Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 490,572 acre-feet of water. The lake level came up seven feet this past week. It is currently at 856 ft. above sea level and 229 ft. from full. The water clarity is clear in many areas and stained in a few due to wind and rainfall. There is some debris floating on the surface. The water temperature is gradually rising, with the average being 54-58 degrees. The dam area is buoyed off due to current that is created when releasing water. Glory Hole Point boat launch is a two lane dirt and gravel road leading off of the end of the point. There is not a courtesy dock and it is best to launch with a 4-wheel drive vehicle. The concrete ramp will be in the water at 860' and the dock should soon follow. With the recent rainfall and storms in the forecast, we should have a full functioning ramp and dock in the water within a week or so.

Trout: Slow. It has been a tough winter trout bite. Some anglers caught a few fish and a few limits, but overall it was much slower than years past. The trout will generally move shallow during the winter, but this year we can only assume they stayed out deep. There is still some time to get out and target the trout before the water temperatures warm. Bank anglers have reported best luck fishing near the 49-Bridge. This area has deep water nearby and anglers can target fish that are not relating to shallow water. Try using a standard bait rig with a mallow/crawler combo or some Power Bait. Also a great way to catch fish from shore is with a live minnow and a slip-float. Look for areas that have deep water and fewer trees. Set your bobber-stop at 15-25' and fish over deep water. Your bait will be suspended and not get hung up on the brush and rocks on the bottom. Boating anglers have been trolling from the surface down to 25' to catch planted trout and a few holdovers. Try using a shad patterned spoon when the water is clear and a brightly painted spoon in low light conditions or when fishing in stained water. We do encourage catch and release for the brown trout as The Department of Fish and Game will no longer be planting them. Carefully measure, weigh and photograph trophy fish and send us pictures and information.

Kokanee: Slow. It is a little early in the season to catch kokanee. Some anglers will start to target them, but generally we will start seeing a few fish caught in April and limits from May to September.

Wyatt Taylor and Peter Haskin had an awesome day at Melones, they reported the action being good all day using dropshot and Texas rigs for smaller fish and later in the day they switched to S-wavers and caught some quality fish. The water was really warm 59 to 60 degrees and the fish were fairly shallow, from 5-15'. They released all their fish and biggest of the day was 5-pounds, 1-ounce.

Bass: Good. So far we have had a great start to this late winter early spring bite. Many anglers have landed some nice fish and some giants as well. The next couple weeks call for some rainfall which will stain the water a bit. The bite should remain good. When the water has a little stain, it is best to use baits that disperse water and create vibration. Try using rip-baits that have rattles to coax bass into biting. With a rip-bait you can fish a jerk/pause retrieve, which will give nearby bass time to respond. Baits that produce flash or have a little chartreuse on them will work well. For soft plastic presentations, use baits that are bulky and have appendages that will move water. Brush hogs, lizards and curly tail worms are all good choices. Natural colors will work, but dark colors will stand out best in dingy water. Try using black, blue and purple when fishing these conditions. Another good way to get bites is by deflecting off cover. Each time your bait hits a rock, bush or trees it will create sound and vibration. A rubber skirted jig works extremely well in doing this. They are very weedless and can be fished in heavy cover. Each time your jig bumps into structure it will be easily noticed by the bass in the area. California Reservoir Lures makes a large selection of baits that work well in all the Mother Lode Lakes. Add a little scent to further attract fish.

VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE. The spawn is near and many fish will be holding eggs. Take photos and carefully release the fish back into to the lake to maintain a healthy fish population for generations to come.

Rick Yim caught and released a giant spotted bass that weighed over 6-pounds. He reported catching it on soft plastic swimbait with a belly hook.

Catfish: Good. Generally the largest fish will become active first, each spring. Try using large chunks of frozen bait. The fish will be more active towards the afternoon after the sun has warmed the water. Look for areas that have plenty of sun light throughout the day. Also, the rocks will warm and attract shad and large catfish. Some of the largest catfish ever caught out of New Melones have been caught during heavy rainfall. The catfish will move to areas with running water and feed on anything that is washed into the lake.

Crappie: Good. Quite a few anglers are catching some quality crappie. There is a lot of wood near the shoreline that the crappie will move into this spring. Fish near the brush in coves and pockets off of the main lake. Try using a live minnow fished under a slip-float. Also a try using a crappie jig to add a little color. holding eggs. Take photos and carefully release the fish back into to the lake to maintain a healthy fish population for generations to come.