ALMANOR LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Oct. 7: West of the Rec. 2 area was good for rainbows averaging 2-3 pounds and anglers finished out their limits with 4 and 5 pound rainbows in the area on a No. F-7 Rapala. It was a short week due to weather, but look for a great fall bite to really kick in as the overnight temperatures drop.
BISHOP, CALIF. AREA:
Sabrina Lake: Rick and Patti Apted of the Lake Sabrina Boat Landing (760-873-7425): Remember last weeks reports about it getting colder? Well, Monday was nice as was Tuesday. Rick woke to 42 mph winds Thursday morning and the weather went downhill from there. Those that braved the weekend in the canyon will probably never forget it once they've warmed up. Friday winds came in pretty good from the south. Between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m., the winds turned and started coming from the north and then it was on. Within a half hour, the temps had dropped by 10 degrees, the skies clouded over and it started snowing and the temps continued to drop. We hit a high of 21 degrees on Saturday but hovered at about 14-16 degrees with a wind chill of 4. Nope, not a typo - FOUR! Clouded up again on Saturday and started snowing again - woke Sunday to a total of 8 inches of snow. Yup it's that time of year! Needless to say, most the colors around the lake gone with the leaves turning a lovely shade of brown/black. A reminder here: ALWAYS PACK CHAINS IN THE FALL, WINTER AND SPRING, you never know. With the arctic temps and snow and ice, the roads were slick. The Inyo Road crew didn't make it to the lake until afternoon. A few cars and SUV's weren't able to make it up the last incline below the landing with one having to be towed out of the ditch.
With the cooler temperatures, catching seemed to be picking up. Those that braved the frigid temperatures caught fish. Shore fishing with Power Bait at the landing end of the lake produced limits for those out in the snow. Fishing either inlet with nightcrawlers yielded limits. Trolling was a bit tough due to the wind after Wednesday, so not sure what is working on the troll. DFG stocked a few nets full of fish Friday. If the winds hold off, maybe Rick and I will do a bit of trolling in the evening (wonder if I could stash a heater on the boat).
Temperatures are expected to warm through the week, but it's going to take a couple of days. Thursday's temperatures are predicted to be in the 60s with the lows probably in the 20s. Not sure what is going to happen this weekend.
The following campgrounds have closed for the season: Four Jeffrey Pines, Willow and Mountain Glen on the South Lake side. Camp Sabrina and North Lake on the Sabrina side. The remainder are expected to stay open until October 30 with Bitterbrush Campground (the first campground you hit coming up the hill - the new one) staying open all year round with NO potable water during the winter. IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE WEATHER.
BLUE LAKES AREA, CALIF: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930): The road is still open, but it is very windy this morning (Monday). A fisherman just checked in with me and told me he got blown off the lake early.
CARSON RIVERS, CALIF:
East Carson River: Todd Sodaro and Chad Machado of the Carson River Resort (877-694-2229): With the bad weather, we are getting all of the fishermen. They have been catching and releasing fish up to 6 pounds. There was a 28-incher on a Woolly Bugger and they are also using Panther/Martin lures.
West Carson River: Dave Kirby reported: It was a "Balmy" 18 degrees yesterday (Sunday). There was a heck of a mess on Friday when that snowstorm hit. No one brings chains for the first storm, and the tow trucks were busy pulling out cars and trucks out, from along side of the road.
West Carson River: Don Reasons of Carson City reported he and his partner fished all day on Tuesday. They used worms and Salmon eggs to catch rainbows, up to 22 inches.
DAVIS LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Oct. 7: Fishing has been good for some anglers, not as good for others. Trolling has definitely been good for lots of fishermen, with many reports of 10-20 fish days. Dick Nite copper redheads or olive Woolly Buggers at 8 feet deep have been deadly in the area north of Honker Cove for rainbows 14-21 inches. Fly fishing spotty for fly casters working hard for 1 or 2 fish. Bank fishing fair at best at Camp 5, Eagle Point and Mallard Cove. Rainbow Power Bait the best bait bet.
EAGLE LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Oct. 7: Launch from Spalding as anglers are catching fishing inside Spalding Bay along the number six buoy line that runs west and east between the ramp and Pelican Point. Trout are averaging almost 4 pounds this fall.
FEATHER RIVER, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Oct. 7: Striper fishing perked up between Shanghai Bend and Nicolaus, and they were still being caught below Shanghai, but Steelhead fishing has been getting more attention lately, from Gridley up into the Low Flow Section. Mathews and Outhouse riffles have been two of the better spots. Most are small but an occasional 5 to 8 pounder is being caught on roe, nightcrawlers, spinners, and flies.
FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Wiggin's Trading Post at Chilcoot, Calif. (530-993-4683): Bank fishing has been good at the dam and Lunker Point. Some fishermen have had luck at Spring Creek, using nightcrawlers, floating them off the bottom. Fly fishermen have had success with black Woolly Buggers at Spring Creek.
FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Oct. 7: Fishing remains good, with early morning and evening most productive. Trollers have been doing best pulling large brown, yellow or olive colored flies through the Narrows. Bank fishing good at the dam, with rainbow Power Bait or nightcrawlers working well. Try baby crawlers, too. Good bank fishing reports also coming from north end of the lake. Campgrounds are still open and should be for the next couple weeks.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Valerie at Crosby's Lodge at (775) 476-0400: Some of the new changes are a 3-day fishing license ($24), a 10-day license ($49). The one day is still $9 and the annual is still $74. There is a new youth license with four categories (Daily: $5, 3-days: $12, 10-days: $29 and annual: $49.
The size limit has changed to two 17-20 inch keepers or one 17-20 incher and one over 24 inch keeper.
No fish were weighed in this week.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: George and Carla Molino of the Pyramid Lake Store at (775) 476-0555: Shore fishermen did good. The boats did not get out until yesterday afternoon (Sunday), due to the bad weather, and the water was still rough. The boats have been doing poorly. A couple of fish has been a good day for a boat. The shore fishermen have been at Blockhouse and Spider Point, casting heavy lures to get out to the deeper water. One fisherman had a 5-pounder. Even with the bad weather, the water temp is still warm.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Chris and Jeri Grellman of Hog Charters in Sparks at 358-5199 (home) or Chris at 221-4014 (cell): W e went out last week, between Pelican and the Marina to try to fish. The water was a little rough and we thought it would lay down. It got worse and within two hours, it was the worse we've ever seen and we got off the lake. That was our fishing for the week.
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Jim Hartfiel of Just Rite Fishing at Pyramid Lake at (775) 575-7850 (home) or (775) 813-3411 (Cell): We went out Monday and it was really slow. We caught one fish. All the other fishermen we talked to, said that it was also very slow for them. T he water is still warm, the fish like water temps at 50 degrees and that temperature is currently 60 feet deep.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Oct. 7: Some nice trout were being caught as waters continued to cool. High sticking with Prince Nymphs and Foxes Poopahs were producing rainbows to 18 inches.
SHASTA LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Oct. 7: The quality of bass are starting to come up as the lake cools down. Work from 2 and 3 feet out all the way to 30 feet with Senkos, dart-headed worms and drop-shot worms. Fish reports averaged from 2 pounds after sorting through the dinks and went up to 8 pounds on a Senko in the main body.
LAKE TAHOE - North Shore: Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552): No report. St Denis is on his annual backpack trip in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Bishop, Calif. He left on Oct 12 and will return on Oct. 24.
UPPER TWIN LAKE, CALIF: Annett's Mono Village (760-932-7071): A 6-pound, 2-ounce rainbow on a grasshopper, a 6-pound, 2-ounce rainbow on a nightcrawler an a 3.5 pound brown on a nightcrawler.
VIRGINIA LAKES, CALIF: Carolyn Webb of the Virginia Lakes Resort: The week ended with the first snow storm of the season dropping about 4-6 inches of snow in the high country. Some areas got more and some got less, but it didn't seem to affect the fishing if you were willing to endure the elements. It was cold today, at a.m. it was 11 degrees, and supposed to be down to 3 degrees tonight with a 20% chance of snow. Tomorrow is supposed to be the start of Indian Summer, which should last up to 12 days according to our local guru Howard Sheckter out of Mammoth.
Bait is the only way to dredge up those beauties so be clever and use your best tactics for them.
DFG stocked a nice amount of trout for the end of the season up here, and they are here for the taking. DFG only rears enough trout for the roadside water to the first part of October, and I'm still scratching my head as to why the season ends Nov. 15 and they don't plant fish? What's up with dat!.
Some streamers are working but you will have to bring your arsenal to figure out their habit after this storm, and the north shore and east shore are under ice, which should be gone in a couple days, maybe even tomorrow if it warms up nicely. Day temps should return to the 60's and night temps around 36 to 38 degrees. Brrrrr. Think I'll wait for 3 more days until it really melts out.
WILDHORSE RESERVOIR, NEV: Dennis Dunn at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472: It was 4 above on Sunday night and we are starting to get some ice along the edges of the reservoir. Trout fishing has been super, both in the reservoir and in the Owyhee River, below the dam. They are catching 13-15 inch rainbows that are running 2 pounds.