Water Conditions

New Melones Lake is currently holding 512,719 acre-feet of water. The lake level came up just a little this past week. It is currently at 860 ft. above sea level and 225 ft. from full. The water clarity is clear in most of the lake with a slight stain in some areas. The water temperature is cooling, with the average being 57-62 degrees. The concrete ramp is CLOSED and is no longer in use. There is also a courtesy dock on the dirt launch which will be in place until the concrete ramp is open again.

Trout

The water temperature has been dropping daily and the trout should be moving toward the surface in the next couple of weeks. Some fish can be found up shallow, but most anglers are targeting fish that are holding out deep. The shad and the trout in the main lake can be found in 80'-100' of water. Trolling anglers continue to catch large 3 to 5-pound rainbow trout in the deepest portions of the lake. The main river channel, spillway and the dam have been productive areas to locate these larger fish. Spoons have been a good choice for the past couple of months. Try switching colors depending on the amount of light. On cloudy days use bright colors and on clear days use natural patterns. Add a feathered treble hook, or run two spoons in tandem to give your presentation additional action. Also, try rolling frozen shad to catch these deep water shad eaters and possibly a large brown trout. Bank anglers have reported catching a few smaller trout from the shoreline and an occasional larger fish. With the water temperature dropping the lake will turn over in the next couple of weeks. At this point many fish will move shallow making them easy for bank anglers to target. Try soaking Power Bait or a mallow/nightcrawler combo.

Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week goes to Dale Knight. He caught a 4-pound, 9-ounce trout while soaking nightcrawlers in 20' of water near the dam.

We do encourage catch and release of brown trout, as there does not seem to be a large population of them in the lake. Carefully measure, weigh and photograph trophy fish and send us pictures and information.

Kokanee

The season has come to an end and the kokanee will be spawning in the creek channels and upriver.

Bass

The bass bite has been picking up each week of the fall. The cooler weather and dropping water temperatures have them feeding more aggressively and more often. Many fish are holding in deep water and feeding on schools of shad. Some fish have moved up toward shallow water and can be found in standing timber and brush. To target fish that are holding deep, try using a vertical presentation. A dropshot or jigging spoon can be lowered to the fish and held in the strike zone for a long period of time. To catch fish that have moved shallow, try using a shakeyhead with your favorite worm or creature bait. Shad and crawdad patterns will work well. When fishing in areas with heavy cover use a weedless presentation. A Texas Rig/brass and glass setup is hard to beat. Use the bead to create a ticking sound and attract nearby by fish. Many fish are crawdad eaters and will scour the bottom in search of them. A 1/2-ounce football jig is a great choice. Use a slow drag and hop presentation. California Reservoir Lures offers some great colors for Mother Lode lakes. Melones Craw and Mother Lode Perfect Craw are both good choices. 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

Glory Hole Sports Fall Catfish Contest has begun and couple nice catfish have been brought to the scales. We still have some openings and it will be going for the entire month of November. We are excited to see some of those giant catfish. It has been a slow start to the contest, but we still have a couple weeks left to weigh in some fish. There are a few spots available to sign up. We have over $300 dollars in raffle prizes to give away. The bite has been a little tough and the bigger catfish have been eluding the contest anglers. This next week could get good. The rainfall and fresh water washing into the lake will move the large fish up to shallow water to feed. Try using a variety of baits and fishing at various depths. Frozen shad, chicken livers and nightcrawlers are tough to beat. Try casting one line shallow and one line deep. Dough baits attract fish and can be used alone or in combination with other baits. Add scent to your presentation to further entice strikes.

Crappie

The crappie bite has been slow. Some anglers are catching a few nice ones once they have located a school. The cold winter months can be a good time to target crappie. Look for them in the back of major creek channels. Mini jigs and live minnows work well.