LAKE ALMANOR, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): The public ramp at Almanor's Canyon Dam is still frozen out 150 to 175 yards to open water, but Prattville is becoming ice free again. The only ramp open is at Rec. 1, along the east side of the Almanor Peninsula. Ice fishing is now a risky business. Trout can be taken just off the bottom on a nightcrawler and roe.
BLUE LAKES AREA, CALIF: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930): A pretty quiet weekend. Sunday was dead, up here, as it usually is when we change to Daylight Savings Time.
CARSON RIVERS, NEV: East Carson: Don Reasons of Carson City reported he caught 4 rainbows, up to 13 inches, on red Salmon eggs, just below the broken dam.
CROWLEY LAKE AREA, CALIF: Steve Osterman of Performance Anglers of Mammoth Lakes (760) 924-2181:
Hot Creek: Water flow is 5 CFS. Not much has changed this last week. Best fishing continues to be during the mid-day hours. Some good dry fly action with Adams or any BWO patterns in size 18 or 20. Nymph fishing is also good with small Pheasant Tails, gray or black Midge Pupa and Brassies.
DAVIS LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): Ice fishing improved as has the weather. Anglers have been catching rainbows up to 2 pounds, with some limits reported. Dam area has been best, worms the top bait.
FEATHER RIVER, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): A few small Steelhead were reported from the Low Flow Section and below the Outlet, but fishing was slow. A few striped bass were reported from around Boyd's Pump and Shanghai Bend.
FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Wiggin's Trading Post at Chilcoot, Calif. (530-993-4683): Ice fishing is still going strong. The ice is beginning to thin somewhat at the dam but it's still about 10 inches thick there, and well over a foot thick up towards Lunker Point. You still cannot drive around the lake. You will need to hike or use a snowmobile to get further than the dam. We have reports of limits being taken on the west side, using nightcrawlers, marshmallows and jigs.
FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): Remains frozen, but ice-fishing action at the dam has slowed down some. However anglers willing to hike up towards Lunker Point have been catching some nice rainbows. Small jigs and nightcrawlers have been working.
FT. CHURCHILL COOLING PONDS (on the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area): Elmer Bull of Yerington reported anglers are catching some bass and catfish but nothing big.
HINKSON SLOUGH, NEV: Elmer Bull reported that fishing is pretty slow. The fly fishermen are not doing good. The spincasters are catching a few by letting their spoons sink to the bottom.
INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR, CALIF: Dave Kirby reported there is open water showing by the dam and one other location. The paved road is still closed and you need to go in by the dirt road. There were a few fishermen.
INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR, CALIF: Doug Busey of Douglas County reported he went in by way of the dirt road on Sunday. There were 9 vehicles at the reservoir. He got there at 9:30 a.m. and left at 1:30 p.m. By the time he left, there was about 60 percent open water showing by the dam. The fishermen caught some fish, fishing was slow and you had to work for your catch.
OROVILLE LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): The Coho Smolt plants of some months ago have set off a fishing frenzy for 9-11 inch silvers. They're hitting anything and everything with great abandon. Try around any marina or launch ramp. Bass fishing is picking up. Use jigs and spoons 20-40 feet or dartheaded worms and tubes from 0-15 feet. Might throw a wacky-rigged Senko.
OWENS RIVER, CALIF: Steven Osterman:
Upper Owens: Water flow is 86 CFS. Fishing is good with Hares Ears, Pheasant Tails, WD-40's and most standard Nymph patterns. Bring your snow shoes and hike upstream from the Benton Crossing bridge.
Lower Owens: Water flow is currently 89 CFS. The lower water flows have created some easy fishing opportunities. Good dry fly fishing with BWO patterns.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Valerie and Linda at Crosby's Lodge at (775) 476-0400: Our biggest fish was an 11-pound, 10-ounce (30 inches) cutthroat caught by Phil Bradley of California with a Flatfish lure from a boat in front of the Marina. We also had checked in: Another 11-pounder, four 10-pounders and a 9, a 7 and a 6. It was a very good week.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: George and Carla Molino of the Pyramid Lake Store at (775) 476-0555: Fishing was good but spotty. "The Nets" were loaded with fly fishermen. They hit it hard with black or olive Woolly Bugger flies and lots of Beetles. Fishing in that area will be closed from March 15 to May 16. Last week, Tony Zamboni of Sparks caught a 13-pound, 2-ounce Cutthroat at Pelican. We had quite a few fish turned in that were 4-8 pounds.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Chris and Jeri Grellman of Sparks of Hog Charters (358-5199): We did not go out over the weekend. We went "Puppy Shopping" and got a little black Lab.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Jim Hartfiel of Just Rite Fishing at Pyramid Lake at (775) 575-7850 (home) or (775) 813-3411 (Cell): On the 9th, I had Bill and Sharon Taylor of Carson City, and they took home 4 very nice fish. We were catching more than one fish per hour. I was trolling 37 feet deep in water 80-100 deep. We've been working the area from Warrior Point back to Pelican.
SHASTA LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): The bass pattern held steady and anglers found fair action with crawdad patterns and a few reaction bites. The early mornings being the mainstay of most but jigs, dart-headed worms and Hula Grubs also worked from 10 to 40 feet down. Holiday Harbor and Hirtz Bay in the McCloud Arm found trout where the clearer water mixed with the murky water and off points. Toplining minnow type baits or a Rapala, 200 feet behind the boat, will be good tackle to start with.
LAKE TAHOE - North Shore: Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552): Fishing has been from dead slow to good at the Tahoe City Shelf for Macks, 1-6 pounds. We have been trolling 80-220 feet deep. We locate the fish on the fish finder and then troll Dodgers and a live minnow in a "Figure Eight" pattern, bouncing the bottom.
LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis: The Ski Run area is producing Macks, 3-7 pounds, at 80-240 feet deep. Toplining on Saturday in 10-25 feet of water produced 2 Macks and 2 browns, including a 10-pound (31 inch ) Mack and a 6-pound (27 inch) brown.
We were using F-13 Rapala lures.
LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Gene St. Denis: The Cave Rock Landing has been dead slow for the shore fishermen. The boats are catching a few Macks, now and then.
TOPAZ LAKE: Chuck and Linda Fields at the Topaz Lake Marina (775-266-3550): Fishing was OK over the weekend, plus the weather was great. There were only a couple of boats with limits. Some were using Needlefish lures or nightcrawlers with three colors of lead core line, over on the east side. The north shore was busy with lots of shore fishermen but I don't know what they caught.
TOPAZ LAKE: Diane Mcewen at the Topaz Lake General Store (775-266-3337): It's been a thrill weighing fish this week. Lot's of fish over 3 lbs being caught by boat and on the shore. Angler's are telling us they are using night crawlers and shinny power bait. This weeks $50.00 winner goes to Vince Huff with a 3 lbs, 13 oz trout (20 inches long), trolling in the middle of the lake. Our second largest fish for $25.00 goes to Tim Obrien 3 lbs, 7 oz (21.5 inches long), shore south end.
TOPAZ LAKE: Don Hettrick trolled for 6 hours last Thursday and caught one small rainbow. Kerry Kilgore and his dad in another boat, each caught one small rainbow.
WALKER RIVERS, CALIF: Steve Osterman: East Walker River (From Bridgeport Dam to the Nevada Stateline): The West Walker River, from the Bridgeport Dam downstream to the Nevada stateline, is now open, year round, with special restrictions. The water flow is up to 30 CFS. Fishing is better. Prince Nymphs, WD-40's, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Sparkle Caddis Pupa, Stimulators and E/C Caddis. Some decent reports from anglers fishing on the Nevada side. Warmer weather should improve fishing here.
WILDHORSE RESERVOIR, NEV: Dennis Dunn at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472: We still have 2 feet of ice and it was down to zero last night. Nothing is melting. The ice fishing is not that bad, and be sure to use small flashers and mealworms.