FISH REPORT — ONS-matthews – 18 December 2019 Compiled by Jim Matthews www.OutdoorNewsService.com
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. E-Mail messages or fishing reports can also be posted to Jim Matthews at odwriter@verizon.net. odwriter@verizon.net.
The fish report is copyrighted and any use or reposting of the report, or portions of the report, is prohibited without written permission.
JIM MATTHEWS’S PICKS OF THE WEEK
1. Hesperia Lake stays in the top picks with another plant this week. The cold, windy weather has kept anglers away and the fish are really stacking up in the lake. There have been a number of fish to four pounds reported, including quite a few limits. For an update, call the lake store at 760-244-5951.
2.Pyramid Lake has received big DFW trout plants each of the past three weeks and the bite has been very good around the marina. The usual baits have been getting the fish, but the various small, scented trout plastic and jigs have been best. For an update on the bite, check with the Emigrant Landing entrance booth at 661-295-7155 or Tackle Express in Castaic at 661-251-8700.
3. The Kern Riverís trout bite has stayed very good with weekly plants going into some of the river sections each week. Besides the planters, here continues to be a lot of quality rainbows showing in the lower Kern below Isabella. Salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, and SuperDupers have been the best baits. For an update on this bite, call Bobís Bait Bucket at 661-833-8657.
HIGH DESERT WATERS
VICTORVILLE REGION
HESPERIA LAKE: This weekís plant will be the fifth of the season. The bite has been pretty good with some limits each week, and relatively light fishing pressure in recent days because of cold windy weather. There are still a few holdlover catfish showing with some over 10 pounds. Lake information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.
JESS RANCH LAKES: Cold and windy this week, and the trout bite has been tough. Top action has been on PowerBait in salmon peach, garlic, and rainbow, nightcrawlers, and small trout jigs and other small trout lures. Best spots include the northern and eastern shores of lake 2 and the grassy point and western shore near the drain of lake 3. Other species very slow. For more information call (760)240-1107 www.jessranchlakesnews.com.
MOJAVE NARROWS: The trout action has been fair with weekly 609-pound plants on Thursdays. The trout are from 1-8 to three pounds, and while no limits were reported, many anglers are getting one or two fish. The park is only open Thursday through Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. No DFW trout plants on the schedule yet. Information, call 760-245-2226.
HIGH DESERT WATERS
ANTELOPE VALLEY REGION
APOLLO PARK LAKE: Trout plant last week, but the bite has been fair to good since, but there has been light fishing pressure because of cold, windy weather. The best action has continued to be from the back lake on small jigs in green with black flake. In the front lake, the bite is still best on the Drewís Rat Tail (red head, orange body) with far fewer fish on Mice Tails or regular Power Bait. There is also still a pretty fair carp bite on the Amayzing Dough bait. For more information on plants and events, contact Apollo Park at 661-940-7701 or Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
JACKSON LAKE (NEAR WRIGHTWOOD): Cold. Still a few rainbows being caught on PowerBait on small trout jigs. The most recent reported DFW trout plant was over a month ago. The bluegill bite has almost died. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
LAKE PALMDALE: The lake closed to fishing Sunday, Oct. 6 and will reopen to fishing on Feb. 2 for the trout season kickoff. Call the Palmdale Fin & Feather Club for membership and fishing information at 661-947-2884 or go to website www.palmdalefinandfeatherclub.com.
QUAIL LAKE: Cold and windy weather this week and very little fishing pressure. The few anglers fishing are still getting a few catfish at the outlet on fresh sardines, and that bait is also still getting an occasional striper. No reports on largemouth, catfsh, or bluegill this past week. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT (Hesperia to Quail Lake stretch): Still slow to fair action on catfish throughout the aqueduct for anglers fishing the chicken liver and nightcrawler combination or with fresh sardines. Few stripers reports this week with cold, windy conditions throughout the valley. The top action continues to be where the flow is slowed or eddys created at bends, road crossings, weirs, and siphons. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
CENTRAL PARK LAKE (CALIFORNIA CITY): No reports again over the past week.
LITTLE ROCK RESERVOIR: No reports again this week. The lake is normally open to walk-in fishing, but the Palmdale Water District has an ongoing sediment removal project and access is restricted at times. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAIN WATERS
SILVERWOOD: The trout bite has been good and another DFW plant is slated for this week. Quite a few limits reported. The trout bite is best in Cleghorn, Miller, around the marina, and up into the channel on PowerBait in chartreuse and garlic, Trout Magnet jigs, or inflated nightcrawlers with garlic. There were also DFW plants two and four weeks ago. The striped bass bite has remains fair with fish to four pounds on anchovies, garlic nightcrawlers, blood or lug worms fished at the dam, main lake points, or around the marina, mostly in deep water. Still some catfish showing on cut baits at the marina docks and into both Miller and Cleghorn canyons, and some are also showing at the dam. The largemouth bite is slow with little pressure, and there have been no reports of crappie since before the rains. Lake elevation is 3,346.55 feet, up just over a foot from last week. Anglers should be aware of health advisories for the consumption of fish from this lake because of high PCB and mercury levels in the fish flesh and skin. Hereís the direct link to a PDF brochure explaining consumption recommendations: http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/so_cal/pdf_zip/081013KioskadvySilverwood.pdf. Dock fishing is allowed for $3 for adults, $2 for kids and seniors. Private boats must be inspected for zebra and quagga mussels. Boats with wet lower units will be turned away. Boats inspected and tagged at Diamond Valley and Perris will be allowed at Silverwood. The park is open seven days a week. Information: marina 760-389-2299, state park 760-389-2281, Silverwood Country store 760-389-2423.
BIG BEAR LAKE: Weather continues cold, but the lake is not frozen solid. There is lots of shoreline sheet ice most mornings. The trout fishing has been pretty good near the dam. The best action is from the Red House to Juniper Point along the North Shore. The action is best on Carolina rigs with long leaders of two to four-pound test fluorocarbon leaders and original or yellow garlic PowerBait. For information on fishing, call Big Bear Sporting Goods at 909-866-3222 or visit the storeís Facebook page.
GREGORY LAKE: No report available. Most recent plants over a month ago. Lake and fishing information at 909-338-2233 or on the website at lakegregoryrecreation.com/fish. Fishing updates are posted infrequently on the parkís Facebook page or website.
GREEN VALLEY LAKE: More snow this past week. Very slow fishing with no plants in over a month. The website is www.gvlfishing.com and the Facebook page is Green Valley Lake Fishing.
INTERSTATE 5 LAKES
CASTAIC: The DFW trout plant two Fridayís ago was 2,000 pounds and another DFW plant is slated for this week. The bite has been good around the main launch ramp on PowerBait, mini jigs, and Kastmasters with the fish in the one-pound range. The striper bite is fair in deeper water with spoons, ice jigs, or small shad swimbaits. Finding fish has been difficult. The largemouth and smallmouth action has been mostly in deeper water and with finesse-style baits. They also have been tough to locate, but when you find a school, the finesse baits or deep-diving jerk baits and weighted swimbaits have been getting a few fish. Catfish have been hard to locate with the colder temperatures. Bluegill and crappie bites are slow, even in the lower lake. No catfish reports. The lakeís elevation is 77 percent full. Lake elevation is 1,479.62 feet, up about two feet from last week. For information call the marina at 661-775-6232 (www.CastaicLake.com) or Tackle Express at 661-251-8700.
PYRAMID: Trout were planted each of the past two Fridays and DFW fish are on the schedule again for this week. The action has been very good with a lot of limits of fish averaging about a pound. Small jigs, spinners, and spoons, PowerBait, or inflated garlic scented nightcrawlers are all producing. Top spots have been the marina area and the shorelines adjacent to the marina. The stripers bite has been slow with most of the action is for two to three pounders on cut baits in deeper water or for trollers or anglers spooning these deep fish. The largemouth and smallmouth bites both been fair with light pressure. Soft plastic, cranks, and small swimbaits have all been getting fish along most shorelines. No reports on other species. The lakeís level is not changing much. It is at 89 percent full this week. Lake elevation is 2,569.81, down about four feet from last week. There is a health warning about eating fish from Pyramid Lake (except the rainbow trout). More information at this link: http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/so_cal/pyramidlake2013.html. Information: Emigrant Landing entrance booth at 661-295-7155 or Tackle Express at 661-251-8700.
COLORADO RIVER
ARIZONA FISHING REPORTS: The Arizona Game and Fish Department compiles a weekly report for most waters in the state, including the Colorado Rivers. Anglers can read the report at this direct link: http://azgfd.net/artman/publish/FishingReport/.
FLOW INFORMATION: Reservoir elevation levels and flow releases for the entire lower Colorado River are available at this web site with information updated hourly: www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/rivops.html.
WESTERN SIERRA
LAKE ISABELLA: Very light fishing pressure with very cold nights. There does continue to be a pretty good winter crappie bite around the marinas with fish running from æ-pound up to nearly two pounds, mostly on small live minnows. There also continues to be a pretty fair catfish bite on fish to six pounds on Triple S dip bait, clams, shad, sardines, chicken liver, all used with scent added. Many anglers are adding nightcrawlers to their cut baits to add motion. Best area has been near the dam. Only a few largemouth from deep water, and not bluegill, carp, or trout reports this past week, although the DFW is supposed to plant rainbows in the lake this week. The lake level is about the same this week and currently sits at 30 percent. Lake elevation is 2,560.55 feet, which is almost identical to last week. Information: Bobís Bait 661-833-8657 or www.bobsbaitbucket.com, North Fork Marina at 760-376-1812, or Copeís Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or www.tackleandrod.com.
KERN RIVER: The trout bite is good in both the upper and lower river, and there are DFW plants slated in sections 4, 5, and 6 of the upper river this week. There were plant in sections 2 and 3 of the lower river last week. Salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, Roostertails and Blue Fox spinners, and SuperDupers are the best baits and lures. There continues to be a steady string of big rainbows from the lower river being caught with fish over four pounds. Ideal flows for fishermen in both the upper (560 cfs) and lower river (516 cfs). Fly-fishing action fair on the upper river from Kernville up to the Johnsondale Bridge and above. The bass action in the lower river has also been fair on nightcrawlers and small reaction baits. Information: Kern River Fly Shop 760-376-2040 or (www.kernriverflyfishing.com) or Gateway Market 760-376-2424.
AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: The striper action remains pretty fair, but the biter has been almost exclusively on sardines and bloodworms in the Taft area, with a fair number of keepers in the bite. The striper bite in the Kettleman area has been better on lures, with Fluke and Gitzit-type baits getting fish there. The catfish bite is slow on cut baits and dip baits at most bridge crossings and weirs. Most fish on Triple S dip bait, mackerel, blood or lug worms, or chicken liver fished along the bottom. Anglers are reminded the limit on stripers is two fish greater than 18 inches, while the largemouth limit is five fish. Information: Bobís Bait 661-833-8657 or www.bobsbaitbucket.com or Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or www.tackleandrod.com.
MILL CREEK PARK AND CANAL: Overall very slow with almost no fishing pressure and no reports of carp, bluegill, or catfish.
RIVER WALK PARK LAKE: Trout stocked last week and it is on the list again for this week. The bite is best on Mice Tails, PowerBait (with garlic oil), gold spinners, Phoebes, and Kastmasters, along with mini jigs. Other species have slowed way down. Information Bobís Bait 661-833-8657.
HART PARK LAKE: Most recent trout plant was five weeks ago, and the lake is not slated to get DFW trout for the next two weeks (but that could change). No fishing pressure this past week and very slow action on all species.
TRUXTUN LAKE: Almost no fishing pressure and there have not been any carp, bass, or bluegill reported.
MING LAKE: DFW trout are slated to be planted again this week, and there was a plant last week. The best action continues to be best on Mice Tails, the mini jig-wax worm combo, and PowerBait with garlic oil or garlic nightcrawlers. Slow other species.
BRITE LAKE: DFW trout plant this week and three weeks ago. The trout bite has been best on PowerBait with garlic oil, Power Worms, or Mice Tails. Other species are slow.
BUENA VISTA LAKES: Very slow since plant last Monday, but also very light fishing pressure. The best action has been on Mice Tails with a few fish on garlic nightcrawlers, PowerBait, and small trout jigs. Other bites are very slow with no bass, carp, crappie, or bluegill reported. Fishing information: Bobís Bait 661-833-8657 www.bobsbaitbucket.com or Copeís Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or www.tackleandrod.com.
WOOLLOMES LAKE: No reports.
SUCCESS LAKE: There is a DFW trout plant slated for next week. The first plant of the season went in three weeks ago. Overall slow fshing with little pressure, but a few bass continued to show on structure with plastics or jigs. No crappie, bluegll, or catfish reports. The lake level stayed at eight percent full this week. The lake elevation is 587.67 feet, almost the same as last week.Information: Copeís Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or www.tackleandrod.com.
KAWEAH LAKE: The lake level jumped from eight percent to 14 percent over the past three weeks with storm runoff. Lake elevation is currently 607.65 feet, up five feet from last week. The overall bite is still slow with very little fishing pressure, but some bass are showing on plastics and jigs in deeper water. No bluegill and catfish being reported. Trout are slated to be stocked next week. Information: Sierra Sporting Goods at 559-592-5212.
EASTERN SIERRA
Top Eastern Sierra fishing report web sites are: www.KensSport.com (Bridgeport region), www.TheTroutFly.com (Mammoth Lakes region), and www.SierraDrifters.com (Bishop and Mammoth Lakes region).
TROUT PLANTS
For trout plants statewide, you can visit the DFWís stocking page at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants/. This weekís trout plants: In Kern and Tulare counties, Brite Valley Reservoir, sections 4, 5, and 6 of the upper Kern River, Lake Isabella, Ming Lake, and River Walk Lake were on the plant list. In Inyo County, Diaz Lake, the Owens River below Tinnemaha Reservoir and the Big Pine to Bishop stretch, and Pleasant Valley Reservoir are slated to get trout. In Los Angeles County, Castaic and Pyramid lakes are on the list. In San Bernardino County, Silverwood Lake is scheduled be planted.
For the week of Dec. 22-28 the tentative plants in Tulare County include both Kaweah and Success reservoirs. In Inyo County, Diaz Lake is slated to get trout again.
OCEAN FISHING REPORT
For the most comprehensive and up-to-date ocean fishing available, go to www.976-TUNA.com.
YOUR FISHING REPORTS
Please feel free to send your freshwater or saltwater fishing reports and fishing photos to Jim Matthews, Outdoor News Service, at odwriter@verizon.net the information will be included in the weekly report. If you have questions or comments, please call Matthews at 909-887-3444.
