Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 633,162 acre-feet of water. The lake level came back up two feet this past week and continues to rise daily. It is currently at 884 ft. above sea level and 201 ft. from full. There is plenty of snow to melt in the high country, hopefully the runoff will help fill the lake and offset releases. The water clarity is clear in most of the lake. The water temperature is gradually rising, with the average being 70-78 degrees. The dam area is still buoyed off. Glory Hole Point boat launch is a two lane concrete ramp with a courtesy dock in place.

Trout: Good. The trout bite this late spring and early summer has been abnormally good. Anglers are finding some really chunky trout and they are in fairly shallow water. We would expect them to be holding in deep water due to the heat, but they are being caught from the surface down to 20'. However, they are holding over the deepest portions of the lake and most likely targeting large schools of shad. Trolling anglers have been catching fish using leadcore line and downriggers to reach their desired depth. Shad patterned Speedy Shiners and Needlefish will attract fish that are feeding heavily on shad. Often times they get keyed in on a specific size and color and it can be hard to perfectly match the hatch. At this time it is best to use a very bright obnoxious color that does not resemble a shad. They will see it and bite out of curiosity versus hunger. Bank anglers have had very little luck fishing for trout on New Melones. It is best to head to the high country to target trout during the dog days of summer. Or, wait until the evening and do some catfishing into the night. 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: Good. The water continues to rises and is flooding more vegetation daily. This is great for the plankton population and will continue to feed the already healthy kokanee in New Melones. This year the kokanee are extremely fat and can be caught in the 14-16" range. We have seen fish over 16" and expect them to reach 18" by the end of the kokanee season. The bite has not been fast and furious, but once you hook into a few it will be well worth your efforts. Anglers are using a variety of lure and blade combinations. Rocky Mountain Tackle and Uncle Larry's Spinners trailed behind a full size sling blade has been a good choice. Some anglers do well downsizing and fishing micro presentations. Try using a Glitterbug's micro hoochie trailed behind a teardrop blade or a Murphy's Magic behind a Murphy's mini dodger. Pink, blue and purple have been a good color choice for lures. Gold, copper, pink and watermelon have been good color choices for blades and dodgers. Try fishing a short leader from 8-12" between your dodger and lure. This will allow the action of the blade to swing the lure violently from side-to-side. Kokanee will strike out of aggression, so it is best to offer a presentation that will disturb them. Scent is also very important and should be applied and reapplied throughout the day. To ensure your presentation is creating a scent slick, use an Oregon Tackle Scent Chamber tied inline above your blade. Be sure to put some dyed and scent corn on each hook. Garlic, anise, krill and bloody tuna are all good choices.

Bass: Fair. The bass bite has slowed up a bit due to the hot weather we have been having. The bite will be good in the mornings and evenings and a bit slow during the day. With the water levels still raising some fish will be shallow and other fish will be pulling off the shoreline and moving out to the deep/cooler water. The shad are also leaving the shallow water and schooling in the deep water. Try using topwater poppers and walk-the-dog baits when it is cool out, and switching to soft plastics once the sun comes up. Shad patterns are working well and bright colors work best when fishing in stained water. Try using a dropshot rig fished in 20-40' of water or dragging a Carolina Rig along the rocky shorelines. There are still many trees that are exposed. The bass will hunker near them and wait to ambush. Try fishing a weedless Texas Rig when fishing near the wood and brush. PLEASE PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE. Take photos and carefully release the fish back into to the lake to maintain a healthy fish population for generations to come.

Catfish: Good. The summer months are a great time to target large catfish on New Melones. They will bite during the day, but are more likely to feed in the mornings, evenings and at night. Melones cats are fish eaters and can be caught on frozen shad, anchovies and mackerel.

Crappie: Okay. The night fishing bite is starting to take off. Try dropping a submersible light around standing timber in the coves and creek channels where the crappie will hold. The light will attract shad and the crappie will soon follow. Use live minnows under a slip-float.