GENERAL CONDITIONS

Many anglers continue to have good luck catching trout and striped bass. Anglers are also catching a few largemouth bass and catfish. The water level is now 113,000 acre feet and dropping slowly. The water level should start to come back up on June 1. Our water temperature is 65 degrees.

Rattlesnakes continue to be out and active so caution is advised. Watch where you are walking, stay out of high grass and stay out of rocky areas. Never try to pick one up or kill one. Eagles are nesting so some trail closures are in effect. Information on trails is available at the gates, Marina or on the CCWD web site.

This is the time of year when we have the most wind. We have had a very windy 2 week period. It is a good idea to call us at 925 371-2628 before you come out if you are planning to rent a boat.

The North entrance to the reservoir is open with a few limitations. Access to the reservoir for fishing at the north entrance is open but requires a strenuous two- mile hike up and over a major hill. Caution is advised. The fishing platform can not open until the reservoir rises another 13 feet. The Interpretive Center is open from 9 to 4 on Saturdays and Sundays.

The trout we tagged for the April 20 derby will continue to be valid for prizes through May. We have some nice rods and reels, storage boxes and boat rentals to give away.

TROUT

We planted 1000 lbs of trout from Mt. Lassen on May 13. Water conditions permitting. we plan to stock trout again this week. Fishing for trout has been fair to excellent depending on anglers skill level and luck. We see many limits of trout caught every day. Fishing from shore in the South Cove continues to be a good choice for trout but anglers are catching trout all along the open shoreline. Many of the points past the Rock Wall have been very good lately. The best way to catch trout from shore this time of year is with garlic Power Bait, chartreuse and orange Mice Tails, rainbow power bait and nightcrawlers. Garlic scent on any bait seems to help. It is important to use 2- 3 feet of leader. Using light line also helps; 4 to 6 lb test is plenty. Some anglers use fluorocarbon leaders. There is no need for heavy weights. Short casts are often more productive than long casts. Anglers catch trout throwing kastmasters, blue fox lures and a variety of other trout lures. Don’t be afraid to move locations and change your baits if you are not catching fish. If you are not getting bites we do not recommend staying in one place all day using the same bait.

Trolling for trout continues an up and down affair. Boat rentals have been limited due to regular 15 to 20 mph winds. We expect trolling to be good when boats are able to get out. The few reports we are receiving are from anglers trolling a variety of Rapala’s in Cowboy Cove. Mix it up until you start catching fish. The fish are holding between 10 and 15 feet in 20 to 30 feet of water. Try different colors and sizes of lures until you start catching fish. Rapala countdowns seem to be effective on big trout. Steel green, a rainbow pattern and black and silver have been good color choices lately. A few anglers are trolling dodgers and nightcrawlers and catching nice trout. As we head into summer and the water warms, anglers will need to fish a little deeper.

Top trout this week was 7.3 lbs and was caught by Saul Mendoza fishing with rainbow garlic powerbait in the South Cove.

As the weather warms fishing will be better early and late in the day. The midday heat makes it tough fishing as well as catching.

LARGEMOUTH BASS

There is still no major news on bass fishing. Some anglers continue to catch a few bass on Senkos, but overall it is slow. The reservoir is full off excellent bass habitat so throwing a Senko around trees and brush should produce some largemouth bass action. Please release any big largemouth bass you might catch. They are the future of largemouth bass fishing in the reservoir.

STRIPERS

We only had a few reports from anglers fishing from boats for stripers. One angler caught two trolling with a small rattletrap in mid lake. Another boat with two anglers took two small keeper stripers fishing with anchovies in Cowboy Cove.

Fishing for stripers from the shore is fair to good with some anglers catching limits. Anchovies or shad should do the trick when bait fishing. Stripers need to be 18 inches or more. Please release the small fish as quickly and carefully as possible. They are the future of our fishery. We have not seen any large striped bass caught recently as all the stripers are in the 18 to 22 inch range.

SALMON

No salmon were reported this week

CATFISH
Fishing for catfish is still hit and miss. Anchovies, liver, mackerel and nightcrawlers all will catch catfish. We suggest fishing with as little weight as possible and watch for very soft bites. The back of cowboy cove and the south cove are good bets. We encourage and appreciate the release of any monster catfish (20 lbs plus).

GENERAL

We are still giving out Whopper mugs. It takes a 5 lb trout to earn a mug, 12 lb striper, 12 lb catfish or a released 5 lb largemouth bass

We have 2013 State of California Fishing Licenses for sale at the marina. Fish and Game has been checking fishing licenses so make such you have one for everyone 16 and over. We suggest taking advantage of the second rod stamp that is available.

Hours in April are 6AM to 8PM with boats due in by 6:30 PM. These hours remain in effect through August.