GENERAL CONDITIONS
Fall is in full swing and the weather is slowly starting to drop - though it's still fluctuating between low 80's and high 60's. Rain is expected early this week. This will cool down the lake a little and hopefully trout will be a little more active. Catfish are still being caught, though we estimate that it'll slow down here soon once the weather drops even more. They are still being caught over in Half Moon Bay, Bass Cove and over by the dam. Water clarity is around 0 foot visibility near the shoreline but in deeper parts of the lake it's around 6-7 foot visibility. The wind has been slowing down in the afternoons though it randomly does pick up some days causing us to not send out rows, kayaks and electric boats. The lake is done losing water due to the construction on the west shore trail at the marina. The project is set to be completed by October 15, 2012. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause.

We have planted 2,000 lbs of trout from Mount Lassen within the past month. We will continue with our regular trout plants again. When you bring in a fish of 5 lbs or more, we will take your picture and give you a "Lake Chabot Whopper club" button. If you catch a whopper over 8 lbs (trout), 10 lbs (catfish) or 5 lbs (bass), you will also receive a Lake Chabot Whopper mug. For beginning anglers, if you have any questions on what to use, please come down to the Marina and one of our friendly staff members will be more than happy to help you set up on your fishing adventure. Boat rentals have slowed down, so take advantage of the small crowds and come take out a boat! As mentioned before, the wind picking up in the late afternoon has been causing us to give out warnings or not send out rows, kayaks, or electric boats due to safety hazards.

We have converted back to our regular fall hours! On Mon - Thurs we will be closing at 5pm and stopping boat rentals at 4pm. Fri - Sun we will be closing at 6pm and stopping boat rentals at 5pm. We are making no exceptions if you come in at 4pm/5pm to rent a boat, we stop renting at those times for a reason.

TROUT
Catfish season is nearly over! Even though catfish are still biting relatively well, there is no excuse to not start trout fishing! Last week several nice size trout were pulled out trolling top water lures. If fishing for trout, it's best to go to the clearest parts of the lake which are by the dam and Half Moon Bay area. If you are planning to troll, the water is still pretty warm, so you may want to experiment with different sized weights and drop them lower than you usually would. Trout fishing is starting to pick up a little mid-morning. This past week several nice size trout were pulled out from anglers using Rapalas with a Firetiger pattern. Usually some of the best lures to troll with are, Firetiger Rapalas, Kastmasters, and Mirashads. When they do start to bite more frequently, chartreuse and rainbow Powerbait will be your best friend! When trolling for trout, be careful with the anglers fishing on the shoreline.

BASS
Bass fishing has been slowing down as we enter into trout season. Bass are currently in post-spawn mode, so they are near the shoreline, about 10-15 feet deep. If you are fishing for bass, they are hitting mostly in the early mornings and evenings on plastics, jigs and hula grubs. A good spot to fish for bass would be near the island, or the tulles by Raccoon Point. Most of the anglers are throwing Senkos, drop shots and Brush hogs to get the fish to come out from their deep, off-shoreline structure. Livewells can be provided upon request thanks to Walton's Pond. Please practice catch and release for bass, as they are not stocked in the lake and their population depends on you!

CATFISH
Summer is over and catfish are slowing down. The water temperature was warm and consistent all summer long, but it is starting to cool off a bit. We planted a little over 5,000 lbs of catfish into Lake Chabot this season, and we have now moved on to our regular trout plants. Typically around this time, catfish are going to be located by Raccoon point, but they have also been around the Half Moon Bay area, behind the island, and Coot's Landing. Anglers are using mackerel, anchovies and chicken liver for bait, as well as night crawlers. We are done planting catfish for the year, so grab your most stinky bait and come on out before all the catfish swim back down to the bottom of the lake! One of our regulars, Ken Kruse, caught the limit in catfish near the island. The largest being 5.25 lbs and all in less than an hour!

HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday -- Thursday: Boat rentals are from 6:00am - 4:00pm. Boats are due in by 5:00pm.
Friday -- Sunday: Boat rentals are from 6:00am - 5:00pm. Boats are due in by 6:00pm.
Hours subject to change based on weather conditions and light levels.