LAKE ALMANOR, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Jan. 22: Stick to the shoreline this week with an inflated worm and a slide sinker about 2 feet off the bottom as the ramps have frozen over again.
BLUE LAKES AREA, CALIF: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930): I just came in from shoveling snow (Monday morning). The weather has been pretty bad, with the highway closed several times during the last couple of days.
DAVIS LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Jan. 22: Closure of the lake has been lifted and it is open for public access. Lake is frozen over, but no information on whether ice is thick enough for safe ice fishing was available at our deadline time. Extreme caution is necessary.
FEATHER RIVER, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Jan. 22: Some of the first stripers of the year reported by fly casters fishing around Shanghai Bend with locally tied streamers (size No. 2) indicating, possibly, the first of the spring run. Small Steelhead abundant above Shanghai. Top bet is drifting roe for a fish nearly every two or three casts.
FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Wiggin's Trading Post at Chilcoot, Calif. (530-993-4683): Most everyone is fishing at or near the dam, where the ice continues to be about a foot thick. The best bait continues to the nightcrawlers. The road around the dam is still impassible unless you have a snowmobile. Several people with 4WD vehicles have gotten stuck trying to drive around the lake. Please use caution.
FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Jan. 22: Good numbers of anglers have been ice fishing here. Standard baits like nightcrawlers and Power Bait have been working. The road to the dam has been clear most of the time, but there is no access to other parts of the lake except by snowmobile.
OROVILLE LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Jan. 22: Bass fishing has fallen into a slump this past week with falling lake levels and changing water temperatures. The fish will hit jigs and plastic worms at 10-40 feet and can be caught with plastic worms, tube baits and jigs.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Valerie and Linda at Crosby's Lodge at (775) 476-0400: Today (Monday), it is really cold, spitting snow and windy. Not very pretty weather. I have no fishing reports, everyone stayed home this last weekend.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: George and Carla Molino of the Pyramid Lake Store at (775) 476-0555: We've had lots of wind and some snow, this last week. I was booked for Friday, yesterday, today (Monday), Tuesday and Wednesday, but the weather is keeping everyone home. Some guys went to the east side of the lake, yesterday, it was pretty nice until about 1 p.m., when it got nasty, and they reported 4-5 foot waves when they were returning to Popcorn.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Chris and Jeri Grellman of Sparks of Hog Charters (358-5199): Chris and one of his buddies went out Saturday to the south end, but didn't do anything.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Jim Hartfiel of Just Rite Fishing at Pyramid Lake at (775) 575-7850 (home) or (775) 813-3411 (Cell): I didn't go out, it was too rough and nasty. The fly fishermen at Popcorn were doing excellent. There were a couple of float tubers at Spider Point doing well.
SHASTA LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Jan. 22: The waters are muddy but anglers are finding some decent fish. Worming seemed to be a good way to go, with anglers finding bass from the bank out to 40 feet. Stay on the bottom, fish very slowly and use their "confidence colors" in brown or purple. Troll in coves where the wind drives bait and toss Kastmasters or Rapalas that imitate the Shad, for trout to 3 pounds.
SMITH AND CHETCO RIVERS: Kirk Portocarrero: Smith River and the Chetco River for Steelhead fishing is happening. Best bet now is the Chetco River, Steelhead fishing is hot on the Chetco River right now. Catching many Steelhead, catching fish daily. Smith River fishing is OK, but should improve over the next few days. Smith still needs more rain. This is Prime Time, get in one great fishing while it is hot, catch big Steelhead. Technique being used is bouncing roe.
SMITH RIVER, CALIF: Dave Jacobs of Professional Guide Services (800) 355-3113:
Steelhead fishing has been slow this past week, possibly due to low clear fishing conditions, fewer fish in the system or a combination of the two. We have concentrated all of our Steelhead fishing efforts for the last week and a half on another north coast river system with some really good fishing for Steelhead to 17 pounds. However, rain is returning to the north coast for the next seven plus days and is certainly welcomed on the Smith and should offer some fantastic Steelhead fishing this coming week. Many north coast rivers that fished this past week are rising at the time of this report and the Smith is forecasted to rise to 12.5 feet at the Jed Smith park gauge and slowly drop Monday thru Friday. Adult Steelhead that are being caught on the Smith River this past week have been side drifting roe and a Quickie puffball. Steelhead have averaged 8-12 pounds with Steelhead in the high teens and low twenty pound class a real possibility on this river. Daily scores reported on the Smith have been one to three fish per outing. These recent rains will hopefully bring in a better push of fresh Steelhead into the Smith.
LAKE TAHOE - North Shore: Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters and Tahoe Trophy Trout at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552): The fishing has been slow to good. The spawning is done and the Mackinaw are scattered. You have to be patient. We have been trolling 60-180 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. Also using rainbow-pattern, broken-back lures. I've been fishing at Cal-Nevada Point, Dollar Point and Sugar Pine Point.
LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis: When I fish there, I've been 80-200 feet deep at Ski Run Shelf and Camp Richardson. Trolling with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and minnows, and bouncing off the bottom in a serpentine pattern. Macks are small, 2-7 pounds.
LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Gene St. Denis: The shore fishermen have been catching some fish from the Cave Rock Landing. Toplining has been dead to good, depending on the day.
TOPAZ LAKE: Chuck and Linda Fields at the Topaz Lake Marina (775-266-3550): A couple of days ago, we got 10 inches of snow, yesterday we got about an inch, last night we got 5 inches and it is snowing right now (Monday morning). There were only one or two fishermen out over the weekend. The water level is staying the same.
TOPAZ LAKE: Diane at the Topaz Lake General Store (775-266-3337): With all the crazy weather this week, fishing has not been good at all. Some of the diehard anglers were out this week trying different techniques to reel the fish in and they just were not biting. George Baba is the winner of this weeks first prize for $50.00 as well as the second prize for $25.00 for catching the two largest fish of the week. First Place was 2 lbs. 6 oz, 18.5 inches long. Second place was 2 lbs. 3 oz, 19 inches long.
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 30 CFS. Fishing is very tough as ice is forming in the channel. 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.
WILDHORSE RESERVOIR, NEV: Dennis Dunn, Jerry, Fred, Ron and Debbie at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472: There are more than 18 inches of ice under about 1 foot of snow. Fishing has been kind of slow. We had fishermen with a waterproof camera, who could see layers of fish stationary in the water, but they were not biting, no matter what the fishermen tried.