- Joined
- Mar 11, 2001
- Messages
- 70,011
- Reaction score
- 1,005
SOCAL FISH REPORT -- ONS-matthews -- 19may10
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 11 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 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: California Department of Fish and Game.
MATTHEWS’ PICKS OF THE WEEK
1. The Lake Isabella crappie bite is staying in the No. 1 spot for at least one more week. This bite just won’t slow down, and most of the fish are from a half-pound to a pound, but bigger crappie to two pounds are showing on the bigger live minnow baits. Most of the local tackle shops have been selling out of minnows by Saturday morning early, but small jigs have also been working, but they just about have to be tipped with a Crappie Nibble to get bit. For an update on this exceptional bite, call Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield at 661-833-8657.
2. Diamond Valley Lake is our No. 2 pick this week – not for the bass bite, which is arguably one of the two or three best in the region – but for the bluegill and redear action that is just starting to take off all around the lake. The bluegill have been running up to a pound or better and the redear can be twice as big. Once you find a school of fish, you are going to get a pile of fish on small jigs tipped with meal worms or wax worms or on half a nightcrawler. Rawson Cove and the saddle dam are the most popular spots, but the fish are literally showing all around the lake in the shallows – less than 10 feet of water. For an update, call the marina at 951-926-7201 or Last Chance Bait and Tackle at 951-658-7410.
3. If we make Elsinore the number three pick this week, you’ll probably think it’s because the crappie bite has finally broken open. But no, it’s for the very good catfish action that has been going on for the past two weeks. Not only is the bite good, but the quality of the fish has been a pleasant surprise, with a lot of cats topping five pounds and some into the 12 to 15-pound class. And if you’re a bowfisherman, you should throw in your bow and stick a few carp, too. For an update on the fishing, call William’s Bait, Tackle, and Boat Rental at 951-642-0640.
FRESHWATER HOT SPOTS
TROUT: Improving fishing in some Eastern Sierra spots this week with good action at Crowley and Bridgeport Reservoir, mostly for boat anglers trolling or fishing bait, Virginia Lakes for ice fishermen where limits were easy, and the East Walker River and upper Owens River for fly anglers. In Southern California, there continues to be good action at just a handful of waters, but most plants are over for the season. Top bet is Corona Lake in low elevation waters. There is still a pretty fair bite for trollers at Cachuma, Castaic, and Diamond Valley. In the local mountains, Big Bear Lake is good to excellent with fish to 8 1/2 pounds reported for the Jim Hall Memorial May Trout Classic, and Lake Hemet is also pretty good.
BLACK BASS: The largemouth bass action has been generally good throughout the region but the days since the new moon haven’t been as good as leading into last week. Top bets again have been Diamond Valley Lake, Casitas, Castaic, Skinner, Sutherland, El Capitan, Irvine, Perris, Silverwood, Piru, Pyramid, Cachuma, and Puddingstone. Barrett Lake opened this past week to awesome fishing. The smallmouth action on the Colorado River has been very good in the river stretch, but slowed in Lake Havasu. Cachuma’s smallmouths are also picking up. Further up on the Central Coast, Nacimientio, Lopez, and Santa Margarita all are good, too, with spotted bass are particularly good at Nacimiento. Isabella has been producing fewer bass but a few quality fish have been landed.
STRIPED BASS: Diamond Valley, Castaic, Pyramid, Silverwood, and Skinner are all fair to good bets for stripers, and San Antonio Lake and the California aqueduct near Taft (which cranked out a 34-pounder this week) are top bets out of the local SoCal region. DVL and Castaic continue to have the biggest fish. But Pyramid, Skinner, and Silverwood are all producing better volume of smaller fish. On the Colorado River, things are improving in Mead, Mohave, and Havasu with the fish up ripping shad early in the mornings at all three reservoir. They stripers are also moving up into the river from these lakes to spawn.
PANFISH: Crappie bites are still very good in Lake Isabella with a good volume of fish and some fish topping two pounds. Nacimiento (on the Central Coast) also remained good for crappie with a lot of fish from 1-8 to two pounds, and nearby Santa Margarita and Lopez also some improvements in their crappie action. Elsinore’s crappie have continued to be inexplicably slow. Piru has been pretty good, and there is a decent bite at Cachuma that is worth sampling. Redear and bluegill bites are starting to go again a number of places, too, including Casitas, Diamond Valley, Perris, and Puddingstone. The tilapia bite at the Salton Sea has been excellent.
CATFISH: Elsinore is the hot spot in Southern California with a lot of fish to 15 pounds being landed. Isabella has been very good for cats from 1-8 to three pounds over the past week, and the California aqueduct near Taft has also been hot this week. Hesperia Lake has been good to excellent, and Santa Ana River Lakes and Corona Lake both kick off their catfish season this week with big plants. Budding bites include Diamond Valley and Irvine. The channel and flathead action is also breaking wide open along the whole lower Colorado River, especially in the warmer backwaters and irrigation ditches. A lot of flatheads to 30 pounds have been reported on the river this past week.
SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAIN WATERS
SILVERWOOD: The trout bite is starting to slow down with the most recent DFG plant three weeks ago. Best action has been on Power Bait, Power worms, inflated nightcrawlers, and small trout jigs and plastics. Alven Handler, Chino, caught five trout to four pounds on Power Bait at the dock. The largemouth bite is good with plastics working best. Striper action is very good with the best action on swimbaits and anchovies in deeper water at the dam and main channel points. Chelsea Green, Newport Beach, landed six stripers to eight pounds fishing with swimbaits and anchovies at the dam. The catfish bite continues to improve. Karl Berg, Apple Valley, scored eight catfish to 6-4 fishing with anchovies and chicken liver. Carp are moving shallow and anglers fishing dough baits or nightcrawlers are getting a few. Slow other species. Miller Canyon Creek (just above the lake) was planted with DFG trout last week. The stream fishing bite has been pretty good on salmon eggs. 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: It took an 8.55-pound trout to win this past weekend’s Jim Hall Memorial May Trout Classic. That big fish was caught by Carl Van Burger, Apple Valley, and netted him the $2,025 top prize. Neal Stueve, Monrovia, was second with a 6.08-pounder for $1,215, while third went to Danny Marshall, Big Bear, with a 5.55-pounder worth $891. The next six places were all trout between 5.21 and 5.55 pounds. The Pee-Wee (age 5 to 11) winner was Luke Bianchi, 11, Northridge, with a 4.37-pounder, while the Junior (ages 12 to 15) winner was Joseph Knapp, La Quinta, with a 2.35-pounder. Big plant of trophy Mt. Lassen trout last week along with DFG fish. The trout bite has been very good. The best action has been for trollers fishing from the surface down to about 40 feet along the north shore (Trout Triangle area), with the bigger fish deeper. Most of the fish are around 1-8, but fish to four pounds have also been landed. Needlefish-type lures have been best. Shore anglers are still seeing the best action along the north shore from Juniper Point to the dam on floating baits. The crappie and largemouth bass bites are also starting to pick up in the backs of the coves, with most of the crappie hand-sized and bass to two pounds showing. The next event will be the Fishing for 50K event June 5-6. Fishing information: Big Bear Marina 909-866-3218, Big Bear Sporting Goods 909-866-3222.
GREGORY LAKE: DFG trout were planted last week, and there is a fair to good trout bite with a fair number of limits, mostly on small lures, trout plastics and floating baits. Most are in the one-pound class. The boat house is open. Information: 909-338-2233.
GREEN VALLEY LAKE: Just fair trout action for the opening weekend this past week, even after the 1,500-pound plant of Jess Ranch rainbows just before the opener. Recorded information: 909-867-2009.
ARROWBEAR LAKE: DFG trout plant this week and four weeks ago.
JENKS LAKE REGION: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago in Jenks Lake, and both the Santa Ana River in the Seven Oaks area and the South Fork were both planted with rainbows by the DFG last week. Fishing has been generally good in both the creek and lake. Information: Mill Creek Ranger Station at 909-382-2881.
HIGH DESERT LAKES
HESPERIA LAKE: Excellent catfish action with quite a few limits reported. Catfish were planted this week and will be going in each week for the remainder of catfish season. Top baits are mackerel, shrimp, and inflated nightcrawlers. Linda Huerrera, Westminster, caught a 21-pound catfish using nightcrawlers. Sevon White, Los Angeles, hooked into a 16-12 catfish on shrimp. Blake Davidson, Hesperia, got the top five fish stringer of catfish at 46 pounds using mackerel for bait. Trout fishing has slowed way down but a few fish are still being caught. Last trout plant of the season went in over a month ago. No sturgeon were reported this week but a few of these big fish have been caught each week recently with the exception of this past week. A few wipers make an appearance each week but not too many are being caught. 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. Cost will be reduced to $10 on Mondays but price remains the same the rest of the week and no other discounts apply to the Monday special. Information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.
JESS RANCH: Trout action was fair to very good this week. Power Bait or inflated night crawlers doused with attractant, jigs, and lures have all been producing fish. The bite was better in the morning before 10 a.m. or late afternoon hours. Most of the fish have been around two pounds, with a few up to three pounds. A few largemouth are showing on Senkos, spinnerbaits, and nightcrawlers. Catfish are hitting chicken liver, nightcrawlers, mackerel, and shrimp. 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: The lake will begin receiving county catfish plants starting May 27 and will continue to receive them each week through the end of catfish season. Trout action has been just fair with the last county trout plant of the season over a month ago. DFG trout plants went in two and four weeks ago. Fair action for bass and catfish and the occasional carp or crappie are also showing. 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: The lake will begin receiving county catfish plants starting May 27 and will continue to receive them each week through the end of catfish season. Trout fishing is slow. Last DFG plant was four weeks ago and the last county plant was over a month ago. Catfish action is also slow but should pick up once the plants begin later this month. Information: 909-481-4205.
PRADO: The lake will begin receiving county catfish plants starting May 27 and will continue to receive them each week through the end of catfish season. Trout action has been slow. Top baits have been chartreuse or orange Power Bait and nightcrawlers. The last county trout plant of the season went in over a month ago and the last DFG plant was four weeks ago. Top spots for trout have been lot 1, lot 7, and near the spillway. A few catfish have been showing on mackerel and Power Bait. Catfish season is tentatively scheduled to kick off later this month. No bass or bluegill reported this past week. Information: 909-597-4260.
YUCAIPA: The lake will begin receiving county catfish plants starting May 27 and will continue to receive them each week through the end of catfish season. Trout action has been slow. Lake information: 909-790-3127.
GLEN HELEN: The lake will begin receiving county catfish plants starting May 27 and will continue to receive them each week through the end of catfish season. Trout action has slowed since there have been no plants in over a month, but there is still fair action. Catfish, bass, bluegill, and carp are all showing in decent numbers. 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: DFG trout plant two weeks ago. Information: 909-384-5233.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
DIAMOND VALLEY: Largemouth action was excellent this past week. Anglers were catching good numbers of quality fish on just about anything in their tackle box. Most of the fish are being caught in five to 15 feet of water, with some of the bigger fish showing in 20 to 35 feet of water. Sean Caligiuri, Huntington Beach, caught a 10-pound largemouth on a Senko. Trout fishing has been good for boaters and shore anglers alike. Nightcrawlers, Power Bait, Power Worms, and mini jigs have been the best baits and the coves along the north shore have been the hot spot for rainbows. Striper action was slow again this week but a few big fish were still reported. Matt Johnson, Hemet, caught a 15-pound striper on a BBZ Jr. The catfish bite has been steadily improving with mackerel and anchovies working well. Shrimp and chicken liver have also been producing a few fish and the top spots have been the saddle dam, Rawson Cove, and near the attenuator. There were more panfish reports this past week with Rawson Cove and the saddle dam the most reported spots, but both bluegill and redear are showing around the marina for shore anglers, too, with fish to a pound or better this week and a few crappie around the three-pound mark reported. 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: The panfish bite at the marina is still slow to fair with few reports this past week. Anglers continue to have better success while fishing near the island from a boat with crickets and redworms and a few reports of excellent action around the tire reef came in as well. Float tube anglers are also getting into fish off Lots 11 and 12. Lorenzo Martinez, Moreno Valley, caught 19 redear and bluegill with fish to 1.2 pounds on crickets and redworms fishing near the island. Trout action remains just fair. DFG plants last two and four weeks ago. Largemouth action is fair to good with the majority of the reports coming from the east end of the lake. Bill Dibbes, Corona, caught an 11.9-pound largemouth on a nightcrawler fishing near lots 11 and 12. Mostly slow other species. The park is back 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: The largemouth action was excellent this past week. The east end and the south shore have been the top spots with dark plastics and nightcrawlers still the top baits. Steve Brecko, Murrieta, caught a 10.6-pound largemouth on a dark Senko at the south shore. Will Landen, Anaheim, caught three largemouth to 5-8 fishing with dark plastics at the south shore. Catfish action continues to improve with the warmer weather. Chicken liver and mackerel have been the most reported baits. Kevin Tate, Corona, caught a 6.2-pound catfish on mackerel at ramp No. 2. Kevin also scored five bluegill to two-pounds. Bluegill action is good with many fish being caught in the backs of the coves along the south shore on nightcrawlers. Carp action has been good for those targeting them with fish to 15-pounds reported. They are being caught in the reeds on nightcrawlers. Striper action has slowed considerably and is just fair. Some anglers have reported seeing small fry in the lake, so it's just a matter of time for them to get bigger and the stripers start to feed on them. A few trout are still showing but the bite has been mostly slow. Information: store 951-926-1505 or marina 951-926-8515.
ELSINORE: The catfish and carp action has continued very good. The cats have been best on shrimp, shad, and nightcrawlers, and the quality remains excellent with a lot of fish topping five pounds. The carp are stacked up in the shallows and anglers fishing dough baits or prepared carp baits are getting a lot of fish. The bowfishermen are also finally discovering the lake is open to bowfishing and have been out sticking the carp. One bowfisherman stuck over 50 fish. Still very few crappie are being taken with only a handful reported this past week, but they are mostly nice fish from 1-8 to two pounds. Light fishing pressure on the largemouth, but that bite has been pretty fair. No one is fishing for the wipers but they have been boiling on shad most mornings. 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 Elsinore West Marina at 951-678-1300.
CORONA LAKE: Trout action remains good after the season’s final plant last week, but catfish season kicks off this week with a major plant of cats. The best trout action has been on floating baits fished in deeper water near the dam as the rainbows seek out the coolest water. Top trout reported was an 8 1/2-pounder landed by Brian Grant, Riverside, to top off his five-fish, 14-4 stringer while fishing floating bait at the dam. Jeff Anderson, Victorville, landed an 8-4 rainbow on a Roostertail near the dam fishing from shore, while Tim Rogers, Covina, landed a limit of rainbows that weighed 18 pounds and included a seven-pounder while fishing lures at the dam. The catfish bite has already been pretty good for anglers targeting the cats, and sturgeon have been a bonus catch for anglers fishing the cut baits and nightcrawlers normally used for the channels. Dave Beaver, Anaheim, landed a 22 1/2-pound sturgeon at the back of the lake fishing a jig. There is 24-hour fishing every Friday and Saturday night. Information: 951-277-4489 or Indy Lakes Fishing Lakes and Campground.
EVANS LAKE: Last DFG trout plant was four weeks ago, and the trout are slow. Bass are showing in fair numbers for the guys tossing small plastics and tiny jerk baits along the rocky shorelines. A couple of four-pound class fish have been reported caught and released in the past week. Also a pretty decent bite on small bluegill and warmouth.
RANCHO JURUPA: The trout bite has slowed way down with no plants since March 26. Other species also slow. Catfish are slated to be planted May 20. 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 season kicked off last week with a very good bite on cut baits, and the lake was slated to be planted Thursday this week. Plants are every two weeks with 500 pounds planted each time. The monthly derby is this Saturday. 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: Catfish season has kicked off with good action now that the weather is warming up. The best bite has been on chicken liver, mackerel, and shrimp. Plants twice a month. Still the odd trout showing up in the catch, too. The lake is now 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: Good trout action continues with quite a few limits reported. DFG trout plants went in 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 in the two-pound range are showing. Les Buffington, San Jacinto, caught a limit of trout on Power Bait. The odd bass is also showing but it's mostly slow for other species. Lake open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Information: Lake Hemet Market 951-659-2350, campground 951-659-2680.
FULMOR LAKE: No recent DFG trout plants. Information: 951-659-2117.
ORANGE COUNTY
SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES: Catfish season kicks off this week with the first major plant of the season. Last trout plant was two weeks ago and that bite has been just fair in recent days on floating dough baits in deeper water and where there is current movement. Top trout was a 7 1/2-pounder caught by Scott Nakata, Garden Grove, on chartreuse floating bait at Levitz’ Corner. Chase Britt, Covina, landed a 6-2 rainbow to top off his 10-4 stringer of trout while fishing rainbow floating bait off the west shore. Catfish are already fair. Ray Waldschmidt and Roger Caraveo, both North Hollywood, landed eight cats for a total weight of 16 1/2 pounds fishing near the boat dock with the marshmallow-meal worm combination. 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: Fair to good trout action this past week with fish showing in five to 40 feet of water. The trout are mostly in the one to five-pound range with several bigger fish reported. Ed Robinson, Orange, caught an 11-10 rainbow trout on nightcrawlers at the west shore. Jillian Solis, Newport Beach, got an 11-pound rainbow on a nightcrawler and Power Bait combo at the west shore. The bass action has been pretty good with plastics, jigs, jerkbaits, and topwater lures all working well. Scott Smith, Orange, caught a 6-8 largemouth on a Brush Hog at Red Clay Cliffs. Good crappie bite in the submerged trees at Santiago Flats on white Atomic Tubes with a mealworm trailer. Bluegill and redear numbers are steadily increasing for anglers offering mealworms or waxworms. A few hybrid striper catches were reported this past week as well. Don Spencer, Orange, scored a 2-2 wiper on a Rapala on the flats. The lake is open 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. 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 action has been fair to good with nightcrawlers and crankbaits producing fish. Bass action is good with crankbaits and plastics working well. Tom Hoskins, Lompoc, caught 15 bass using crankbaits in Big Cachuma Bay. Good crappie bite with Rapalas and plastics scoring the most fish. Corny Bailey, Corona, got 22 crappie on plastics at the dam. Slow other species. For quagga mussel and the boat launching information, log on at Santa Barbara County Parks Department Home. The marina is closed and boat rentals have ceased. The marina isn’t expected to be reopening in the near future, but the boat launch is still open. For fishing information updates, anglers should now call the general store at 805-688-5246.
CASITAS: The bass bite remains pretty good in 20 to 30 feet of water on live shad, if you can dip net some early in the morning, or nightcrawlers and plastics. The shad have been a little easier to get this past week, but still not a lock. Top fish reported was a 10-10 caught by Rick Cloyd, Santa Paula, on live shad. Kathy Berry, Camarillo, had a 10-3 on swim bait, while Larry Montez, Ventura, landed a 10-pounder on live shad. Robert Davis, Newberry Park, used live shad to land bass at 9-8, eight and six pounds. In a weekend bass event, the three big fish included a 9.99-pounder caught by Dave Henderson, Camarillo, on a plastic, while Pete Vinzcioni, Moorpark, landed an 8.59-pounder and Brian Evans, Ojai, had an 8.16-pound bass. Other good bass included a 7-4 caught by Chad Cooper, Moorpark, 7-4 on a plastic worm, and seven-pound bass were caught by Breck Smith, Ventura, Scott Bjerke, Redlands, Tim LeSeur, Ojai, and Barney Adams, Dallas, most on live shad. The catfish bite also picked up this week with the fish moving into their spawn and taking nightcrawlers and cut baits. Shawn Flaherty, Oakview, had three catfish this week at 13 pounds, 11-8, and 10 pounds, all on nightcrawlers. Alfonso Magallon, Oxnard, had a 12-pound cat, while Steven Csorba, Oxnard, landed an 11-pounder. Both were using nightcrawlers. The trout bite continues to be pretty fair for trollers working 30 to 40 feet of water at the dam, creek channels and off main lake points with Needlefish or similar baits. A few rainbows are also showing on drifted nightcrawlers fished in the same depths. Not a lot of limits, but catches of two to four fish with the rainbows running up into the three-pound class have been common. Redear really improving in the backs of most coves as the fish move into the spawn. Quite a few fish to nearly two pounds on nightcrawler pieces, and most are in less than 15 feet of water. Catfish and crappie are still mostly slow. 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 has been very good. Anchovies and sardines have been the top baits with the dam and the coves the top spots. A few stripers are showing on swimbaits but the bite has been fairly quiet considering the big trout plant last week. Fred Androsy, Castaic, caught two stripers at 13-pounds and eight-pounds using swimbaits. Largemouth action is excellent with the best bite in the coves. Plastics, crankbaits, nightcrawlers, and shad colored minnows have all been working well all day long for the largemouth. Some crappie and bluegill are showing on jigs and small nightcrawler pieces. There was also a big catfish caught this past week. Danny McGill, Pasadena, caught a 15-pounder using anchovies in Elizabeth Canyon. Information: 661-775-6232 or Castaic Lake | Home.
PIRU: Overall fair to good action with a nice mix of largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and redear all showing for anglers. The best bass bite has been on plastics fished in six to 25 feet of water with some fish on swimbaits and nightcrawlers. The crappie are showing in 12 to 20 feet on small jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles with few topping a pound. Also generally good redear and bluegill action on nightcrawler pieces. Catfish still slow. Trout have not been planted since Jan. 18 and few reports. Information: front gate at 805-521-1500, x500 or Lake Piru Recreation Area.
PYRAMID: The trout action has been pretty good after DFG plants this week and two weeks ago with the best action in and around the marina. Most are pan-sized and showing on floating baits and small lures. The striper action remains good for anglers drifting with anchovies or sardines, and they are averaging from 1 1/2 to four pounds, with some bigger fish up feeding on the trout. Largemouth bass action is also good with a lot of one to three-pound fish on nightcrawlers and plastics. Also quite a few smallmouth in this bite. The redear and bluegill bites are improving but not getting much pressure, yet. Catfish are still mostly slow. Information: Emigrant Landing entrance booth, 661-295-7155, concession 661-257-2790, or Forest Service 661-296-9710.
QUAIL LAKE: No reports.
PUDDINGSTONE: There were DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago, and anglers are still getting decent numbers of fish on floating baits from deeper water, mostly off the ends of the fishing piers. Just fair action on largemouth bass on plastic worms around structure, with some topwater action starting early and late in the day. Bluegill action is very good with fish on spawning beds. Most are hand-sized and smaller and anglers have to find an area of beds. Some bigger redear showing in a little deeper water than the bluegill. Carp are spawning and in the shallows. Little fishing pressure but anglers targeting them are getting some nice fish. Also a few crappie up to 1-8 showing. Catfish slow. Information East Shore RV Park: 909-599-8355 (ask for the market).
SANTA FE DAM: DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago. The bass action has improved, but only a few bluegill and catfish reported. Information: 626-334-1065.
ALONDRA PARK LAKE: DFG trout plant two weeks ago.
BALBOA PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
BELVEDERE PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
CERRITOS PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
DOWNEY WILDERNESS PARK: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
ECHO PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
EL DORADO PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago.
ELIZABETH LAKE: DFG trout plants two and four weeks ago.
HANSEN DAM LAKE: DFG trout plants two and four weeks ago. Information: 888-527-2757 or 818-899-3779.
HOLLENBECK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago. Information: 213-261-0113.
JOHN FORD PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
KENNETH HAHN PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
LA MIRADA PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
LEGG LAKES: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
LINCOLN PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
MAGIC JOHNSON LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
PECK ROAD PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants two and four weeks ago. Information: 818-448-7317.
SAN DIEGO AREA LAKES
BARRETT: There were 186 anglers checked and they reported catching 1,503 bass in very good bite. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
HODGES: Just fair bass action with little of anything else happening. This past week, there were 129 anglers who landed 100 bass and five catfish. Joey Seale, San Marcos, caught an 8.35-pound largemouth on a crankbait at the west shore. 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 82 anglers checked who reported 153 bass, 15 crappie, and 18 catfish. The lake is open Thursday through 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 200 anglers checked and they reported catching 225 bass to 9.2 pounds, 177 bluegill, three crappie to 1.25 pounds, and seven catfish to 10.75 pounds. 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 18 anglers checked and they reported 18 bass to 7.1 pounds and 19 bluegill to 1.1 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: There were 35 anglers checked and they reported catching 10 bass to seven pounds. DFG trout plant three weeks ago. 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 74 anglers checked and they reported catching 37 bass, five bluegill, two catfish, and two rainbow trout. 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 97 anglers who landed 83 bass, 21 bluegill, two crappie, and four catfish. 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: Very good largemouth action again this past week. Lots of bigger fish continue to show from the south shore. Shad Raps, dark colored plastics, and crankbaits are all working well. Ryan Block, Oceanside, caught an 8-8 largemouth on a swimbait at the west buoy line. Trout fishing slowed some but Willow Cove and Senior Shoreline continue to be the hot spots with green Power Bait and inflated nightcrawlers the top baits. The last trout plant of the season went in last week. Frank Caulse, San Marcos, caught a 4.8-pound trout on a nightcrawler at the east buoy line. The crappie bite is good for anglers fishing the submerged reeds or willows trees with small jigs or shiners. There was also a big catfish caught this past week. Steve Jones, Escondido, caught a 30.9-pound blue catfish on a swimbait while fishing for bass. The lake is open seven days a week. There are four bass boat-type rentals available. The lake will now be offering a couple new discounts on motor boat rentals. Seniors will be able to rent motor 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 plants last week and four weeks ago.
DIXON LAKE: Excellent trout action after the plant of trophy fish that went in last week. Many fish over eight pounds were reported. Nightcrawlers, rainbow and green Power Bait, Power Worms, Kastmasters, Roostertails, and Thomas Buoyant lures all produced fish this past week. Top catch this past week goes to Bob Graf, Santa Ana, who caught 9-12 and 6-4 rainbows on Power Bait at the buoy line. Carlos Russo, Escondido, scored a 9-4 rainbow on a Kastmaster in Whisker Bay. J.B. Gierlich, Riverside, also got a 9-4 rainbow but he used a green Power Worm fishing near the south buoy line. Some of the smaller bass are starting to move into the shallows as the weather warms up and the spawn should kick off soon. Lake information: 760-839-4345 or www.dixonlake.com.
POWAY: No report. Lake information: 858-668-4770, tackle shop 858-486-1234.
JENNINGS: Night fishing is set to kick of on this Friday, May 21. Prior to the start of night fishing the first catfish plant of the season is slated to go in as well. Trout fishing was fair with a few trollers having success with nightcrawlers. Top spots have been mid lake and the concrete steps. The last trout plant of the season went in over a month ago. The largemouth bite has been slowish with the fish now in post-spawn. Some males are still in the shallows but the bigger females have moved into 15 to 20 feet of water. Jackie Hale, Lakeside, has been consistently scoring bass each week at the lake fishing with mudsuckers at Hermit Cove. This past week Jackie landed 8-12 and 3-4 largemouth bass. Some catfish are showing in shallow and others are showing at the buoy line but few anglers have been targeting them. Information: 619-390-1300 or Lake Jennings - Helix Water District Drinking Water Reservoir.
MORENA: No report. 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: Excellent trout action with quite a few limits reported. Power Bait and nightcrawlers are working best and the top spots have been Lone Pine and Pumphouse Cove. There is also a good crappie bite with a couple limits reported. DFG trout plant last week. A few catfish reports are coming in each week as well. Private boats are allowed on the lake again, 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: No report. 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 and wind has hampered the action much of this week. The largemouth bass are fair to good with a lot of fish in eight to 25 feet of water on plastics. Improving catfish action, but still just a fair number of fish showing in the coves on cut baits. Improving panfish action.
WILLOW BEACH: Trout bite is fair to good with weekly plants. Best action on salmon eggs, Power Bait, worms and Super Dupers. Slow striper action with a few fish showing. Information: Willow Beach Resort at 928-767-4747.
LAKE MOHAVE: The largemouth bass bite is fair to good. Also improving striper action over the past week with the fish mostly in 30 to 50 feet. Best action in the Cottonwood area and main lake upstream from the dam. Best bet is to slow-troll or drift with anchovies or sardines. Catfish are slow on cut baits. Information: Cottonwood Cove at 702-297-1464, Katherine’s Landing at 928-754-3245.
LAUGHLIN-BULLHEAD AREA: More and more stripers are being landed with a lot of fish in the four-pound range, including one reported at just over eight pounds this week. Smallmouth fair to good along rip-rap and the smallies might be the best bet right now. Trout slow. Information: Riviera Marina at 928-763-8550.
NEEDLES AREA: There is fair to good smallmouth action in the main river from Needles south to the I-40 bridge and one into Topoc Gorge, mostly on small cranks. Improving striper action, with the best bite early in the morning on fish under two pounds on cut bait. Catfish improving on cut baits, but still just fair. The striper action has also been starting to turn on with more fish in the river this past week. Information: Needles Marina at 760-326-2197.
TOPOCK AREA: The smallmouth bite is good throughout Topock Gorge with a lot of fish in the three-pound range, and the redear action is exceptional with a lot of fish over 1 1/2 pounds and up to 2 1/2 pounds. Apparently, the redear love the quagga mussels and are getting fat on them. Most anglers are using nightcrawler pieces for the redear. Stripers are finally starting to improve, but the bite has been hit and miss, with some decent catches of fish up to three pounds all along the river from Havasu up through the Gorge to Needles. The smallies are hitting finesse worms and cranks. Topock Marsh has just a fair largemouth bite, while the crappie bite has slowed down and is likely over for the season. Catfish are fair in both the main river and marsh on cut baits. 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: The threadfin shad spawning throughout the main basin and Bill Williams arm and the stripers are up on the surface boiling on the shad most morning now before 6:30 a.m. The stripers drop deep after that, showing in 40 to 55 feet of water on the main dropoffs on anchovies. Most stripers under four pounds, but a few over. The smallmouth bite has slowed way down, but the largemouth are in a pretty good post-spawn bite on buzz baits or frogs on top early and then slow-fall plastics later in the day. Redear are showing in good to excellent numbers with the spawn kicking into high gear. Nightcrawlers are the best bet. Lots of quality redear over a pound and up to three pounds. Channel catfish, flatheads still mostly slow, but a few cats are beginning to be caught. Information: Bass Tackle Master (formerly Angler’s Pro Shop) at 928-854-2277.
PARKER STRIP: Fair to good catfish and smallmouth bass action this past week. The cats are showing in most of the pools on cut baits, while the smallmouth bass are along the rip rap and starting to whack small cranks and swim baits. Bluegill and redear are good in the backwaters and quiet water in the main river. Few flathead reports.
BLYTHE: Overall good action on most species. The catfish bite is still fair to good with a lot of quality flatheads to 25 pounds reported. Area backwaters and ditches are pretty good for catfish, bass, and panfish, too. Lots of bass to five pounds showing on plastics, cranks, and even surface baits now. The smallmouth bite is also very good in the main river, especially around rip-rap. Quite a few stripers showing at the Palo Verde Diversion Dam. Information: B&B Bait 760-921-2248.
PALO VERDE: All the bites have broken wide open in the Palo Verde Lagoon and the main river. Lots of quality flatheads this past week with a number of fish over 20 pounds reported, with a lot of eight to 15 pounders on live bluegill, goldfish and tilapia. The channel catfish bite is also very good. Excellent action on bluegill and the largemouth bass bite has also been good, with morning and evening topwater and a lot of crankbait fish. Few reports on smallmouth and stripers in the main river. Also no crappie reports. Air temperatures finally hit 90 degrees this week. Information: Walter’s Camp 760-854-3322 Thursday through Monday.
PICACHO AREA: Good largemouth bass action in the backwaters and river margins, 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 good with some flurries of excellent action over the past week. A few crappie reported in recent days, and the 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 schooling up and showing in pretty decent numbers. Information: 928-783-9589 Thursday through Monday or Martinez Lake Resort.
YUMA AREA: Largemouth bass action is good in the whole region with the fish whacking plastics, cranks, and spinnerbaits. The catfish bite also turned on this past week, with some good catches on channels on cut baits and a flurry of quality flatheads on live goldfish and bluegill.
LOWER DESERT WATERS
SALTON SEA: The tilapia bite has been excellent this past week. The average size of the fish is mostly from 3/4 to 1 1/2-pounds with an occasional bigger fish. 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. Information: Salton Sea State Recreation Area ranger station 760-393-3052.
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 flowing high with runoff, but plants in the main river and Little Walker River have kept the fishing fair. Best action deeper pools and the fish are taking slowly-fished baits. First reports from Kirman Lake say it is now completely ice free and excellent on brookies to 18 inches (and four pounds or more) and cutthroats to 25 inches mostly on scud patterns and seal buggers. Information: Ken’s Sporting Goods 760-932-7707.
BRIDGEPORT REGION: The East Walker river has been pretty good with the best bite on small midge patterns and caddis fished under an indicator or as part of a dry-dropper arrangement. Flows at 170 cfs this past week and very fishable. Crowdded on weekends. Bridgeport Reservoir improved with good action this past week, especially for trollers and bait and fly anglers in boats. Shore fishing has been tougher. Thirty fish days have been common. Twin Lakes are fair to good for planted rainbows with holdover rainbows and browns from two to three pounds showing for both bait and lure fishermen. Virginia Lakes are still ice-capped and the ice was still around two feet thick this past weekend. Excellent fishing through the ice, however. 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 pretty 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) and inflated nightcrawlers, especially at the stream mouths and outlets. Top action has probably been from the shore of June on Kastmasters, while Grand Lake has been good on floating baits in yellow and peach. Rush Creek is good between Silver and Grant on planted trout, and the lower stretches just fair on wild fish. Higher elevation waters are still mostly inaccessible due to ice and snow. Information: Ernie’s Tackle at 760-648-7756.
MAMMOTH AREA: Crowley Lake is improving with each warm, non-windy day. The bite has been good on floating baits, inflated nightcrawlers, with improving fly action on midge pupae. Also still some nice cutthroats showing. The upper Owens and all of Crowley’s other tribs now have a lot of spawners with Convict-McGee probably the best. Convict Lake is good for planted fish. Fair action in Twin Lakes out of Mammoth but no plants yet and there is still ice on upper lakes. Rock Creek getting planted this week. Information: The Troutfitter at 760-934-2517, Convict Lake Resort at 760-934-3800, Crowley Lake Fish Camp at 760-935-4301.
BISHOP AREA: Most of the upper Bishop Creek drainage still has lots of snow and ice, but all the lakes are mostly open. Sabrina’s water level is coming up slowly. Plants this week at Intake II and the middle and south forks of Bishop Creek. Generally good action in the streams. Pleasant Valley Reservoir is good for planted rainbows on floating baits and small lures. Lower Owens just fair. 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 this week on all the creeks, but Diaz was skipped this week. Information: 760-876-4444 or go to Lone PineChamber of Commerce | the Other Side of California.
WESTERN SIERRA
LAKE ISABELLA: Still an excellent crappie bite here, but the fishing pressure has waned a little. Most of the fish are half- to three-quarter pound with some bigger fish coming for anglers fishing bigger minnows. Full 25-fish limits have not been uncommon. The catfish are also very good with a lot of really nice stringers of two to four-pound fish being caught on shad, mackerel, Sonny’s catfish dip bait, and clams. Largemouth bass are fair with big fish up chasing trout and other baitfish. Jack Viola, 9-0 bass caught and released on a Deadly Duo worm. Quite a few five-plus fish landed on swimbaits and plastics. Trout action is also very good at the auxiliary dam on Power Bait and nightcrawlers. Bluegill still spotty. Information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.
KERN RIVER: Flows in the upper river dropped with cooler weather early this week, but the trout action is still tough with the best bite on nightcrawlers and bigger spinners fished in the heavy flows. Trout plants this week. Lower River also very high and tough to fish. The fly-fishing bite has been very tough. Information: Kern River Fly Shop 760-376-2040 (or Fly Fishing the Kern River) or James Store 760-376-2424.
AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: The best striped bass in some time from the aqueduct was landed this past week when Sam Lot, Bakersfield, caught a 34-pounder on an anchovy. Most of the stripers have been in the three to four pound class and the bite has been pretty good, mostly on baits with blood worms and sand worms the best bet. The catfish action has been as good or better on cut baits. Mike Clark, Bakersfield, landed a seven-pound bass on a sand worm, while Tabithia Adams, Bakersfield, had a six-pounder. Ramon Estrada, Bakersfield, caught a five-pound catfish on shad. Information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.
HART PARK LAKE: Very good bluegill action on wax worms with a lot of hand-sized fish showing. Carp are fair to good on homemade dough baits or Powder Bait. The bass action has been fair on plastics and nightcrawlers.
TRUXTUN LAKE: Fair to good catfish bite on nightcrawlers and shad. Also a very good bluegill bite, and the carp bite has been good on Powder Bait. Bass and crappie spotty.
RIVER WALK PARK: The bluegill bite is fair to good on wax worms, and the carp action remains fair on homemade dough baits and Powder Bait. There are a few bass bite on minnows, nightcralwers, and plastics.
MING LAKE: The carp bite is good on Powder Bait and other dough baits. There has been a good bite on bluegill, mostly on wax worms and meal worms, and the bass action is fair, mostly on plastics.
BRITE LAKE: No recent DFG plants, but the trout action has remained fair garlic Power Bait and nightcrawlers.
BUENA VISTA LAKES: Very good catfish action on green garlic nightcrawlers, or shad with most of the cats running from three to five pounds. The lake is being planted 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, but the crappie have been very spotty on live minnows. While stripers have been spotty, Billy Eddington, Bakersfield, landed stripers at 14 and 10 pounds on shad. 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. Pretty good carp action, too.
SUCCESS LAKE: Fair to good bass action, and some bluegill and catfish also starting to show. Information: 559-781-2078.
KAWEAH LAKE: The redear and bluegill are really starting to take off with both moving shallow, and the bass are showing on plastics and reaction baits. Some catfish beginning to show. Information: 559-597-2526.
CENTRAL COAST LAKES
SAN ANTONIO: Some excellent striped bass action over the past week for trollers, bait fisherman, and anglers tossing surface baits early and late in the day. Few other reports. Information: 805-472-2818.
NACIMIENTO: The crappie action remains good with nice stringers of fish showing on live minnows or small jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles. The fish are nearing the end of the spawn. The white bass are in the Dip Creek and mostly showing on slow-trolled Roostertails and silver spoons. Both the smallmouth and largemouth bites are fair, but the spawn in pretty much over and the fish have shifted into a summer mode with some topwater early and late in the day and then better action in deep water after the dawn-dusk flurries on top. The catfish bite is improving, too, and anglers targeting carp are seeing excellent action. Information: 805-238-1056 or Lake Nacimiento Resort and Marina.
SANTA MARGARITA: The bites have mostly slowed down with a tough bite on bass and crappie this past week. There have been a few crappie catches with the fish all running from one to two pounds, mostly around brush or other structure in eight to 12 feet of water and taking small jigs. The bass are kind of in a post-spawn funk, but a few are showing on plastics. Ron Reccord, Nipomo, caught a 10.82-pound largemouth on a Creature Bait this past week. The bluegill and redear are just starting to move into the spawn and starting to show in better numbers. The marina store is open Wednesday through Sunday. Information: 805-438-1522.
LOPEZ: Fair to good largemouth bass action, with a lot of post-spawn fish showing on plastics, spinnerbaits and nightcrawlers. Most are in the two-pound class with some bigger. Chad Brackne, Grover City, caught a three-pound largemouth on a spinnerbait in Mallard Cove. The bluegill and redear bites are breaking wide open with a lot of 25-fish bluegill limits reported in recent days. Most are small, but a 2-8 redear was caught by Ben Steele, Redondo Beach, fishing Strawberry Flats with a yellow crappie jig. The crappie are spotty, but a few being landed. 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 California Department of Fish & Game Fisheries Fish Planting Schedule by Regions.
LOS ANGELES: Elizabeth Lake, Puddingstone Reservoir, Pyramid Lake, Santa Fe Dam.
VENTURA: Rancho Simi Community Park lake.
INYO: Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek Dam Intake No. 2, Cottonwood Creek, George Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lone Pine Creek, Middle Fork Bishop Creek, Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Shepherd Creek, South Fork Bishop Creek, Symms Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinemaha Creek, Tuttle Creek.
MONO: Bridgeport Reservoir, Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Grant Lake, Gull Lake, June Lake, Lee Vining Creek, lower Twin Lake near Bridgeport, Mammoth Creek, McGee 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, upper Twin Lake near Bridgeport, Virginia Creek, Little Walker River, West Walker River Section 2.
FRESNO: Hume Lake, Kings River below the Pine Flat Reservoir,,San Joaquin River below the Friant Dam.
KERN: Kern River from Powerhouse No. 3 to Riverside Park, Kernville.
TULARE: Kern River from Brush Creek to Fairview Dam, Kern River from Fairview Dam to Falling Waters Lodge.
TUOLUMNE: lyons Canal, Middle Fork Stanislaus River, Moccasin Creek, Pinecrest Lake, Powerhouse Stream, South Fork Stanislaus River, Stanislaus River Clark Fork.
CATFISH PLANTS
No Department of Fish and Game catfish plants 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 11 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 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: California Department of Fish and Game.
MATTHEWS’ PICKS OF THE WEEK
1. The Lake Isabella crappie bite is staying in the No. 1 spot for at least one more week. This bite just won’t slow down, and most of the fish are from a half-pound to a pound, but bigger crappie to two pounds are showing on the bigger live minnow baits. Most of the local tackle shops have been selling out of minnows by Saturday morning early, but small jigs have also been working, but they just about have to be tipped with a Crappie Nibble to get bit. For an update on this exceptional bite, call Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield at 661-833-8657.
2. Diamond Valley Lake is our No. 2 pick this week – not for the bass bite, which is arguably one of the two or three best in the region – but for the bluegill and redear action that is just starting to take off all around the lake. The bluegill have been running up to a pound or better and the redear can be twice as big. Once you find a school of fish, you are going to get a pile of fish on small jigs tipped with meal worms or wax worms or on half a nightcrawler. Rawson Cove and the saddle dam are the most popular spots, but the fish are literally showing all around the lake in the shallows – less than 10 feet of water. For an update, call the marina at 951-926-7201 or Last Chance Bait and Tackle at 951-658-7410.
3. If we make Elsinore the number three pick this week, you’ll probably think it’s because the crappie bite has finally broken open. But no, it’s for the very good catfish action that has been going on for the past two weeks. Not only is the bite good, but the quality of the fish has been a pleasant surprise, with a lot of cats topping five pounds and some into the 12 to 15-pound class. And if you’re a bowfisherman, you should throw in your bow and stick a few carp, too. For an update on the fishing, call William’s Bait, Tackle, and Boat Rental at 951-642-0640.
FRESHWATER HOT SPOTS
TROUT: Improving fishing in some Eastern Sierra spots this week with good action at Crowley and Bridgeport Reservoir, mostly for boat anglers trolling or fishing bait, Virginia Lakes for ice fishermen where limits were easy, and the East Walker River and upper Owens River for fly anglers. In Southern California, there continues to be good action at just a handful of waters, but most plants are over for the season. Top bet is Corona Lake in low elevation waters. There is still a pretty fair bite for trollers at Cachuma, Castaic, and Diamond Valley. In the local mountains, Big Bear Lake is good to excellent with fish to 8 1/2 pounds reported for the Jim Hall Memorial May Trout Classic, and Lake Hemet is also pretty good.
BLACK BASS: The largemouth bass action has been generally good throughout the region but the days since the new moon haven’t been as good as leading into last week. Top bets again have been Diamond Valley Lake, Casitas, Castaic, Skinner, Sutherland, El Capitan, Irvine, Perris, Silverwood, Piru, Pyramid, Cachuma, and Puddingstone. Barrett Lake opened this past week to awesome fishing. The smallmouth action on the Colorado River has been very good in the river stretch, but slowed in Lake Havasu. Cachuma’s smallmouths are also picking up. Further up on the Central Coast, Nacimientio, Lopez, and Santa Margarita all are good, too, with spotted bass are particularly good at Nacimiento. Isabella has been producing fewer bass but a few quality fish have been landed.
STRIPED BASS: Diamond Valley, Castaic, Pyramid, Silverwood, and Skinner are all fair to good bets for stripers, and San Antonio Lake and the California aqueduct near Taft (which cranked out a 34-pounder this week) are top bets out of the local SoCal region. DVL and Castaic continue to have the biggest fish. But Pyramid, Skinner, and Silverwood are all producing better volume of smaller fish. On the Colorado River, things are improving in Mead, Mohave, and Havasu with the fish up ripping shad early in the mornings at all three reservoir. They stripers are also moving up into the river from these lakes to spawn.
PANFISH: Crappie bites are still very good in Lake Isabella with a good volume of fish and some fish topping two pounds. Nacimiento (on the Central Coast) also remained good for crappie with a lot of fish from 1-8 to two pounds, and nearby Santa Margarita and Lopez also some improvements in their crappie action. Elsinore’s crappie have continued to be inexplicably slow. Piru has been pretty good, and there is a decent bite at Cachuma that is worth sampling. Redear and bluegill bites are starting to go again a number of places, too, including Casitas, Diamond Valley, Perris, and Puddingstone. The tilapia bite at the Salton Sea has been excellent.
CATFISH: Elsinore is the hot spot in Southern California with a lot of fish to 15 pounds being landed. Isabella has been very good for cats from 1-8 to three pounds over the past week, and the California aqueduct near Taft has also been hot this week. Hesperia Lake has been good to excellent, and Santa Ana River Lakes and Corona Lake both kick off their catfish season this week with big plants. Budding bites include Diamond Valley and Irvine. The channel and flathead action is also breaking wide open along the whole lower Colorado River, especially in the warmer backwaters and irrigation ditches. A lot of flatheads to 30 pounds have been reported on the river this past week.
SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAIN WATERS
SILVERWOOD: The trout bite is starting to slow down with the most recent DFG plant three weeks ago. Best action has been on Power Bait, Power worms, inflated nightcrawlers, and small trout jigs and plastics. Alven Handler, Chino, caught five trout to four pounds on Power Bait at the dock. The largemouth bite is good with plastics working best. Striper action is very good with the best action on swimbaits and anchovies in deeper water at the dam and main channel points. Chelsea Green, Newport Beach, landed six stripers to eight pounds fishing with swimbaits and anchovies at the dam. The catfish bite continues to improve. Karl Berg, Apple Valley, scored eight catfish to 6-4 fishing with anchovies and chicken liver. Carp are moving shallow and anglers fishing dough baits or nightcrawlers are getting a few. Slow other species. Miller Canyon Creek (just above the lake) was planted with DFG trout last week. The stream fishing bite has been pretty good on salmon eggs. 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: It took an 8.55-pound trout to win this past weekend’s Jim Hall Memorial May Trout Classic. That big fish was caught by Carl Van Burger, Apple Valley, and netted him the $2,025 top prize. Neal Stueve, Monrovia, was second with a 6.08-pounder for $1,215, while third went to Danny Marshall, Big Bear, with a 5.55-pounder worth $891. The next six places were all trout between 5.21 and 5.55 pounds. The Pee-Wee (age 5 to 11) winner was Luke Bianchi, 11, Northridge, with a 4.37-pounder, while the Junior (ages 12 to 15) winner was Joseph Knapp, La Quinta, with a 2.35-pounder. Big plant of trophy Mt. Lassen trout last week along with DFG fish. The trout bite has been very good. The best action has been for trollers fishing from the surface down to about 40 feet along the north shore (Trout Triangle area), with the bigger fish deeper. Most of the fish are around 1-8, but fish to four pounds have also been landed. Needlefish-type lures have been best. Shore anglers are still seeing the best action along the north shore from Juniper Point to the dam on floating baits. The crappie and largemouth bass bites are also starting to pick up in the backs of the coves, with most of the crappie hand-sized and bass to two pounds showing. The next event will be the Fishing for 50K event June 5-6. Fishing information: Big Bear Marina 909-866-3218, Big Bear Sporting Goods 909-866-3222.
GREGORY LAKE: DFG trout were planted last week, and there is a fair to good trout bite with a fair number of limits, mostly on small lures, trout plastics and floating baits. Most are in the one-pound class. The boat house is open. Information: 909-338-2233.
GREEN VALLEY LAKE: Just fair trout action for the opening weekend this past week, even after the 1,500-pound plant of Jess Ranch rainbows just before the opener. Recorded information: 909-867-2009.
ARROWBEAR LAKE: DFG trout plant this week and four weeks ago.
JENKS LAKE REGION: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago in Jenks Lake, and both the Santa Ana River in the Seven Oaks area and the South Fork were both planted with rainbows by the DFG last week. Fishing has been generally good in both the creek and lake. Information: Mill Creek Ranger Station at 909-382-2881.
HIGH DESERT LAKES
HESPERIA LAKE: Excellent catfish action with quite a few limits reported. Catfish were planted this week and will be going in each week for the remainder of catfish season. Top baits are mackerel, shrimp, and inflated nightcrawlers. Linda Huerrera, Westminster, caught a 21-pound catfish using nightcrawlers. Sevon White, Los Angeles, hooked into a 16-12 catfish on shrimp. Blake Davidson, Hesperia, got the top five fish stringer of catfish at 46 pounds using mackerel for bait. Trout fishing has slowed way down but a few fish are still being caught. Last trout plant of the season went in over a month ago. No sturgeon were reported this week but a few of these big fish have been caught each week recently with the exception of this past week. A few wipers make an appearance each week but not too many are being caught. 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. Cost will be reduced to $10 on Mondays but price remains the same the rest of the week and no other discounts apply to the Monday special. Information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.
JESS RANCH: Trout action was fair to very good this week. Power Bait or inflated night crawlers doused with attractant, jigs, and lures have all been producing fish. The bite was better in the morning before 10 a.m. or late afternoon hours. Most of the fish have been around two pounds, with a few up to three pounds. A few largemouth are showing on Senkos, spinnerbaits, and nightcrawlers. Catfish are hitting chicken liver, nightcrawlers, mackerel, and shrimp. 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: The lake will begin receiving county catfish plants starting May 27 and will continue to receive them each week through the end of catfish season. Trout action has been just fair with the last county trout plant of the season over a month ago. DFG trout plants went in two and four weeks ago. Fair action for bass and catfish and the occasional carp or crappie are also showing. 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: The lake will begin receiving county catfish plants starting May 27 and will continue to receive them each week through the end of catfish season. Trout fishing is slow. Last DFG plant was four weeks ago and the last county plant was over a month ago. Catfish action is also slow but should pick up once the plants begin later this month. Information: 909-481-4205.
PRADO: The lake will begin receiving county catfish plants starting May 27 and will continue to receive them each week through the end of catfish season. Trout action has been slow. Top baits have been chartreuse or orange Power Bait and nightcrawlers. The last county trout plant of the season went in over a month ago and the last DFG plant was four weeks ago. Top spots for trout have been lot 1, lot 7, and near the spillway. A few catfish have been showing on mackerel and Power Bait. Catfish season is tentatively scheduled to kick off later this month. No bass or bluegill reported this past week. Information: 909-597-4260.
YUCAIPA: The lake will begin receiving county catfish plants starting May 27 and will continue to receive them each week through the end of catfish season. Trout action has been slow. Lake information: 909-790-3127.
GLEN HELEN: The lake will begin receiving county catfish plants starting May 27 and will continue to receive them each week through the end of catfish season. Trout action has slowed since there have been no plants in over a month, but there is still fair action. Catfish, bass, bluegill, and carp are all showing in decent numbers. 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: DFG trout plant two weeks ago. Information: 909-384-5233.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
DIAMOND VALLEY: Largemouth action was excellent this past week. Anglers were catching good numbers of quality fish on just about anything in their tackle box. Most of the fish are being caught in five to 15 feet of water, with some of the bigger fish showing in 20 to 35 feet of water. Sean Caligiuri, Huntington Beach, caught a 10-pound largemouth on a Senko. Trout fishing has been good for boaters and shore anglers alike. Nightcrawlers, Power Bait, Power Worms, and mini jigs have been the best baits and the coves along the north shore have been the hot spot for rainbows. Striper action was slow again this week but a few big fish were still reported. Matt Johnson, Hemet, caught a 15-pound striper on a BBZ Jr. The catfish bite has been steadily improving with mackerel and anchovies working well. Shrimp and chicken liver have also been producing a few fish and the top spots have been the saddle dam, Rawson Cove, and near the attenuator. There were more panfish reports this past week with Rawson Cove and the saddle dam the most reported spots, but both bluegill and redear are showing around the marina for shore anglers, too, with fish to a pound or better this week and a few crappie around the three-pound mark reported. 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: The panfish bite at the marina is still slow to fair with few reports this past week. Anglers continue to have better success while fishing near the island from a boat with crickets and redworms and a few reports of excellent action around the tire reef came in as well. Float tube anglers are also getting into fish off Lots 11 and 12. Lorenzo Martinez, Moreno Valley, caught 19 redear and bluegill with fish to 1.2 pounds on crickets and redworms fishing near the island. Trout action remains just fair. DFG plants last two and four weeks ago. Largemouth action is fair to good with the majority of the reports coming from the east end of the lake. Bill Dibbes, Corona, caught an 11.9-pound largemouth on a nightcrawler fishing near lots 11 and 12. Mostly slow other species. The park is back 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: The largemouth action was excellent this past week. The east end and the south shore have been the top spots with dark plastics and nightcrawlers still the top baits. Steve Brecko, Murrieta, caught a 10.6-pound largemouth on a dark Senko at the south shore. Will Landen, Anaheim, caught three largemouth to 5-8 fishing with dark plastics at the south shore. Catfish action continues to improve with the warmer weather. Chicken liver and mackerel have been the most reported baits. Kevin Tate, Corona, caught a 6.2-pound catfish on mackerel at ramp No. 2. Kevin also scored five bluegill to two-pounds. Bluegill action is good with many fish being caught in the backs of the coves along the south shore on nightcrawlers. Carp action has been good for those targeting them with fish to 15-pounds reported. They are being caught in the reeds on nightcrawlers. Striper action has slowed considerably and is just fair. Some anglers have reported seeing small fry in the lake, so it's just a matter of time for them to get bigger and the stripers start to feed on them. A few trout are still showing but the bite has been mostly slow. Information: store 951-926-1505 or marina 951-926-8515.
ELSINORE: The catfish and carp action has continued very good. The cats have been best on shrimp, shad, and nightcrawlers, and the quality remains excellent with a lot of fish topping five pounds. The carp are stacked up in the shallows and anglers fishing dough baits or prepared carp baits are getting a lot of fish. The bowfishermen are also finally discovering the lake is open to bowfishing and have been out sticking the carp. One bowfisherman stuck over 50 fish. Still very few crappie are being taken with only a handful reported this past week, but they are mostly nice fish from 1-8 to two pounds. Light fishing pressure on the largemouth, but that bite has been pretty fair. No one is fishing for the wipers but they have been boiling on shad most mornings. 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 Elsinore West Marina at 951-678-1300.
CORONA LAKE: Trout action remains good after the season’s final plant last week, but catfish season kicks off this week with a major plant of cats. The best trout action has been on floating baits fished in deeper water near the dam as the rainbows seek out the coolest water. Top trout reported was an 8 1/2-pounder landed by Brian Grant, Riverside, to top off his five-fish, 14-4 stringer while fishing floating bait at the dam. Jeff Anderson, Victorville, landed an 8-4 rainbow on a Roostertail near the dam fishing from shore, while Tim Rogers, Covina, landed a limit of rainbows that weighed 18 pounds and included a seven-pounder while fishing lures at the dam. The catfish bite has already been pretty good for anglers targeting the cats, and sturgeon have been a bonus catch for anglers fishing the cut baits and nightcrawlers normally used for the channels. Dave Beaver, Anaheim, landed a 22 1/2-pound sturgeon at the back of the lake fishing a jig. There is 24-hour fishing every Friday and Saturday night. Information: 951-277-4489 or Indy Lakes Fishing Lakes and Campground.
EVANS LAKE: Last DFG trout plant was four weeks ago, and the trout are slow. Bass are showing in fair numbers for the guys tossing small plastics and tiny jerk baits along the rocky shorelines. A couple of four-pound class fish have been reported caught and released in the past week. Also a pretty decent bite on small bluegill and warmouth.
RANCHO JURUPA: The trout bite has slowed way down with no plants since March 26. Other species also slow. Catfish are slated to be planted May 20. 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 season kicked off last week with a very good bite on cut baits, and the lake was slated to be planted Thursday this week. Plants are every two weeks with 500 pounds planted each time. The monthly derby is this Saturday. 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: Catfish season has kicked off with good action now that the weather is warming up. The best bite has been on chicken liver, mackerel, and shrimp. Plants twice a month. Still the odd trout showing up in the catch, too. The lake is now 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: Good trout action continues with quite a few limits reported. DFG trout plants went in 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 in the two-pound range are showing. Les Buffington, San Jacinto, caught a limit of trout on Power Bait. The odd bass is also showing but it's mostly slow for other species. Lake open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Information: Lake Hemet Market 951-659-2350, campground 951-659-2680.
FULMOR LAKE: No recent DFG trout plants. Information: 951-659-2117.
ORANGE COUNTY
SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES: Catfish season kicks off this week with the first major plant of the season. Last trout plant was two weeks ago and that bite has been just fair in recent days on floating dough baits in deeper water and where there is current movement. Top trout was a 7 1/2-pounder caught by Scott Nakata, Garden Grove, on chartreuse floating bait at Levitz’ Corner. Chase Britt, Covina, landed a 6-2 rainbow to top off his 10-4 stringer of trout while fishing rainbow floating bait off the west shore. Catfish are already fair. Ray Waldschmidt and Roger Caraveo, both North Hollywood, landed eight cats for a total weight of 16 1/2 pounds fishing near the boat dock with the marshmallow-meal worm combination. 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: Fair to good trout action this past week with fish showing in five to 40 feet of water. The trout are mostly in the one to five-pound range with several bigger fish reported. Ed Robinson, Orange, caught an 11-10 rainbow trout on nightcrawlers at the west shore. Jillian Solis, Newport Beach, got an 11-pound rainbow on a nightcrawler and Power Bait combo at the west shore. The bass action has been pretty good with plastics, jigs, jerkbaits, and topwater lures all working well. Scott Smith, Orange, caught a 6-8 largemouth on a Brush Hog at Red Clay Cliffs. Good crappie bite in the submerged trees at Santiago Flats on white Atomic Tubes with a mealworm trailer. Bluegill and redear numbers are steadily increasing for anglers offering mealworms or waxworms. A few hybrid striper catches were reported this past week as well. Don Spencer, Orange, scored a 2-2 wiper on a Rapala on the flats. The lake is open 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. 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 action has been fair to good with nightcrawlers and crankbaits producing fish. Bass action is good with crankbaits and plastics working well. Tom Hoskins, Lompoc, caught 15 bass using crankbaits in Big Cachuma Bay. Good crappie bite with Rapalas and plastics scoring the most fish. Corny Bailey, Corona, got 22 crappie on plastics at the dam. Slow other species. For quagga mussel and the boat launching information, log on at Santa Barbara County Parks Department Home. The marina is closed and boat rentals have ceased. The marina isn’t expected to be reopening in the near future, but the boat launch is still open. For fishing information updates, anglers should now call the general store at 805-688-5246.
CASITAS: The bass bite remains pretty good in 20 to 30 feet of water on live shad, if you can dip net some early in the morning, or nightcrawlers and plastics. The shad have been a little easier to get this past week, but still not a lock. Top fish reported was a 10-10 caught by Rick Cloyd, Santa Paula, on live shad. Kathy Berry, Camarillo, had a 10-3 on swim bait, while Larry Montez, Ventura, landed a 10-pounder on live shad. Robert Davis, Newberry Park, used live shad to land bass at 9-8, eight and six pounds. In a weekend bass event, the three big fish included a 9.99-pounder caught by Dave Henderson, Camarillo, on a plastic, while Pete Vinzcioni, Moorpark, landed an 8.59-pounder and Brian Evans, Ojai, had an 8.16-pound bass. Other good bass included a 7-4 caught by Chad Cooper, Moorpark, 7-4 on a plastic worm, and seven-pound bass were caught by Breck Smith, Ventura, Scott Bjerke, Redlands, Tim LeSeur, Ojai, and Barney Adams, Dallas, most on live shad. The catfish bite also picked up this week with the fish moving into their spawn and taking nightcrawlers and cut baits. Shawn Flaherty, Oakview, had three catfish this week at 13 pounds, 11-8, and 10 pounds, all on nightcrawlers. Alfonso Magallon, Oxnard, had a 12-pound cat, while Steven Csorba, Oxnard, landed an 11-pounder. Both were using nightcrawlers. The trout bite continues to be pretty fair for trollers working 30 to 40 feet of water at the dam, creek channels and off main lake points with Needlefish or similar baits. A few rainbows are also showing on drifted nightcrawlers fished in the same depths. Not a lot of limits, but catches of two to four fish with the rainbows running up into the three-pound class have been common. Redear really improving in the backs of most coves as the fish move into the spawn. Quite a few fish to nearly two pounds on nightcrawler pieces, and most are in less than 15 feet of water. Catfish and crappie are still mostly slow. 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 has been very good. Anchovies and sardines have been the top baits with the dam and the coves the top spots. A few stripers are showing on swimbaits but the bite has been fairly quiet considering the big trout plant last week. Fred Androsy, Castaic, caught two stripers at 13-pounds and eight-pounds using swimbaits. Largemouth action is excellent with the best bite in the coves. Plastics, crankbaits, nightcrawlers, and shad colored minnows have all been working well all day long for the largemouth. Some crappie and bluegill are showing on jigs and small nightcrawler pieces. There was also a big catfish caught this past week. Danny McGill, Pasadena, caught a 15-pounder using anchovies in Elizabeth Canyon. Information: 661-775-6232 or Castaic Lake | Home.
PIRU: Overall fair to good action with a nice mix of largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and redear all showing for anglers. The best bass bite has been on plastics fished in six to 25 feet of water with some fish on swimbaits and nightcrawlers. The crappie are showing in 12 to 20 feet on small jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles with few topping a pound. Also generally good redear and bluegill action on nightcrawler pieces. Catfish still slow. Trout have not been planted since Jan. 18 and few reports. Information: front gate at 805-521-1500, x500 or Lake Piru Recreation Area.
PYRAMID: The trout action has been pretty good after DFG plants this week and two weeks ago with the best action in and around the marina. Most are pan-sized and showing on floating baits and small lures. The striper action remains good for anglers drifting with anchovies or sardines, and they are averaging from 1 1/2 to four pounds, with some bigger fish up feeding on the trout. Largemouth bass action is also good with a lot of one to three-pound fish on nightcrawlers and plastics. Also quite a few smallmouth in this bite. The redear and bluegill bites are improving but not getting much pressure, yet. Catfish are still mostly slow. Information: Emigrant Landing entrance booth, 661-295-7155, concession 661-257-2790, or Forest Service 661-296-9710.
QUAIL LAKE: No reports.
PUDDINGSTONE: There were DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago, and anglers are still getting decent numbers of fish on floating baits from deeper water, mostly off the ends of the fishing piers. Just fair action on largemouth bass on plastic worms around structure, with some topwater action starting early and late in the day. Bluegill action is very good with fish on spawning beds. Most are hand-sized and smaller and anglers have to find an area of beds. Some bigger redear showing in a little deeper water than the bluegill. Carp are spawning and in the shallows. Little fishing pressure but anglers targeting them are getting some nice fish. Also a few crappie up to 1-8 showing. Catfish slow. Information East Shore RV Park: 909-599-8355 (ask for the market).
SANTA FE DAM: DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago. The bass action has improved, but only a few bluegill and catfish reported. Information: 626-334-1065.
ALONDRA PARK LAKE: DFG trout plant two weeks ago.
BALBOA PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
BELVEDERE PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
CERRITOS PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
DOWNEY WILDERNESS PARK: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
ECHO PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
EL DORADO PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago.
ELIZABETH LAKE: DFG trout plants two and four weeks ago.
HANSEN DAM LAKE: DFG trout plants two and four weeks ago. Information: 888-527-2757 or 818-899-3779.
HOLLENBECK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago. Information: 213-261-0113.
JOHN FORD PARK LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
KENNETH HAHN PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
LA MIRADA PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
LEGG LAKES: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
LINCOLN PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago.
MAGIC JOHNSON LAKE: No recent DFG plants.
PECK ROAD PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants two and four weeks ago. Information: 818-448-7317.
SAN DIEGO AREA LAKES
BARRETT: There were 186 anglers checked and they reported catching 1,503 bass in very good bite. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or City Lakes and Recreation Program | Water. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
HODGES: Just fair bass action with little of anything else happening. This past week, there were 129 anglers who landed 100 bass and five catfish. Joey Seale, San Marcos, caught an 8.35-pound largemouth on a crankbait at the west shore. 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 82 anglers checked who reported 153 bass, 15 crappie, and 18 catfish. The lake is open Thursday through 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 200 anglers checked and they reported catching 225 bass to 9.2 pounds, 177 bluegill, three crappie to 1.25 pounds, and seven catfish to 10.75 pounds. 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 18 anglers checked and they reported 18 bass to 7.1 pounds and 19 bluegill to 1.1 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: There were 35 anglers checked and they reported catching 10 bass to seven pounds. DFG trout plant three weeks ago. 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 74 anglers checked and they reported catching 37 bass, five bluegill, two catfish, and two rainbow trout. 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 97 anglers who landed 83 bass, 21 bluegill, two crappie, and four catfish. 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: Very good largemouth action again this past week. Lots of bigger fish continue to show from the south shore. Shad Raps, dark colored plastics, and crankbaits are all working well. Ryan Block, Oceanside, caught an 8-8 largemouth on a swimbait at the west buoy line. Trout fishing slowed some but Willow Cove and Senior Shoreline continue to be the hot spots with green Power Bait and inflated nightcrawlers the top baits. The last trout plant of the season went in last week. Frank Caulse, San Marcos, caught a 4.8-pound trout on a nightcrawler at the east buoy line. The crappie bite is good for anglers fishing the submerged reeds or willows trees with small jigs or shiners. There was also a big catfish caught this past week. Steve Jones, Escondido, caught a 30.9-pound blue catfish on a swimbait while fishing for bass. The lake is open seven days a week. There are four bass boat-type rentals available. The lake will now be offering a couple new discounts on motor boat rentals. Seniors will be able to rent motor 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 plants last week and four weeks ago.
DIXON LAKE: Excellent trout action after the plant of trophy fish that went in last week. Many fish over eight pounds were reported. Nightcrawlers, rainbow and green Power Bait, Power Worms, Kastmasters, Roostertails, and Thomas Buoyant lures all produced fish this past week. Top catch this past week goes to Bob Graf, Santa Ana, who caught 9-12 and 6-4 rainbows on Power Bait at the buoy line. Carlos Russo, Escondido, scored a 9-4 rainbow on a Kastmaster in Whisker Bay. J.B. Gierlich, Riverside, also got a 9-4 rainbow but he used a green Power Worm fishing near the south buoy line. Some of the smaller bass are starting to move into the shallows as the weather warms up and the spawn should kick off soon. Lake information: 760-839-4345 or www.dixonlake.com.
POWAY: No report. Lake information: 858-668-4770, tackle shop 858-486-1234.
JENNINGS: Night fishing is set to kick of on this Friday, May 21. Prior to the start of night fishing the first catfish plant of the season is slated to go in as well. Trout fishing was fair with a few trollers having success with nightcrawlers. Top spots have been mid lake and the concrete steps. The last trout plant of the season went in over a month ago. The largemouth bite has been slowish with the fish now in post-spawn. Some males are still in the shallows but the bigger females have moved into 15 to 20 feet of water. Jackie Hale, Lakeside, has been consistently scoring bass each week at the lake fishing with mudsuckers at Hermit Cove. This past week Jackie landed 8-12 and 3-4 largemouth bass. Some catfish are showing in shallow and others are showing at the buoy line but few anglers have been targeting them. Information: 619-390-1300 or Lake Jennings - Helix Water District Drinking Water Reservoir.
MORENA: No report. 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: Excellent trout action with quite a few limits reported. Power Bait and nightcrawlers are working best and the top spots have been Lone Pine and Pumphouse Cove. There is also a good crappie bite with a couple limits reported. DFG trout plant last week. A few catfish reports are coming in each week as well. Private boats are allowed on the lake again, 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: No report. 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 and wind has hampered the action much of this week. The largemouth bass are fair to good with a lot of fish in eight to 25 feet of water on plastics. Improving catfish action, but still just a fair number of fish showing in the coves on cut baits. Improving panfish action.
WILLOW BEACH: Trout bite is fair to good with weekly plants. Best action on salmon eggs, Power Bait, worms and Super Dupers. Slow striper action with a few fish showing. Information: Willow Beach Resort at 928-767-4747.
LAKE MOHAVE: The largemouth bass bite is fair to good. Also improving striper action over the past week with the fish mostly in 30 to 50 feet. Best action in the Cottonwood area and main lake upstream from the dam. Best bet is to slow-troll or drift with anchovies or sardines. Catfish are slow on cut baits. Information: Cottonwood Cove at 702-297-1464, Katherine’s Landing at 928-754-3245.
LAUGHLIN-BULLHEAD AREA: More and more stripers are being landed with a lot of fish in the four-pound range, including one reported at just over eight pounds this week. Smallmouth fair to good along rip-rap and the smallies might be the best bet right now. Trout slow. Information: Riviera Marina at 928-763-8550.
NEEDLES AREA: There is fair to good smallmouth action in the main river from Needles south to the I-40 bridge and one into Topoc Gorge, mostly on small cranks. Improving striper action, with the best bite early in the morning on fish under two pounds on cut bait. Catfish improving on cut baits, but still just fair. The striper action has also been starting to turn on with more fish in the river this past week. Information: Needles Marina at 760-326-2197.
TOPOCK AREA: The smallmouth bite is good throughout Topock Gorge with a lot of fish in the three-pound range, and the redear action is exceptional with a lot of fish over 1 1/2 pounds and up to 2 1/2 pounds. Apparently, the redear love the quagga mussels and are getting fat on them. Most anglers are using nightcrawler pieces for the redear. Stripers are finally starting to improve, but the bite has been hit and miss, with some decent catches of fish up to three pounds all along the river from Havasu up through the Gorge to Needles. The smallies are hitting finesse worms and cranks. Topock Marsh has just a fair largemouth bite, while the crappie bite has slowed down and is likely over for the season. Catfish are fair in both the main river and marsh on cut baits. 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: The threadfin shad spawning throughout the main basin and Bill Williams arm and the stripers are up on the surface boiling on the shad most morning now before 6:30 a.m. The stripers drop deep after that, showing in 40 to 55 feet of water on the main dropoffs on anchovies. Most stripers under four pounds, but a few over. The smallmouth bite has slowed way down, but the largemouth are in a pretty good post-spawn bite on buzz baits or frogs on top early and then slow-fall plastics later in the day. Redear are showing in good to excellent numbers with the spawn kicking into high gear. Nightcrawlers are the best bet. Lots of quality redear over a pound and up to three pounds. Channel catfish, flatheads still mostly slow, but a few cats are beginning to be caught. Information: Bass Tackle Master (formerly Angler’s Pro Shop) at 928-854-2277.
PARKER STRIP: Fair to good catfish and smallmouth bass action this past week. The cats are showing in most of the pools on cut baits, while the smallmouth bass are along the rip rap and starting to whack small cranks and swim baits. Bluegill and redear are good in the backwaters and quiet water in the main river. Few flathead reports.
BLYTHE: Overall good action on most species. The catfish bite is still fair to good with a lot of quality flatheads to 25 pounds reported. Area backwaters and ditches are pretty good for catfish, bass, and panfish, too. Lots of bass to five pounds showing on plastics, cranks, and even surface baits now. The smallmouth bite is also very good in the main river, especially around rip-rap. Quite a few stripers showing at the Palo Verde Diversion Dam. Information: B&B Bait 760-921-2248.
PALO VERDE: All the bites have broken wide open in the Palo Verde Lagoon and the main river. Lots of quality flatheads this past week with a number of fish over 20 pounds reported, with a lot of eight to 15 pounders on live bluegill, goldfish and tilapia. The channel catfish bite is also very good. Excellent action on bluegill and the largemouth bass bite has also been good, with morning and evening topwater and a lot of crankbait fish. Few reports on smallmouth and stripers in the main river. Also no crappie reports. Air temperatures finally hit 90 degrees this week. Information: Walter’s Camp 760-854-3322 Thursday through Monday.
PICACHO AREA: Good largemouth bass action in the backwaters and river margins, 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 good with some flurries of excellent action over the past week. A few crappie reported in recent days, and the 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 schooling up and showing in pretty decent numbers. Information: 928-783-9589 Thursday through Monday or Martinez Lake Resort.
YUMA AREA: Largemouth bass action is good in the whole region with the fish whacking plastics, cranks, and spinnerbaits. The catfish bite also turned on this past week, with some good catches on channels on cut baits and a flurry of quality flatheads on live goldfish and bluegill.
LOWER DESERT WATERS
SALTON SEA: The tilapia bite has been excellent this past week. The average size of the fish is mostly from 3/4 to 1 1/2-pounds with an occasional bigger fish. 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. Information: Salton Sea State Recreation Area ranger station 760-393-3052.
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 flowing high with runoff, but plants in the main river and Little Walker River have kept the fishing fair. Best action deeper pools and the fish are taking slowly-fished baits. First reports from Kirman Lake say it is now completely ice free and excellent on brookies to 18 inches (and four pounds or more) and cutthroats to 25 inches mostly on scud patterns and seal buggers. Information: Ken’s Sporting Goods 760-932-7707.
BRIDGEPORT REGION: The East Walker river has been pretty good with the best bite on small midge patterns and caddis fished under an indicator or as part of a dry-dropper arrangement. Flows at 170 cfs this past week and very fishable. Crowdded on weekends. Bridgeport Reservoir improved with good action this past week, especially for trollers and bait and fly anglers in boats. Shore fishing has been tougher. Thirty fish days have been common. Twin Lakes are fair to good for planted rainbows with holdover rainbows and browns from two to three pounds showing for both bait and lure fishermen. Virginia Lakes are still ice-capped and the ice was still around two feet thick this past weekend. Excellent fishing through the ice, however. 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 pretty 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) and inflated nightcrawlers, especially at the stream mouths and outlets. Top action has probably been from the shore of June on Kastmasters, while Grand Lake has been good on floating baits in yellow and peach. Rush Creek is good between Silver and Grant on planted trout, and the lower stretches just fair on wild fish. Higher elevation waters are still mostly inaccessible due to ice and snow. Information: Ernie’s Tackle at 760-648-7756.
MAMMOTH AREA: Crowley Lake is improving with each warm, non-windy day. The bite has been good on floating baits, inflated nightcrawlers, with improving fly action on midge pupae. Also still some nice cutthroats showing. The upper Owens and all of Crowley’s other tribs now have a lot of spawners with Convict-McGee probably the best. Convict Lake is good for planted fish. Fair action in Twin Lakes out of Mammoth but no plants yet and there is still ice on upper lakes. Rock Creek getting planted this week. Information: The Troutfitter at 760-934-2517, Convict Lake Resort at 760-934-3800, Crowley Lake Fish Camp at 760-935-4301.
BISHOP AREA: Most of the upper Bishop Creek drainage still has lots of snow and ice, but all the lakes are mostly open. Sabrina’s water level is coming up slowly. Plants this week at Intake II and the middle and south forks of Bishop Creek. Generally good action in the streams. Pleasant Valley Reservoir is good for planted rainbows on floating baits and small lures. Lower Owens just fair. 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 this week on all the creeks, but Diaz was skipped this week. Information: 760-876-4444 or go to Lone PineChamber of Commerce | the Other Side of California.
WESTERN SIERRA
LAKE ISABELLA: Still an excellent crappie bite here, but the fishing pressure has waned a little. Most of the fish are half- to three-quarter pound with some bigger fish coming for anglers fishing bigger minnows. Full 25-fish limits have not been uncommon. The catfish are also very good with a lot of really nice stringers of two to four-pound fish being caught on shad, mackerel, Sonny’s catfish dip bait, and clams. Largemouth bass are fair with big fish up chasing trout and other baitfish. Jack Viola, 9-0 bass caught and released on a Deadly Duo worm. Quite a few five-plus fish landed on swimbaits and plastics. Trout action is also very good at the auxiliary dam on Power Bait and nightcrawlers. Bluegill still spotty. Information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.
KERN RIVER: Flows in the upper river dropped with cooler weather early this week, but the trout action is still tough with the best bite on nightcrawlers and bigger spinners fished in the heavy flows. Trout plants this week. Lower River also very high and tough to fish. The fly-fishing bite has been very tough. Information: Kern River Fly Shop 760-376-2040 (or Fly Fishing the Kern River) or James Store 760-376-2424.
AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: The best striped bass in some time from the aqueduct was landed this past week when Sam Lot, Bakersfield, caught a 34-pounder on an anchovy. Most of the stripers have been in the three to four pound class and the bite has been pretty good, mostly on baits with blood worms and sand worms the best bet. The catfish action has been as good or better on cut baits. Mike Clark, Bakersfield, landed a seven-pound bass on a sand worm, while Tabithia Adams, Bakersfield, had a six-pounder. Ramon Estrada, Bakersfield, caught a five-pound catfish on shad. Information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.
HART PARK LAKE: Very good bluegill action on wax worms with a lot of hand-sized fish showing. Carp are fair to good on homemade dough baits or Powder Bait. The bass action has been fair on plastics and nightcrawlers.
TRUXTUN LAKE: Fair to good catfish bite on nightcrawlers and shad. Also a very good bluegill bite, and the carp bite has been good on Powder Bait. Bass and crappie spotty.
RIVER WALK PARK: The bluegill bite is fair to good on wax worms, and the carp action remains fair on homemade dough baits and Powder Bait. There are a few bass bite on minnows, nightcralwers, and plastics.
MING LAKE: The carp bite is good on Powder Bait and other dough baits. There has been a good bite on bluegill, mostly on wax worms and meal worms, and the bass action is fair, mostly on plastics.
BRITE LAKE: No recent DFG plants, but the trout action has remained fair garlic Power Bait and nightcrawlers.
BUENA VISTA LAKES: Very good catfish action on green garlic nightcrawlers, or shad with most of the cats running from three to five pounds. The lake is being planted 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, but the crappie have been very spotty on live minnows. While stripers have been spotty, Billy Eddington, Bakersfield, landed stripers at 14 and 10 pounds on shad. 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. Pretty good carp action, too.
SUCCESS LAKE: Fair to good bass action, and some bluegill and catfish also starting to show. Information: 559-781-2078.
KAWEAH LAKE: The redear and bluegill are really starting to take off with both moving shallow, and the bass are showing on plastics and reaction baits. Some catfish beginning to show. Information: 559-597-2526.
CENTRAL COAST LAKES
SAN ANTONIO: Some excellent striped bass action over the past week for trollers, bait fisherman, and anglers tossing surface baits early and late in the day. Few other reports. Information: 805-472-2818.
NACIMIENTO: The crappie action remains good with nice stringers of fish showing on live minnows or small jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles. The fish are nearing the end of the spawn. The white bass are in the Dip Creek and mostly showing on slow-trolled Roostertails and silver spoons. Both the smallmouth and largemouth bites are fair, but the spawn in pretty much over and the fish have shifted into a summer mode with some topwater early and late in the day and then better action in deep water after the dawn-dusk flurries on top. The catfish bite is improving, too, and anglers targeting carp are seeing excellent action. Information: 805-238-1056 or Lake Nacimiento Resort and Marina.
SANTA MARGARITA: The bites have mostly slowed down with a tough bite on bass and crappie this past week. There have been a few crappie catches with the fish all running from one to two pounds, mostly around brush or other structure in eight to 12 feet of water and taking small jigs. The bass are kind of in a post-spawn funk, but a few are showing on plastics. Ron Reccord, Nipomo, caught a 10.82-pound largemouth on a Creature Bait this past week. The bluegill and redear are just starting to move into the spawn and starting to show in better numbers. The marina store is open Wednesday through Sunday. Information: 805-438-1522.
LOPEZ: Fair to good largemouth bass action, with a lot of post-spawn fish showing on plastics, spinnerbaits and nightcrawlers. Most are in the two-pound class with some bigger. Chad Brackne, Grover City, caught a three-pound largemouth on a spinnerbait in Mallard Cove. The bluegill and redear bites are breaking wide open with a lot of 25-fish bluegill limits reported in recent days. Most are small, but a 2-8 redear was caught by Ben Steele, Redondo Beach, fishing Strawberry Flats with a yellow crappie jig. The crappie are spotty, but a few being landed. 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 California Department of Fish & Game Fisheries Fish Planting Schedule by Regions.
LOS ANGELES: Elizabeth Lake, Puddingstone Reservoir, Pyramid Lake, Santa Fe Dam.
VENTURA: Rancho Simi Community Park lake.
INYO: Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek Dam Intake No. 2, Cottonwood Creek, George Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lone Pine Creek, Middle Fork Bishop Creek, Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Shepherd Creek, South Fork Bishop Creek, Symms Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinemaha Creek, Tuttle Creek.
MONO: Bridgeport Reservoir, Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Grant Lake, Gull Lake, June Lake, Lee Vining Creek, lower Twin Lake near Bridgeport, Mammoth Creek, McGee 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, upper Twin Lake near Bridgeport, Virginia Creek, Little Walker River, West Walker River Section 2.
FRESNO: Hume Lake, Kings River below the Pine Flat Reservoir,,San Joaquin River below the Friant Dam.
KERN: Kern River from Powerhouse No. 3 to Riverside Park, Kernville.
TULARE: Kern River from Brush Creek to Fairview Dam, Kern River from Fairview Dam to Falling Waters Lodge.
TUOLUMNE: lyons Canal, Middle Fork Stanislaus River, Moccasin Creek, Pinecrest Lake, Powerhouse Stream, South Fork Stanislaus River, Stanislaus River Clark Fork.
CATFISH PLANTS
No Department of Fish and Game catfish plants this week.
