My friend and I left southern Oregon Friday to take part in a large bass tournament on Oroville, Saturday. It was the first time I’d been there in two years and what I observed shocked me.

The lake is pert’ near full and beautiful! I was able to park in the main parking lot near the spillway ramp and the walk was relatively short, a far cry from the uphill trudges to low-water parking lots of years past.

The weather was cold and clear, starting in the 30’s and finishing in the 50s, with very little wind. Water temps were 47 degrees in the morning and 48.5 in the shallow flats around 2 p.m. The spillway was flowing, so there was some current produced, particularly up the rivers and near incoming runoff.  

We started in muddy water near Canyon Creek and landed two fish on finesse worms, but lost several others as the fish weren’t taking the bait down. We hooked several on the outside of the mouth, which could have been a product of poor visibility in the mud. I was also using a small hook, needle sharp, but poor gap. I went to a wider gap before leaving and caught fish in the main body and Middle Fork the rest of the day in much clearer water.

We caught several fish on “mop tops” (i.e., twin-tail Hula Grubs on a football head) fished slowly. Our bites came in 15 to 25 feet and we weren’t able to get fish to fire on reaction baits, although we did observe other anglers catching fish on rip-baits and A-rigs.

Fishing was generally slow, and spotty. We’d catch several in one location and then none. Weights were down. With 167 boats and nearly twice as many anglers, very few fish were weighed over 2-pounds. Our best 7 only went 10.54 pounds. As usual, a few teams found 3 and 4-pound bass, including one Largemouth, I believe, but very few.

Sunrise was beautiful, as were the numerous waterfalls visible this time of year. Rising water has liberated some floating wood. Some are big and can ruin your day, so slow down and be safe. If you’re traveling, try The Lodge at Feather Falls for a safe, quiet, first-class stay. The menu at the Brewing Co. is amazing.