FISH REPORT — ONS-matthews – 04 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.
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
- Amid miserable weather over the past two weeks, bites and fishing pressure have declined everywhere, but the Kern River’s trout bite has stayed very good. This is partially thanks to regular DFW plants, but there continue to be a lot of quality rainbows showing in the lower Kern below Isabella. Fish to eight pounds were reported this week, and these are likely fish washed out of Isabella. Salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, and SuperDupers have been the best baits. For an update on this bite, call Bob’s Bait Bucket at 661-833-8657.
- Lake Silverwood stays in top picks, but fishing pressure has been light so an accurate assessment has been tough. There does still continues to be a fair to good bite on both stripers and crappie for the hardy souls fishing this week. Striped bass to four pounds and crappie to 1-8 have been caught. The trout bite is also pretty good thanks to a DFW plant this week. All three species are showing around the marina and into Miller and Cleghorn canyons, but also in the main channel and at the dam for boat anglers. For an update on this action, call the marina at 760-389-2299.
- Apollo Park Lake – especially if the weather doesn’t delay this week’s tentatively slated trout plant – makes it to the top picks this week. Even without a plant, the bite has been very consistent for rainbows to four-plus pounds in the back lake (near the three islands) on the usual array of small trout baits and lures. Mice Tails fished on light tackle have been the best bet. For update on this spot, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
HIGH DESERT WATERS
VICTORVILLE REGION
HESPERIA LAKE: No reports and no confirmation on trout planting schedule. This was supposed to be the third week of plants. Lake information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.
JESS RANCH LAKES: Cold weather and rain again this week. The trout bite has been slow to fair in both lakes, with anglers using Power Bait (especially salmon peach, garlic and rainbow), nightcrawlers, and small trout jigs and 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 or go to www.jessranchlakesnews.com.
MOJAVE NARROWS: No reports. The park is only open Thursday through Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. First county plant of the season last week, and more fish in this week. No DFW trout plants on the schedule yet. Information, call 760-245-2226.
HIGH DESERT WATERS
ANTELOPE VALLEY REGION
APOLLO PARK LAKE: The trout action has continued pretty fair with fish to 4-8 even though there had not been a plant for over two weeks. Trout are slated to go in this week. The top action has been in the back lake by the three islands, and orange PowerBait or nightcrawlers with Triple-X scent added to the ‘crawlers. Rain and cold has keep a lot of anglers away over the past week. 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): While the road was closed a couple of days due to snow, there has continued to be a surprisingly fair bite on rainbows. Most are being caught on PowerBait or 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 at www.palmdalefinandfeatherclub.com.
QUAIL LAKE: Cold rain and even some snow again this week. There continue to be a slow to fair bite on catfish in the evenings on mussels, chicken liver, or mackerel, used in conjunction with nightcrawlers and added scent. Most of the fish are two to six pounds and showing from both the north and south sides near the outlet. A few stripers were reported this week on reaction baits. No reports of bluegill or largemouth this week. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT (Hesperia to Quail Lake stretch): There continues to be a pretty fair bite on catfish in spite of cold weather and rain. Catfish are showing throughout the valley on a wide variety of cut baits fished with nightcrawlers and walk-drifted on the bottom. Bends, road crossings, weirs, and siphons are the hot spots, and fish to six pounds have been reported. The east end of the valley also continues to produce a few stripers at the major road crossings. Most stripers are still being reported on chicken liver. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
CENTRAL PARK LAKE (CALIFORNIA CITY): Very few reports with the cold, wet weather the past two weeks.
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: Very light fishing pressure in recent days between the weather and the holiday weekend. The few anglers fishing continue to report fair action on stripers, crappie, and planted rainbow trout. The DFW also planted the lake with rainbows this week, and that will just make that bite better. The trout bite is best in Cleghorn, Miller, around the marina, and up into the channel on PowerBait in chartreuse and 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. The crappie bite lulled this week, but those showing are best off the dock and in the coves of the main channel in deeper water around brush. Most are around a pound. Small jigs are the go-to lure, and tipping them with bait or Crappie Nibbles is the ticket. 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. Lake elevation is just over 3,341 feet, up slightly in the past 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. 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: Very cold this week with more snow and a lot of sheet ice on the lake in protected areas, especially in the mornings. In spite of the cold, the trout bite is still fair. Bank anglers are getting a few trout 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 store’s 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 park’s Facebook page or website.
GREEN VALLEY LAKE: More snow this week. Very slow fishing with no plants in over a month. Lake is mostly covered with ice. The website is www.gvlfishing.com and the Facebook page is Green Valley Lake Fishing.
INTERSTATE 5 LAKES
CASTAIC: DFW Trout plant this week and last week. These are the second and third plants of the season, and the bite has been good around the main launch ramp on PowerBait, mini jigs, and Kastmasters. The largemouth and smallmouth action has been mostly in deeper water and with finesse-style baits. They have been tough to located, but when you find a school, the finesse baits or deep-diving jerk baits and weighted swimbaits have been getting fish. Striper fishing has been tough as well with most fish coming off the troll or down deep on cut bait. Main lake points and deeper drop offs have been the areas to target. Catfish have been hard to locate with the colder temperatures. Bluegill and crappie bites tanked, even in the lower lake. No catfish reports. The lake’s elevation is dropping slowly, currently at 77 percent full, which is down one percent 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 this week, last week, and four weeks ago, and the bite has been pretty good, especially in the canal by the entrance booth and around the marina on PowerBait and trout plastics with fish to nearly two pounds. For stripers, shore anglers fishing the channel near the entrance booth and along the rip-rap were getting fish on anchovies, sardines, and nightcrawlers, at least before this big storm. Trollers working umbrella rigs or anglers metering fish and vertical jigging with spoons or ice jigs are getting fish around Chumash Island and Serrano Cove. The largemouth and smallmouth bass are slow to fair with plastics or nightcrawlers fished drop-shot style. The lake’s level is not changing much. It is at 92 percent full this week, the same as 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: 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: More cold and wet weather this week, but there continues to be a pretty decent crappie bite around the marinas with fish running from ¾-pound up to nearly two pounds, mostly on minnows and jigs. Relatively light fishing pressure. 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. The largemouth bite has slowed, as have the bluegill and carp bites. The lake level has bumped up a little this week with the rain runoff and currently sits at 30 percent, one percent higher than last week. Few trout or carp reports, and the bluegill bite has slowed to nearly nothing. 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: The trout bite is good in both the upper and lower river, and there was a DFW plant in section 4 of the upper river last week. Next week, section 2 and 3 of the lower river are scheduled to be planted. Salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, Blue Fox spinners, SuperDupers have all been getting fish. There continues to be a steady string of big rainbows from the lower river being caught with fish to eight pounds reported this week. Many anglers think these are some of the big fish coming out of the lake from the plants of trophy fish for the derby earlier this year. Ideal flows for fishermen in both the upper (515 cfs) and lower river (468 cfs), but rain jumped flows a little in the upper river. Fly 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: Continued light pressure with rain and cold, but the striper bite remains pretty good. A fair number of keeper-sized fish from 20 to 24 inches and up to 10 pounds, with those bigger fish mostly on swimbaits. The best action has been on blood and lug worms, but the fish are smaller. The catfish bite is slow to fair 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: 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: Rain and colder nights have really slowed this bite with few bluegill and catfish reported. Carp very spotty.
RIVER WALK PARK LAKE: Trout stocked this week by the DFW and the bite has been pretty good on Mice Tails, PowerBait (with garlic oil), gold spinners, Phoebes, and Kastmasters, along with mini jigs. Other species have slowed way down. Information Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.
HART PARK LAKE: Most recent trout plant was three weeks ago, and the lake is not slated to get DFW trout for the next two weeks (but that could change). Only the occasional trout reported on PowerBait with garlic oil added. Mice Tails or other small trout plastics, gold spinners, or Kastmasters. Other species have slowed way down with only the odd bass reported.
TRUXTUN LAKE: The carp and bluegill bites have slowed way down with the cold weather and rain again this week. A few bass are showing on plastics or swimbaits, but darn few in recent days.
MING LAKE: DFW trout were planted this week, and the rainbow trout action has been pretty good since. Mice Tails, the mini jig-wax worm combo, and PowerBait with garlic oil or garlic nightcrawlers are the best baits. Slow other species.
BRITE LAKE: DFW trout plant last week and four weeks ago. The bite has been fair to good since. Best bite on PowerBait with garlic oil and Power Worms or Mice Tails. Other species are slow.
BUENA VISTA LAKES: The trout bite has been fair, and another plant is likely this coming week. The best action has been on Mice Tails or garlic nightcrawlers. Other bites had slowed way down with only a few catfish and bass reported. 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 first DFW trout plant of the season went in last week. The bass bite has continued to slow but some fish are showing on structure on plastics with fewer on reaction baits and Senkos. Few crappie or bluegll reports, and catfish are also slow. The lake level dropped to just seven percent this week, down two percent from last week. Information: Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or www.tackleandrod.com.
KAWEAH LAKE: The first DFW trout plant of the season went in two weeks ago. The lake level jumped from eight percent to 10 percent this week with storm runoff. The overall bite is still slow to fair, but some bass are showing on plastics and jigs in deeper water. Very few bluegill and catfish being reported. Trout have slowed since the plant. 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/.
This week’s trout plants: In Kern County, Ming Lake and River Walk Lake were on the list. In Los Angeles County, both Castaic Lake and Pyramid Lake were slated to get trout, and in San Bernardino County, Silverwood Lake was on the list.
For the week of Dec. 8-14, in Kern County, sections 2 and 3 of the lower Kern River and River Walk Lake are scheduled to get fish.
For the week of Dec. 15-21, in Kern and Tule 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 scheduled to get trout.
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.
