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.

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. 1. The crappie bite has exploded at Lake Isabella in the past week, and the action is excellent with a lot of limits reported and some real quality slabs. Best this past week was a 3-9. The bite is best in Camp Nine and Kissick Coves on small minnows or jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles, and the action is good for shore, float tube, or boats anglers. For an update on this action, check with Bob’s Bait Bucket at 661-833-8657.
2. 2. Apollo Park stays in the top picks for its sizzling carp action. The bite has been nearly non-stop for anglers fishing dough baits on small treble hooks or hair rigs. Most of the fish are two to five pounds, but bigger fish have been reported (a 21-pounder last week). For an update on this action, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
3. 3. Lake Silverwood stays in the top picks for its crappie action that has just gotten better over the past week. Fish running from three-quarter to 1 ½ pounds are showing in good numbers off the marina docks on small jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles or other small baits on the hook. The fish are still in deeper water. This is the first time in several seasons some quality fish have been reported. For an update on this action, call the marina at 760-389-2299 or the Silverwood Country store at 760-389-2423.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

VICTORVILLE REGION

HESPERIA LAKE: The trout action has been fair to good with weekly plants from Jess Ranch. The best bite has been on inflated nightcrawlers with garlic scent or salmon peach or rainbow garlic PowerBait. Most of the fish are in the two-pound class with some bigger. Lake information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.

JESS RANCH LAKES: Trout bite was fair to good on both lakes, with anglers using PowerBait (especially salmon peach, garlic and rainbow), nightcrawlers, jigs, and lures. Most trout are around two pounds. Best spots include the northern and eastern shores of lake 2 and the grassy point and western shore near the drain of lake 3. Bass are starting to bite senkos and nightcrawlers from the northern and eastern shores of lake 2 with the warmer temperatures. The bluegill and catfish bites are still slow. For more information call (760)240-1107 or go to www.jessranchlakesnews.com.

MOJAVE NARROWS: The trout bite has continued good with weekly plants by the county, and a lot of the bigger trout planted for last weekend’s derby are still being caught. Top fish reported this week were a pair of 3-8 rainbows, one landed by Joshua Talasco, Barstow, and one by Brody Sworts, Hesperia. Both were caught on PowerBait from Pelican Lake. The best bite has been on garlic-flavored nightcrawlers, PowerBait, small trout jigs, or Mice Tails. Top spots continue to be the north and south shores of Pelican Lake and the back side of Horseshoe Lake near the spillway. The park is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Information, call 760-245-2226.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

ANTELOPE VALLEY REGION

APOLLO PARK LAKE: The carp bite is wide open with most of the fish running two to five pounds (with bigger fish possible). The action has been nearly non-stop on half-inch dough baits fished on treble hooks or hair rigs. The trout action also continues pretty fair on Drew’s custom worms, Power Worms, or Mice Tails fished drop-shot style on the north side of the lake with long leaders. Stocks are twice a month this season with about 900 pounds per stock. Trout should be planted this week. The panfish and catfish bites are mostly slow, but a few bass and bluegill are showing now. For more information or updates on the plants, contact Apollo Park at 661-940-7701 or Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

JACKSON LAKE (NEAR WRIGHTWOOD): Few reports, but some small bluegill are starting to show. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

LAKE PALMDALE: The trout bite has been wide open this week after a 6,000-pound trout plant in preparation for this weekend’s youth derby. Part of the plant was nice quality Lightning Trout, and fish to five pounds have been reported along with a lot of trout limits. The best bite has been on black trout plastic worms, especially the Drews and Jerkit baits fished on leadheads. Jakes lures in gold and yellow or pink are also getting the rainbows. The crappie bite has remained steady with fish to nearly two pounds reported on black jigs. There is also a pretty good largemouth bass bite on plastics, Senko, or fly-lined nightcrawlers near structure and weeds. Lots of two-pound class bass. Most trout are one to 1-8, with some in the three to five pound range. Call the Palmdale Fin & Feather Club for membership and fishing information at 661-947-2884 or go to website at www.palmdalefinandfeatherclub.com.

QUAIL LAKE: The largemouth bass bite is very good with the warm weather. The fish are running up to two pounds and showing in very good numbers on white or yellow spinnerbaits and plastics fished along the edges of the weeds. The catfish bite also came back on with a pretty good bite on chicken liver-nightcrawler combos with the best bite at dawn and dusk. Still slow for bluegill and only a few stripers are being reported. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT (Little Rock to Quail Lake stretch): Butterflies continue to fill the stomachs of stripers and catfish in the aqueduct, stimulating the bite on both species. While fish are showing throughout the Antelope Valley, the Muns Ranch stretch is still producing the most fish. All road crossings and where the current is broken or bent are producing, however. Catfish to eight pounds and stripers to five pounds reported again this week. The smorgasbord approach to catfish bait has been the hot ticket with a combination of chicken liver, mackerel, and nightcrawlers getting the most fish. Best bite has been in the evening from six to 11 p.m. Stripers also continue to show on small swimbaits or cut baits. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

CENTRAL PARK LAKE (CALIFORNIA CITY): The catfish and carp bites are fair to good. The cats are in the one to two–pound range and showing on nightcrawlers, while the bass are best on plastics and nightcrawlers. Some bluegill are starting to show on wax worms, red worms, and nightcrawler pieces.

LITTLE ROCK RESERVOIR: No reports this week. Water level is high and spilling at spillway, but no reports from walk-in anglers 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 big news is the good crappie action that has taken off here for anglers fishing off the docks and around flooded brush in Miller Canyon and the coves off the main channel. The bite has been best of small crappie jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles. Most of the fish have been around three-quarter pound with some bigger and some smaller. The trout bite is also pretty good after a plant last Thursday by the DFW. The best action has been around the marina and in Cleghorn and Miller canyons, especially where water is flowing into the lake on chartreuse PowerBait, PowerWorms, or Mice Tails with garlic scent added. The stripers continue to show from the docks and around the marina and at the dam on cut baits (anchovies and sardines) and blood worms. Most are one to two pounds, but some are bigger. The largemouth bass bite is starting to perk, with quite a few fish moving shallow for the spawn. There was an eight-pound largemouth caught by Alex Castillo, Hesperia, while fishing in Cleghorn with an eight-inch Huddleston rainbow trout swimbait. 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. Here’s 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: The trout bite has been fair to good over the past week with a lot of anglers reporting at least one or two trout and some with hefty stringers. The rainbows are cruising the shorelines and feeding heavily, congregating at the stream mouths for the spawn. Peak bites are early morning and evening. Top action has been on Power Baits in bright colors with garlic scent or nightcrawlers fished on a Carolina-rig with a two to three-foot leader. Rapalas, Kastmasters, Thomas Bouyants, Jake’s lures all work well in the smallest sizes. Some bigger fish are showing along the rocks and boulders found at the west end of the lake near the dam and inlets. Trout to four pounds have been reported this week. A reminder: the small streams themselves are closed to fishing from March 1 through the Friday before Memorial Day. The lakes’ public and private launch ramps opened over the weekend or on Monday this week, including the east ramp near Stanfield Cutoff this season. The hot trolling pattern is to use one to three colors of leadcore (about four to 12 fish if you use downriggers) running the circuits along the south shore and Trout Alley or running west from the BBMWD’s west public launch to the Buoy Line near the dam. For information on fishing, call Big Bear Sporting Goods at 909-866-3222 or visit the store’s Facebook page.

GREGORY LAKE: The first DFW trout plant of the spring is set for the week of April 7. A few holdover rainbows are showing for die-hard trout anglers. The Spring Trout Derby will be Saturday, May 18, with private plants planned before this event. The boat house is still closed due to storm damage this winter, but work is ongoing to get it open soon. Lake and fishing information at 909-338-2233 or on the website at lakegregoryrecreation.com/fish. Fishing updates are posted infrequently on the park’s Facebook page or website.

GREEN VALLEY LAKE: No report. The lake facilities are closed and won’t open until late April or early May. The website is www.gvlfishing.com and the Facebook page is Green Valley Lake Fishing.

INTERSTATE 5 LAKES

CASTAIC: The bite for stripers remains fair to good with a lot of fish showing on cut baits and lug or blood worms, and more catfish are starting to be caught in this bite. The stripers are mostly in 50 to 60 feet of water and showing for both shore anglers or boat anglers. Also some stripers showing for trollers. Cornel Stan, Brea, caught 20-plus catfish, three stripers, and one smallmouth fishing anchovies from the upper lake shoreline, and his best fish was a 10-pound cat. The largemouth and smallmouth bass continue to be fair to good and getting better with each warm day. The black bass are moving shallow water for the spawn. The bite is best on plastics worms, nightcrawlers, and Senko-like baits in four to 12 feet of water, but reaction baits are also getting fish now. Most of the bass are from 1-8 to three pounds. Trout were scheduled to be planted last week, but few reports. The crappie and bluegill bites are all slow in the upper lake, but some bluegill are starting to be caught in the lower lake. For information call the marina at 661-775-6232 (www.CastaicLake.com) or Tackle Express at 661-251-8700.

PYRAMID: The largemouth and smallmouth bass bites are really turning on with the fish moving up throughout the shallows in four to 18 feet of water for the spawn. The best bite has been on nightcrawlers, plastics, and jigs in the mouths of coves and around structure. Some fish are showing on reaction and jerk baits. Charles Belnavis, Irwindale, had three largemouth to six pounds on swimbaits. Zec MacIntyre, Frazier Park, had a pair of largemouth to three pounds on soft-plastic crawfish baits at Yellowbar. The striper bite has been good with both boat and shore anglers getting fish in the one to two pound range and some bigger. Lug worms, chicken liver, sardines, and nightcrawlers have been the best baits for both boat and shore anglers, and more and more catfish are showing in this bait bite. Top spots have been the rip rap in front of the boat shop, the shoreline and points past the swim beach, and the canal by the entrance booth. Still few bluegill and crappie reports. 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: Crappie mania has begun. The bite exploded last week and anglers are reporting nice stringers of fish from three-quarter pound to 1 ½-pounds, and some even bigger fish. Cam Mazza, Bakersfield, landed a 3-9 crappie Monday (no April Fool’s joke). The fish are showing on crappie jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles or small minnows, and the bite has been good in the Camp Nine area and Kissack Cove for shore, tube, or boat anglers. The lake level continues to come up, and the catfish bite has really started to turn on a wide variety of cut baits, especially in the French Gulch area. The best action has been on dip baits and clams. A fair number of bass are showing on plastics or jigs, and the fish are moving up shallow for the spawn. The 30th Annual Trout Fishing Derby is set for next weekend, April 13-15. For fishing information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657 or www.bobsbaitbucket.com, North Fork Marina at 760-376-1812, or Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or www.tackleandrod.com.

KERN RIVER: Flows have come up with the warm weather this past week hitting the snowpack. The upper river was around 1,800 cfs at mid-week and the lower river was jumped up to around 1,300 cfs. DFW trout are slated to be planted in sections 1 through 6 this week (both the upper and lower river). Trout were planted in sections 4 and 5 (upper river) two weeks ago. Flows are making the trout fishing challenging, but the bite is pretty fair. Fly-fishing for wild fish has also been tough with the best action on small nymphs fished in deeper runs, especially in the upper reaches of the roadside water and up into the wild trout water past the Johnsondale bridge. The lower river bite has been fair and improving for bass on nightcrawlers, small reaction baits, or plastic worms. The catfish action has been improving in the pools on clams and nightcrawlers. Information: Kern River Fly Shop 760-376-2040 or (www.kernriverflyfishing.com) or Gateway Market 760-376-2424.

AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: The bite remains very good for stripers on Rat-L-Traps, Flukes, lug worms, minnows, and cut sardines. More and more fish are above the keeper size, and the better weather this past week has brought out more anglers. The catfish bite is also starting to take off, mostly on cut sardines, chicken liver, and Wussy Bait. The flows are way up and anglers need to be prepared to use heavier weight to get down through the heavy current. Anglers are reminded the limit on stripers is two fish greater than 18 inches, while the largemouth limit is five fish. Information: Bob’s 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: Quite a few bass are being reported with the warmer weather, but the carp bite has really taken off on Wussy Bait and Powder Bait.

RIVER WALK PARK LAKE: The carp bite has broken open with good action on dough baits. The bass and bluegill bites are also really taking off, with the bass best on plastics and Senko-type baits, and the bluegill best on wax worms. Information Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.

HART PARK LAKE: The carp, bass, and bluegill bites are pretty good now. The bass are moving shallow for the spawn and showing on plastics and reaction baits, while the usual array of dough baits are working for the carp. Bluegill best on wax and meal worms.

TRUXTUN LAKE: Good carp and bass bite, and more and more bluegill are showing each warm day. The bass have been moving shallow for the spawn and best on plastics or swimbaits. The carp are best on Wussy Bait, Powder Bait, or a variety of homemade dough baits. The bluegill are showing on wax worms, red worms, and meal worms.

MING LAKE: The carp and bass bites are really taking off. The carp are showing all around the lake on dough baits, especially Wussy Bait and Powder Bait. The bass are best on dark plastics, but some are also showing on small swimbaits, cranks, buzz baits, or live minnows. Bluegill are also starting to show in better numbers on the usual array of small baits, especially wax worms. The trout bite has slowed with the last plant four weeks ago. A few fish continue to show on PowerBait with garlic or Mice Tails. Also a few crappie reported on small minnows.

BRITE LAKE: The few anglers fishing are still seeing a few crappie and small bass. No other reports. There will be a big trout derby April 19 with a big plant of private trout prior to that event.

BUENA VISTA LAKES: The trout bite was fair over the weekend, but the action has slowed considerably since. The last plant of the season was last week. The best action has been on chartreuse PowerBait, Mice Tails, or small trout jigs, and all are better with garlic scent added. The bass and carp bites have surged on in the past week with good action on both, especially the carp. The carp are running up to 10 pounds or more and showing on a variety of dough baits, with Wussy Bait and Powder Bait the two best bets. The bluegill action is improving with pretty fair action this week on wax worms. Catfish are still slow. Fishing information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657 or www.bobsbaitbucket.com or Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or www.tackleandrod.com.

WOOLLOMES LAKE: No reports.

SUCCESS LAKE: The big news continues to be the good crappie action, with good stringers and some quality fish in this action. The best bite has been on small jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles or small minnows. The bass bite is also pretty good on drop-shot plastics and reaction baits as the fish move up shallow for the spawn. Some bluegill and catfish begining to show. Information: Sequoia Fishing Company at 559-539-5626, www.sequoiafishingcompany.com or Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or www.tackleandrod.com.

KAWEAH LAKE: The bass action has been good on plastics and reaction baits in less than 15 feet of water. The bluegill are starting to show in better numbers and a few catfish and crappie are being caught. 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 DFW’s stocking page at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants/. In Kern and Tulare County, all six sections of the Kern River are scheduled to be planted with week, both the upper and lower river. In San Bernardino County, Mojave Narrows Park Lake is on the stocking list. In Inyo County, Diaz Lake, Independence Creek, Lone Pine Creek, the Owens River below Tinnemaha, Shepherd Creek, and Symmes Creek will be planted.

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 and the information will be included in the weekly report. If you have questions or comments, please call Matthews at 909-887-3444.