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FISH REPORT -- ONS-matthews -- 28jul10
Compiled by Bo Matthews and Jim Matthews - Outdoor News Service
The fish report is weekly. Its accuracy depends on marina operators, tackle shops and local fishermen we contact. Anglers catching large fish should send the information to Outdoor News Service, P.O. Box 9007, San Bernardino, CA 92427, or telephone 909-887-3444, so it can be included in this report. Faxes can be sent to 909-887-8180. E-Mail messages or fishing reports can also be posted to Jim Matthews at odwriter@verizon.net.
This report is published by 12 daily newspapers in Southern California each week. Frequently it is edited for space. A complete version is posted on the Outdoor News Service web site (Outdoor News Service). The updated report is usually posted by Thursday morning. The fish report is copyrighted and any use or reposting of the report, or portions of the report, is prohibited without written permission. Posting of links to the fish report on the Outdoor News Service web site is allowed.
The Outdoor News Service is also on Facebook with updated reports and photos posted throughout the week. The new Twitter account name is MatthewsOutdoor. For our latest fishing information, use these sites.
The Cal TIP number, the Department of Fish and Game poacher hotline, is 1-888-DFG-CALTIP. The DFG’s Internet web page is located at the following address: www.dfg.ca.gov.
MATTHEWS’ PICKS OF THE WEEK
1. There’s just something magical about hooking a fish over 30 pounds in fresh water, especially a river. So, for the third week in a row, the lower Colorado River is staying as the top pick. There is a real chance to catch a fish topping 50-pounds in this action, and the bite has been very good right through the full moon this past week (best fish we had reported was a mere 35-pounder). As noted last week, the fishing pressure is relatively light and live bluegill or goldfish are the top baits and easy to get. Don’t go with anything less than 50-pound test line and 80-pound is better. Best places to get updates or tips for fishing the region are B&B Bait in Blythe at 760-921-2248 or Walter’s Camp south of Palo Verde at 760-854-3322.
2. This is a specialists bite, but the striped bass action at Lake San Antonio on the Central Coast surged back on this week and it has arguably the best striper fishing in the West right now. There are simply a lot of six to 10-pound fish and some in the 12 to 20-pound class each week. The best action has been on trolled shad-like swim baits or live or frozen shad. The best source for this bite continues to be the FishingNetwork.net forums through guide Bob Caffey (www.troutonly.com). For updates, check the web sites or call the marina at 805-472-2818.
3. Going into the full moon on Sunday, the bluegill and redear action surged back on at Lake Perris, especially for the bigger slabs topping 3/4-pound or more. The best action on these quality panfish has been in deep water (20-feet plus) off the dam, the island, and other spots. The marina mostly has smaller fish, but lots of them. Full limits have not been uncommon this past week or anglers fishing jigs tipped with a cricket or wax-worm bait. For an update on this action, call the marina at 951-657-2179.
FRESHWATER HOT SPOTS
TROUT: Top trout bets in Sierra continue to include Bridgeport Reservoir, Lake Crowley, Silver Lake, Rush Creek, South Lake, Lake Sabrina, and most of the Bishop Creek and Rock Creek drainage streams, which are getting heavily planted each week. Virginia Lakes has also been wide open on fish to two pounds. Flows are coming down in most of the creeks and rivers in the region and the bites are really taking off. For fly guys, the East Walker River, Bridgeport Reservoir, Crowley, and Kirman Lake have been the hot spots. At Crowley has more and more fish are working perch minnows in the backs of bays with water inflows. In Southern California, there continues to be good action at just a handful of waters. Top bets are Green Valley Lake, Big Bear Lake, and Lake Hemet with all three fair to good, especially for trollers. Deep-water trollers at Casitas are also scoring fish averaging two to three pounds, and Cachuma has been good for trollers, too, thanks to a big plant four weeks ago. While no one is trolling Diamond Valley, there are a few big holdover rainbows to five pounds being caught by accident. That is our sleeper pick.
BLACK BASS: The largemouth bass action has been generally just fair throughout the region, with a lot of topwater action at first light. There have also been a few flurries of really good bites, but they haven’t been very predictable. Top bets have been Diamond Valley Lake, which never seems to slow down, and Isabella which has been cranking out a lot of fish over four pounds (but access is problematic this week due to a fire in the region). Other decent bets include Casitas, Castaic, Skinner, Sutherland, Otay, Irvine, Perris, Silverwood, Piru, Pyramid, Cachuma, and Puddingstone. The smallmouth action on the Colorado River has been very good in the lower river stretches and Topoc Gorge, but slowish in Lake Havasu. Further up on the Central Coast, Santa Margarita has continued tough, but Lopez improved with fair action. The spotted bass are pretty fair in Nacimiento.
STRIPED BASS: Striper bites are generally pretty good everywhere, with Silverwood, Pyramid, Castaic, and Skinner all decent bets. San Antonio Lake also surged right back on with the full moon and it continues to crank out a lot of six to 10-pound fish with some bigger. The Colorado River saw so little fishing pressure this week, that forecasts are tough. There’s always a chance for a big fish at Willow Beach where a 22-pounder was caught this past week. The California Aqueduct near Taft remains pretty fair.
PANFISH: Henshaw and Cachuma crappie bite came back on with pretty good action at both places and and a few 25-fish limits reported. Lake Isabella’s crappie bite just won’t seem to go away with good action for minnow dunkers in deeper water in the Camp Nine region (access may be restricted due to a fire in the region, however). It is also worth noting that Lopez and Santa Margarita are both producing bigger fish in slow bites. Redear and bluegill bites are hot just about everywhere -- with Perris, Diamond Valley, Casitas, Lower Otay, Sutherland, and Puddingstone some of the top picks. The tilapia bite at the Salton Sea has remained pretty fair in spite of the triple digit temperatures.
CATFISH: Simply good to excellent action just about everywhere. Hesperia Lake, Henshaw, Elsinore, Corona Lake, Santa Ana River Lakes, and Irvine Lake have been the hottest spots in Southern California with a lot of fish landed at all six. Skinner, Silverwood, and Diamond Valley are also good with a lot of cats to eight pounds at these three. Isabella has been very good for cats from 1-8 to three pounds, and the California aqueduct near Taft has also been good, too. The channel and flathead action is pretty much wide open along the whole lower Colorado River, especially in the warmer backwaters and irrigation ditches. This is the top bet for a quality fish over 20 pounds and big stringers of channels. There’s a catfish derby out of Blythe this Saturday.
SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAIN WATERS
SILVERWOOD: Very good striper action in Chemise Bay and Outhouse Cove on chicken liver and anchovies. Dawn Jeer, San Bernardino, caught a mixed stringer of trout and stripers totaling nine pounds on nightcrawlers fishing Miller's Canyon. The catfish bite has also been very good in most of the coves on cut baits. Mike James, Barstow, caught four catfish to 10 pounds on chicken liver. Largemouth action is fair with some anglers reporting success at the points on swimbaits. Fair bluegill action in all the coves on small worms, wax worms, red worms, or crickets. There is still a fair to good trout bite, but the fish have moved into deeper water and are showing on Power Bait and nightcrawlers. Carp action good fair for anglers fishing dough baits or nightcrawlers. Slow other species. Miller Canyon Creek (just above the lake) was planted with DFG trout three weeks ago and a few holdover fish are still showing for good stream anglers. The park is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Information: marina 760-389-2299, state park 760-389-2281, Silverwood Country store 760-389-2423.
BIG BEAR LAKE: Still overall good trout action from the surface down to about 25 feet. Surface trolled CD Rapalas have been very good, but the bite has also been good for anglers fishing three to four colors of leadcore and Needlefish. Anglers fishing bait on slip bobbers are also getting fish in 15 to 20 feet of water. DFG trout plant last week. Smallmouth and largemouth are fair to good in the bays and along the rocky jetties on small jigs and spinners, and the crappie and bluegill are also coming alive as water temps rise. Mini-jigs tipped with Gulp! Nuggets have been best for the panfish. Also some catfish starting to show at night in the east end on mackerel, shrimp and stink baits. Carp are stacked in the shallows and providing very good bowfishing with some real bruisers being stuck. Fishing information: Big Bear Marina 909-866-3218, Big Bear Sporting Goods 909-866-3222.
GREGORY LAKE: There continues to be a fair trout bite with some limits posted. There were DFG plants last week and three weeks ago. The best action has been on floating baits or small lures and the warm weather has the trout in deeper water. The bite on small crappie is fair early and late in the day. The boat house is open. Information: 909-338-2233.
GREEN VALLEY LAKE: Slow trout action this past week but quality fish continue to show with quite a few three to five-pound rainbows and some bigger. Craig Adkinson, Orange, caught a 7-14 rainbow on an orange Lip RipperZ worm. A plant from Jess Ranch will be going in this week. Anglers win a fee Green Valley Lakes tee-shirt if they land a trout over six pounds. Recorded information: 909-867-2009.
ARROWBEAR LAKE: DFG trout plant four weeks ago.
JENKS LAKE REGION: DFG trout plants two and four weeks ago and the bite has been fair on Power Bait, small jigs, and trout plastics. Both the Santa Ana River in the Seven Oaks area and the South Fork were planted by the DFG last week and three weeks ago. Fair bite. Brown trout anglers are also doing fair in the streams, however, but most fish are under 10 inches long. Information: Mill Creek Ranger Station at 909-382-2881.
HIGH DESERT LAKES
HESPERIA LAKE: Continued good catfish action thanks to 2,000-pound or bigger plants each week. The best bite is early and late in the day with mackerel, shrimp, and nightcrawlers all working well. Sam Davis, Adelanto, caught a 14-pound catfish on a marshmallow and mealworm combo. Denny Ross, Redlands, caught 10-pound, 6-8, and four-pound catfish on mackerel. Glen Watters, Highland, scored an 8-12 catfish on shrimp. A few wipers are still showing each week. Jerrad Laboy, Yucca Valley, caught a 2-12 wiper on mealworms. Lake hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the night session from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Cost is $15 per angler. There are $2 off coupons available at Bass Pro Shops. Information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.
JESS RANCH: Trout action is mostly slow with the summer heat settling in. The best bite has been before 10 a.m. on Power Bait, nightcrawlers, and small trout jigs. Top spots have been the grassy point, the eastern and western shores of lake 3, and the western and northern shores of lake 2. There was a 2,000-pound catfish plant June 29, and trout are planted every Friday with more and bigger fish going in now. The catfish are fair on shrimp and nightcrawlers. A few largemouth are showing on Senkos, spinnerbaits, and nightcrawlers, and the bluegill bite remains pretty fair on meal worms and small jigs. The lake is open Friday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it is stocked with trout each week on Friday from its own hatchery. Lake information: 760-240-1107 or Jess Ranch Lakes-The Official Site.
MOJAVE NARROWS: County catfish go in each week through the end of catfish season, and the bite has been good with many fish in the three-pound range. Pretty good action on small bluegill, and quite a few crappie to a pound are also showing. Also fair action for bass and the occasional carp. Trout action is slow with no plants in the past couple weeks. Horseshoe Lake is still temporarily closed due to flood damage. Pelican Lake is remains open. For lake information: 760-245-2226.
INLAND VALLEY LAKES
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
CUCAMONGA-GUASTI: Fair catfish action. County catfish plants are weekly and will continue to go in each week through the end of catfish season. Information: 909-481-4205.
PRADO: County catfish plants are weekly through the end of the summer season and action has been fair to good. The marshmallow-meal worm combo, marshmallow and nightcrawler combo, shrimp, or mackerel have been working best. Otis Wishum, Pomona, caught a 13-pound catfish on shrimp fishing near the launch area. Fair largemouth bite on soft plastics. There is also a good bite on bluegill with wax worms, meal worms, or nightcrawler pieces. Catfish baits are also now being sold at the park, and small boats (non-inflatable) under 16 feet with electric motors are now allowed. Information: 909-597-4260.
YUCAIPA: Catfish bite is good for one to two-pound fish with the best bite before 9 a.m. each morning. There are 750-pound county plants each week, usually split between the top and bottom lake. Shrimp, mackerel, and anchovies have been the best baits. Bluegill action is fair to good on small fish, with small pieces of nightcrawler the best bait. There is a decent carp bite for those targeting them as well. Fair bass action. Nina Cooper, Banning, scored a 4-8 largemouth on a nightcrawler. Other species are slow. Lake information: 909-790-3127.
GLEN HELEN: County catfish plants are weekly through the rest of the summer season and the bite has been good on nightcrawlers, shrimp, and mackerel. Most of the cats are from 1 1/2 to two pounds. Ray Huerta, Fontana, caught five catfish to 2.09 pounds on Nitro crawlers, Hog Wild, and mealworms. Bluegill and carp are mostly slow. Information: 909-887-7540.
MOUNT BALDY TROUT POOLS: The heavily stocked pools are open every Saturday and Sunday. No fishing license is needed. Information: 909-982-4246.
SECCOMBE LAKE: Good action on small bluegill. Slow other species. Information: 909-384-5233.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
DIAMOND VALLEY: Excellent largemouth action. Shad baits, topwater lures, and Scroungers are accounting for the majority of the catches in the morning. Underspins and plastics are the best for mid-day and afternoon fishing. Jesse Mena, Hemet, caught a four-pound largemouth fishing topwater in the morning. Excellent panfish bite. Lots of bluegill and redear with a few crappie showing as well. Mini jigs, mealworms, and nightcrawlers fished along the dams have been the best bets. Catfish are also very good on all of the usual baits, mackerel, anchovies, shrimp, or chicken liver with the saddle dam, Rawson Cove, quarry or east dam the best areas. Trout have pretty much been no shows, but few anglers are targeting the holdover fish right now. A few incidental catches have been made at the corners of the dams and Rawson Cove. Tyler Loveridge, Moreno Valley, caught a 5.36-pound trout fishing near the rock quarry with a plastic worm. Stripers have also been spotty with only a few smaller fish on Scroungers and underspins near the north corner of the east dam the inlet, and restroom No. 2. Paul McEwen, Ocreanside, caught two stripers at 12.6 and 13.7 pounds on a Fish Trap near the marina. For general lake, launch, and fishing information, call 800-590-LAKE, the marina at 951-926-7201 or Diamond Valley Marina, or Last Chance Bait and Tackle 951-658-7410 or Last Chance Tackle - Home.
PERRIS: There continues to be a fair to good redear and bluegill bite with the bigger fish coming from deeper water at the island and scads of smaller fish in the marina and around most shorelines with rip-rap or some structure. Charles Lee, Moreno Valley, caught 25 bluegill and redear on crickets and redworms at the island. Lorenzo Martinez, Moreno Valley, scored 25 bluegill and redear with fish to one-pound on nightcrawlers and redworms at the island. Still fair to good bass action with the south end of the dam and Bernasconi Beach the top spots. Best action early and late in the day. Glenn Heck, Palm Springs, caught a 7.6-pound largemouth on a Thomas Bouyant at Rock Climbers Cove. Carp, catfish, and trout all slow. The park is open seven days a week, and hours are from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Information: marina 951-657-2179, state park 951-940-5600.
SKINNER: Striper action picked back up a bit this past week. The bite has been over large areas of the lake, but the best action continues to be at the dam or inlet on chicken liver or anchovies fished deep. Some anglers reported success fly lining an anchovy in the morning near the inlet. Ron Kruger, San Diego, caught five stripers to three pounds on anchovies at the dam. Catfish action has been good on nightcrawlers, chicken liver, and mackerel with Ramp No. 2, the inlet, and the dam the top spots. Jack Hartman, Hemet, scored four catfish to four pounds on chicken liver at the inlet. Bluegill are good with the east end and south shore the hot spots. Katie Darnell, Temecula, caught two bluegill to one-pound on nightcrawlers at Ramp No. 2. Largemouth bass are just fair. Carp action has been fair to good for those targeting them. They are primarily being caught in the reeds on nightcrawlers. Information: store 951-926-1505 or marina 951-926-8515.
ELSINORE: Little change here. The catfish action remains good to excellent with three to five pounders common on cut baits, especially shrimp, with nightcrawlers or shad also very good. The bluegill are also very good with quite a few half-pound pounders on meal worms, wax worms, and nightcrawler pieces. The wipers are fair with the bite best early and late in the day on the same baits with some action on jerk baits or live shad, if you can dip net some. Anglers are reminded the limit on the wipers is two-fish, with an 18-inch minimum size, and there have been a lot of 16 and 17-inch fish showing in this bite. The carp remain fair to good with a lot of three to seven pounders on homemade dough baits. The bluegill bite has improved over the past week with more and more nice stringers reported and some fish topping a half-pound. A few crappie continue to show for boat anglers at the pipes along the levee. There’s also a slow to fair bite on the largemouth bass on plastics and reaction baits. Boat rentals are available through the William’s Bait, Tackle, and Boat Rental out of Elsinore West Marina. For more information, contact William’s Bait, Tackle, and Boat Rental at 951-642-0640 or go to Lake Elsinore Boat Rental, Lake Elsinore Bait and Tackle Shop – William’s Bait, Tackle and Boat Rental.
CORONA LAKE: Craig and Grant Yamashita, San Jacinto, teamed up to battle a 37 1/2-pound catfish, landing the best fish of this year’s catfish season using shrimp and fishing from a boat. The catfish action has been excellent here thanks to twice-weekly plants of channel catfish with the best action on mackerel or shrimp doused with Eagle Claw catfish Gravy. The tilapia are also very good with the fish running up to two pounds and showing on nightcrawlers, red worms, or even wax worms. The tilapia are planted each week, too. Dave Beaver, Anaheim, caught cats at 7 3/4 pounds and 3 1/4 pounds, and Andrew Pasillas, Riverside, landed seven catfish for a total stringer weighed of 14 1/2 pounds. Mike Mortiz, Temecula, landed a 2 1/2-pound tilapia. While not a lot of sturgeon are showing, Blake Burgess, Elsinore, landed a 5 1/2-pounder fishing shrimp at the dam. There is 24-hour fishing every Friday and Saturday night. For Corona Lake fishing information, call 951-277-4489 or log on at fishinglakes.com, Santa Ana River Lakes - Corona Lake - Anaheim Lake.
EVANS LAKE: Slow to fair bass action on small plastics and tiny jerk baits along the rocky shorelines early and late in the day with some fish to two pounds. Lots of shad swarming along the shorelines this past week. Also a pretty decent bite on small bluegill and warmouth. Anglers targeting carp are also seeing a decent bite on dough baits.
RANCHO JURUPA: Fair to good catfish action after plants July 1 and 15, and the next plant was slated for this Thursday. Slow other species, but Isaac Silvera, Riverside, landed a five-pound largemouth on a live crawdad. There is a new bait and tackle shop at the lake. Information: 951-684-7032.
FISHERMAN’S RETREAT: No report. Information: 909-795-0171.
ANGLER’S LAKE: The lake is currently closed.
REFLECTION LAKE: Catfish remain good on cut baits, and plants are every two weeks with 500 pounds planted each time. There are monthly derbies. A few bass are showing. Bluegill fair. Information: 951-654-7906 or Reflection Lake RV Park, a Hemet California RV Park and Family Campground.
JEAN'S CHANNEL CATS: No more catfish plants this summer, but the bite has still been pretty good. Anglers only have to pay $2 a pound for the catfish landed until trout season, when regular plants and prices return. The best action has been on chicken liver, mackerel, and shrimp. The lake is only open on weekends Friday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on all Monday holidays. Information: 951-679-6562 or 951-259-2021.
SAN JACINTO MOUNTAIN WATERS
LAKE HEMET: Fair trout action with quite a few three and four fish stringers reported. DFG trout were planted two and four weeks ago. The fish are showing for trollers and shore anglers using Power Bait or similar baits along the south shoreline. Fish are mostly smaller, but a few over two pounds were reported. The bluegill bite has been pretty good with few anglers targeting them, and the odd bass is showing up. Lake open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Information: Lake Hemet Market 951-659-2350, campground 951-659-2680.
LAKE FULMORE: DFG trout plant this week and two weeks ago -- the first two plants of the season. Information: 951-659-2117.
ORANGE COUNTY
SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES: The catfish action has remained excellent and anglers will see a big influx of trophy catfish next week when broodstock channels from 10 pounds up will be planted on Tuesday. The trophies could be up into the 40-pound class. SARL has been getting twice-weekly plants of catfish with tilapia also added at least once each week. The channels have been best on shrimp or the marshmallow-meal worm (M&M) combo doused with Eagle Claw garlic Gravy with the average size fish between one and two pounds. The tilapia are best on nightcrawler pieces and run up to two pounds. Mary Harper, Los Angeles, had 14 fish that weighed 21 pounds fishing worms in Chris’ Pond. Walter Harris, Van Nuys, was also 14 fish and his stringer weighed in at 16 1/2 pounds. Jeff Bradley, Carson, had five cats for 11 1/2 pounds, including a four-pounder. Sturgeon are mostly slow, but Vincent Worthington, Cypress, caught two sturgeon, one at 12 pounds and one at 10 pounds to top off his stringer, which also included three catfish. Nash Holm, La Mirada, landed a two-pound tilapia and Chris Flowers, Mission Hills, landed a 9-4 carp. There is 24-hour fishing every Friday and Saturday night. Private boats are no longer allowed at Santa Ana River Lakes due to fears of invasive quagga mussels being introduced into the water system. Information: 714-632-7830.
ANAHEIM LAKE: Closed. Anaheim Lake only opens when Santa Ana River Lakes is closed for cleaning and maintenance. Information: (714) 996-3508 or fishinglakes.com, Santa Ana River Lakes - Corona Lake - Anaheim Lake.
IRVINE LAKE: Excellent catfish action with a lot of two to six-pound fish showing tight to the brush. Late evening and night fishing has seen the best action. As it's getting dark nightcrawlers have been working best and once the sun goes down mackerel has been the ticket. Shrimp, DuMong’s, and Gulp! have also been working in the night bite. Phil Hildenbrandt, Anaheim, caught a limit of catfish totaling 25-9 with a 7-8 topping the catch. All of his fish were caught on mackerel at Santiago Flats. Good panfish action in the brushy areas on meal worms and Gulp! Crickets. Good bass action. Joey Ninehuis, Newport Beach, got a five-fish stringer of largemouth totaling 14-6 using a variety of crankbaits. Eric Miller, Orange, caught a 6-5 largemouth on a Power Worm at Crawdad Point. While trout are pretty much over for the year, a few continue to show from deep water. There was also a nice carp caught this past week by Jerry Chang, Manhattan Beach. Chang's carp weighted in at 12-3 and was caught on an IMA Ramba at Red Clay Cliffs. The lake is now closed on Tuesdays. The road to Trout Island is again usable. Lake information: 714-649-9111 or Irvine Lake - Fishing and Camping in Orange County, Southern California.
LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE: No report. The lake is open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Information: 949-362-3885 or Laguna Niguel Lake.
LOS ANGELES AREA LAKES
CACHUMA: Trout and crappie paced generally good action here this week. The best grout action has been at the dam for trollers working Needlefish up to eight colors deep. The crappie are best on small jigs in the Narrows or Cachuma Bay. Catfish are pretty good in the backs of the coves on cut baits with most of the fish in the two-pound class. Both the largemouth and smallmouth bass are both pretty good with some topwater action early and late in the day. Ken Hemer, Cachuma, caught a six-pound largemouth on a crank in Harvey’s Cove. Bluegill are fair to good in most coves on small baits. Few redear reported. While few anglers target them, the carp are good over much of the lake. For quagga mussel and the boat launching information, log on at Santa Barbara County Parks Department Home. The marina is open again with rental boats available. The boat launch remains open, but boats must get a quagga mussel inspection. Information: 805-688-4040.
CASITAS: The bass bite remains fair to good in 18 to 25 feet of water on nightcrawlers, plastics, and jigs. Morning and evening are when the action has been best. Top fish reported was an eight-pounder landed by Robbi Martinez, Ventura, on a jig. Matt Kelleher, Oxnard, caught a 6-8 bass on a plastic worm. There continue to be a fair trout bite for trollers working eight to 10 colors of leadcore and Needlefish or by bait anglers drifting in about 40 feet of water near the dam. Most of the trout are two to three pounds and pink-meated. There also continues to be a good redear bite on red worms and nightcrawler pieces with fish to 1-8 or better reported, and the fish are showing from shallow water out to 25 feet. Catfish are not getting much pressure, but more and more are starting to show up in the catch, including some quality fish. Bob Blocker, Ventura, landed a 12-pounder on mackerel, while Shawn Flaherty, Oakview, had an eight-pounder on a nightcrawler. Private boats will be inspected for quagga mussels and face a 10-day dry dock requirement before being allowed to launch. The lake is open every day, including all holidays from dusk to dawn. Information: 805-649-2043.
CASTAIC: The striper action picked up this week with more quality fish showing. The buoy line has been the top spot with sardines the top bait. The lagoon continues to be excellent for largemouth bass with the best bite on plastics, crawdads, or nightcrawlers. Dale Gant, Northridge, had bass at eight, nine, and 10 pounds fishing Senkos last Thursday morning. Most of the bigger largemouth have been showing at night. The largemouth bite in the big lake has been good with the best action at the coves in Fish Arm on plastics and nightcrawlers. Good panfish bite on wax worms, mealworms, small jigs, and pieces of nightcrawlers. Slow trout action with no plant in over a month. Information: 661-775-6232 or Castaic Lake | Home.
PIRU: Fair to good action on bass, while the crappie, bluegill and redear bites are slow to fair. The best bass bite has been on plastics fished in 10 to 25 feet of water with some fish on swimbaits and nightcrawlers. Also some topwater action early and late. The crappie are showing in 12 to 20 feet on small jigs with few topping a pound. The best action on redear and bluegill has been on nightcrawler pieces or crickets. Catfish still very slow. Information: front gate at 805-521-1500, x500 or Lake Piru Recreation Area.
PYRAMID: The striper action remains good for anglers drifting with anchovies or sardines, and they are averaging from 1 1/2 to three pounds. Most of the fish are in deep water. Largemouth bass action is fair to good with a lot of one to three-pound fish on nightcrawlers and plastics. Also quite a few smallmouth in this bite. No recent trout plants and the action is very slow with only a few fish showing for trollers fishing flashers with nightcrawlers, Rapalas, and Needlefish around the dam. The bluegill are showing in pretty good numbers with quite a few fish to half-pound. Crappie spotty on small jigs tipped with bait. Catfish are still mostly slow, but a few to five pounds reported this week. Information: Emigrant Landing entrance booth, 661-295-7155, concession 661-257-2790, or Forest Service 661-296-9710.
QUAIL LAKE: No reports.
PUDDINGSTONE: Just fair action on largemouth bass on plastic worms around structure, with some topwater action early and late in the day. Bluegill action is fair to good on crickets, wax worms and meal worms with morning and evening best. Most are hand-sized and smaller but some bigger fish also showing. Some bigger redear showing in a little deeper water than the bluegill. Carp are in the shallows. Little fishing pressure but anglers targeting them are getting some nice fish on dough baits. Catfish improving after the first DFG catfish plant of the season two weeks ago. Information: East Shore RV Park: 909-599-8355 (ask for the market).
SANTA FE DAM: No recent DFG plants. Slow to fair bass and bluegill action. Information: 626-334-1065.
ALONDRA PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
BALBOA PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
BELVEDERE PARK LAKE: DFG No recent DFG plants.
CERRITOS PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
DOWNEY WILDERNESS PARK: No recent DFG plants.
ECHO PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
EL DORADO PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
ELIZABETH LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
HANSEN DAM LAKE: No recent DFG plants. Information: 888-527-2757 or 818-899-3779.
HOLLENBECK LAKE: No recent DFG plants. Information: 213-261-0113.
JOHN FORD PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
KENNETH HAHN PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
LA MIRADA PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
LEGG LAKES: No recent DFG plants.
LINCOLN PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
MAGIC JOHNSON LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
PECK ROAD PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants. Information: 818-448-7317.
SAN DIEGO AREA LAKES
BARRETT: There were 84 anglers checked and they reported catching 1,144 bass, 50 bluegill, and four crappie. Reservations are available for August by calling Tickemaster at 800-745-3000. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
HODGES: No report. The lake is open to fishing Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday with rental boats only available on the weekend. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
EL CAPITAN: There were 45 anglers who reported catching 57 bass and six bluegill. The lake is open Thursday through Saturday and on Monday for fishing. Rental boats are available Saturday and Sunday only. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
LOWER OTAY: There were 226 anglers checked and they reported catching 237 bass up to the 5 1/2-pounder caught by Jose Hermida, Chula Vista. He also had a 5.1-pound catfish, one three cats landed this past week. There were also 271 bluegill to .95-pound caught. The lake is open on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday schedule. The lake only has boat rentals on Saturday and Sunday. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
UPPER OTAY: There were 12 anglers checked and they reported 11 bass to 4.6 pounds and five bluegill to .76 pounds. The lake is open on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday for catch-and-release fishing (only artificial lures with single, barbless hooks), sunrise to sunset. The road to Upper Otay is open. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
MURRAY: No report. No DFG trout plants in over a month. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. The lake is no longer renting boats of any kind.
MIRAMAR: There were 63 anglers checked and they reported 17 bass, 19 bluegill, and two channel cats. The lake is open for fishing seven days a week. The lake is no longer renting boats of any kind, and the launch ramp is closed due to low water levels. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water.
SUTHERLAND: There were 63 anglers checked and they reported catching 50 bass, 37 carp, 25 catfish, and 21 bluegill. Lake is only open Saturday and Sunday. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
WOHLFORD: The catfish bite has steadily improved after the first plant of the season July 1, and the next plant went in Wednesday this week. Some limits reported at the east end on chicken liver, clams, or mackerel. The buoy line is also a good spot. Largemouth action is fair with the best action early and late in the day when the fish are up chasing baitfish. Through the day, the bite moves deeper on dark plastics and crawdads. Crappie are showing in small numbers around reeds and submerged willows. Some bluegill showing in Oakvale Cove and Boat Dock Cove. The lake is open seven days a week. Seniors can rent boats for $20 every Tuesday. Active military will get the same $20 motor boat rentals on the first and third Saturday of every month. Quagga mussel fears still have a private boating ban. Information: 760-839-4346 or www.wohlfordlake.com.
DOANE POND: DFG trout plant three weeks ago.
DIXON LAKE: Catfish action has been good at the buoy line, Whisker Bay, Catfish Cove near Pier No. 4 with most of the fish in the one to two-pound range. The early morning and late evening have been the best times for catfish. Fair bass action with most of the fish in deeper water. Plastic worms and jigs have been working best. Bluegill are starting to show for anglers fishing the along piers near weed covered areas. Night fishing is allowed until 11:45 p.m. for shore anglers and boat anglers until 10:30. Lake information: 760-839-4345 or www.dixonlake.com.
POWAY: The catfish action picked up this past week and fishing has been good. Top catfish from Midnight Catfish Craze event was an 8.15-pounder. Good bass action with a very good topwater bite whenever shad are boiling near the rock pile in front of the Log Boom. Slow panfish action. Lake information: 858-668-4770, tackle shop 858-486-1234.
JENNINGS: Catfish action very good with just about any bait working. Eagle, Cloister, and Hermit coves have been the top spots. Catfish plants last week, the weeks of July 26 and August 11. John Visser, Jake Alirez, Melody Noble, all of Lemon Grove, caught 15 cats to four-pounds on chicken livers dipped in Secret 7 at Cloister Cove. The largemouth bite has been best in about 25 feet of water at the points but is mostly slow. Panfish slow. Night fishing will continue every Friday and Saturday until Labor Day. The last trout plant of the season went in over a month ago. Information: 619-390-1300 or Lake Jennings - Helix Water District Drinking Water Reservoir.
MORENA: There has been a fair morning bass until about noon and then picks up again in the evening. Some topwater, but most of the fish are showing on nightcrawlers and drop-shot plastics. Brian Fansher, Campo, caught a 7-4 largemouth on a crankbait. The bluegill action is good with the fish up in the shallows in flooded brush in good numbers. Mealworms, waxworms, and nightcrawlers pieces have all been working well. Catfish action has been good after the 1,800-pound plant early this month. Best action on chicken liver, nightcrawlers, and mackerel. Carp are very good on dough baits and fly anglers are also whacking them. Many of the fish are in the five to 10-pound range. Information: 24-hour fishing update line 619-478-5473, ranger station 619-579-4101, or *Lake Morena, Fishing,Camping, picnics, hiking, Real Estate, Insurance, Lake Morena, Campo.
CUYAMACA: Good trout action. Nightcrawlers are working best and the top spot has been the T-Dock. There is also a good crappie bite with a lot of small fish reported. DFG trout plant two weeks ago. A few bass and catfish reports are coming in each week as well. Private boats are allowed on the lake, but the boats must be sprayed for quagga mussels by a high-pressure heated wash prior to entering the lake. The cost is $10 for the spraying and it lasts for multiple trips to Cuyamaca as long as the boat is not used in another reservoir. The decontamination wash down station is for all craft and items used in the water, including boats, motors, kayak, canoes, float tubes and waders. Information: 760-765-0515 or Lake Cuyamaca Home Page.
HENSHAW: Catfish action is very good with a lot of nice stringers reported and quite a few limits. Most fish in the one to two-pound range with most stringers have at least one fish around 3 1/2 pounds. Crappie are fair to good and they are suspended in deeper water (accessible by boat or on the fishing pier) with most around a 1/2 to 3/4-pound. Lee Mallory, Hemet, caught a limit of crappie to 1-8. Lawrence Jordan, Rialto, also scored a limit of crappie with fish to one-pound. Bass are fair, but few anglers are targeting them. Excellent carp action with most running from two to four pounds. Henshaw is open to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, dusk the rest of the week. Information: 760-782-3501.
COLORADO RIVER
FLOW INFORMATION: Reservoir elevation levels and flow releases for the entire lower Colorado River are available at this web site with information updated hourly: Bureau of Reclamation: Lower Colorado Region - Lower Colorado River Operations Schedule.
LAKE MEAD: Slow to fair striper action under schools of shad in 40 to 50 feet of water in the main channel and mouths of most of the coves on cut anchovies, sardines, shad-like lures. Most fish under four pounds. The largemouth bass are slow to fair in eight to 25 feet of water on plastics, and the smallmouth have also been fair. Improving catfish action, but still just a fair number of fish showing in the coves on cut baits. Improving panfish action but still slowish.
WILLOW BEACH: The striped bass bite is still off with only a few fish showing on the bigger swimbaits. A 22-pounder was caught off the pier by Gio Cappelli, Willow Beach, on an A.C. Plug, but the best action has been in the Mile Marker 52 region. The trout action remains pretty good after the weekly plants with the best action on salmon eggs, Power Bait, worms and Super Dupers. Information: Willow Beach Resort at 928-767-4747.
LAKE MOHAVE: Still mostly tough fishing. The bass bite has been fair on plastics with some reaction bait and topwater fish. Slow-trolling or drifting with anchovies in 30 to 50 feet of water has been producing some stripers, while catfish are on the bottom. The night time bite has begun to pick up. Information: Cottonwood Cove at 702-297-1464, Katherine’s Landing at 928-754-3245.
LAUGHLIN-BULLHEAD AREA: Continued light fishing pressure, but there continues to be a pretty good bite on small stripers in the Big Bend to Laughlin stretch of the river, and trout also continue to be caught. Cory Valencia, Bullhead City, landed a 1.63-pound striper trolling Long-A Bomber near Big Bend. Albert Braun, Bullhead, caught a near-two-pound rainbow, also trolling a Bomber. The hot spots for the rainbows have been at the Laughlin Bridge and in front of the casinos, but they are showing all the way down river into Topoc Gorge. There are also more stripers in the river, and some of the fish are running into the five or six-pound range. Most are small, however. Most are showing on anchovies or crankbaits, with the Rio Lomas and Big Bend areaa best. Smallmouth are fair along rip-rap on small cranks, and a few catfish are showing from the deeper pools. Information: Riviera Marina at 928-763-8550.
NEEDLES AREA: There is fair smallmouth action in the main river from Needles south to the I-40 bridge and on down into Topoc Gorge, mostly on small cranks. Improving striper action, with more and more two-pound class fish showing on anchovies in the main river from the upper end of Topoc Gorge to Needles. Catfish probably the best bet on cut baits, but still just fair. Still a few rainbows showing but most are nice quality fish up to four pounds. Information: Needles Marina at 760-326-2197.
TOPOCK AREA: Overall pretty good action in spite of the heat this past week, but very light fishing pressure. Those fishing are finding a good bite on catfish to three pounds in the gorge and marsh. In the main river from the I-40 bridge south into the gorge, stripers are fair to good and when combined with a pretty good largemouth and smallmouth bite, anglers tossing curly-tail grubs, nightcrawlers, or even anchovies are getting quite a few of all three. The stripers are up to four pounds, while the smallies are one to two pounds, and the largemouth mostly under a pound. Carp are good throughout the region with fish to 10-pound this past week. Topock Marsh can be accessed by boat at North Dike, Catfish Paradise, and Five-Mile Landing. Information: Phil’s Western Trader at 928-768-4954 or Capt. Doyle’s Fun Fishing at 928-768-2667.
HAVASU: There is a fair largemouth bass bite early and late in the day on topwater buzzbaits and spook-type lures with flipping Senkos and crawdad-type baits into shady pockets. The smallies are tough with some topwater early on rocky banks in the morning. The redear are still good on shallow flats and off points in big schools with some fish topping two pounds. The catfish action has been fair to good with the best action in the evening and into the night on cutbaits for the channels and bluegill for the flatheads. Stripers are tough but some quality fish from four to eight pounds are showing on trolled baits in the main basis before 10 a.m. most mornings. Information: Bass Tackle Master (formerly Angler’s Pro Shop) at 928-854-2277.
PARKER STRIP: Fair to good catfish and smallmouth bass action. The cats are showing in most of the pools on cut baits, while the smallmouth bass are along the rip rap and best on small cranks and swim baits. Bluegill and redear are good in the backwaters and quiet water in the main river. Few flathead reports.
BLYTHE: The flathead catfish bite has been very good with a lot of quality flatheads over 20 pounds. Duane Zaragoza, Rubidoux, caught a 35-pound flathead on goldfish from the main river Tuesday. Live goldfish, bluegill, and tilapia fished in deeper holes have been the hot ticket. Channel cats are also good in the main canals, backwaters. The smallmouth bass bite is good to excellent in the main river along the rip-rap and in the canals. Most are small, but the action is very good on surface baits, cranks, and small plastics. Largemouth are fair to good in the backwaters and ditches on plastics, cranks, and surface baits. Also good panfish action in both the main river and canals. Stripers slow with only a few showing at the Palo Verde Diversion dam. The Blythe Junior Chamber of Commerce is having a catfish fundraising tournament this weekend. Entry fee is $20 for the flathead pot and $10 for channel catfish. Pay-back is for first through third on the flatheads with the channels a 50-50 pot with the big fish taking the prize. Event starts 8 a.m. Saturday, with sign-ups running from at 8 a.m. to noon at B&B Bait in Blythe. Weigh-in 9 a.m. Sunday. Information: B&B Bait 760-921-2248.
PALO VERDE: The flathead action has continued to be good with a lot of fish from eight to 20 pounds and a few bigger fish each week. The best baits are live bluegill, goldfish and tilapia. The channel catfish bite is also very good. Good action on bluegill and the largemouth bass bite has also been good, with morning and evening topwater and a lot of crankbait fish. Most of the day the bass are back in the tules with high water levels. Few reports on smallmouth and stripers in the main river, and still no crappie reports. Information: Walter’s Camp 760-854-3322 Thursday through Monday.
PICACHO AREA: Fair largemouth bass action in the backwaters and river margins with the best bite early and late in the day, and the catfish -- both flatheads and channels -- are very good with some quality flatheads being caught. Bluegill good, too.
MARTINEZ LAKE AREA: Largemouth bass action has been fair and improving with some flurries of good action on topwater, mostly at backwater entrances. Flatheads are really good on live bluegill and goldfish. Channel cats are good on cut baits in both the main river and backwater lakes. Bluegill also showing in excellent numbers, but most are small. Information: 928-783-9589 Thursday through Monday or Martinez Lake Resort.
YUMA AREA: Largemouth bass action is fair in the whole region with the fish whacking plastics, cranks, and spinnerbaits. There is also a good topwater bite early and late in the day. The catfish bite is also good with some good catches on channels on cut baits and continued decent action on quality flatheads with live goldfish and bluegill.
LOWER DESERT WATERS
SALTON SEA: The tilapia bite is still holding on with pretty good action this past week on fish from a half-pound to a pound, with an occasional bigger fish up into the two-pound class. The best bite has been at the state park headquarter’s jetty and the newly reopened Yacht Club jetty. All of the action is still on nightcrawler pieces. Full ice-chests are still the rule. Information: Salton Sea State Recreation Area ranger station 760-393-3052 or visitor center at 760-393-3810.
ALAMO RIVER: No reports.
COACHELLA, HIGHLINE CANALS: No reports.
ALL AMERICAN CANAL: No reports.
FINNEY-RAMER: No reports.
WEIST LAKE: No reports. Information: 760-352-3308.
SUNBEAM LAKE: No reports.
LAKE CAHUILLA: No reports. Information: 760-564-4712.
EASTERN SIERRA
For up-to-date road and campground information can call the following U.S. Forest Service offices: For the Big Pine to Lone Pine region, call 760-876-6222; for the Bishop Region, call 760-873-2500; for the Mammoth Lakes region, call 760-924-5500; for the Lee Vining region, call 760-647-3044; and for the Bridgeport region call 760-932-7070. Lodging and guide information: Bishop Chamber of Commerce 760-873-8405 or Bishop, Mono County Tourism 760-924-1743. Top Eastern Sierra fishing report web sites are: Ken's Sporting Goods - Home (Bridgeport region), The Trout Fly Mammoth Lakes, California, and Sierra Drifters Fly Fishing Guide Service, Mammoth Lakes. Flyfishing Guide Service for Trout. Fly Fish Owens River from guided driftboats in Bishop. Flyfish Crowley Lake and Bridgeport in guided flats boats named the Trout Magnet. Full service outfit.
WEST WALKER RIVER REGION: The West Walker River is finally coming down with flows about 500 cfs and it is starting to fish pretty well with bait, lures, and flies. The Little Walker River very fishable and has been good. Kirman Lake improved this past week with some anglers reporting 10-fish days with mostly brookies, but a few cutts. Leech patterns are best, but some action on damsels, scuds and even midges. Information: Ken’s Sporting Goods 760-932-7707.
BRIDGEPORT REGION: The trout action has been very good at the Twin Lakes with some fish to three pounds. The kokanee are also turning one with reports of as many as 20 to 30 fish per day caught and released. The East Walker River has been good this week but flows are up into the mid-300s. The surface bite lulled, but anglers fishing nymphs along the bottom under indicators are still seeing very good action. Bridgeport Reservoir is still excellent for fly, bait, and trolling anglers. Lots of boat anglers have been reporting 20 to 70 fish days. Fly anglers are seeing the best action in the channels of Buckeye Bay and off Rainbow Point. Most fish are one to two pounds with some up to six pounds. Virginia Lakes remain excellent and perhaps the most consistent spot in the region with a lot of fish to two pounds on just about everything and anything. Information: Ken’s Sporting Goods 760-932-7707 or Ken's Sporting Goods - Home, Twin Lakes Resort (Lower Twin) 760-932-7751, Annett’s Mono Village (Upper Twin) 760-932-7071.
JUNE LAKE LOOP REGION: Fishing is fair to good on all four lakes, June, Gull, Silver and Grant, on the usual floating dough baits (salmon egg glitter and salmon peach have been the hot Power Bait colors), inflated nightcrawlers, and the fly-bubble combination, especially at the stream mouths and outlets. Rush Creek below Silver Lake has been the hot spot this week with a lot of fish on salmon eggs and dry flies. Information: Ernie’s Tackle at 760-648-7756.
MAMMOTH AREA: Crowley Lake is still good for fly anglers, and the fish are in the bays where water is entering the lake. Lots of 16 to 22-inch trout -- rainbows, browns and cutts. Convict Lake is good for planted fish. Fair action in Twin Lakes out of Mammoth and the first plants of the season went in last week and plants were slated again for this week. Rock Creek drainage planted again this week and the action has been very good. Virtually all of the back country is open now. Information: The Troutfitter at 760-934-2517, Convict Lake Resort at 760-934-3800, Crowley Lake Fish Camp at 760-935-4301.
BISHOP AREA: South Lake and Sabrina all are seeing their best fishing of the season. South Lake has been excellent with limits of rainbows and a nice sprinkling of brook trout from the stream inlets showing in the catch. Sabrina has been good to excellent with a lot of limits showing all around the lake on a wide variety of baits and lures, with the inlets perhaps the best spots. All the forks of the Bishop Creek have been good for knowledgeable stream anglers, and all three forks of the creek were also planted again this week. North Lake is still not receiving plants but the action has been pretty fair. Backcountry anglers are now making it into Green Lake, Brown Lake, Treasure Lakes, Tyee Lakes, Long Lake and Marie Louise Lakes with trail conditions much improved. Pleasant Valley Reservoir is good for planted rainbows on floating baits and small lures. Lower Owens just fair to good with some very good dry fly action. Information: Sierra Drifters Guide Service 760-935-4250, Culver’s 760-872- 8361, Brock’s 760-872-3581.
BIG PINE TO LONE PINE AREA: Generally fair to good action after DFG plants again last week on all the creeks this week. Information: 760-876-4444 or go to Lone PineChamber of Commerce | the Other Side of California.
WESTERN SIERRA
BOB’S BAIT CATFISH DERBY: The month-long Bob’s Bait Catfish Derby kicked off July 1 with a $100 cash prize going to the angler who weighs in the biggest catfish at Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield during July. The current leader is
Henry Romero, Bakersfield, with a 14-pound cat from the aqueduct. Pre-registration required. For more information, call Bob’s Bait at 661-833-8657.
LAKE ISABELLA: A major fire in Kernville region might make access tough this week. Call ahead before going. The largemouth bass bite has fair to good with quality fish from four to six pounds and some bigger showing on Senkos, brush hogs, and deep-diving cranks. The catfish action also remains very good both main arms on frozen shad, clams, and Sonny’s dip bait with lots of fish from two pounds and up. The crappie action has moved deeper water, but there’s still a pretty good bite on fish up to a pound on small minnows for boat and float tube anglers in the Camp 9 region. Trout action is still fair to good at the cemetery area and auxiliary dam on Power Bait and nightcrawlers. Bluegill finally starting to improve. Information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.
KERN RIVER: Fire in the Kernville region has made access to the upper river tough. Call ahead before going. There has been continued very good action in the upper river and very fishable flows. The upper stretch nearly to the Johnsondale Bridge was again stocked this week and the best bite has been on salmon eggs and crickets. All the other stretches were also planted in both the upper and lower river. The lower river is still pretty high (1,800 cfs), but careful anglers are getting trout, especially in the Richbar area. Information: Kern River Fly Shop 760-376-2040 (or Fly Fishing the Kern River) or James Store 760-376-2424.
AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: The catfish and striper action remains good but there has been relatively light pressure with the heat this past week. Lots of cats showing on cut baits, and the striper bite continues to be mostly on blood worms. Henry Romero, Bakersfield, landed a 14-pound cat. Information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.
HART PARK LAKE: Good action on small bluegill with wax worms or crickets. Most hand-sized. The carp are good on homemade dough baits or Powder Bait. Bass very slow with a little action early and late in the day.
TRUXTUN LAKE: Good bluegill bite, and the carp bite has been good on Powder Bait. Fair catfish bite on nightcrawlers and shad. Bass and crappie spotty, but some bass showing early in the day.
RIVER WALK PARK: The bluegill bite is good on wax worms, meal worms, and crickets, and the carp action is good on homemade dough baits and Powder Bait. There are a few bass showing on minnows, nightcralwers, and plastics early in the day, but this bite is mostly slow.
MING LAKE: The carp bite is very good on Powder Bait and other dough baits. There has also been a very good bite on bluegill, mostly on wax worms and meal worms, and the bass action is slow with a few on plastics or topwater early in the day.
BRITE LAKE: No reports.
BUENA VISTA LAKES: Continued good catfish action on frozen shad, dip baits, or green garlic nightcrawlers, with most of the cats running from two to five pounds and showing from the small lake. The lake is being planted with catfish every couple of weeks, and there is a five-fish limit on the cats here. The bluegill action has been fair to good on wax worms. Carp good for those targeting them. Not much on stripers or crappie. Information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.
WOOLLOMES LAKE: The bluegill bite is good on red worms, meal worms, or wax worms, and a few bass are showing on plastics or jerk baits early in the day. Pretty good carp action on dough baits.
SUCCESS LAKE: Pretty good bass action Senkos and plastics, and some bluegill and catfish also starting to show. Water level coming up. Information: 559-781-2078.
KAWEAH LAKE: The largemouth bass bite has been fair to good with a lot of fish on plastics and some on topwater and reaction baits. The redear and bluegill are really starting to take off in the shallows. Some catfish beginning to show. Information: 559-597-2526.
CENTRAL COAST LAKES
SAN ANTONIO: The striped bass bite surged back on over the weekend during the full moon. It picked right back up where it left off two weeks ago with a lot of six to 10-pound fish and some in the 12 to 20-pound class each week. The best action has been on trolled shad-like swim baits or live or frozen shad. The catfish action is also improving and there has been a fair crappie bite. The bass action is fair, and the carp are wide open if you target them. Information: 805-472-2818.
NACIMIENTO: Both the smallmouth and largemouth bites have been fair with improved action this past week. Some topwater early and late in the day and then better action in deep water after the dawn-dusk flurries on top. The white bass action is slow to fair on slow-trolled Roostertails and silver spoons. The crappie bite has slowed down with spotty action on live minnows or small jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles. The catfish bite is improving, and anglers targeting carp are seeing excellent action. Information: 805-238-1056 or Lake Nacimiento Resort and Marina.
SANTA MARGARITA: The catfish bite finally took off here with a number of quality fish landed this past week and decent action on smaller fish, too. The best bite has been on cut baits. Debbie Ferraro, Arroyo Grande, landed a 15-14 catfish in narrows on a nightcrawler, while Jackie Greer, Santa Margarita, 15-9 catfish on mackerel near the marina. The bass continue tough with a few showing on Senkos, jigs, and Creature baits. Most are two to three pounders with some up to five. There is a pretty good bite on bluegill and redear in most coves on bobber-suspended baits, and a few crappie are being caught in the back of the narrows on the small jigs. The marina store is open Wednesday through Sunday. Information: 805-438-1522.
LOPEZ: Fair to good bass action and a very good bluegill bite in the mornings, especially off the F Dock on meal worms and red worms. Nick and Isaiah Rocha, both Oceano, had a 2-4 bluegill to top off their stringer. The bass have been best on swim baits and cranks with the best action at the bridge. Top fish reported was a 6-4 caught by Zack Wong, San Bruno. Matthew Toralba, Bakersfield, landed a 5-2 bass on a crank, while Brandon Chang, Nipomo, had bass at four pounds, 3-4, 2-8, and 2-4. The crappie bite has slowed, and some catfish are showing. Information: 805-489-1006.
TROUT PLANTS
Barring adverse weather, water or road conditions, the following lakes and streams, listed by county, will be restocked with catchable-size rainbow trout from the Department of Fish and Game hatcheries this week. For updates in Southern California and the Eastern Sierra Nevada, you can call the DFG recording at 562-594-7268, or for updates in the Western Sierra, you can call 559-243-4005, x183. For trout plants statewide, you can visit the DFG's web site at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Hatcheries/FishPlanting/index.asp.
RIVERSIDE: Lake Fulmore.
INYO: Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek Dam Intake No. 2, Cottonwood Creek, George Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, Middle Fork Bishop Creek, Rock Creek Lake, Shepherd Creek, South Fork Bishop Creek, South Lake, Symms Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinemaha Creek, Tuttle Creek.
MONO: Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Deadman Creek, Ellery Lake, Glass Creek,
Grant Lake, Gull Lake, June Lake, Lake George, Lake Mamie, Lake Mary, Lee Vining Creek, lower Twin Lake near Bridgeport, lower Virginia Lake, Lundy Lake, Mammoth Creek, McGee Creek, Mill Creek, Robinson Creek, Rock Creek from French Camp to upper bridge at Rock Creek Lodge, Rock Creek from Paradise Lodge to Tuff Campground, Rush Creek, Saddlebag Creek, South Fork Lee Vining Creek, Trumbull Lake, Twin Lakes, upper Owens River from Benton Crossing to Crowley Lake, upper Twin Lake near Bridgeport, upper Virginia Lake, Virginia Creek, Walker River Little, West Walker River Section 2.
SAN LUIS OPISPO: Nacimiento River.
KERN: Kern River from Democrat Beach to Lower Richbar, Kern River from Powerhouse No. 3 to Riverside Park, Kernville, Kern River from Sandy Flat to Democrat Beach.
TULARE: Balch Park eastern lake, Balch Park western lake, Hedrick Campground pond, Kern River from Brush Creek to Fairview Dam, Kern River from Fairview Dam to Falling Waters Lodge, Fresno County: Big Creek near Huntington, Dinkey Creek, Kings River below the Pine Flat Reservoir, Mono Creek, Portal Forebay, San Joaquin River below the Friant Dam, Tenmile Creek.
MADERA: North Fork of Willow Creek.
TUOLUMNE: Herring Creek, Lyons Canal, Middle Fork Stanislaus River, Middle Fork Tuolumne River, Moccasin Creek, Pinecrest Lake, Powerhouse Stream, South Fork Stanislaus River, South Fork Tuolumne River, Stanislaus River Clark Fork.
CATFISH PLANTS
The following lakes, listed by county, will be stocked this week with one-pound catfish by private hatcheries under contract with the Department of Fish and Game.
No catfish plans this week.
Compiled by Bo Matthews and Jim Matthews - Outdoor News Service
The fish report is weekly. Its accuracy depends on marina operators, tackle shops and local fishermen we contact. Anglers catching large fish should send the information to Outdoor News Service, P.O. Box 9007, San Bernardino, CA 92427, or telephone 909-887-3444, so it can be included in this report. Faxes can be sent to 909-887-8180. E-Mail messages or fishing reports can also be posted to Jim Matthews at odwriter@verizon.net.
This report is published by 12 daily newspapers in Southern California each week. Frequently it is edited for space. A complete version is posted on the Outdoor News Service web site (Outdoor News Service). The updated report is usually posted by Thursday morning. The fish report is copyrighted and any use or reposting of the report, or portions of the report, is prohibited without written permission. Posting of links to the fish report on the Outdoor News Service web site is allowed.
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The Cal TIP number, the Department of Fish and Game poacher hotline, is 1-888-DFG-CALTIP. The DFG’s Internet web page is located at the following address: www.dfg.ca.gov.
MATTHEWS’ PICKS OF THE WEEK
1. There’s just something magical about hooking a fish over 30 pounds in fresh water, especially a river. So, for the third week in a row, the lower Colorado River is staying as the top pick. There is a real chance to catch a fish topping 50-pounds in this action, and the bite has been very good right through the full moon this past week (best fish we had reported was a mere 35-pounder). As noted last week, the fishing pressure is relatively light and live bluegill or goldfish are the top baits and easy to get. Don’t go with anything less than 50-pound test line and 80-pound is better. Best places to get updates or tips for fishing the region are B&B Bait in Blythe at 760-921-2248 or Walter’s Camp south of Palo Verde at 760-854-3322.
2. This is a specialists bite, but the striped bass action at Lake San Antonio on the Central Coast surged back on this week and it has arguably the best striper fishing in the West right now. There are simply a lot of six to 10-pound fish and some in the 12 to 20-pound class each week. The best action has been on trolled shad-like swim baits or live or frozen shad. The best source for this bite continues to be the FishingNetwork.net forums through guide Bob Caffey (www.troutonly.com). For updates, check the web sites or call the marina at 805-472-2818.
3. Going into the full moon on Sunday, the bluegill and redear action surged back on at Lake Perris, especially for the bigger slabs topping 3/4-pound or more. The best action on these quality panfish has been in deep water (20-feet plus) off the dam, the island, and other spots. The marina mostly has smaller fish, but lots of them. Full limits have not been uncommon this past week or anglers fishing jigs tipped with a cricket or wax-worm bait. For an update on this action, call the marina at 951-657-2179.
FRESHWATER HOT SPOTS
TROUT: Top trout bets in Sierra continue to include Bridgeport Reservoir, Lake Crowley, Silver Lake, Rush Creek, South Lake, Lake Sabrina, and most of the Bishop Creek and Rock Creek drainage streams, which are getting heavily planted each week. Virginia Lakes has also been wide open on fish to two pounds. Flows are coming down in most of the creeks and rivers in the region and the bites are really taking off. For fly guys, the East Walker River, Bridgeport Reservoir, Crowley, and Kirman Lake have been the hot spots. At Crowley has more and more fish are working perch minnows in the backs of bays with water inflows. In Southern California, there continues to be good action at just a handful of waters. Top bets are Green Valley Lake, Big Bear Lake, and Lake Hemet with all three fair to good, especially for trollers. Deep-water trollers at Casitas are also scoring fish averaging two to three pounds, and Cachuma has been good for trollers, too, thanks to a big plant four weeks ago. While no one is trolling Diamond Valley, there are a few big holdover rainbows to five pounds being caught by accident. That is our sleeper pick.
BLACK BASS: The largemouth bass action has been generally just fair throughout the region, with a lot of topwater action at first light. There have also been a few flurries of really good bites, but they haven’t been very predictable. Top bets have been Diamond Valley Lake, which never seems to slow down, and Isabella which has been cranking out a lot of fish over four pounds (but access is problematic this week due to a fire in the region). Other decent bets include Casitas, Castaic, Skinner, Sutherland, Otay, Irvine, Perris, Silverwood, Piru, Pyramid, Cachuma, and Puddingstone. The smallmouth action on the Colorado River has been very good in the lower river stretches and Topoc Gorge, but slowish in Lake Havasu. Further up on the Central Coast, Santa Margarita has continued tough, but Lopez improved with fair action. The spotted bass are pretty fair in Nacimiento.
STRIPED BASS: Striper bites are generally pretty good everywhere, with Silverwood, Pyramid, Castaic, and Skinner all decent bets. San Antonio Lake also surged right back on with the full moon and it continues to crank out a lot of six to 10-pound fish with some bigger. The Colorado River saw so little fishing pressure this week, that forecasts are tough. There’s always a chance for a big fish at Willow Beach where a 22-pounder was caught this past week. The California Aqueduct near Taft remains pretty fair.
PANFISH: Henshaw and Cachuma crappie bite came back on with pretty good action at both places and and a few 25-fish limits reported. Lake Isabella’s crappie bite just won’t seem to go away with good action for minnow dunkers in deeper water in the Camp Nine region (access may be restricted due to a fire in the region, however). It is also worth noting that Lopez and Santa Margarita are both producing bigger fish in slow bites. Redear and bluegill bites are hot just about everywhere -- with Perris, Diamond Valley, Casitas, Lower Otay, Sutherland, and Puddingstone some of the top picks. The tilapia bite at the Salton Sea has remained pretty fair in spite of the triple digit temperatures.
CATFISH: Simply good to excellent action just about everywhere. Hesperia Lake, Henshaw, Elsinore, Corona Lake, Santa Ana River Lakes, and Irvine Lake have been the hottest spots in Southern California with a lot of fish landed at all six. Skinner, Silverwood, and Diamond Valley are also good with a lot of cats to eight pounds at these three. Isabella has been very good for cats from 1-8 to three pounds, and the California aqueduct near Taft has also been good, too. The channel and flathead action is pretty much wide open along the whole lower Colorado River, especially in the warmer backwaters and irrigation ditches. This is the top bet for a quality fish over 20 pounds and big stringers of channels. There’s a catfish derby out of Blythe this Saturday.
SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAIN WATERS
SILVERWOOD: Very good striper action in Chemise Bay and Outhouse Cove on chicken liver and anchovies. Dawn Jeer, San Bernardino, caught a mixed stringer of trout and stripers totaling nine pounds on nightcrawlers fishing Miller's Canyon. The catfish bite has also been very good in most of the coves on cut baits. Mike James, Barstow, caught four catfish to 10 pounds on chicken liver. Largemouth action is fair with some anglers reporting success at the points on swimbaits. Fair bluegill action in all the coves on small worms, wax worms, red worms, or crickets. There is still a fair to good trout bite, but the fish have moved into deeper water and are showing on Power Bait and nightcrawlers. Carp action good fair for anglers fishing dough baits or nightcrawlers. Slow other species. Miller Canyon Creek (just above the lake) was planted with DFG trout three weeks ago and a few holdover fish are still showing for good stream anglers. The park is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Information: marina 760-389-2299, state park 760-389-2281, Silverwood Country store 760-389-2423.
BIG BEAR LAKE: Still overall good trout action from the surface down to about 25 feet. Surface trolled CD Rapalas have been very good, but the bite has also been good for anglers fishing three to four colors of leadcore and Needlefish. Anglers fishing bait on slip bobbers are also getting fish in 15 to 20 feet of water. DFG trout plant last week. Smallmouth and largemouth are fair to good in the bays and along the rocky jetties on small jigs and spinners, and the crappie and bluegill are also coming alive as water temps rise. Mini-jigs tipped with Gulp! Nuggets have been best for the panfish. Also some catfish starting to show at night in the east end on mackerel, shrimp and stink baits. Carp are stacked in the shallows and providing very good bowfishing with some real bruisers being stuck. Fishing information: Big Bear Marina 909-866-3218, Big Bear Sporting Goods 909-866-3222.
GREGORY LAKE: There continues to be a fair trout bite with some limits posted. There were DFG plants last week and three weeks ago. The best action has been on floating baits or small lures and the warm weather has the trout in deeper water. The bite on small crappie is fair early and late in the day. The boat house is open. Information: 909-338-2233.
GREEN VALLEY LAKE: Slow trout action this past week but quality fish continue to show with quite a few three to five-pound rainbows and some bigger. Craig Adkinson, Orange, caught a 7-14 rainbow on an orange Lip RipperZ worm. A plant from Jess Ranch will be going in this week. Anglers win a fee Green Valley Lakes tee-shirt if they land a trout over six pounds. Recorded information: 909-867-2009.
ARROWBEAR LAKE: DFG trout plant four weeks ago.
JENKS LAKE REGION: DFG trout plants two and four weeks ago and the bite has been fair on Power Bait, small jigs, and trout plastics. Both the Santa Ana River in the Seven Oaks area and the South Fork were planted by the DFG last week and three weeks ago. Fair bite. Brown trout anglers are also doing fair in the streams, however, but most fish are under 10 inches long. Information: Mill Creek Ranger Station at 909-382-2881.
HIGH DESERT LAKES
HESPERIA LAKE: Continued good catfish action thanks to 2,000-pound or bigger plants each week. The best bite is early and late in the day with mackerel, shrimp, and nightcrawlers all working well. Sam Davis, Adelanto, caught a 14-pound catfish on a marshmallow and mealworm combo. Denny Ross, Redlands, caught 10-pound, 6-8, and four-pound catfish on mackerel. Glen Watters, Highland, scored an 8-12 catfish on shrimp. A few wipers are still showing each week. Jerrad Laboy, Yucca Valley, caught a 2-12 wiper on mealworms. Lake hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the night session from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Cost is $15 per angler. There are $2 off coupons available at Bass Pro Shops. Information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.
JESS RANCH: Trout action is mostly slow with the summer heat settling in. The best bite has been before 10 a.m. on Power Bait, nightcrawlers, and small trout jigs. Top spots have been the grassy point, the eastern and western shores of lake 3, and the western and northern shores of lake 2. There was a 2,000-pound catfish plant June 29, and trout are planted every Friday with more and bigger fish going in now. The catfish are fair on shrimp and nightcrawlers. A few largemouth are showing on Senkos, spinnerbaits, and nightcrawlers, and the bluegill bite remains pretty fair on meal worms and small jigs. The lake is open Friday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it is stocked with trout each week on Friday from its own hatchery. Lake information: 760-240-1107 or Jess Ranch Lakes-The Official Site.
MOJAVE NARROWS: County catfish go in each week through the end of catfish season, and the bite has been good with many fish in the three-pound range. Pretty good action on small bluegill, and quite a few crappie to a pound are also showing. Also fair action for bass and the occasional carp. Trout action is slow with no plants in the past couple weeks. Horseshoe Lake is still temporarily closed due to flood damage. Pelican Lake is remains open. For lake information: 760-245-2226.
INLAND VALLEY LAKES
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
CUCAMONGA-GUASTI: Fair catfish action. County catfish plants are weekly and will continue to go in each week through the end of catfish season. Information: 909-481-4205.
PRADO: County catfish plants are weekly through the end of the summer season and action has been fair to good. The marshmallow-meal worm combo, marshmallow and nightcrawler combo, shrimp, or mackerel have been working best. Otis Wishum, Pomona, caught a 13-pound catfish on shrimp fishing near the launch area. Fair largemouth bite on soft plastics. There is also a good bite on bluegill with wax worms, meal worms, or nightcrawler pieces. Catfish baits are also now being sold at the park, and small boats (non-inflatable) under 16 feet with electric motors are now allowed. Information: 909-597-4260.
YUCAIPA: Catfish bite is good for one to two-pound fish with the best bite before 9 a.m. each morning. There are 750-pound county plants each week, usually split between the top and bottom lake. Shrimp, mackerel, and anchovies have been the best baits. Bluegill action is fair to good on small fish, with small pieces of nightcrawler the best bait. There is a decent carp bite for those targeting them as well. Fair bass action. Nina Cooper, Banning, scored a 4-8 largemouth on a nightcrawler. Other species are slow. Lake information: 909-790-3127.
GLEN HELEN: County catfish plants are weekly through the rest of the summer season and the bite has been good on nightcrawlers, shrimp, and mackerel. Most of the cats are from 1 1/2 to two pounds. Ray Huerta, Fontana, caught five catfish to 2.09 pounds on Nitro crawlers, Hog Wild, and mealworms. Bluegill and carp are mostly slow. Information: 909-887-7540.
MOUNT BALDY TROUT POOLS: The heavily stocked pools are open every Saturday and Sunday. No fishing license is needed. Information: 909-982-4246.
SECCOMBE LAKE: Good action on small bluegill. Slow other species. Information: 909-384-5233.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
DIAMOND VALLEY: Excellent largemouth action. Shad baits, topwater lures, and Scroungers are accounting for the majority of the catches in the morning. Underspins and plastics are the best for mid-day and afternoon fishing. Jesse Mena, Hemet, caught a four-pound largemouth fishing topwater in the morning. Excellent panfish bite. Lots of bluegill and redear with a few crappie showing as well. Mini jigs, mealworms, and nightcrawlers fished along the dams have been the best bets. Catfish are also very good on all of the usual baits, mackerel, anchovies, shrimp, or chicken liver with the saddle dam, Rawson Cove, quarry or east dam the best areas. Trout have pretty much been no shows, but few anglers are targeting the holdover fish right now. A few incidental catches have been made at the corners of the dams and Rawson Cove. Tyler Loveridge, Moreno Valley, caught a 5.36-pound trout fishing near the rock quarry with a plastic worm. Stripers have also been spotty with only a few smaller fish on Scroungers and underspins near the north corner of the east dam the inlet, and restroom No. 2. Paul McEwen, Ocreanside, caught two stripers at 12.6 and 13.7 pounds on a Fish Trap near the marina. For general lake, launch, and fishing information, call 800-590-LAKE, the marina at 951-926-7201 or Diamond Valley Marina, or Last Chance Bait and Tackle 951-658-7410 or Last Chance Tackle - Home.
PERRIS: There continues to be a fair to good redear and bluegill bite with the bigger fish coming from deeper water at the island and scads of smaller fish in the marina and around most shorelines with rip-rap or some structure. Charles Lee, Moreno Valley, caught 25 bluegill and redear on crickets and redworms at the island. Lorenzo Martinez, Moreno Valley, scored 25 bluegill and redear with fish to one-pound on nightcrawlers and redworms at the island. Still fair to good bass action with the south end of the dam and Bernasconi Beach the top spots. Best action early and late in the day. Glenn Heck, Palm Springs, caught a 7.6-pound largemouth on a Thomas Bouyant at Rock Climbers Cove. Carp, catfish, and trout all slow. The park is open seven days a week, and hours are from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Information: marina 951-657-2179, state park 951-940-5600.
SKINNER: Striper action picked back up a bit this past week. The bite has been over large areas of the lake, but the best action continues to be at the dam or inlet on chicken liver or anchovies fished deep. Some anglers reported success fly lining an anchovy in the morning near the inlet. Ron Kruger, San Diego, caught five stripers to three pounds on anchovies at the dam. Catfish action has been good on nightcrawlers, chicken liver, and mackerel with Ramp No. 2, the inlet, and the dam the top spots. Jack Hartman, Hemet, scored four catfish to four pounds on chicken liver at the inlet. Bluegill are good with the east end and south shore the hot spots. Katie Darnell, Temecula, caught two bluegill to one-pound on nightcrawlers at Ramp No. 2. Largemouth bass are just fair. Carp action has been fair to good for those targeting them. They are primarily being caught in the reeds on nightcrawlers. Information: store 951-926-1505 or marina 951-926-8515.
ELSINORE: Little change here. The catfish action remains good to excellent with three to five pounders common on cut baits, especially shrimp, with nightcrawlers or shad also very good. The bluegill are also very good with quite a few half-pound pounders on meal worms, wax worms, and nightcrawler pieces. The wipers are fair with the bite best early and late in the day on the same baits with some action on jerk baits or live shad, if you can dip net some. Anglers are reminded the limit on the wipers is two-fish, with an 18-inch minimum size, and there have been a lot of 16 and 17-inch fish showing in this bite. The carp remain fair to good with a lot of three to seven pounders on homemade dough baits. The bluegill bite has improved over the past week with more and more nice stringers reported and some fish topping a half-pound. A few crappie continue to show for boat anglers at the pipes along the levee. There’s also a slow to fair bite on the largemouth bass on plastics and reaction baits. Boat rentals are available through the William’s Bait, Tackle, and Boat Rental out of Elsinore West Marina. For more information, contact William’s Bait, Tackle, and Boat Rental at 951-642-0640 or go to Lake Elsinore Boat Rental, Lake Elsinore Bait and Tackle Shop – William’s Bait, Tackle and Boat Rental.
CORONA LAKE: Craig and Grant Yamashita, San Jacinto, teamed up to battle a 37 1/2-pound catfish, landing the best fish of this year’s catfish season using shrimp and fishing from a boat. The catfish action has been excellent here thanks to twice-weekly plants of channel catfish with the best action on mackerel or shrimp doused with Eagle Claw catfish Gravy. The tilapia are also very good with the fish running up to two pounds and showing on nightcrawlers, red worms, or even wax worms. The tilapia are planted each week, too. Dave Beaver, Anaheim, caught cats at 7 3/4 pounds and 3 1/4 pounds, and Andrew Pasillas, Riverside, landed seven catfish for a total stringer weighed of 14 1/2 pounds. Mike Mortiz, Temecula, landed a 2 1/2-pound tilapia. While not a lot of sturgeon are showing, Blake Burgess, Elsinore, landed a 5 1/2-pounder fishing shrimp at the dam. There is 24-hour fishing every Friday and Saturday night. For Corona Lake fishing information, call 951-277-4489 or log on at fishinglakes.com, Santa Ana River Lakes - Corona Lake - Anaheim Lake.
EVANS LAKE: Slow to fair bass action on small plastics and tiny jerk baits along the rocky shorelines early and late in the day with some fish to two pounds. Lots of shad swarming along the shorelines this past week. Also a pretty decent bite on small bluegill and warmouth. Anglers targeting carp are also seeing a decent bite on dough baits.
RANCHO JURUPA: Fair to good catfish action after plants July 1 and 15, and the next plant was slated for this Thursday. Slow other species, but Isaac Silvera, Riverside, landed a five-pound largemouth on a live crawdad. There is a new bait and tackle shop at the lake. Information: 951-684-7032.
FISHERMAN’S RETREAT: No report. Information: 909-795-0171.
ANGLER’S LAKE: The lake is currently closed.
REFLECTION LAKE: Catfish remain good on cut baits, and plants are every two weeks with 500 pounds planted each time. There are monthly derbies. A few bass are showing. Bluegill fair. Information: 951-654-7906 or Reflection Lake RV Park, a Hemet California RV Park and Family Campground.
JEAN'S CHANNEL CATS: No more catfish plants this summer, but the bite has still been pretty good. Anglers only have to pay $2 a pound for the catfish landed until trout season, when regular plants and prices return. The best action has been on chicken liver, mackerel, and shrimp. The lake is only open on weekends Friday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on all Monday holidays. Information: 951-679-6562 or 951-259-2021.
SAN JACINTO MOUNTAIN WATERS
LAKE HEMET: Fair trout action with quite a few three and four fish stringers reported. DFG trout were planted two and four weeks ago. The fish are showing for trollers and shore anglers using Power Bait or similar baits along the south shoreline. Fish are mostly smaller, but a few over two pounds were reported. The bluegill bite has been pretty good with few anglers targeting them, and the odd bass is showing up. Lake open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Information: Lake Hemet Market 951-659-2350, campground 951-659-2680.
LAKE FULMORE: DFG trout plant this week and two weeks ago -- the first two plants of the season. Information: 951-659-2117.
ORANGE COUNTY
SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES: The catfish action has remained excellent and anglers will see a big influx of trophy catfish next week when broodstock channels from 10 pounds up will be planted on Tuesday. The trophies could be up into the 40-pound class. SARL has been getting twice-weekly plants of catfish with tilapia also added at least once each week. The channels have been best on shrimp or the marshmallow-meal worm (M&M) combo doused with Eagle Claw garlic Gravy with the average size fish between one and two pounds. The tilapia are best on nightcrawler pieces and run up to two pounds. Mary Harper, Los Angeles, had 14 fish that weighed 21 pounds fishing worms in Chris’ Pond. Walter Harris, Van Nuys, was also 14 fish and his stringer weighed in at 16 1/2 pounds. Jeff Bradley, Carson, had five cats for 11 1/2 pounds, including a four-pounder. Sturgeon are mostly slow, but Vincent Worthington, Cypress, caught two sturgeon, one at 12 pounds and one at 10 pounds to top off his stringer, which also included three catfish. Nash Holm, La Mirada, landed a two-pound tilapia and Chris Flowers, Mission Hills, landed a 9-4 carp. There is 24-hour fishing every Friday and Saturday night. Private boats are no longer allowed at Santa Ana River Lakes due to fears of invasive quagga mussels being introduced into the water system. Information: 714-632-7830.
ANAHEIM LAKE: Closed. Anaheim Lake only opens when Santa Ana River Lakes is closed for cleaning and maintenance. Information: (714) 996-3508 or fishinglakes.com, Santa Ana River Lakes - Corona Lake - Anaheim Lake.
IRVINE LAKE: Excellent catfish action with a lot of two to six-pound fish showing tight to the brush. Late evening and night fishing has seen the best action. As it's getting dark nightcrawlers have been working best and once the sun goes down mackerel has been the ticket. Shrimp, DuMong’s, and Gulp! have also been working in the night bite. Phil Hildenbrandt, Anaheim, caught a limit of catfish totaling 25-9 with a 7-8 topping the catch. All of his fish were caught on mackerel at Santiago Flats. Good panfish action in the brushy areas on meal worms and Gulp! Crickets. Good bass action. Joey Ninehuis, Newport Beach, got a five-fish stringer of largemouth totaling 14-6 using a variety of crankbaits. Eric Miller, Orange, caught a 6-5 largemouth on a Power Worm at Crawdad Point. While trout are pretty much over for the year, a few continue to show from deep water. There was also a nice carp caught this past week by Jerry Chang, Manhattan Beach. Chang's carp weighted in at 12-3 and was caught on an IMA Ramba at Red Clay Cliffs. The lake is now closed on Tuesdays. The road to Trout Island is again usable. Lake information: 714-649-9111 or Irvine Lake - Fishing and Camping in Orange County, Southern California.
LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE: No report. The lake is open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Information: 949-362-3885 or Laguna Niguel Lake.
LOS ANGELES AREA LAKES
CACHUMA: Trout and crappie paced generally good action here this week. The best grout action has been at the dam for trollers working Needlefish up to eight colors deep. The crappie are best on small jigs in the Narrows or Cachuma Bay. Catfish are pretty good in the backs of the coves on cut baits with most of the fish in the two-pound class. Both the largemouth and smallmouth bass are both pretty good with some topwater action early and late in the day. Ken Hemer, Cachuma, caught a six-pound largemouth on a crank in Harvey’s Cove. Bluegill are fair to good in most coves on small baits. Few redear reported. While few anglers target them, the carp are good over much of the lake. For quagga mussel and the boat launching information, log on at Santa Barbara County Parks Department Home. The marina is open again with rental boats available. The boat launch remains open, but boats must get a quagga mussel inspection. Information: 805-688-4040.
CASITAS: The bass bite remains fair to good in 18 to 25 feet of water on nightcrawlers, plastics, and jigs. Morning and evening are when the action has been best. Top fish reported was an eight-pounder landed by Robbi Martinez, Ventura, on a jig. Matt Kelleher, Oxnard, caught a 6-8 bass on a plastic worm. There continue to be a fair trout bite for trollers working eight to 10 colors of leadcore and Needlefish or by bait anglers drifting in about 40 feet of water near the dam. Most of the trout are two to three pounds and pink-meated. There also continues to be a good redear bite on red worms and nightcrawler pieces with fish to 1-8 or better reported, and the fish are showing from shallow water out to 25 feet. Catfish are not getting much pressure, but more and more are starting to show up in the catch, including some quality fish. Bob Blocker, Ventura, landed a 12-pounder on mackerel, while Shawn Flaherty, Oakview, had an eight-pounder on a nightcrawler. Private boats will be inspected for quagga mussels and face a 10-day dry dock requirement before being allowed to launch. The lake is open every day, including all holidays from dusk to dawn. Information: 805-649-2043.
CASTAIC: The striper action picked up this week with more quality fish showing. The buoy line has been the top spot with sardines the top bait. The lagoon continues to be excellent for largemouth bass with the best bite on plastics, crawdads, or nightcrawlers. Dale Gant, Northridge, had bass at eight, nine, and 10 pounds fishing Senkos last Thursday morning. Most of the bigger largemouth have been showing at night. The largemouth bite in the big lake has been good with the best action at the coves in Fish Arm on plastics and nightcrawlers. Good panfish bite on wax worms, mealworms, small jigs, and pieces of nightcrawlers. Slow trout action with no plant in over a month. Information: 661-775-6232 or Castaic Lake | Home.
PIRU: Fair to good action on bass, while the crappie, bluegill and redear bites are slow to fair. The best bass bite has been on plastics fished in 10 to 25 feet of water with some fish on swimbaits and nightcrawlers. Also some topwater action early and late. The crappie are showing in 12 to 20 feet on small jigs with few topping a pound. The best action on redear and bluegill has been on nightcrawler pieces or crickets. Catfish still very slow. Information: front gate at 805-521-1500, x500 or Lake Piru Recreation Area.
PYRAMID: The striper action remains good for anglers drifting with anchovies or sardines, and they are averaging from 1 1/2 to three pounds. Most of the fish are in deep water. Largemouth bass action is fair to good with a lot of one to three-pound fish on nightcrawlers and plastics. Also quite a few smallmouth in this bite. No recent trout plants and the action is very slow with only a few fish showing for trollers fishing flashers with nightcrawlers, Rapalas, and Needlefish around the dam. The bluegill are showing in pretty good numbers with quite a few fish to half-pound. Crappie spotty on small jigs tipped with bait. Catfish are still mostly slow, but a few to five pounds reported this week. Information: Emigrant Landing entrance booth, 661-295-7155, concession 661-257-2790, or Forest Service 661-296-9710.
QUAIL LAKE: No reports.
PUDDINGSTONE: Just fair action on largemouth bass on plastic worms around structure, with some topwater action early and late in the day. Bluegill action is fair to good on crickets, wax worms and meal worms with morning and evening best. Most are hand-sized and smaller but some bigger fish also showing. Some bigger redear showing in a little deeper water than the bluegill. Carp are in the shallows. Little fishing pressure but anglers targeting them are getting some nice fish on dough baits. Catfish improving after the first DFG catfish plant of the season two weeks ago. Information: East Shore RV Park: 909-599-8355 (ask for the market).
SANTA FE DAM: No recent DFG plants. Slow to fair bass and bluegill action. Information: 626-334-1065.
ALONDRA PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
BALBOA PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
BELVEDERE PARK LAKE: DFG No recent DFG plants.
CERRITOS PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
DOWNEY WILDERNESS PARK: No recent DFG plants.
ECHO PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
EL DORADO PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
ELIZABETH LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
HANSEN DAM LAKE: No recent DFG plants. Information: 888-527-2757 or 818-899-3779.
HOLLENBECK LAKE: No recent DFG plants. Information: 213-261-0113.
JOHN FORD PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
KENNETH HAHN PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
LA MIRADA PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
LEGG LAKES: No recent DFG plants.
LINCOLN PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
MAGIC JOHNSON LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
PECK ROAD PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants. Information: 818-448-7317.
SAN DIEGO AREA LAKES
BARRETT: There were 84 anglers checked and they reported catching 1,144 bass, 50 bluegill, and four crappie. Reservations are available for August by calling Tickemaster at 800-745-3000. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
HODGES: No report. The lake is open to fishing Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday with rental boats only available on the weekend. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
EL CAPITAN: There were 45 anglers who reported catching 57 bass and six bluegill. The lake is open Thursday through Saturday and on Monday for fishing. Rental boats are available Saturday and Sunday only. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
LOWER OTAY: There were 226 anglers checked and they reported catching 237 bass up to the 5 1/2-pounder caught by Jose Hermida, Chula Vista. He also had a 5.1-pound catfish, one three cats landed this past week. There were also 271 bluegill to .95-pound caught. The lake is open on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday schedule. The lake only has boat rentals on Saturday and Sunday. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
UPPER OTAY: There were 12 anglers checked and they reported 11 bass to 4.6 pounds and five bluegill to .76 pounds. The lake is open on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday for catch-and-release fishing (only artificial lures with single, barbless hooks), sunrise to sunset. The road to Upper Otay is open. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
MURRAY: No report. No DFG trout plants in over a month. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. The lake is no longer renting boats of any kind.
MIRAMAR: There were 63 anglers checked and they reported 17 bass, 19 bluegill, and two channel cats. The lake is open for fishing seven days a week. The lake is no longer renting boats of any kind, and the launch ramp is closed due to low water levels. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water.
SUTHERLAND: There were 63 anglers checked and they reported catching 50 bass, 37 carp, 25 catfish, and 21 bluegill. Lake is only open Saturday and Sunday. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
WOHLFORD: The catfish bite has steadily improved after the first plant of the season July 1, and the next plant went in Wednesday this week. Some limits reported at the east end on chicken liver, clams, or mackerel. The buoy line is also a good spot. Largemouth action is fair with the best action early and late in the day when the fish are up chasing baitfish. Through the day, the bite moves deeper on dark plastics and crawdads. Crappie are showing in small numbers around reeds and submerged willows. Some bluegill showing in Oakvale Cove and Boat Dock Cove. The lake is open seven days a week. Seniors can rent boats for $20 every Tuesday. Active military will get the same $20 motor boat rentals on the first and third Saturday of every month. Quagga mussel fears still have a private boating ban. Information: 760-839-4346 or www.wohlfordlake.com.
DOANE POND: DFG trout plant three weeks ago.
DIXON LAKE: Catfish action has been good at the buoy line, Whisker Bay, Catfish Cove near Pier No. 4 with most of the fish in the one to two-pound range. The early morning and late evening have been the best times for catfish. Fair bass action with most of the fish in deeper water. Plastic worms and jigs have been working best. Bluegill are starting to show for anglers fishing the along piers near weed covered areas. Night fishing is allowed until 11:45 p.m. for shore anglers and boat anglers until 10:30. Lake information: 760-839-4345 or www.dixonlake.com.
POWAY: The catfish action picked up this past week and fishing has been good. Top catfish from Midnight Catfish Craze event was an 8.15-pounder. Good bass action with a very good topwater bite whenever shad are boiling near the rock pile in front of the Log Boom. Slow panfish action. Lake information: 858-668-4770, tackle shop 858-486-1234.
JENNINGS: Catfish action very good with just about any bait working. Eagle, Cloister, and Hermit coves have been the top spots. Catfish plants last week, the weeks of July 26 and August 11. John Visser, Jake Alirez, Melody Noble, all of Lemon Grove, caught 15 cats to four-pounds on chicken livers dipped in Secret 7 at Cloister Cove. The largemouth bite has been best in about 25 feet of water at the points but is mostly slow. Panfish slow. Night fishing will continue every Friday and Saturday until Labor Day. The last trout plant of the season went in over a month ago. Information: 619-390-1300 or Lake Jennings - Helix Water District Drinking Water Reservoir.
MORENA: There has been a fair morning bass until about noon and then picks up again in the evening. Some topwater, but most of the fish are showing on nightcrawlers and drop-shot plastics. Brian Fansher, Campo, caught a 7-4 largemouth on a crankbait. The bluegill action is good with the fish up in the shallows in flooded brush in good numbers. Mealworms, waxworms, and nightcrawlers pieces have all been working well. Catfish action has been good after the 1,800-pound plant early this month. Best action on chicken liver, nightcrawlers, and mackerel. Carp are very good on dough baits and fly anglers are also whacking them. Many of the fish are in the five to 10-pound range. Information: 24-hour fishing update line 619-478-5473, ranger station 619-579-4101, or *Lake Morena, Fishing,Camping, picnics, hiking, Real Estate, Insurance, Lake Morena, Campo.
CUYAMACA: Good trout action. Nightcrawlers are working best and the top spot has been the T-Dock. There is also a good crappie bite with a lot of small fish reported. DFG trout plant two weeks ago. A few bass and catfish reports are coming in each week as well. Private boats are allowed on the lake, but the boats must be sprayed for quagga mussels by a high-pressure heated wash prior to entering the lake. The cost is $10 for the spraying and it lasts for multiple trips to Cuyamaca as long as the boat is not used in another reservoir. The decontamination wash down station is for all craft and items used in the water, including boats, motors, kayak, canoes, float tubes and waders. Information: 760-765-0515 or Lake Cuyamaca Home Page.
HENSHAW: Catfish action is very good with a lot of nice stringers reported and quite a few limits. Most fish in the one to two-pound range with most stringers have at least one fish around 3 1/2 pounds. Crappie are fair to good and they are suspended in deeper water (accessible by boat or on the fishing pier) with most around a 1/2 to 3/4-pound. Lee Mallory, Hemet, caught a limit of crappie to 1-8. Lawrence Jordan, Rialto, also scored a limit of crappie with fish to one-pound. Bass are fair, but few anglers are targeting them. Excellent carp action with most running from two to four pounds. Henshaw is open to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, dusk the rest of the week. Information: 760-782-3501.
COLORADO RIVER
FLOW INFORMATION: Reservoir elevation levels and flow releases for the entire lower Colorado River are available at this web site with information updated hourly: Bureau of Reclamation: Lower Colorado Region - Lower Colorado River Operations Schedule.
LAKE MEAD: Slow to fair striper action under schools of shad in 40 to 50 feet of water in the main channel and mouths of most of the coves on cut anchovies, sardines, shad-like lures. Most fish under four pounds. The largemouth bass are slow to fair in eight to 25 feet of water on plastics, and the smallmouth have also been fair. Improving catfish action, but still just a fair number of fish showing in the coves on cut baits. Improving panfish action but still slowish.
WILLOW BEACH: The striped bass bite is still off with only a few fish showing on the bigger swimbaits. A 22-pounder was caught off the pier by Gio Cappelli, Willow Beach, on an A.C. Plug, but the best action has been in the Mile Marker 52 region. The trout action remains pretty good after the weekly plants with the best action on salmon eggs, Power Bait, worms and Super Dupers. Information: Willow Beach Resort at 928-767-4747.
LAKE MOHAVE: Still mostly tough fishing. The bass bite has been fair on plastics with some reaction bait and topwater fish. Slow-trolling or drifting with anchovies in 30 to 50 feet of water has been producing some stripers, while catfish are on the bottom. The night time bite has begun to pick up. Information: Cottonwood Cove at 702-297-1464, Katherine’s Landing at 928-754-3245.
LAUGHLIN-BULLHEAD AREA: Continued light fishing pressure, but there continues to be a pretty good bite on small stripers in the Big Bend to Laughlin stretch of the river, and trout also continue to be caught. Cory Valencia, Bullhead City, landed a 1.63-pound striper trolling Long-A Bomber near Big Bend. Albert Braun, Bullhead, caught a near-two-pound rainbow, also trolling a Bomber. The hot spots for the rainbows have been at the Laughlin Bridge and in front of the casinos, but they are showing all the way down river into Topoc Gorge. There are also more stripers in the river, and some of the fish are running into the five or six-pound range. Most are small, however. Most are showing on anchovies or crankbaits, with the Rio Lomas and Big Bend areaa best. Smallmouth are fair along rip-rap on small cranks, and a few catfish are showing from the deeper pools. Information: Riviera Marina at 928-763-8550.
NEEDLES AREA: There is fair smallmouth action in the main river from Needles south to the I-40 bridge and on down into Topoc Gorge, mostly on small cranks. Improving striper action, with more and more two-pound class fish showing on anchovies in the main river from the upper end of Topoc Gorge to Needles. Catfish probably the best bet on cut baits, but still just fair. Still a few rainbows showing but most are nice quality fish up to four pounds. Information: Needles Marina at 760-326-2197.
TOPOCK AREA: Overall pretty good action in spite of the heat this past week, but very light fishing pressure. Those fishing are finding a good bite on catfish to three pounds in the gorge and marsh. In the main river from the I-40 bridge south into the gorge, stripers are fair to good and when combined with a pretty good largemouth and smallmouth bite, anglers tossing curly-tail grubs, nightcrawlers, or even anchovies are getting quite a few of all three. The stripers are up to four pounds, while the smallies are one to two pounds, and the largemouth mostly under a pound. Carp are good throughout the region with fish to 10-pound this past week. Topock Marsh can be accessed by boat at North Dike, Catfish Paradise, and Five-Mile Landing. Information: Phil’s Western Trader at 928-768-4954 or Capt. Doyle’s Fun Fishing at 928-768-2667.
HAVASU: There is a fair largemouth bass bite early and late in the day on topwater buzzbaits and spook-type lures with flipping Senkos and crawdad-type baits into shady pockets. The smallies are tough with some topwater early on rocky banks in the morning. The redear are still good on shallow flats and off points in big schools with some fish topping two pounds. The catfish action has been fair to good with the best action in the evening and into the night on cutbaits for the channels and bluegill for the flatheads. Stripers are tough but some quality fish from four to eight pounds are showing on trolled baits in the main basis before 10 a.m. most mornings. Information: Bass Tackle Master (formerly Angler’s Pro Shop) at 928-854-2277.
PARKER STRIP: Fair to good catfish and smallmouth bass action. The cats are showing in most of the pools on cut baits, while the smallmouth bass are along the rip rap and best on small cranks and swim baits. Bluegill and redear are good in the backwaters and quiet water in the main river. Few flathead reports.
BLYTHE: The flathead catfish bite has been very good with a lot of quality flatheads over 20 pounds. Duane Zaragoza, Rubidoux, caught a 35-pound flathead on goldfish from the main river Tuesday. Live goldfish, bluegill, and tilapia fished in deeper holes have been the hot ticket. Channel cats are also good in the main canals, backwaters. The smallmouth bass bite is good to excellent in the main river along the rip-rap and in the canals. Most are small, but the action is very good on surface baits, cranks, and small plastics. Largemouth are fair to good in the backwaters and ditches on plastics, cranks, and surface baits. Also good panfish action in both the main river and canals. Stripers slow with only a few showing at the Palo Verde Diversion dam. The Blythe Junior Chamber of Commerce is having a catfish fundraising tournament this weekend. Entry fee is $20 for the flathead pot and $10 for channel catfish. Pay-back is for first through third on the flatheads with the channels a 50-50 pot with the big fish taking the prize. Event starts 8 a.m. Saturday, with sign-ups running from at 8 a.m. to noon at B&B Bait in Blythe. Weigh-in 9 a.m. Sunday. Information: B&B Bait 760-921-2248.
PALO VERDE: The flathead action has continued to be good with a lot of fish from eight to 20 pounds and a few bigger fish each week. The best baits are live bluegill, goldfish and tilapia. The channel catfish bite is also very good. Good action on bluegill and the largemouth bass bite has also been good, with morning and evening topwater and a lot of crankbait fish. Most of the day the bass are back in the tules with high water levels. Few reports on smallmouth and stripers in the main river, and still no crappie reports. Information: Walter’s Camp 760-854-3322 Thursday through Monday.
PICACHO AREA: Fair largemouth bass action in the backwaters and river margins with the best bite early and late in the day, and the catfish -- both flatheads and channels -- are very good with some quality flatheads being caught. Bluegill good, too.
MARTINEZ LAKE AREA: Largemouth bass action has been fair and improving with some flurries of good action on topwater, mostly at backwater entrances. Flatheads are really good on live bluegill and goldfish. Channel cats are good on cut baits in both the main river and backwater lakes. Bluegill also showing in excellent numbers, but most are small. Information: 928-783-9589 Thursday through Monday or Martinez Lake Resort.
YUMA AREA: Largemouth bass action is fair in the whole region with the fish whacking plastics, cranks, and spinnerbaits. There is also a good topwater bite early and late in the day. The catfish bite is also good with some good catches on channels on cut baits and continued decent action on quality flatheads with live goldfish and bluegill.
LOWER DESERT WATERS
SALTON SEA: The tilapia bite is still holding on with pretty good action this past week on fish from a half-pound to a pound, with an occasional bigger fish up into the two-pound class. The best bite has been at the state park headquarter’s jetty and the newly reopened Yacht Club jetty. All of the action is still on nightcrawler pieces. Full ice-chests are still the rule. Information: Salton Sea State Recreation Area ranger station 760-393-3052 or visitor center at 760-393-3810.
ALAMO RIVER: No reports.
COACHELLA, HIGHLINE CANALS: No reports.
ALL AMERICAN CANAL: No reports.
FINNEY-RAMER: No reports.
WEIST LAKE: No reports. Information: 760-352-3308.
SUNBEAM LAKE: No reports.
LAKE CAHUILLA: No reports. Information: 760-564-4712.
EASTERN SIERRA
For up-to-date road and campground information can call the following U.S. Forest Service offices: For the Big Pine to Lone Pine region, call 760-876-6222; for the Bishop Region, call 760-873-2500; for the Mammoth Lakes region, call 760-924-5500; for the Lee Vining region, call 760-647-3044; and for the Bridgeport region call 760-932-7070. Lodging and guide information: Bishop Chamber of Commerce 760-873-8405 or Bishop, Mono County Tourism 760-924-1743. Top Eastern Sierra fishing report web sites are: Ken's Sporting Goods - Home (Bridgeport region), The Trout Fly Mammoth Lakes, California, and Sierra Drifters Fly Fishing Guide Service, Mammoth Lakes. Flyfishing Guide Service for Trout. Fly Fish Owens River from guided driftboats in Bishop. Flyfish Crowley Lake and Bridgeport in guided flats boats named the Trout Magnet. Full service outfit.
WEST WALKER RIVER REGION: The West Walker River is finally coming down with flows about 500 cfs and it is starting to fish pretty well with bait, lures, and flies. The Little Walker River very fishable and has been good. Kirman Lake improved this past week with some anglers reporting 10-fish days with mostly brookies, but a few cutts. Leech patterns are best, but some action on damsels, scuds and even midges. Information: Ken’s Sporting Goods 760-932-7707.
BRIDGEPORT REGION: The trout action has been very good at the Twin Lakes with some fish to three pounds. The kokanee are also turning one with reports of as many as 20 to 30 fish per day caught and released. The East Walker River has been good this week but flows are up into the mid-300s. The surface bite lulled, but anglers fishing nymphs along the bottom under indicators are still seeing very good action. Bridgeport Reservoir is still excellent for fly, bait, and trolling anglers. Lots of boat anglers have been reporting 20 to 70 fish days. Fly anglers are seeing the best action in the channels of Buckeye Bay and off Rainbow Point. Most fish are one to two pounds with some up to six pounds. Virginia Lakes remain excellent and perhaps the most consistent spot in the region with a lot of fish to two pounds on just about everything and anything. Information: Ken’s Sporting Goods 760-932-7707 or Ken's Sporting Goods - Home, Twin Lakes Resort (Lower Twin) 760-932-7751, Annett’s Mono Village (Upper Twin) 760-932-7071.
JUNE LAKE LOOP REGION: Fishing is fair to good on all four lakes, June, Gull, Silver and Grant, on the usual floating dough baits (salmon egg glitter and salmon peach have been the hot Power Bait colors), inflated nightcrawlers, and the fly-bubble combination, especially at the stream mouths and outlets. Rush Creek below Silver Lake has been the hot spot this week with a lot of fish on salmon eggs and dry flies. Information: Ernie’s Tackle at 760-648-7756.
MAMMOTH AREA: Crowley Lake is still good for fly anglers, and the fish are in the bays where water is entering the lake. Lots of 16 to 22-inch trout -- rainbows, browns and cutts. Convict Lake is good for planted fish. Fair action in Twin Lakes out of Mammoth and the first plants of the season went in last week and plants were slated again for this week. Rock Creek drainage planted again this week and the action has been very good. Virtually all of the back country is open now. Information: The Troutfitter at 760-934-2517, Convict Lake Resort at 760-934-3800, Crowley Lake Fish Camp at 760-935-4301.
BISHOP AREA: South Lake and Sabrina all are seeing their best fishing of the season. South Lake has been excellent with limits of rainbows and a nice sprinkling of brook trout from the stream inlets showing in the catch. Sabrina has been good to excellent with a lot of limits showing all around the lake on a wide variety of baits and lures, with the inlets perhaps the best spots. All the forks of the Bishop Creek have been good for knowledgeable stream anglers, and all three forks of the creek were also planted again this week. North Lake is still not receiving plants but the action has been pretty fair. Backcountry anglers are now making it into Green Lake, Brown Lake, Treasure Lakes, Tyee Lakes, Long Lake and Marie Louise Lakes with trail conditions much improved. Pleasant Valley Reservoir is good for planted rainbows on floating baits and small lures. Lower Owens just fair to good with some very good dry fly action. Information: Sierra Drifters Guide Service 760-935-4250, Culver’s 760-872- 8361, Brock’s 760-872-3581.
BIG PINE TO LONE PINE AREA: Generally fair to good action after DFG plants again last week on all the creeks this week. Information: 760-876-4444 or go to Lone PineChamber of Commerce | the Other Side of California.
WESTERN SIERRA
BOB’S BAIT CATFISH DERBY: The month-long Bob’s Bait Catfish Derby kicked off July 1 with a $100 cash prize going to the angler who weighs in the biggest catfish at Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield during July. The current leader is
Henry Romero, Bakersfield, with a 14-pound cat from the aqueduct. Pre-registration required. For more information, call Bob’s Bait at 661-833-8657.
LAKE ISABELLA: A major fire in Kernville region might make access tough this week. Call ahead before going. The largemouth bass bite has fair to good with quality fish from four to six pounds and some bigger showing on Senkos, brush hogs, and deep-diving cranks. The catfish action also remains very good both main arms on frozen shad, clams, and Sonny’s dip bait with lots of fish from two pounds and up. The crappie action has moved deeper water, but there’s still a pretty good bite on fish up to a pound on small minnows for boat and float tube anglers in the Camp 9 region. Trout action is still fair to good at the cemetery area and auxiliary dam on Power Bait and nightcrawlers. Bluegill finally starting to improve. Information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.
KERN RIVER: Fire in the Kernville region has made access to the upper river tough. Call ahead before going. There has been continued very good action in the upper river and very fishable flows. The upper stretch nearly to the Johnsondale Bridge was again stocked this week and the best bite has been on salmon eggs and crickets. All the other stretches were also planted in both the upper and lower river. The lower river is still pretty high (1,800 cfs), but careful anglers are getting trout, especially in the Richbar area. Information: Kern River Fly Shop 760-376-2040 (or Fly Fishing the Kern River) or James Store 760-376-2424.
AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: The catfish and striper action remains good but there has been relatively light pressure with the heat this past week. Lots of cats showing on cut baits, and the striper bite continues to be mostly on blood worms. Henry Romero, Bakersfield, landed a 14-pound cat. Information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.
HART PARK LAKE: Good action on small bluegill with wax worms or crickets. Most hand-sized. The carp are good on homemade dough baits or Powder Bait. Bass very slow with a little action early and late in the day.
TRUXTUN LAKE: Good bluegill bite, and the carp bite has been good on Powder Bait. Fair catfish bite on nightcrawlers and shad. Bass and crappie spotty, but some bass showing early in the day.
RIVER WALK PARK: The bluegill bite is good on wax worms, meal worms, and crickets, and the carp action is good on homemade dough baits and Powder Bait. There are a few bass showing on minnows, nightcralwers, and plastics early in the day, but this bite is mostly slow.
MING LAKE: The carp bite is very good on Powder Bait and other dough baits. There has also been a very good bite on bluegill, mostly on wax worms and meal worms, and the bass action is slow with a few on plastics or topwater early in the day.
BRITE LAKE: No reports.
BUENA VISTA LAKES: Continued good catfish action on frozen shad, dip baits, or green garlic nightcrawlers, with most of the cats running from two to five pounds and showing from the small lake. The lake is being planted with catfish every couple of weeks, and there is a five-fish limit on the cats here. The bluegill action has been fair to good on wax worms. Carp good for those targeting them. Not much on stripers or crappie. Information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.
WOOLLOMES LAKE: The bluegill bite is good on red worms, meal worms, or wax worms, and a few bass are showing on plastics or jerk baits early in the day. Pretty good carp action on dough baits.
SUCCESS LAKE: Pretty good bass action Senkos and plastics, and some bluegill and catfish also starting to show. Water level coming up. Information: 559-781-2078.
KAWEAH LAKE: The largemouth bass bite has been fair to good with a lot of fish on plastics and some on topwater and reaction baits. The redear and bluegill are really starting to take off in the shallows. Some catfish beginning to show. Information: 559-597-2526.
CENTRAL COAST LAKES
SAN ANTONIO: The striped bass bite surged back on over the weekend during the full moon. It picked right back up where it left off two weeks ago with a lot of six to 10-pound fish and some in the 12 to 20-pound class each week. The best action has been on trolled shad-like swim baits or live or frozen shad. The catfish action is also improving and there has been a fair crappie bite. The bass action is fair, and the carp are wide open if you target them. Information: 805-472-2818.
NACIMIENTO: Both the smallmouth and largemouth bites have been fair with improved action this past week. Some topwater early and late in the day and then better action in deep water after the dawn-dusk flurries on top. The white bass action is slow to fair on slow-trolled Roostertails and silver spoons. The crappie bite has slowed down with spotty action on live minnows or small jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles. The catfish bite is improving, and anglers targeting carp are seeing excellent action. Information: 805-238-1056 or Lake Nacimiento Resort and Marina.
SANTA MARGARITA: The catfish bite finally took off here with a number of quality fish landed this past week and decent action on smaller fish, too. The best bite has been on cut baits. Debbie Ferraro, Arroyo Grande, landed a 15-14 catfish in narrows on a nightcrawler, while Jackie Greer, Santa Margarita, 15-9 catfish on mackerel near the marina. The bass continue tough with a few showing on Senkos, jigs, and Creature baits. Most are two to three pounders with some up to five. There is a pretty good bite on bluegill and redear in most coves on bobber-suspended baits, and a few crappie are being caught in the back of the narrows on the small jigs. The marina store is open Wednesday through Sunday. Information: 805-438-1522.
LOPEZ: Fair to good bass action and a very good bluegill bite in the mornings, especially off the F Dock on meal worms and red worms. Nick and Isaiah Rocha, both Oceano, had a 2-4 bluegill to top off their stringer. The bass have been best on swim baits and cranks with the best action at the bridge. Top fish reported was a 6-4 caught by Zack Wong, San Bruno. Matthew Toralba, Bakersfield, landed a 5-2 bass on a crank, while Brandon Chang, Nipomo, had bass at four pounds, 3-4, 2-8, and 2-4. The crappie bite has slowed, and some catfish are showing. Information: 805-489-1006.
TROUT PLANTS
Barring adverse weather, water or road conditions, the following lakes and streams, listed by county, will be restocked with catchable-size rainbow trout from the Department of Fish and Game hatcheries this week. For updates in Southern California and the Eastern Sierra Nevada, you can call the DFG recording at 562-594-7268, or for updates in the Western Sierra, you can call 559-243-4005, x183. For trout plants statewide, you can visit the DFG's web site at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Hatcheries/FishPlanting/index.asp.
RIVERSIDE: Lake Fulmore.
INYO: Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek Dam Intake No. 2, Cottonwood Creek, George Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, Middle Fork Bishop Creek, Rock Creek Lake, Shepherd Creek, South Fork Bishop Creek, South Lake, Symms Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinemaha Creek, Tuttle Creek.
MONO: Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Deadman Creek, Ellery Lake, Glass Creek,
Grant Lake, Gull Lake, June Lake, Lake George, Lake Mamie, Lake Mary, Lee Vining Creek, lower Twin Lake near Bridgeport, lower Virginia Lake, Lundy Lake, Mammoth Creek, McGee Creek, Mill Creek, Robinson Creek, Rock Creek from French Camp to upper bridge at Rock Creek Lodge, Rock Creek from Paradise Lodge to Tuff Campground, Rush Creek, Saddlebag Creek, South Fork Lee Vining Creek, Trumbull Lake, Twin Lakes, upper Owens River from Benton Crossing to Crowley Lake, upper Twin Lake near Bridgeport, upper Virginia Lake, Virginia Creek, Walker River Little, West Walker River Section 2.
SAN LUIS OPISPO: Nacimiento River.
KERN: Kern River from Democrat Beach to Lower Richbar, Kern River from Powerhouse No. 3 to Riverside Park, Kernville, Kern River from Sandy Flat to Democrat Beach.
TULARE: Balch Park eastern lake, Balch Park western lake, Hedrick Campground pond, Kern River from Brush Creek to Fairview Dam, Kern River from Fairview Dam to Falling Waters Lodge, Fresno County: Big Creek near Huntington, Dinkey Creek, Kings River below the Pine Flat Reservoir, Mono Creek, Portal Forebay, San Joaquin River below the Friant Dam, Tenmile Creek.
MADERA: North Fork of Willow Creek.
TUOLUMNE: Herring Creek, Lyons Canal, Middle Fork Stanislaus River, Middle Fork Tuolumne River, Moccasin Creek, Pinecrest Lake, Powerhouse Stream, South Fork Stanislaus River, South Fork Tuolumne River, Stanislaus River Clark Fork.
CATFISH PLANTS
The following lakes, listed by county, will be stocked this week with one-pound catfish by private hatcheries under contract with the Department of Fish and Game.
No catfish plans this week.
