GENERAL CONDITIONS
Summer is ending with good trout, catfish and striped bass fishing. Trout and striped bass are both active. The water level is currently at 94,200 acre feet. The water level is dropping due to use. The water temperature is down to 69 degrees after spiking at 75 degrees during the heat wave. Our water clarity is good. A fair number of trout, catfish and stripers continue to be caught both from shore and from boats..

TROUT
Fishing for trout continues to be good with the mixed weather we have been having. They are being caught in South Cove, Oak Point as well as around the lake. The baits of choice for shore anglers is garlic scented PowerBaits, nightcrawlers or Kastmasters. Trout average a pound and a half but range to over 5 lbs. Light tackle is important for catching trout with 4-6 pound test being plenty. We are still hoping to plant trout again soon. Trout are being caught all over the lake in fair numbers.

Trolling is popular with anglers using Rapalas and other lures in the coves. From the shore, bait fishing with nightcrawlers, garlic scented PowerBaits and Kastmasters continue to be the most popular and successful. There is no need for line heavier than 6 lb test. Nice stringers have been seen coming out of South Cove and from around Oak Point. With boats, we have been seeing a number of fish coming in from all of the major coves, especially in the mornings and late afternoon.

LARGEMOUTH BASS
Most anglers were focused on stripers or trout. Keep in mind that largemouth need to be 12 inches to be kept. Please release any big largemouth bass you might catch. They are the future of largemouth bass fishing in the reservoir. There was a plant of 2000 6”-12” largemouth bass on Friday, August 14th. If you catch any of these undersized fish please release them gentle and allow them to grow up.

STRIPERS
Shakers continue to be the main action with striped bass. We are still seeing 15-20 undersized fish being caught for every keeper. From shore, cut anchovies or shad is the bait of choice. Just a reminder, stripers need to be 18 inches or more to be legal. We have been seeing a number anglers, especially on the fishing pier, yanking hooks out of the mouths of undersized fish and then hurling them back into the lake. This is not cool. Please release the small fish as quickly and carefully as possible. They are the future of our striped bass fishery.

CATFISH
With the warming water we are seeing a more active catfish bite start. There was a 1,000 pound plant from Lassen on September 2nd. This holiday weekend saw quite a few 3-5 pound catfish being caught around the lake, both from boats and from shore. For those wishing to target catfish, anchovy continues to be the best choice of bait with chicken liver being your second best bet. We encourage and appreciate the release of any monster catfish (15 lbs plus).