY RIVER, Douglas City-Salmon fishing above the weir at Junction City was governed by when the weir was in or out. Friday, Saturday and Sunday is when the odds are better of seeing new fish. Below the weir, around Junction City, anglers were catching both steelhead and salmon. While there were still some larger springers being caught, there was a shift more toward early fall jacks.

SIERRA LAKES/RIVERS

BLUE LAKES-Anglers fishing early and late, especially in the upper 15 feet of water, at both lakes will find fair to good action using spinners, Rapalas or the fly and bubble technique. After the sun is up the fish go down, so trollers do too, but some stockers still available to shorebound Power Baiters and worm dunkers.

BOCA LAKE-Very slow and most anglers have switched over to other lakes. When the cooler water at the inflow doesn’t produce here, nothing does.

CAPLES LAKE-Lake still dropping half a foot a day until total drawdown in September when they expect the fish in the lake to all die during repairs to the two dam gates. Launch ramp is closed but launching off the beach is still okay for now, but that’s expected to be closed very soon, like maybe now. Fishing still good for 1/2-pound browns stocked a week ago, and some rainbows and holdovers.

CARSON RIVER (East, West)-Both forks are low and clear and the only anglers still catching fish are putting their “stealth mode” into gear and doing the sneak. Use very light leaders, cast from a distance, and lob a min-crawler for your best chance in the clear low waters.

DAVIS, LAKE-Trollers are doing well, but summer means “slow” for shore anglers here except early morning or late evening. Trolling is still quite productive on quality fish up top-troll a topwater and one down about 15 feet early, then drop both down to about 15 and 25 feet for the best action. Shore anglers are pretty much done when the sun hits the water. Fly guys will still find a morning midge hatch and a later blood midge hatch.

DONNER LAKE-Rainbows can be picked up by the launch ramp and along the west shoreline, but the Mackinaw bite is pretty dead. Kokanee bite is still good, according to Keith Kerrigan with Sierra Anglers Guide Service, who told the guy at Mountain Hardware and Sports that they’re at 80 and 90 feet.

ICE HOUSE-Got a call into Ice House Resort Sunday afternoon, and one angler was just relaxing after a day on the water. He said they caught their limits of trout by trolling down 40 feet with leadcore dragging Ford Fenders and a ‘crawler. Generally, it’s best in the a.m. before the water fun crowd hits.

FRENCHMAN LAKE-Like catfish? The catfish bite is hot over here, just like the weather! Trout fishing is slow, but if you’re going to try, bring the boat and troll the north shore, beginning at the Narrows and troll north staying down about 5 colors of leadcore. Even the dam is slow for shorebound anglers.

GOLD LAKES BASIN-Nobody giving us reports up here anymore, but when it gets hot, the fishing gets hot up here! Higher elevation lakes are always good in the morning and evening with a fly and bubble for brookies and rainbows; try upper Sardine Lake, Packer Lake and Gold Lake itself, or take a little hike the Bear lakes. If the the fish aren’t up top, try a half a ‘crawler under a slip bobber and let it sink-retrieve it slowly.

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR-Hot weather and slow fishing, period. Try early and late in a belly boat if you want, but if you’re dunking from shore you’re pretty well wasting your time after the sun is up and the warming begins.

JENKINSON LAKE (Sly Park)-It’s mostly a warmwater fishery right now for smallmouth and largemouth bass. Six-year-old Sarah Toward caught a 2 1/2-pound largemouth from the Peninsula for a big lifetime event, and others are finding action working spinnerbaits with grubs along the shelves for smallmouth. Some rainbows deep when the plant truck comes by.

PROSSER LAKE-Look for smallmouth bass in the warmer covers and ledges, but the trout fishing is very slow and the fish are deep and hard to find.

RED LAKE-It’s the summer doldrums, said Dave Kirby at Woodfords Station, and that means you’re going to work a long time here between fish..and that can mean hours.

SILVER LAKE-WON staffer Bill Karr came by here on Saturday morning at 6:30 and there wasn’t an angler on the lake, but that had changed when he came back at 8:30 with a limit of stream-caught brookies. Still, it wasn’t crowded. Good action here trolling and fair from the shoreline. Where did the brookies come from? A small, hike-to stream!

STAMPEDE RESERVOIR-Shore anglers down by the dam are getting some okay action on trout, but the best bite is smallmouth bass in the warmer back bays and inlets. Kokanee action is still a struggle. Hard to find them and harder to get them to bite.

LAKE TAHOE-Everything is “all shook up” around here, and most locals think the 1600 little earthquakes in the past few months has the fish hiding. There aren’t any big schools being graphed, and the fish are deeper than usual-like 300 to 600 feet! Fish caught are plugged with shrimp, not crawdads and minnow like they should be, but they’re healthy and fat. Start at 90 feet and work deeper until you find them, said Chuck Self of Chucks Fishing Charters out of Zephyr Cover. Look for fish from 6 to 13 pounds!

TRUCKEE RIVER-Bait section okay fishing early in the morning before the water play group hits, and the fly guys have to dredge deep to dig up something once the sun comes up. There’s still some action on attractor patterns, and in the late evening there’s some dry action with parachutes.

UNION VALLEY RESERVOIR-We caught a fishermen at Ice House Resort on Sunday evening and he said he and friends got limits of nice trout fishing the outflow from the PG & E Power Plant. They were sitting on shore while the flume was dumping using nightcrawlers, and they ended up with limits. Kokanee have been a tough find this year.

WEST WALKER RIVER-Water flows continue good, although still dropping, and plants keep on coming-like every week a new load of Alpers between 2 and 4 pounds. Fishing remains steady, with limits for many anglers.

NORTH SALTWATER

BERKELEY-Striped bass were back for the live bait potluck boats, although the bite wasn’t quite what it was a couple weeks prior. Captain Jim Smith on the Happy Hooker scored limits of striped bass for his Saturday group of 24. There have been some big stripers caught on the outside, so could be the bass are spreading out. Halibut counts were strong through the week, with the counts dropping some as the tides picked up.

BODEGA BAY- Good action on bottomfish both north and south of the harbor, with limits the rule on the sportfishing boats. Lingcod are still hesitant, but the rockfish make up for it with quick limits on most trips. Surf smelt are running off the mouth of the Russian, with night fish a strong bet for netters.

EMERYVILLE-Good action on halibut earlier in the week slowed by the weekend, but the bass numbers were on the rise with increasing tides. The bottomfish trips to the Farallones produced limits of rockfish and a handful of lingcod. Some big fish reported, including a 34-pound halibut and a 30-pound striper, both caught on the New Seeker outside the Golden Gate.

EUREKA-Some albacore tries, but not much success reported. The warm water came within 35 miles of the coast, but apparently brought no tuna. The Reel Steel reported jumpers at 80 miles, but no takers. Bottomfishing was good down at Cape Mendocino and out of Trinidad, with rockfish action good, but the lingcod bite slow. Local beaches have been kicking out redtail surf perch and both day and night surf smelt, the night fish run lasting later than sources can ever remember.

FORT BRAGG-A combo trip celebrating the second half of the abalone season produced limits of abalone for three divers, and about 8 around on the rockfish for the rest of the group. “The kelp is incredible this year,” said Captain Randy Thornton on the Telstar. “But the divers on board still got their abalone.” He said the grade was respectable but he didn’t measure any 9 inchers.

HALF MOON BAY-Limits of rockfish were the rule, and most of the action came from the local reefs. Captain Tom Mattusch on the Huli Cat said that he found willing bottomfish at Three Rocks, Martins Beach, Tunitas and San Gregorio, where a mix of Bolinas, china, vermilion, copper, yellowtail and blue rockfish filled sacks, accompanied by the occasional lingcod.

LOCH LOMOND-Excellent halibut action slowed some during the faster tides, but Captain Gordon Hough on the Morning Star still had some great counts through the week, with up to 1.5 around and halibut to over 30 pounds. Top spots were the shallower ones, like Southampton, the Richmond Rockwall, Paradise, and the Berkeley Flats. A few stripers showed up on the halibut spots.

SAN FRANCISCO-Good action on the halibut trips, with 1 to 1.5 around and fish in the mid teens. The wind was up on the weekend, making things tougher, but there were still some good scores for the boats that fished the Berkeley Flats.

SHELTER COVE-Wind has been bad, but Captain Trent Slate on Bite Me reported good action on the south side around the Hat, where he located some spots holding jumbo vermilion, including several caught weighing over 10 pounds. While he hasn’t been able to run up north to Punta Gorda due to the wind, his anglers have caught Pacific halibut around the Hat, also.

SACRAMENTO VALLEY

AMERICAN RIVER-Pretty much unchanged from last week, although shad numbers have declined and the river is taken over with rafters on weekends. A few striped bass were being caught by trollers below Paradise Beach and in scattered deep holes upstream to the dam. A lot more fishing than catching, but when a striper is hooked it just might be a monster weighing over 20 pounds.

FEATHER RIVER-Most of the steelies being caught have been 14 to 18 inches long, but a few more adults showed up last week, including a 29 incher taken on a Pheasant Tail Nymph under an indicator. Fish and get off the water early because the water temperature climbs several degrees during the day. Some striped bass to 10 pounds were caught in Shanghai Rapids on swimbaits.
FOLSOM LAKE-Even though bass seekers can no longer gun their Rangers at 60 mph across Folsom, skiers and wakeboarders can’t fly either. So, it’s the fishermen who have been smiling since the 5-mph speed limit went into effect. They’ve been catching bass to 5 pounds by working plastic worms over ledges and rock piles close to the river channel. Topwater, crankbaits and spinnerbaits have also been accounting for fish early before bass are driven deeper.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento-Fishing was slow again, and not even the mosquitoes were biting much. A few shaker stripers and catfish were being caught in the Port and anywhere the river slowed.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, Knight’s Landing-Some decent-sized striped bass were still being caught by persistent anglers willing to catch 5 to 10 shaker bass for every keeper. Sardines, plugs and even big streamer flies were producing.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, Red Bluff-Fishing continued to be good for fat native rainbows. They were being caught in a variety of ways, from crickets, to Hot Shots and Glo-Bugs. Fly fishermen were also scoring on small nymphs under indicators.

NORTH COAST LAKES

CLEAR LAKE-Numbers and sizes are still down for this lake. Best bet right now is to go into the Rattlesnake area and work on the many ledges and rock piles surrounding the island, Though the boating pressure has been fairly light, it picked up quite a bit towards the end of the week, especially in this area.

LAKE BERRYESSA-Koke limits went from 16 to 18 inches this week on setups that included Sep’s 3/0 watermelon dodgers and a blue-glow Hoochie, Sep’s 3/0 chrome starlight dodger with an UV pink Apex, Uncle Larry’s hot belly tiger and Uncle Larry’s pink passion spinner. Fish took their time to chew, though, and most schools did not respond. Many of the kokes netted didn’t show up on graphs at all. The main body held all the fish, not the dam area.

UPPER BLUE LAKE-Trout fishing continued to be slow. Fish are deeper, like 30 feet and the bite has been soft. Trolling a flasher/worm worked best for boats. Sunfish and bluegill along the banks, worked well to entertain the kids and all you need is a chunk of worm.

LAKE SONOMA-Daytime bass fishing slowed but the morning and night were better. Topwater and Senkos in dark colors worked best for bass 2 pounds and up, according to Joshua Tatum from the Outdoor Pro Shop in Rohnert Park.

NORTHEASTERN AREA

LAKE ALMANOR-Pond smelt appear to be having another great year as the trout and salmon are chasing them all over the lake, according to Almanor fishing Adventure. Bait fish are boiling on the topwater as hungry fish slash through the bait balls. Gulls above make it easy to find them.

BATTLE CREEK RESERVOIR–Bait fishing here has been excellent this past week. Worms and Power Bait are producing lots of strikes and limits are common. The points and dam areas are producing well. Lure anglers are catching fish as well throwing or trolling into deeper water and channels. Fly-fishing has been tough, fewer fish seem to be working the surface and major hatches are not as prevalent. You can still catch trout on Adams, mosquitoes, stimulators and nymph patterns but you have to work at it. Most of the fish seem to have gone deep, so try a fast sinking line and get into the channels with leeches, crystal buggers and nymphs to entice the big ones that hold deep.

BAUM LAKE–Still a few callibaetis, PMD’s and caddis, however fishing has slowed somewhat. Nymph fishermen had the best luck. Try a pheasant tail or a copper John in red. Bait anglers are still finding success on ‘crawlers or Power Bait while lure fishermen are doing well on Panther Martins and Rooster Tails.

BRITTON LAKE- Crappie and smallies are still hitting with best results coming from shady areas near structure.

CASSEL FOREBAY-Still quite a few caddis and a few callibaetis appearing. Fly-fishermen are taking a few fish on dries, but patience is a must. Fish early morning and late evenings for the best chance of hooking up. Bait fishermen are using ‘crawlers and salmon eggs. Lure fishermen are doing best on Rooster Tails and Panther Martins.
EAGLE LAKE-Trolling grubs in brown and amber patterns, 28-35 feet deep in water depths of 45-53 feet down, was one option for a bite that has been outstanding the first couple of hours. Shrimp Island and Wildcat Point were good areas to target. Miners Bay also produced fish for trollers in water 55-65 feet deep with your baits, again, trolled at 28-35 feet deep. The fish are bright, healthy, and running between 2.5 and 3.5 pounds. Fish the same areas with bobbers and a threaded nightcrawler set at 30 feet. Find the drop-offs between shallow and deeper water. Move your boat close to shore, into 20 feet of water, reverse your direction until the depth drops to 45-50 feet, drop your anchor and go to work.
FALL RIVER- Hatches remain good in the mornings, with nymph fishermen doing okay all day.

HAT CREEK WILD TROUT AREA-You’ll find fairly good hatches of PMD’s, caddis, callibaetis and spinners during mid-day when it’s not too smoky. Nymph anglers are doing best with birds nest and copper John’s in red or green.

UPPER HAT CREEK-Fly-fishing on the upper creek was fair but it should pick up when the grasshoppers show up later in the month. Hatches of stone flies, caddis and light cahills are still happening so try these patterns for topwater action. The best fishing on the upper creek usually involves fishing deep with crystal buggers, nymphs and bead head patterns. Bait fishermen have been doing the best using worms, eggs, and Panther Martins. Fish deep to catch the most fish. Limits are still common this time of year and some very big brook trout are still being taken every week.

MANZANITA LAKE- True to pattern this year, this lake is hot and cold. This past week saw some incredible hatches with fish boiling everywhere. Some very nice rainbows and browns were taken but the hatch was tough to match. Callibaetis, PMD nymphs and dries caught fish but were not as productive as they can be. Smaller fly patterns seem to work better so try various midge patterns to try and match the hatch. Other days were windy and saw very little activity. Weed growth is not as bad as past years but is still pretty heavy in some areas of the lake. Remember to heed the special fishing restrictions for this lake.

PIT RIVER-Caddis pupa in shades of brown seem to be the ticket currently, though rubber legs are also picking up fish.

LAKE SHASTA- The Dry Creek mouth and arm have been good for both salmon and trout. The best bite has been from 36 to 100 feet deep. A 50/50 mix of trout and salmon up to 3 pounds, with the average fish running about 17 inches where taken in from Bridge Bay to the Dam, with good numbers of quality rainbow trout. Waters Gulch has also been producing as well. Reaction baits, fished early and late in the day, are finding “small” bass. For the warmer, mid-day fishing, try grubs, dart-headed worms, or drop-shot worms in green pumpkin or other dark colors, fished deep.

NORTHERN FOOTHILLS

AMERICAN RIVER-No recent plants have been made and fishing only fair along Hwy 50.

BULLARDS BAR-Very heavy recreational boater and personal watercraft traffic makes this lake a madhouse for fishermen. The kokanee and trout bite has vanished; the best chances are up in the river arm. The lake is down and the water is taking on a little color, which should indicate more algae for the kokanee, but the bite never turned on this year for some unexplained reason. The spotted bass bite has slowed down, too. Fish have moved deeper because of the water temps and the boat traffic.

CAMP FAR WEST-Catfishing is about the only thing going on here. A recent trip by a group of young anglers fishing off the rental docks resulted in lots of cats topped off by a 10 pounder caught by 14-year old Eli Smith on chicken liver. Heavy boat and jet skier traffic makes daytime boat angling uncomfortable.

ENGLEBRIGHT RESERVOIR-The trout bite is still wide open for trollers and bait anglers. Worms and Power Bait are the standard for the bait soakers and trollers are scoring bonus kokanee on flashers trailing an anchovy filet. The kokanee are coming in from the Black’s Ravine area and running 12 to 13 inches. Bass and catfish are a little elusive but night fishing with cut baits for cats should provide some action. A lot of bass are being seen but not biting. Slow down and downsize your offering and you should have more success on the bass.

FRENCH MEADOWS RESERVOIR-Lake was planted last week and fishing should be good for shore anglers using Power Bait and worms. Trollers should be doing well with flashers and nightcrawlers or a Needlefish.

HELL HOLE RESERVOIR-Not much change since last week, kokanee at the powerhouse at 20 to 30 feet and browns at the inlet at 10 to 15 feet. Dodgers with Wedding Rings or Needlefish for the kokes and a big Rapala for browns early in the morning or on a dark weather day.

LAKE OROVILLE-Most of the launch ramps will be closed or restricted to single lane steel mat extensions requiring 4-wheel drive vehicles for safe boat launching. Lime Saddle is closed, Bidwell Canyon already has the extension and the Spillway ramp should be dry by Aug. 9th. For the latest info check with the Ranger office at (530) 538-2200. Despite all the problems with the dropping levels, anglers after catfish are doing very well on cut squid for cats that average 3 to 4 pounds and have been running up to 7 pounds. Bass have been active at night and some bigger fish have been hitting big jig and pig combos in brown/purple.

ROLLINS LAKE-Catfishing is very good with lots of fish coming in on inflated nightcrawlers anywhere on the lake.

SCOTT’S FLAT LAKE-Trout and kokanee are hitting flashers with bait or spoons at the dam at 35 to 40 feet. Catfishing has been good on chicken livers and nightcrawlers.

SUGAR PINE RESERVOIR-Not planted again last week, so fishing is only fair for shore anglers using Power Bait and worms. Trollers are using flashers and worms.

STUMPY MEADOWS RESERVOIR-Not much change here either, small planters coming on flashers and worms. Shore anglers using the standards of Power Bait and worms.

THERMOLITO AFTERBAY-After a couple of weeks of good bass fishing because the water was up in the tules, the water level has dropped again and the bass have moved off the bank onto deeper structure. Worms and jigs are the lures of choice now.