LAKE OROVILLE: Trollers targeting king salmon are averaging from 3 to 5 fish per trip to 5 pounds, and there is also action for those mooching at the Buoy Line. The kings are holding around bait at depths from 45 to 65 feet, and you have to be around the bait to find the fish. Bass fishing is improving for numbers of spotted bass, and the early season signs are encouraging for more largemouth bass in this primarily spotted bass lake. There are several bass tournaments are scheduled in February/March with a mix of club circuits and major tournaments such as Best Bass Tournaments. The lake has risen several feet, and the low water ramp at Bidwell is now covered, allowing for easier launching at the mid-ramp even if there is a north wind. The paved Spillway ramps are open with the gravel spillway ramp closed. Updated information available at 530-538-2200. The lake rose to 37 percent as water is being held back behind the dam.
FEATHER RIVER: The striped bass are starting to show up in the lower stretches of the river, but the muddy flows out of Jack’s Slough has made for more difficult conditions. The launch ramps at Boyd’s Pump and Yuba City are accessible, but a jet boat and knowledge of the river is needed. Only hand-carried boats are able to launch at Star Bend. The river has dropped to 2126 cfs at Boyd’s Pump.
TRINITY RIVER: Jeff Goodwin of Jeff Goodwin’s Guide Service said, “The river is still producing steelhead, but we’re seeing more gaps in the runs into the Lewiston area this past week. However, there still are catchable numbers available. We’re finishing up our last two weeks on the Trinity looking ahead, but expect to find some good steelhead fishing into the first week in March.” The Trinity dropped nearly 1000 cfs to 8514 at Hoopa.
AMERICAN RIVER, Sacramento: This was one of the best weeks of steelhead action since the January 1st opener as fish to 13 pounds were reported near the hatchery on Little Cleo’s or similar spoons. The action isn’t red hot by any means, but with the salmon fry escaping from the redds in the upper river, the few steelhead in the river are moving up. Fly fishing has been the best approach, but anglers must take care to stay off of the redds. The flows on Sunday at Fair Oaks remained low, dropping from 1030 to 994 cfs.
AMERICAN RIVER, above Folsom: Minimal interest remains in this stretch of the river with the off-color water. The river is catch and release barbless hooks only above Folsom
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Red Bluff to Colusa: The launch ramp at Colusa remains open, and there have been sturgeon taken on salmon roe or lamprey eel. The flows are 5865 cfs at Colusa.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Verona to Colusa: Sturgeon are making more and more of a push upriver, and Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob’s has landed 5 sturgeon out of 6 recent trips on lamprey eel after launching out of either Tisdale or Knight’s Landing. Both launch ramps are now open. The flows at Verona are 9473 cfs.
LAKE SHASTA: The swimbait bait showed up for the first day of 71-boat pro/am over the weekend with the day one leader scoring the big fish of the tournament at 9.17 pounds, but once the rain disappeared, the big bait bite disappeared, and it was back to the bottom for the best action with plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, or small Keitechs on an umbrella rig at depths from 20 to 40 feet. For rainbow and brown trout, Jeff Goodwin of Jeff Goodwin’s Guide Service said, “With cold water up high in the arms, we’re seeing good numbers of browns down in the lower arms and the main body of Shasta. The Department of Fish and Wildlife planted around 45,000 browns in Shasta this past week on top of the 60,000 browns they planted last year around this time. We’re grateful for the robust planting schedules on Shasta which include plants of king salmon, kokanee, and rainbow trout. As a bonus, there are 7 net pens on Shasta this year that are holding catchable browns and some Eagle Lake rainbows until the first week of May when they are released for the spring trout derby.” The public docks of Centimudi, Sugar Loaf, Jones Valley, and Packer’s Bay are open. The lake held at 49 percent.
The weekly fishing report, compiled by Western Outdoor News, highlights the best angling opportunities in the north state.
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