FEATHER RIVER: River levels have risen considerably with the flows at Gridley holding steady at 793 cfs. The conditions should continue to improve throughout the week as water levels become more stable.
TRINITY LAKE: Cold water has pushed the fish into deeper water from to 40 to 45 feet with finesse techniques. The lake rose slightly to 30 percent.
AMERICAN RIVER/Above Folsom: Water levels remain high and unfishable but the flows have dropped slightly from 1181 to 1039 cfs at Chili Bar. The American River watershed above Folsom Dam will be closed for bait fishing or retention of trout until the week prior to Memorial Day.
AMERICAN RIVER/Sacramento: The flows remain high despite dropping from 5650 to 4970 cfs at Fair Oaks on Sunday. The steelhead opener was disappointing, but Bill Kiene’s Fly Shop reported fishing has picked up for anglers using roe under a bobber tight to the bank below the hatchery and below Sailor Bar. Wading is difficult due to higher water flows. The hatchery ladder is open, and a decent number of fish are making a showing.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Keswick Reservoir to Red Bluff: The flows have come down on the upper section from Keswick to Anderson at 3300 cfs, but the river is blown out down below Anderson. The water quality is starting to improve, but visibility is still limited to a few feet or less. Guides working the Sacramento during the middle of the week near Redding reported a decent trout bite with fish being taken on egg patterns or spoons. Guides Kirk Portocarrero and Justin Thompson have been seeing a mix of both trout and steelhead with up to a dozen fish per day. Both guides posted a mix of trout, including browns up to 22 inches along with some nice steelhead. Fly fishermen in the drift boats are seeing improved catches using roe or small nymphs under a bobber but most are fishing the Trinity, Eel, Klamath, or Smith where conditions are better, and the catch rate is much higher.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Red Bluff to Chico: Water levels are high, but conditions are improving, and it could be fishable this week.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Metro area: The water level remains high, and the water is muddy and full of debris. A few sturgeon are trickling in, but it is still early, The action for striped bass in the Port of Sacramento remains day-to-day as the striped bass go in and out of the Port depending upon ship traffic and the presence of bait.
LAKE OROVILLE: The reaction bite for spotted bass to 2.5 pounds has improved with Bass Union custom umbrella rigs loaded with 3.5-inch Keitech swimbaits in Pro Blue, Red Pearl, or Arkansas Shine. Heavier weights on the inside live hooks keep the larger swimbaits toward the bottom, enticing more strikes. The reaction bite is best first thing in the morning. It is still very early for king salmon, but the diehards are still out there trying with hoochie/green Sling Blade combinations, but the best salmon action will start towards the end of February when the bait starts to school. The lake continues to rise, jumping up from 38 to 41 percent, and there is floating and submerged debris on the lake. Boaters have to be cautious. Three club tournaments scheduled in January and another four in February in addition to the American Bass Association tournament on February 12th and the Wild West Bass Trails two-day event on February 19/20th.
LAKE SHASTA: The water levels continue to rise, and the bass bite has slowed to dropping water temperatures, especially in the arms. The main body has been better for bass anglers using Hula Grubs and jigs in slow mode between 10 and 50 feet. Rainbow and brown trout up to 7 pounds are being caught long trolling Speedy Shiners, Trinidad Tackle’s Optimizer Juniors, or Needlefish on light line. There are two large tournaments this coming weekend with the Wild West Teams on Saturday and Phil’s Propellers on Sunday, both launching out of Bridge Bay. The lake rose to 32 percent.
The weekly fishing report, compiled by Western Outdoor News, highlights the best angling opportunities in the north state.
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