LAKE OROVILLE: The lake has dropped another 6.5 feet to 658.50 feet in elevation and 27 percent, and only the Spillway Ramp is open for 4xD vehicles only. Bidwell and Loafer Creek have closed until the lake rises once again. Fishing remains solid for numbers of spotted bass with plastics on the drop-shot, umbrella rig, dart head, or with small swimbaits. Finding the bait is the key, and the pond smelt can be found in the shallows or in deep water.
LAKE SHASTA: Bass action remains very good for fish between 1.5 to 3-pounds with some larger fish in the mix. The shallow reaction bite is good from shore out to 10 feet on small blades or Keitech swimbaits. Down baits are producing fish to 3 pounds at depths to 35 feet, particularly in the Squaw Arm. Trout action is fair for rainbows and browns in the top 10 to 15 feet of the water column. Jeff Goodwin recommends trying the tributaries where fish may be staging prior to the spawn or from shore near Jones Valley or Centimudi boat launch. Water level 31-percent.The lake is at 31 percent. The public ramps at Centimudi, Jones Valley, and Sugarloaf remain open.
TRINITY RIVER, Willow Creek: The fall run of kings is over and some adult winter steelhead should start to make their way into the lower Trinity in the next few weeks. Reportedly there are some half-pounders in the Willow Creek area. Flows look to remain stable all week as mostly snow fell in the higher regions. Fall regulations for Chinook salmon fishing on the Trinity River run through Dec. 31. The main stem downstream of the State Route 299 Bridge at Cedar Flat to the Denny Road Bridge in Hawkins Bar is closed to all fishing through Dec. 31. Anglers may monitor the quota status of open and closed sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers by calling the information hotline at 800-564-6479. As of Sunday, flows were 900 cfs on the Hoopa gauge and rising slightly.
AMERICAN RIVER/above Folsom Lake: The National Forests are open once again, but there are several areas closed due to clean up from the Mosquito Fire. The flows rose significantly from 340 to 1603 cfs at Chili Bar, and the river is off-colored and muddy. The river is catch-and-release barbless hooks with no bait until the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend in 2023.
AMERICAN RIVER/Sacramento: Salmon action remains very slow. Kiene’s Fly Shop in Sacramento reported scattered steelhead in the riffles below Ancil Hoffman, Grist Mill, or Watt Ave with a mix of halfpounders and hatchery fish, but the numbers remain low. Try using micro-mayflies, caddis pupa, Wooly Buggers, or caddis larva. The upper section of the river from the U.S. Geological Survey gauging station cable crossing about 300 yards downstream from the Nimbus Hatchery fish rack site to the SMUD power line crossing at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park closed at the end of October. The flows at Fair Oaks have risen to 1535 cfs.
FEATHER RIVER: There are steelhead in the upper low flow section, but the numbers are low. The flows at Gridley down from 2,068 to 1,349 cfs. Salmon fishing below the Thermalito is now closed from the unimproved boat ramp above the Thermalito Afterbay Outfall to 200 yards above the Live Oak boat ramp.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Keswick Reservoir to Red Bluff: Jeff Goodwin of Jeff Goodwin’s Guide Service reported an uptick in salmon with several taken this past week on plugs and side drifting roe in the Barge Hole. The Fly Shop in Redding reported decent action with nice rainbows still taken on Baetis Nymphs or rubber legs from the Posse Grounds down to Red Bluff. Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob’s Guide Service reported taking salmon near Knights Landing. The flows below Keswick down from 3,406 to 3,040 cfs, but Battle Creek has risen to 319 cfs.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Colusa to Tisdale: Salmon action remains slow. River flow at Colusa Bridge up from 3,367 to 3,810 cfs.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Metro area: Salmon action very slow, but some fish now moving through the Knight’s Landing area.
The weekly fishing report, compiled by Western Outdoor News, highlights the best angling opportunities in the north state.
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