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 or no reports. 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. Many streams close, and others change to artificial/barbless only on, March 31 and others on April 25. Trouble identifying salmon or steelhead? Go to: http://www.swr.noaa.gov/fmd/identify.htm.

COOS RIVER, Coos Bay, Ore.–Fishing this river is as simple as it comes for fall kings, and Marshfield Channel on the incoming tide is the easiest spot to get started learning this river system while having success. Fishing has been good this last week with heavy tides bringing in lots of fresh salmon. “I highly recommend using a flasher 4 feet in front of a plug cut herring or other bait you may choose to use while trolling various areas of this river,” said WON Field Reporter Curtis Palmer of River Secrets Guide Service. “The average size of the salmon in this fishery is 18 pounds, but there are king salmon that represent the name. A friend has many fish mounts from this river with the smallest being 52 pounds. This river normally fishes threw the month of September.”

COQUILLE RIVER, Bandon, Ore.–The fishing over the weekend on this river was less than pleasant for many anglers, according to guide Curtis Palmer.  With the wind causing a high wind chop and the heavy currents of the incoming tide from large exchanges, it can make controlling your boat and gear difficult. This river snakes around hills and across the flat marsh fields, giving many protective areas to escape the wind, but there are those days that the wind will still find you and that is what happened over the weekend. Report’s from a couple trusted anglers who know the river very well, said that the salmon fishing had become slow in the Rocky Point area. They did mention that they marked a lot of fresh fish coming in on the new tide. “I know from many years of fishing this river that on heavy incoming tides that the fresh salmon moving into the system can run upriver at speeds that will leave angler’s downstream looking for where the fish disappeared to,” said Palmer. “I am expecting with small exchanges in tides next week that there will be many happy anglers harvesting these salmon from this awesome river.”

ROGUE RIVER, Gold Beach, Ore.—”I am sad to report that fishing in the Bay on the Rogue river has become even slower for most of the anglers,” said Curtis Palmer of River Secret’s Guide Service. “Water temperature have become cooler, which is not what angler’s want while fishing here. I am expecting to see the coho returning soon and I am hoping that it will be a more favorable season than the king salmon have been this year. Angler’s that have moved upriver to sit on anchor and wait for the salmon to come to them, have done well this last week. A few people have been sidedrifting for these fall Chinooks upriver, as well, with success. I think that moving upriver is a wise decision, and if I was going to recommend an area it would be between the confluence of the Illinois river and Lobster Creek. There are places to launch boats at both of these spots. Report’s have been mentioning that many of the fish being caught are smaller than normal. These salmon have been weighing in around the 10- to 12-pound range, which is tiny in my opinion, compared to the size of the fall king’s that I and many other fisherman are used to seeing in the famous Rogue River.

RUSSIAN RIVER—Nothing is expected to be happening here until the first fall rains bring the river up and the first salmon and steelhead begin to enter the river.

 

TRINITY/KLAMATH RIVERS

KLAMATH RIVER, Klamath Glen—Anglers found good fishing from the mouth of the Klamath River all the way up to Blue Creek last week. Bank anglers at the mouth were beading and throwing spinners, while, farther upstream, boaters boondogged and drifted roe.  Some jacks were still being caught, more and more of the fish ranged from 10 to 15 pounds, with some weighing over 20 pounds.  A few steelhead were being caught, but almost all were salmon.

TRINITY RIVER, Junction City—Salmon fishing was very good once again, but fall run Chinook are still just trickling in, and the spring run fish are getting darker. However, big numbers of fish are coming upriver from downstream and should hit the Junction City area any time. Backtroll plugs early in the morning, and drift roe later.

TRINITY RIVER, Del Loma—Fishing was very good around Del Loma last week as fall fish started arriving in good numbers.  And, lots more are on the way spurred on by the cooler higher flows coming from Lewiston Dam. Fishing was picking up around the South Fork, as well.

NORTH COAST LAKES

CLEAR LAKE—Bass guide Larry Hemphill said the lake is clearing up some with cooler nights. The bite was slow but the fish big– bass were only 10 to 20 feet deep wherever you can find rock.

LAKE BERRYESSA—Most of the kokes are on structure so don’t be afraid to bounce the bottom to make them go. Work the grass flats and creeks on the main body for bass. From 5 to 15 feet, when you find a good spot they’ve been stacked up and feeding.

LAKE SONOMA—There’s a good topwater bite on the main body with Sammy 128s in ghost minnow fished around points and standing timber before the sun hits the water. Then it’s drop-shot or Senkos in the 15 to 25 feet of water on grass lines, points and ledges. For land-locked steelies, work the 30- to 35-foot mark in front of the dam.

NORTHEASTERN AREA

LAKE ALMANOR—Now that the smoke has cleared, try the A-Frame and Big Springs, two all time favorites. The fish are stuffed with baitfish and the pressure has been light. Few have fished it for 3 weeks due to fires that have now been contained or put out.

BATTLE CREEK RESERVOIR—Rim Rock Ranch reports that fishing continues to be very good with worms and floating baits picking up the most fish. Fly fishing has been sporadic but buggers and callibaetis nymphs are picking up some fish. If you have a boat, trolling is working as well.

BAUM LAKE—No new reports. Due to heat, fish early in the day for a few trout or late in the afternoon for a better chance.

CASSEL FOREBAY–Closed until further notice for repairs. All water has been drained into the natural creek channel that flows into Baum Lake in order to work on structure repairs in the canal. The section above the canal near the post office is fishing well but does not accommodate a lot of fishermen.

FALL RIVER–The Fly Shop reported the river is still fishing great. There’s a caddis hatch early in the morning and a sparse mayfly hatch mid day. The rainbows have been into emerging caddis patterns, midges and no. 16 pheasant tail nymphs. Trico spinners are a big part of the fish diet through mid September.

HAT CREEK, UPPER–DFG did its usual great series of fish plants for the holiday weekend and some huge trout started coming in with several topping the scales over 5 pounds. There are lots of fish to go around with worms and eggs topping the list for the baits. The best fishing times are early morning and early evenings. Day time temperatures have been in the mid 80s but mornings have been around 30 to 32 degrees so bring layers to deal with the large shift in temperatures. Fish plants will continue twice a week for the remainder of the month and with huge numbers of carryover fish, the catch should be exceptional all month long.

MANZANITA LAKE–Rim Rock Ranch reports fishing has been spotty, but when the fish are active, brassies and midge patterns have worked well. Leeches and damsel patterns have also been picking up fish. The road through the park is open, as are most of the trails. This lake has special restrictions so be sure and read the regulations.

MCCLOUD LAKE—Scott Caldwell of SC Guide Service has been finding stellar trout days here, with 50-plus fish being released each trip.

MCCLOUD RIVER—Closed due to the Bagley Fire for at least a few weeks.

PIT RIVER—The Fly Shop reported the Pit has been fishing great, with some of the highlights bigger fish along the Pit #3 section.

SHASTA LAKE—Adult shad have the lake on fire and the fishing fast for a mix of kings (120 feet) and rainbows (100 feet) at the mouth of Dry Creek in the deep water. You’ll also find the bass under baitballs as they move up to feast.

WHISKEYTOWN RESERVOIR—Find limits of 11- to 14-inch kokes both north and south of the 299 Bridge. Some of the kokes are just starting to kype, but there’s 3 or 4 more good weeks left here. Look for a steady day using Apexs in UV pink and watermelon behind a Sling Blade in 30 to 45 feet.

 

SACRAMENTO VALLEY

AMERICAN RIVER—Flows are down to 2,000 cfs, perfect for wading.  But caution is still needed, along with proper wading shoes, staff, tightly cinched belt, and emergency inflator.  Fishing for halfpounder steelhead was good again in the mid-river, from Howe Ave. to Rossmoor Bar.  Salmon fishing was still slow, but an errant chum salmon reportedly was caught up by Sailor Bar.

FOLSOM LAKE—Anglers in the know and fishing early were still catching king salmon and trout last week.  Fish the main body over the river channel, from 35 to 60 feet deep with white hoochies behind silver dodgers and F-7 FlatFish in hot steel or rainbow patterns.  The lake is still dropping, so bass are deep and fishing is slow.  Drop-shotted  Robo-Worms in shad patterns and jigs in crawdad patterns across main points and over submerged rock piles are attracting a few bites.

FEATHER RIVER—Bright salmon were still being caught around Shanghai Bend by trollers and jiggers to the tune of a couple a day.  More fish are concentrated just below the Outlet, and fishing continued to be very good, but the fish are darker.  The few steelhead up to 4 pounds were being caught in the Low Flow Section on dead-drifted nymphs under indicators, drifted nightcrawlers, and Glo-Bugs.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento—Salmon fishing was up and down during the week as pods of salmon worked their way upstream.  The Minnow Hole was still producing best for bankies tossing big spinners, and a few were being caught at  Discovery Park, as well.  There should be another big push of fish as the run begins in earnest on the American River.  Fishing for catfish continued to be good in the Deep Water Channel over the levee off  the end of Marshall Road.  Some stripers were also being caught there on mudsuckers and bloodworms.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, Red Bluff—Salmon fishing continued to be very good and getting better and better all the time.  But boongoggers are not doing nearly as well as anglers backtrolling plugs or backbouncing roe.  Fishing might be great in the morning, but some days the mid-day and afternoon bite is better.  Be flexible.  Some of the better spots have been Tisdale, Ord Bend, and Hamilton City.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, Redding—Trout fishing continued to be very good with anglers catching a dozen or more fat rainbows from 12 to 20 inches on crickets and trolling small lures, as well as egg patterns and  nymphs under indicators.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, Dunsmuir—Trout fishing continued to be in the summer doldrums, except early in the morning and late in the evening.  Dunsmuir  was better where frequent plants pump up the action. The McCloud has also been only fair.

YUBA RIVER— Fishing continued to be good on the Yuba River with fat rainbows still keying on hoppers around the Highway 20 Bridge.  Pair a hopper with a small dropper nymph, especially mid-day.

 

NORCAL SALTWATER

BERKELEY—Boaters found salmon off of Muir Beach and near the Channel Buoys but learned that the prized fish went on and off the bite at will. Shark action inside the Bay proved productive for the California Dawn.

BODEGA BAY—Salmon fishing slowed this week, but fish were reported between Elephant Rock and the middle of the outer Bodega Bay. Capt. Jack Marshall on Blondie reported seeing female salmon with more developed eggs and males with the start of hook jaws, suggesting that the fish are preparing to head up the river systems.

EMERYVILLE—Rockfish remained consistently good with limits the rule. Salmon action slowed to generally under a fish per rod. Friday’s scores were: Super Fish had 16 anglers boat 2 salmon to 12 pounds. The Sundance had 6 people catch 5 salmon to 22 pounds. The Sea Wolf’s 21 anglers had limits of rockfish plus 5 lingcod to 16 pounds. The New Huck Finn saw 27 fishers haul in limits of rockfish plus 9 lingcod to 12 pounds. Then on Saturday the Sea Gull II saw 17 folks get limits of rockfish and 10 lingcod to 12 pounds. On the Sea Wolf, 25 anglers caught limits of rockfish and 8 lingcod to 15 pounds. The New Huck Finn’s 30 people caught limits of rockfish and 12 lingcod to 10 pounds. The New Seeker had 17 fishers boat 12 salmon to 22 pounds fishing the San Mateo County coast. On the Super Fish, 21 people got 10 salmon to 26 pounds. On the Talisman, 6 fishers caught 4 salmon to 21 pounds.

EUREKA—Tuna went wide open 40-some miles southwest of Eureka early in the week. Salmon fishing continues at limits level, through the season is nearing its end. Pacific Halibut were also on the fishing agenda.

FORT BRAGG—Telstar fished north of town for good-sized salmon to over 20 pounds. Best areas were off of Pudding Creek and 10-Mile River and the technique of choice was an anchovy under a scrambled-egg hoochie.

HALF MOON BAY—Ratios of rockfish to lingcod creeped up in favor of lingcod, mirroring reports from all along the coast. Cabezon counts were up also. Boats out of Half Moon Bay Sportfishing concentrated on local areas from just south of the Harbor on down to Pescadero. On Saturday the Queen of Hearts posted 14 limits of rockfish including very large browns and reds along with 10 lingcod to 9 pounds. Private boaters scored well on albacore with reported catches as high as 27 fish for 2 people on one boat.

OYSTER POINT—Plenty of leopard shark action was available at the pier for anglers using squid baits. A number of legal sharks were caught and numerous rays were caught and released. The highlight of the week was a 16-pound halibut caught Monday from the pier. Private boaters launched their craft and made successful runs for salmon outside the Gate.

PORT SONOMA—Petaluma River gave up limits of striped bass from the Sheraton Hotel to Port Sonoma. Upper San Pablo Bay pumped out sturgeon and striped bass from near China Camp and the Pumphouse.

SAN FRANCISCO—Rockfishing is steady along the Marin coast. Halibut and salmon spice up the action. Boats prepare for customer demand for albacore trips.

SAN RAFAEL—Three prized species showed a marked increase in willingness to bite. Halibut to 30 pounds were weighed in, striped bass prowled the Richmond shoreline and salmon bit near California City.

SHELTER COVE—Albacore action peaked for boats out of Shelter Cove. Runs were relatively short, as some reports came from just 13 miles out. Boat counts soared up to 50 fish.

 

SIERRA LAKES/RIVERS

BEAR RIVER RESERVOIR—The lake is scheduled for a DFG trout plant this week.  Look for some of the larger Mackinaw in the lake to move toward the boat ramp to feed on the planters!!

BOCA LAKE—The lake is at 75-percent capacity.  With the lake over-run with recreational boats and personal watercraft over the Labor Day weekend, fishing was slow.  Nights were getting colder this past week and water temps were beginning to drop, so the beginning of the fall feeding frenzy should only be a couple of weeks away.

CAPLES LAKE—The lake is scheduled for a DFG trout plant this week.  The Kirkwood PUD planted 1500 pounds of 1/2- to 2 1/2-pound rainbows this past week.  One shore angler, Geoff Flyer of Reno, caught a 3 1/2-pound rainbow and a 2-pound brown throwing a Kastmaster spoon just down from the resort.  Matt Sheley and Hayley Robinson of Sacramento trolled Emigrant Bay with flasher/worm combos at 15 feet deep and caught several planter-sized rainbows and a 1 pounder.

CARSON RIVER (East, West)—The East Carson and West Carson are both scheduled for DFG trout plants this week.  Alpine County planted 1800 pounds of trophy trout in the East and West Carson this past week and will do the same this week.  The DFG planted 500 pounds of catchable rainbows in both Markleeville Creek and Silver Creek this past week—a total of 5600 pounds of trout over three weeks.  Todd Sodaro at the Carson River Resort reported that fishing was very good.  One angler came in with a 5-fish limit taken out of the East Carson on Rooster Tails that weighed 20 pounds.

DAVIS LAKE—The lake is at 71-percent capacity.  Mark Tieslau at Mountain Hardware and Sports in Blairsden reported that fly fishermen were doing well in the Jenkins Point area on olive and cinnamon woolly buggers.   Trollers were catching some quality fish in the 17- to 20-inch range on Dick Nite and Needlefish spoons at 18 feet deep around the island.

DONNER LAKE—Rainbow trout fishing was still good for anglers working the west end.  Kokanee trolling was very good for boaters running dodgers and pink or orange hoochies at 50 to 55 feet deep from China Cove to Loch Leven, according to Mountain Hardware and Sports.  The kokes were measuring 13 to 15 inches.  Anglers catching the native minnows and using them for bait were picking up some browns and macks.  Smaller macks were being caught on kokanee gear or kokanee imitations at or below the depth of the koke schools.

FEATHER RIVER CANYON—Mike Hanson at Caribou Crossroads Resort reported that Caribou Road was still closed because of the Chips Fire.  Flows in the North Fork were scheduled to drop now that PG&E had completed repairs on an upstream powerhouse.

FRENCHMAN LAKE—The lake is at 63-percent capacity.  According to Wiggins Trading Post, trollers outscored shore fishermen by a wide margin.  Trollers running flasher/worm combos and Needlefish 25 to 30 feet deep out from the boat ramp and by the dam caught limits of 15- to 19-inch rainbows.  Shore anglers only caught a few rainbows to 17 inches on Power Bait near the dam.

GOLD LAKES BASIN—Mark Tieslau at Mountain Hardware and Sports in Blairsden reported that trolling was good in Upper Salmon Lake and Lower Sardine Lake for 12- to 14-inch rainbows on flasher/worm combos run 6 to 8 feet deep.  Gold Lake mack fishing should improve in the next few weeks as the water temp drops and the lake turns over.  Night-time temps were getting down into the 30’s this past week, so fall is just around the corner.

ICE HOUSE RESERVOIR—The lake is at 75-percent capacity.  Dale Daneman at Dale’s Foothill Fishing Service hit the lake this past week and he and three friends caught 20 rainbows from 11 to 15 inches in 3 1/2 hours.  They trolled Sep’s brown grubs from 25 to 35 feet deep.  When Daneman and company returned to the dock, they found the boat ramp awash in rainbows indicating that an unscheduled DFG trout plant had just been made.  Colder night-time temps had lowered the surface temp to 69 degrees—down a couple of degrees since the previous week.

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR—Todd Sodaro at the Carson River Resort reported that the water was warm and weedy here.  Fishing was so good in the Carson River that few people were bothering with this lake.

JACKSON MEADOW RESERVOIR—According to Mountain Hardware and Sports, little was happening here and there were few reports coming in.

JENKINSON LAKE (Sly Park)—Sly Park Resort reported that smallmouth bass fishing was good in the Narrows.  Some kids did well using nightcrawlers on bass that weighed 2 to 3 pounds.  The lake was busy over the Labor Day weekend, but fishing should improve as kids get back to school and the recreational boating season comes to a close.

LAKE TAHOE—Guides on both ends of the lake were doing well.  Mike Nielsen at Tahoe Topliners put clients on macks to 18 pounds this past week jigging Bomber Slab spoons and Crippled Herring 160 to 170 feet deep off South Shore.  He was also jigging for kokanee with the same lure at 75 to 95 feet deep.  Macks were also hitting trolled Storm ThunderSticks and Laxee spoons at 160 to 170 feet deep.  At North Shore, Chuck Self at Chuck’s Charter Fishing and Mickey Daniels at Big Mack Charters were picking up limits of macks from 2 to 10 pounds trolling from 90 to 350 feet deep with stickbaits, spoons, and dodger/minnow combos off Crystal Bay and Carnelian Bay.

LOON LAKE—The lake is at 58-percent capacity.  Dale Daneman at Dale’s Foothill Fishing Service reported that construction crews were driving piles into the shore by the powerhouse near the boat launch.  It appeared that the commotion from the construction had slowed the trolling bite to a standstill.

PROSSER LAKE—The lake is at 55-percent capacity.  According to Mountain Hardware and Sports, there wasn’t much happening here.  Anglers were waiting for the surface temp to drop a few more degrees to get the fall feeding frenzy started.  Trout and smallmouth fishing was slow this past week.

RED LAKE—Few reports were available, but the colder nights should be dropping the water temp and clearing up the algae that plagued on the lake this summer.

SILVER LAKE—The lake is scheduled for a DFG trout plant this week.  The Kirkwood PUD planted 1500 pounds of 1/2- to 2 1/2-pound rainbows this past week—1000 pounds of 1/2- to 1-pound fish, and 500 pounds of 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounders.

STAMPEDE RESERVOIR—The lake is at 78-percent capacity and scheduled for a DFG trout plant this week.  Mountain Hardware and Sports reported that kokanee trolling was still good, but the fish were starting to turn.  Trolling dodger/hoochie combos in pink at 50 to 55 feet deep around the island was producing good catches.  Trout and smallmouth bass fishing was slow.

TOPAZ LAKE—Trout fishing was still slow, according to Chuck Fields at the Topaz Landing Marina.

TRUCKEE RIVER—According to Brian Nylund at Mountain Hardware and Sports, the colder nights were dropping the water temp and increasing the feeding activity.  The hopper/dropper activity was still good on warm windy days.  The October caddis pupas were showing up more and golden stones were slowing down.  BWO’s were more common now as summer begins to change to fall.  Fish were still in the faster pocket water this past week, but this will change over the next couple of weeks.

UNION VALLEY RESERVOIR—The lake is at 72-percent capacity.  Dale Daneman at Dale’s Foothill Fishing Service reported that two friends hit the lake this past week and picked up two limits of 14- to 16-inch kokanee trolling dodger/hoochie or spinner combos 65 to 85 feet deep at the dam in the early morning.  The fish were still bright and silver—most likely females.

WEST WALKER RIVER—The river flows were running 50 cfs.  Mono County and the Bishop Chamber of Commerce both planted some Conway Ranch trophy rainbows in the river this past week in time for the Labor Day weekend.  Sam Foster at the Toiyabe Motel reported that the fishing was “phenomenal”—everyone was catching as many fish as they wanted and catch-and-release very common.  Foster said that everything in the tackle box was working.

 

NORTHERN FOOTHILLS

AMERICAN RIVER—The Silver Fork is scheduled for a DFG trout plant this week.  Try around the campground—the mostly like site for the planting truck to stop!

BULLARDS BAR—The lake is at 70-percent capacity.  Emerald Cove Marina reported that fishing was slow.  The only fish consistently hitting were small spotted bass that were readily found all around the lake in the top 10 to 20 feet.

CAMP FAR WEST—Kathy DeRossett at North Shore Resort reported that anglers were still catching good numbers of bass to 3 pounds on worms, Brush Hogs, and plugs in the Rock Creek arm at 10 feet deep.  “Ron” of Folsom landed 16 fish in witch’s T Roboworms and Brush Hogs.  Eugene Williams of Orangevale caught a limit of bass to 3 pounds and catfish to 5 pounds casting crankbaits.

COLLINS LAKE—The lake is 27 feet from full.  Warm water conditions put catfishing in the forefront again this past week.  Trout were found near deep water in the early morning by the dam for anglers using Power Bait and worms.  The catfish were caught mostly on nightcrawlers, crawdads, and chicken livers at the dam and in Elmer’s Cove and weighed from 5 to 8 1/2 pounds.  One boat reported catching lots of crappie on white mini-jigs in the far corner of the dam.  Some bass to 2 pounds fell for live crawdads at the dam.

ENGLEBRIGHT RESERVOIR—The lake is at 92-percent capacity.  Skippers Cove Marina reported that trollers and bait drifters were still catching rainbows and a few brown trout from Black’s Ravine to Boston Bar on the upper end of the lake.  Nick Salvatorelli picked up a 3-pound brown trolling worms.  Other anglers reported catching planter rainbows drifting worms and Power Bait.

FRENCH MEADOWS RESERVOIR—The lake is at 67-percent capacity and scheduled for a DFG trout pant this week.  The Foresthill Ranger Station wanted to remind visitors, especially hunters, that fire restrictions were still in force and open fires were only allowed in designated USFS campgrounds.  Hunters also need to remember that the French Meadows Lake area is located in a State Game Refuge and firearms may not be in possession, even at the campgrounds.

HELL HOLE RESERVOIR—The lake is at 60-percent capacity.  Will Fish Tackle in Auburn and the Georgetown Ranger Station reported that fishing was very slow.  A few kokanee and trout were being caught trolling deep.  The water level prohibits boats from getting past the Narrows at this time.  The Big Meadows campground will be closed starting this week to install a new water system.

LAKE OROVILLE—The lake is at 63-percent capacity.  Despite the water level still dropping 1 to 1 1/2 feet per day, the fishing was good this past week.  Guide Ron Gandolfi reported that the reaction bite was still good in the early morning and late afternoon.  During the day when the recreational boat traffic kicked up, the fish were dropping into deeper water, 30 to 40 feet, and hitting drop-shot minnow imitation baits.  Gandolfi said his clients were picking up 25 to 30 fish on a 1/2-day trip.  Mike Hanson said that there was a good evening bite for fish in the 4- to 5-pound range on Sammy’s.  The last Tuesday evening turkey shoot was won with a 23 1/2-inch spot, followed by a 22 incher and a 19 incher.  The fish were coming off steep rock walls in the North Fork.

ROLLINS LAKE—Johnny Anaya at Long Ravine Resort reported that bass from 2 to 8 pounds were hitting spinnerbaits in the pond across the street from the lake at Long Ravine.   Fishing in the main lake was slow due to heavy recreational boat traffic over the holiday weekend.

SCOTT’S FLAT LAKE—Rainbow trout were still hitting for trollers working the Cascade Shore area toward the dam.  Smallmouth bass were hitting worms and jigs from the day-use area to Hensley with some fish running 2 to 3 pounds.

SUGAR PINE RESERVOIR—The Foresthill Ranger Station reported that little was happening here from fishermen.  The lake has not been planted for weeks and with the warmer water temp, anglers can only hope for cooler nights to drop the surface temp and get the fall bite started.

STUMPY MEADOWS RESERVOIR—The Georgetown Ranger Station reported that trollers were still picking up a few rainbows at 50 feet deep on flasher/worm combos and Rapalas.  Shore fishing was very slow.

THERMOLITO AFTERBAY—The lake was at 134.3-foot elevation—87-percent capacity at press time.  Head back into the shallower flats away from the current to find warmer water—the key to a good bass bite.  In the heat of the day, bass were hitting frogs along the tule banks.