Note: The California trout fishing season opens Saturday, Apr. 26.
LAKE ALMANOR, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): A hot bite continues on the rockpiles of the east shoreline for trout and smallmouth bass, which are in feeding on pond smelt. Troll anything in a pond smelt pattern and fish shallow.
BLUE LAKES AREA, CALIF: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930): It is super windy today (Monday) with gusts up to 45 mph.
CAPLES LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby reported that the lake is still frozen but does not know the thickness of the ice.
CROWLEY LAKE AREA, CALIF: Steve Osterman of Performance Anglers of Mammoth Lakes (760) 924-2181:
Hot Creek: Water flow is 6 CFS. The fish have begun to feed a little earlier in the day now as the weather is warming up. Some good dry fly action with Adams or any BWO patterns in size 18 or 20. A small black Caddis like an elk hair has also been productive. 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): Not much happening here. Ice fishing is, for all practical and safe reasons, about done for the year. There is a 3-4 foot ribbon of open water reported between shore and ice around most of the lake now. The good news is that usually this condition develops a couple weeks before complete ice-out. Once that happens, boaters and bankies alike should be good to go.
FEATHER RIVER, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): Boating continued to be a challenge in the low flows, even for jetboaters, but if you don't get stuck, you might find some pretty good fishing by trolling in deeper slots in the lower end of the river with Rebels and Rapalas tipped with a white plastic worm. A few Stripers were being taken around Shanghai Bend on jigs, topwater plugs, and bait.
FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): Ice fishing is done here. There are reports of open water along the shoreline on the northwest side of the lake all the way to Lunker Point. One fisherman catching a limit of rainbows on nightcrawlers at the dam after breaking through the ice to open water. It is still not possible to drive around the lake, but vehicles can go as far as Frenchman Campground.
HINKSON SLOUGH, NEV: Elmer Bull reported that the bass fishing is picking up but the trout fishing is slow. There are some decent sized rainbows but nothing huge.
INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR, CALIF: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930) said that fishing continues to be fair. A few fish being caught. A couple of fly fishermen had some limited action with Woolly Bugger flies near the bottom. The bait fishermen with worms were doing better with some rainbows. The largest was 3 pounds.
INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR, CALIF: Doug Busey reported the fishing has really slowed down. Late Friday afternoon, he caught one and lost one. Saturday, he saw one fisherman catch one 18 inch fish.
NORTH POND (on the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area): Elmer Bull reported that the bass fishing is picking up.
OROVILLE LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): Good bass bite on crawdad color tubes and jigs with some boats reporting 20 to 30 fish days. Coho bite still going for boaters trolling spoons or mooching medium live minnows in front of the dam.
OWENS RIVER, CALIF: Steven Osterman:
Upper Owens: Water flow is 62 CFS. Fishing was tough the past few days as fly clubs overwhelmed the water and many anglers went fishless. Hatches have been minimal with some small black Caddis in the early afternoon. Try Nymphing with WD-40's in gray or black, Pheasant Tails and Caddis Pupa.
Lower Owens: Water flow is currently 393 CFS. Fishing is not recommended at this time.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Valerie at Crosby's Lodge at (775) 476-0400: A pretty good week. The biggest fish was 13-pounds, 2-ounces (33 inches long). It was caught by Jason McDaniel of Reno from shore at Pelican with a white jig. We also had two 10-pounders, one 9-pounder three 8-pounders, and two 7-pounders. It was very windy and rough today (Monday).
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: George and Carla Molino of the Pyramid Lake Store at (775) 476-0555: On vacation in China. A report of a 9-pound, 9-ounce Cutt caught from a boat by Pat Clifford of Reno-Sparks on Sunday.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Chris and Jeri Grellman of Hog Charters in Sparks at 358-5199 (home) or Chris at 221-4014 (cell): Saturday was really good, we caught a 7 pounder, an 8-pounder and a bunch of "shakers," while trolling frog-colored Apex lures 26 feet deep in 60 feet of water in front of Pelican Beach. There were "10,000" fly fishermen at Pelican. Sunday was a slow day, we caught 4 fish and the biggest was 21 inches.
RED LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby reported that the lake is still frozen, does not know the thickness of the ice and there is a little open water showing.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): Trout fishing improved over the good fishing of the previous week with the increase in flows to 5,500 CFS. Hot Shots and Glo-Bugs worked well for spin fishermen, while fly fishermen scored on March browns and Baetis imitations.
SHASTA LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): Still a little slow for trout but try a Vance's Dodger and an Uncle Larry's mad cow spinner and threaded nightcrawler, a Vance's Little Slim Willy in Chartreuse and a threaded small nightcrawler 18-24 inches behind, or a 1-2 inch Shad imitation lure trolled at 1-2 miles per hour. The bass bite also held steady on small ripbaits, worms, tubes and swimbaits.
LAKE TAHOE - North Shore: Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552): The Mackinaw fishing has been the best and most consistent of the year, so far. We have been trolling 140-300 feet deep, going deeper later in the day. We locate the fish on the fish finder and then troll Dodgers and a live minnow in a "Figure Eight" pattern, bouncing the bottom. I've been trolling at the Tahoe City Shelf and at Dollar Point.
Our largest was 15-pounds and was caught by Jack Reiner, Jr. of Nevada. Ken Letourneau, also of Nevada, caught an 11-pounder.
Ken and Debra Robertson of Northeastern Nevada caught a 10-ponder (Debra) and an 8-pounder (Ken).
LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis: Lots of gunk in the water at Emerald Bay, Camp Richardson and the Tahoe Keys. You need to clean off your lures, frequently.
LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Gene St. Denis: Shore fishing at Cave Rock Landing produced a 2-pound rainbow and a 5-pound rainbow. Toplining has been dead to extremely slow. In our last 4 trips of toplining, we only caught a total of 2 fish (a 17-pound Mack and a 9-pound Mack, both of which were released).
TOPAZ LAKE: Chuck and Linda Fields at the Topaz Lake Marina (775-266-3550): It is very windy and very rough today (Tuesday). Don Weber of Sacramento caught a 2-pound, 4-ounce Tiger Trout while trolling on the south end of the east side. That was the first Tiger in quite awhile. A couple from Reno caught 6 rainbows while trolling Needlefish lures on the east side by the rocks. There have been a few shore fishermen on the north end, but it has been kind of quiet.
WALKER LAKE, NEV: Elmer Bull reported that the fishing is not good by any stretch of the imagination. There is no natural reproduction of the cutthroat. NDOW planted 10,000 fish this year and the Feds are still planting, but no fishing reports.
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 96 CFS. Fishing is still somewhat tough with anglers averaging 3-4 fish per day. Stone fly imitations have been the best bet. Golden Stone Nymphs down below and stimulators on the surface.
WILDHORSE RESERVOIR, NEV: Dennis Dunn at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472: It is 45 degrees right now (Monday morning). We have had three days of beautiful weather. The reservoir is still frozen but there is some open water showing by the bridges.