Shasta Tackle reports trolling the points from the surface to 15 feet down has been very good for trout since the lake turned over. The trout are all over the lake and averaging 2 pounds with an occasional 3- to 4-pounder. Shad patterned lures will be the way to go, especially from Bridge Bay to the dam. Bass fishing will improve for larger fish once the water has some color to it and it cools just a bit. Then you should be able to throw reaction baits all day long. Until then, start and finish with that and throw 4-inch drop-shot or dartheaded worms in 15 to 25 feet of water when the sun is on the water.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Red Bluff — Salmon fishing slowed around Balls Ferry, but a new batch of bright late fall salmon has started to show around Hamilton City. It’s not fast fishing, but dime bright fish to 31 pounds were caught last week, almost exclusively on plugs.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Redding — Trout fishing was exceptionally good last week and they are hammering Glo-Bugs and egg patterns behind spawning salmon
NORTHEASTERN WATERS
LAKE ALMANOR — Big winds were in the area last week and slowed the fishing around the basin. The weekend boat traffic was steady although there were few nets flying. Conditions should improve this week, but the lake is turning over so conditions will change.
BAUM LAKE — Vaughn’s Sporting Goods in Burney reports good fishing continues here for both fly anglers and bait anglers and the daytime bite has improved. Nightcrawlers, lures and floating baits are still doing well, as are nymphs such as copper Johns in red or pheasant tails. For dries, the best luck seemed to be with callibaetis cripples, Pale Morning Dun cripples, Blue Winged Olives and mahogany duns.
BRITTON LAKE — According to Vaughn’s Sporting Goods, the crappie bite has definitely dropped off and the fall smallmouth bass bite is taking its place.
BURNEY CREEK — Vaughn’s Sporting Goods reports no changes in technique here all season. There’s good nymphing at the base of the falls with green copper Johns and bait and lure anglers are catching trout above the falls.
CASSEL FOREBAY — Flows are back to normal and with the cooler weather and water moving, fishing has picked up. There were some nice brook trout to 5 pounds being caught.
EAGLE LAKE — The fish continued to be scattered, both in the water columns as well as various areas. The north end, which is where anglers and fish should be, has been covered with grasses. But wind during the last part of the week blew them out and with cooler weather and waters arriving, that will be a good bet. FALL RIVER — According to Vaughn’s Sporting Goods in Burney, anglers are mainly nymphing, but there is some dry activity, especially with sun. Blue Winged Olives should be a good choice with the weather change. Otherwise, pheasant tails and woolly buggers seemed to work consistently.
UPPER HAT CREEK — Anglers using nightcrawler seem to be having the best luck, but lures can also produce here. Brook trout seem to be the major focus here right now with some nice-sized fish being caught by the few anglers here.
HAT CREEK, wild trout section — Vaughn’s Sporting Goods reports nymphing was best with anglers doing okay on the stretch just below the powerhouse. Anglers found good results with pheasant tails and copper Johns. Callibaetis cripples are working, but watch for Blue Winged Olives on cloudy days. There are still no October caddis showing in lower section, must be the late weather patterns this year.
McCLOUD RIVER — The Fly Shop reports Insect hatches of small green mayflies like blue wing olives, pale evening duns, small tan sedges and October caddis in the early evenings has bumped the fishing up from fair to good.
PIT RIVER — This is an excellent choice for an autumn fishing destination. Conditions have been good, and according to The Fly Shop in Redding, insect hatches of October caddis, small dark sedges and baetis are feeding the rainbows. Fishing has been good but be extremely careful on the slippery rocks here and wear personal flotation devices. There is road work along the Pit River with road closures of two plus hours possible between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The road will be open over Veterans Day weekend. Beware of the truck traffic along the road that parallels Pit No. 3. These trucks take up the whole single lane road.
TRINITY/KLAMATH RIVERS
TRINITY RIVER, Douglas City — The water is very low and clear, and some storms are badly needed to put a bit of color into the water and raise the levels. Salmon fishing was very good, but almost all the salmon being caught are dark. Steelhead fishing was fair, and they are keying on Glo-Bugs behind the hundreds of spawning salmon.
TRINITY RIVER, Willow Creek — The river below Willow Creek and down toward Hoopa was low and clear, but fishing slowed last week. Fly fishermen could catch a lot of small steelhead on flies and spinners.
KLAMATH RIVER, Iron Gate Dam — A lot of salmon, almost all dark, are still up in the upper end of the Klamath, and are easy to catch on drifted and backbounced roe, and back-trolled Kwikfish. Small steelhead are being caught on drifted nightcrawlers and roe, back-trolled Hot Shots, and swing streamers on fly rods.
KLAMATH RIVER, Klamath Glen — The water is low and clear near the mouth of the Klamath, and there are very few fishermen on the water, but some salmon and steelhead are still coming into the river. Fly fishermen are doing fair on steelhead up around Johnson’s Riffle.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
AMERICAN RIVER — Fishing for salmon has tapered off, but steelhead fishing is starting to come on with halfpounders to 22 inches taking flies swung or dead-drifted under indicators, as well as nightcrawlers, roe, spinners and spoons. The salmon spawning area upstream of the power lines crossing the river at Ancil Hoffman Park to the USGS cable at Nimbus Hatchery closed Monday. The fish ladder at Nimbus Fish Hatchery located off Gold Country Boulevard in Gold River, opened to accept salmon for spawning on Tuesday.
FEATHER RIVER — Salmon fishing on the Feather River was very poor, and flows below the Outlet were very low at 2,200 cubic feet per second. However, some steelhead were being caught at what little is left of the rapids at Shanghai Bend, and up in the Low Flow Section, especially at Palm Ave.
FOLSOM LAKE — Bass fishing continued to be slow, but the lake is no longer dropping so fast, so fishing should pick up as bass become more comfortable. Bass continued to be suspended in deeper water in the main body over the edges of underwater channels. Use electronics to locate bait balls are key to having success on the bass. Slowly work spoons and drop-shotted plastics.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento — Salmon fishing picked up last week as a new push of fish worked its way upriver from Garcia to Discovery Park. Spinners and plugs and jigs were all scoring, although the catch rate was much slower than during the peak of the fall run. These mostly appear to be bright, newly-arrived late fall fish. Striped bass fishing continued to be good in the Deep Water Channel, and a few sturgeon were showing up.
UPPER SACRAMENTO RIVER — Trout fishing was very good both on bait lures and flies in the stretch of river running through the town of Dunsmuir, as well as in the lower river as trout come out of Lake Shasta to feed. Drift Mayfly, caddis, and prince nymphs under indicators.
YUBA RIVER — Steelhead fishing continued to be good downriver near Marysville, while both trout and steelhead were being caught up to the point the river is closed to fishing at the Highway 20 Bridge. Dead-drifting caddis and Mayfly nymphs, as well as rubber legs under indicators has been effective on both trout and steelhead, while swinging streamer patterns has been attracting hard hits from steelhead.
SIERRA WATERS
BOCA LAKE — The lake is at 76-percent capacity and was fishing well for anglers searching for browns at the dam and the inlet. Shore anglers were just using nightcrawlers and salmon eggs or casting Kastmaster spoons. Trollers were using flasher/worm combos and Rapalas.
CAPLES LAKE — Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters reported good dry fly action in Emigrant Cove on parachute Adams, ants, beetles, and hoppers. Jeff and Denise Cole from Sly Park Resort fished up here this past week and caught two limits of rainbows from 12 to 16 inches, including one 17-inch mack trolling Rapalas and flasher/worm combos. The El Dorado Irrigation District boat ramp closed on Tuesday.
CARSON RIVER (East, West) — Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters reported good dry fly action on the East Fork on October caddis or Stimis with or without a small black dropper nymph above Hangman’s Bridge. Below the Bridge in the trophy section use midges, Blue Winged Olives, and October caddis. The West Fork is fishing equally as well, but gets fished out quicker. Todd Sodaro said that Alpine County planted 1800 pounds of trophy rainbows this past Wednesday and would make the last plant of the season this week — another 1800 pounds of 3- to 4-pound rainbows into the East and West Carson. Fishing has been phenomenal with stringers weighing 15 to 20 pounds in some cases. 30 to 50 fish days are possible.
LAKE DAVIS — The lake is at 77-percent capacity. Trolling was good this past week according to Guide Ed Dillard. His last trip produced 20 fish in three hours running Humdinger, Needlefish, and Dick Nite spoons at 6 feet deep; all 15- to 16-inch rainbows. Shore fishing picked up at Mallard for anglers using PowerBait: Dillard’s brother scored nine and 11 fish on his last two trips. Fly fishermen were doing well according to J&J’s Grizzly Store. Blood midges in the morning and cinnamon J. Fair Wiggle tails were the best patterns to throw at Mosquito Slough, Cow Creek, and Jenkins Point.
DONNER LAKE — According to Mountain Hardware and Sports, the east end of the lake near the campgrounds and State park was the best place to fish for rainbows using worms and PowerBait. The macks are spawning.
FEATHER RIVER CANYON — According to Caribou Crossroads Resort there are still plenty of planter and native rainbows to catch especially since there is little competition from other anglers. Only a couple of weeks to go until the end of the stream trout season so get in a trip or two before it’s all over.
FRENCHMAN LAKE — The lake is at 79-percent capacity. Wiggins Trading Post reported that shore anglers were doing well at Big Cove, Lunker Point, and Snallygaster on nightcrawler and marshmallow combos or PowerBait for rainbows running 17 to 22 inches.
GOLD LAKES BASIN — Gold Lake still fishing well for trout and macks in the top 10 feet as the water temp drops and the fall feeding frenzy kicks into high gear.
ICE HOUSE RESERVOIR — The lake is at 68-percent capacity. According to Guide Kyle Neeser, the fishing was excellent for trollers who were having 50 fish days toplining dodger/worm combos.
INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR — According to Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters, woolly buggers, leeches, and midges are working. 85-percent of successful anglers are fishing from a boat or float tube. Todd Sodaro at the Carson River Resort said that Alpine County would most likely plant the lake in the next few weeks
JACKSON MEADOW RESERVOIR — A good choice for big rainbows from the shore or trolling according to Mountain Hardware and Sports in Truckee. Everything is working everywhere.
JENKINSON LAKE, Sly Park — The lake is scheduled for a California Department of Fish and Game trout plant this week. Sly Park Resort reported little fishing pressure for the whole week. A few anglers came into the resort to buy bait, but none came back to report any success. This DFG plant should improve the situation in dramatic fashion.
LAKE TAHOE — Mickey Daniels at Big Mack Charters had a good week trolling for Mackinaws. His last trip produced seven 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-pound fish for seven clients, but they lost six more and tagged a smaller fish. Daniels was trolling 240 to 300 feet deep with Sling Blade/Koke-a-nut combos.
LOON LAKE — The lake is at 61-percent capacity. Dale Daneman reported that the fish are in the midst of the fall feeding frenzy, eating anything in sight. One of his friends visited the lake and caught two quick limits on dodger/grub combos toplined down to 10 feet deep.
PROSSER LAKE — The lake is at 33-percent capacity. Good action for holdover rainbows, 16 to 18 inches, in the inlet arms of Alder Creek and Prosser Creek for shore anglers using PowerBait.
PYRAMID LAKE — Joe Mendes at Eagle Eye Charters reported continued good trolling for cutthroat trout working U-20 Flatfish in blood frog and original frog patterns at 17 to 21 feet deep at the North Nets, Old Marina, and the Pyramid. His last three trips yielded 36, 23, and 27 fish up to 6 1/4 pounds.
RED LAKE — According to Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters, the lake has been plagued with a bad algae bloom all summer and is in dire need of turning over to improve water conditions.
SILVER LAKE — The lake is very low and only cartoppers or small trailered aluminum boats can launch. The trolling is great if you can get on the water. The fish are all eating heavily to prepare for winter. Shore fishing should be good also.
STAMPEDE RESERVOIR — The lake is at 88-percent capacity. Shore anglers doing well on rainbows on the points or near current. Boaters were doing well drifting worms near structure, according to Mountain Hardware and Sports.
TRUCKEE RIVER — Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters reported good dry fly action on size 10 to 12 October caddis, size eight to 10 golden stones, and size 12 to 14 western drakes and good nymph action on baetis and golden stones. The best bite has been near the Nevada border and on in to Reno. White and yellow streamers have been working for the occasional big fish. The Little Truckee is fishing well for the big fish coming up out of Boca Lake to spawn, but there is heavy fishing pressure. Use size 18 to 22 Blue Winged Olives, baetis and midges. Stay out of the redds — let the fish reproduce!!!
UNION VALLEY RESERVOIR — The lake is at 61-percent capacity. Some macks were caught, but they’re spawning according to Guide Kyle Neeser. Ken Mathis at Ken’s Custom Tackle reported little fishing pressure on the lake that he had heard of.
WEST WALKER RIVER — Pam Hamic at the West Walker Motel reported that the river was in beautiful condition and anglers were still catching plenty of DFG planters. The season closes on November 15.
NORTHERN FOOTHILLS
AMERICAN RIVER — The Georgetown Ranger Station reported that a local angler hiked down to the Middle Fork but had little success, though he could see fish in the bigger pools.
BULLARDS BAR — The lake is at 72-percent capacity. Trout trolling should be good up in the North Yuba River arm. The bass bite was strong for little fish, but as the water temp drops, the big fish should become more active.
CAMP FAR WEST — A Sacramento bass club held a tournament here this past weekend and reported a lot of 3 to 4-pounders caught on jigs and worms in the Rock Creek arm. North Shore Resort also reported good catfish action at night from the shore near the boat launch. The launch ramp is still operational — the lake level has stopped dropping.
COLLINS LAKE — With the big trout plant two weeks ago, fishing for rainbows was good especially for trollers. Wes Brown of Rocklin picked up a 5-pounder trolling a Rapala 30 feet deep. Two 12-pound catfish were checked in this past week by anglers fishing at the bridge and the campgrounds using nightcrawlers and sardines. One Napa angler picked up 20 bass while fishing at the dam with his fly rod.
ENGLEBRIGHT RESERVOIR — The lake is at 93-percent capacity. Trollers and bait drifters working the upper end of the lake are picking up limits of 8- to 14-inch rainbows — most are releasing the smaller fish and keeping the 12 to 14-inchers. The DFG plant of 6- to 10-inch rainbows by the DFG has attracted some BIG bass to the area around the marina. Swimbaits could yield a lake or maybe even a state/world record spotted bass. Trollers working the marina were catching the smaller planter fish — head up lake above Dixon Hill for bigger fish.
FRENCH MEADOWS RESERVOIR — No reports were available from Will Fish Tackle in Auburn or the Foresthill Ranger Station. Browns should be heading up to the inlet area to prepare for the spawn.
FULLER LAKE — The lake was planted by the DFG this past week so fishing should be good for shore anglers and trollers.
HELL HOLE RESERVOIR — The water level has dropped to the point where larger boats need to use caution when launching at the ramp — smaller aluminum boats will have no problems. The Georgetown Ranger Station reported that the water through the Narrows is too shallow for larger boats to pass to get to the inlet — only small aluminum boats should be able to safely make it up lake. Trout fishing has been productive for trollers and a few macks have been hooked, but nothing of any size.
LAKE OROVILLE — The lake is at 82-percent capacity. The bass are still moving out on the points or just into the coves chasing bait. The topwater bite was still producing in the early morning or along shaded banks with surface bait activity. The fish move deeper with direct sunlight on the water and were hitting jigs and worms down to 30 feet.
ROLLINS LAKE — The lake is scheduled for a DFG trout plant this week. Casey Reynolds at Long Ravine Resort reported good catfish action for fish running 5 pounds — try nightcrawler/cheese combos.
SCOTT’S FLAT LAKE — Rainbow trout and smallmouth bass were still hitting for anglers fishing between the dam and the marina.
SUGAR PINE RESERVOIR — Not much to report here, according to the Foresthill Ranger Station. The lake received a DFG plant three weeks ago and fishing should still be good with the light pressure this lake receives. Trolling flasher/worm combos was producing.
STUMPY MEADOWS RESERVOIR — The lake was planted by the DFG this past week and trollers were catching limits of rainbows on flasher/worm combos, according to the Georgetown Ranger Station.
THERMOLITO AFTERBAY — The lake is at 84-percent capacity — 134-foot elevation at press time. With the water level up in the tules, bass fishing should be excellent. Try swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwater if the fish are chasing. If the bass are tight to the tules then pitch jigs, Beavers, or Senkos.
NORTH COAST LAKES
CLEAR LAKE — Fishing pressure has completely dropped off and is down to mostly locals now that all the tourneys are finished. You can expect the fishing pressure to remain light to extremely light for the next 3 to 4 months. Most of the bass anglers who are doing well have switched to live bait, catching two dozen fish a day up to 6 or 7 pounds.
LAKE BERRYESSA — Bass guide Donald Paganelli said the bite remains the same. The lake is starting to turn over, with the cool nights and all fish are chasing bait right to the surface. The spoon bite still remains good and the reaction bite such as topwater, spinnerbaits and ripbaits has been fair. Find the fish working the bait and you can score a quick limit of bass run from 1/2 to 4 pounds.
UPPER BLUE LAKE — Cooler water temperatures as well as another DFG plant this past week have the trout biting on the surface. Both bank anglers and trollers should do well and find limits. Bass fishing has also been good here early and late.
NORTH COAST RIVERS
CHETCO RIVER, Ore. — Five kings over 50 pounds have been caught from the estuary so far this year, four of them in the past week. The river opens upstream on Saturday and a huge run of big kings is expected when the next serious rain hit.
ROGUE RIVER, Gold Beach, Ore. — Salmon fishing on the Rogue Bay has been slow. Kings can be seen rolling at the mouth of Rowdy Creek, but only a few were caught last week by trollers and bank anglers tossing spinners and spoons. The first winter steelhead should show up around Thanksgiving and the run will build in December.
ROGUE RIVER, Grant’s Pass — WON fishing source Greg Glossop said that the fishing has been decent from the city of Rogue River up. Coho are starting to show up also. Throwing egg imitations are working really well for steelhead. As of November 1st, the upper rogue opens up for bait.
RUSSIAN RIVER — Flows from the lakes above brought the river up to 500 cubic feet per second, and with the mouth open, some steelhead finally began showing. Most are half-pounders 1 to 3 pounds, but there is an occasional adult in the mix. Use of bait was allowed as of Tuesday. Try spinners, spoons, roe or flies, according to Steve Jackson of King’s Sport & Tackle.
SILTCOOS LAKE, Florence, Ore. — This fishery has grown into one of the states largest salmon runs and the silvers have just began to enter the lake from the outlet river that flows to the sea. Anglers should be able to have good fishing for the entire month of November. The state record coho was caught here three years ago, over 26 pounds. The average size of the silvers I saw caught this weekend were from 10 -14 pounds, according to WON Field Reporter Curtis Palmer. Slowly drifting the edges of the lake casting and retrieving spinners, or troll spinners or plugs along the shorelines.
SMITH RIVER — A few fish coming out of the Sand Hole every day, but nothing big will happen here until another rain comes along and opens it above the Highway 101 bridge. Big kings to 40 pounds were caught, however.
SALTWATER
BERKELEY — The Happy Hooker had some great action on the Marin coast and in the bay with rockfish limits, some bonus lingcod, and stripers and halibut in the bay. Salmon season closed on a slow note, with the few boats trying lucky to put a king in the box.
BODEGA BAY — Bottomfishing remained the main attraction for anglers on the charter fleet, but there were some surprises like a 35-inch barracuda caught off of Elephant Rock, and three white seabass caught on the Miss Anita. Captain Rick Powers on the New Sea Angler fished Point Reyes and found some good lingcod action, with 15 lingcod on Thursday topped by a 17-pounder, plus limits of rockfish. CROCKETT — Captain Gordon Hough on the Morning Star reported more great striped bass action along with some hard pulling leopard sharks. On Friday, nine anglers quickly caught limits of bass on bullheads, then switched baits and caught three leopard sharks. On Sunday, the bass were biting again, but this time they were bigger fish, with several in the teens and the jackpot fish going 18 pounds.
EMERYVILLE — Rockfish trips produced some good action on lingcod at the Farallon Islands, with the Captain Hook and New Huck Finn taking a combined 39 limits plus 37 lingcod to 15 pounds while fishing the Farallon Islands on Sunday. Crab and rockfish combos start Saturday.
EUREKA — The final weekend of Pacific halibut and rockfish season actually closed on Monday, but Sunday was looking like the last fishable day anyway, and the boats that tried scored some fish. Sport crab season opens Saturday, but a test showed the crabs only 14 percent filled out; still, anglers are planning to throw out some pots.
FORT BRAGG — Crab season opens on Saturday, offering the only option outside of giant squid for anglers fishing from a boat here. Shore fishing is still permitted for rockfish and lingcod, and abalone season is open through November.
HALF MOON BAY — Continued great action on the rockfish and lingcod. The Queen of Hearts reported limits for 15 with fish to 11 pounds on Thursday, the big rockfish beating out the biggest of three lingcod, an 8-pounder. Their recent trips produced up to 21 lingcod, and most scored rockfish limits.
SAN FRANCISCO — The salmon season ended on a slow note, but the fleet had fun anyway, with Captain Jacky Douglas on the Wacky Jacky throwing a mini-party at the end of the day Sunday. While fishing was slow in the final week, there were some nice fish caught including a 20-pound king on the Wacky Jacky. Douglas said one angler also caught a big halibut at Crissy Field.
LOCH LOMOND — Captain Jim Cox of Jim Cox Sportfishing took his Sunday group out for a combination anchor and trolling trip to San Pablo Bay, finding some good action on striped bass, keeping a few and releasing some, mostly on bullheads, near the shipping channel. “We tried some trolling, but had no hookups,” said Cox. Then a switch to bait again produced some leopard shark bites producing 3 to 48 inches.
POINT SAN PABLO — Captain Frank Miller on the Fury reported steady action on the striped bass, with the fish thick in San Pablo Bay. There were even some stripers caught right outside of the harbor. His anglers on Saturday scored limits, and he’s optimistic the fish will be around for awhile thanks to the best bay conditions he’s seen in years.
SAUSALITO — The fleet is getting ready for the winter lull, some switching to commercial crabbing, but there were a couple boats out to finish the salmon season, and a Belvedere angler caught a 30-pound king on the Salty Lady.