Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 519,436 acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped just inches this week and is currently at 862 ft. above sea level and 215 ft. from full. The water is stained in most of the lake. There are mud lines forming near the shore throughout the day, especially on windy days. The average water temperature is 74-78 degrees.


Trout: Slow. There have been a few anglers trying to pattern the large rainbow trout. This is normally a good time of year but so far anglers have had very little success. With a few colder nights and shorter days the fishing should get good. Trolling anglers try trolling shad patterned plugs or rolling shad. The trout feed on the shad that are schooling in the main lake. Rattle Traps, Speed Traps and Shad Raps work well when targeting large rainbows and browns. These baits are the same size and shape of the bait fish and the rattles will draw fish from a distance, especially in stained water. Be sure to add plenty of shad flavored scent to your presentation. Bank fishing has been very slow and usually is during the summer months. Best bet for shore anglers is to head to the high country lakes. Fly fishing anglers the bite has been pretty good fishing local streams and rivers. Try using a Parachute Adams, Elk Hair Caddis, or a Light Cahill for rising fish. Also try using a hopper/dropper setup with a Stimulator and a Copper John. 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: Almost Done. The season is winding down and very few anglers are targeting the kokanee. The fish are heading upstream for their annual spawn and die. Some fish will migrate later than others. To target these fish try trolling in 70-90' of water. Darker colors will work best and larger baits and blades will get more strikes. Be sure to add scent to your presentations.


Catfish: Very Good. The catfish anglers have been doing well some anglers are catching multiple fish on each outing. With the water being low there are areas of lake that can be accessed from the shore that have been underwater for years. The Angels Creek channel on the main lake is a short walk from Glory Hole Point. This is a good time of the year to fish for catfish. The lake is really nice in the evenings and through the night and this is when the big cats come to the shoreline and search for food. Try using shad, anchovies and nightcrawlers for bait. It is a good idea to use an ample amount of scent to help the fish locate your bait.


Crappie: Very Slow. It's been a tough year and we have seen very few crappie.


Bass: Fair. The bass are in a late summer/early fall pattern and can be difficult to find. The shad are starting to school up in the deep water and the bass are hunting them in wolf packs. Try using a shad patterned grub on a ?? oz. darthead. This is a great setup that can be fished in multiple ways. You can drag it on the bottom, fish it vertically, or swim it at any depth. Also, if you use your electronics and find bait in deeper water a great way to catch them is with a vertical jigging spoon or with a drop shot rig fished directly under the boat. Crank baits and jerk baits are both a good choice to use when targeting fish that are pulled of the bank. Fish that are keying on crawdads can be caught on jigs, brush hogs and beavers. CRL Jigs has a great selection of colors that work extremely well on New Melones and other Mother Lode lakes.