Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,544,065 acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped about a half of a foot this week, and is currently at 1008 ft. above sea level and 79 ft. from full. Water temperature is warming daily with the average being 56-58 degrees and some parts of the lake 60-64 degrees in the afternoon. The lake is clear, to slightly stained with some debris floating on the surface.

Trout: Fair. Most anglers targeting trout are catching a few rainbows along with an occasional brown trout. Trolling anglers try fishing the main lake over the river channel, the 49 bridge or near the dam/spillway. For rainbows use Uncle Larry's Spinners and Wedding Rings tipped with a chunk of crawler. Or, thread a nightcrawler onto a straight shank hook and troll it behind a string of flashers. The weather has been fairly inconsistent try using various colors at various depths until you find what the fish want. A good rule of thumb is bright skies, bright lures, dark skies, dark lures. Rolling shad from 30-50' continues to be productive for some lunker browns. Bank anglers struggled a bit with very few limits being caught. A great way to catch some nice fish is with a live minnow fished under a slip-float. This rig is easy to use, and you can target many different depths. All you need is a bobber stop, slip-float, swivel, spit shot, and a mosquito hook. This is a great rig for kids because trout, bass, crappie, bluegill, and catfish will eat live minnows.

Pictured Above: Kelli McCollough and Jennifer Icardo caught their limits trolling Father Murphy's Bugs.

Kokanee: Good. There have been a lot of limits showing up. The fish are schooled up in 30-50 feet. Most of the fish are a good size for this time of the year 12-14" and very chunky. Try fishing the main lake with a finesse trolling setup. A Glitterbugs pink Micro Hoochie or an Anglers Market Kokanee Bites trolled behind a small tear drop dodger is great way to get a limit. Also, we have had reports of fish being caught on Vance's Sockeye Slammers, and Father Murphy's Bugs. Pink, watermelon, and silver have been good color choices for dodgers. Another lure that produces a lot of kok's and some large trout every year is an Apex. Don't forget to tip your lure with shoe peg corn that has been soaked in garlic, anise, carp spit, or kokanee special Pro Cure, or Smelly Jelly scent.

Photo #1: Jacob Ainsworth, Robert Matz, Josh Ainsworth, and Tom Turner caught a bunch of kokanee on pink hoochies.
Photo #2: Jim Dirickson, Curt Reyna and his grandson Kadyn caught their limits trolling near the dam and the spillway.

Bass: Good. The fish are in three different modes, pre-spawn, spawn, and post spawn. There are a lot of fish being caught shallow. The larger fish will be in deeper water either preparing to spawn or recovering from the spawn. To catch some nice fish try dragging a Brush Hog or a lizard on a Carolina rig. Try targeting areas that are protected from the main lake disturbance (wind and boating traffic). These are places where the bass like to spawn. With the weather getting warmer everyday, the top water bite should be picking up. Try throwing Spooks, Rovers, and Sammys in the morning hours for some exciting blow-ups. We have been seeing a lot of big spotted bass being caught and we possibly have a world record swimming around out there. The current state record and world record was caught May 3, 2001 out of Pine Flat Lake. It weighed 10-pounds, 4-ounces. If you catch a fish that is larger, and want it to be recognized as a state record, it must be weighed on a certified scale. The post office or the grocery store meat department has a certified scale. It is very important to practice catch and release during the spring months! If you do keep a bass, please keep the spotted bass and release the big female (largemouth) black bass. Glory Hole Sports can teach you the difference, so you can practice good conservation of the species.

Catfish: Good. The larger catfish are moving to shallow water to spawn a feed. Melones catfish tend to be fish-eaters rather than bottom foragers, so use live minnows, frozen shad, mackerel, or anchovies for best success. Another rig that produces fish every year is a ball of crawlers. Try using multiple large nightcrawlers on one hook to attract the big ones. Also while bait fishing, it is a good idea to drag your bait across the bottom every few minutes to attract nearby fish. Use a sliding sinker with a bead to create a ticking noise as your bait is moving.

Crappie: Good. Spring is here, and the crappie bite is on. There are fish in 15-40 foot of water, in the backs of creek channels near submerged timber. Live minnows or worms fished under a slip-float, with a bobber stop is a good way to target these fish. Also, try using Beetle Spins and mini jigs on light spinning tackle. Another great trick is to put a small live minnow on a mini jig. The color of the jig and the action of live bait is a hard combination for the fish to refuse.