FISH REPORT — 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. Yet again, the entire California Aqueduct remains the top pick. The catfish action that has been good to excellent in both the Antelope Valley and the southern San Joaquin valley stretches. The best bite throughout has been on lug or blood worms fished alone or mixed with chicken liver or other cut bait and drifted along the bottom, especially in areas where the flow is constricted, interrupted, or bends. Adding a scent also increases the number of bites. Cats to 10 pounds in both stretches. For updates on this bite, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824 for the Palmdale to Hesperia stretch and Bob’s Bait Bucket at 661-833-8657 for the Taft region.
2. This is just too good a bite not to keep in the picks. Apollo Park Lake’s bluegill and carp fishing is non-stop and great for kids. The bluegill are best when fishing a worm under a bobber, especially mornings and evenings, while the carp have been best on dough baits with fish averaging two pounds. For more information, contact Apollo Park at 661-940-7701 or Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
3. It’s still going. The fly-fishing hopper bite on Hot Creek and the Upper Owens River above Lake Crowley has to stay in the top bites because of the exceptional action. There are fish to three or four pounds — browns, rainbows, and cutthroat trout – in the upper Owens and Hot Creek, but smaller fish in the other Crowley tribs. For an update on this bite check with The Trout Fly (www.thetroutfly.com) in Mammoth Lakes or contact guide Fred Rowe at www.sierrabrightdot.com for a guided trip.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

VICTORVILLE REGION

HESPERIA LAKE: Catfish stocks are weekly on Thursdays with most of the catfish from 1-8 to 2-8, but some bigger are planted each week. The bite has been fair to good, and the top fish reported this past week were a 12-pounder landed by Deanna Davis, Ontario, on mackerel enhanced with Mike’s Red Garlic Sauce off the Sandy Point. Chaysen Hughes, Palmdale, caught an eight-pound cat on nightcrawlers, also off the Sandy Point. Lake information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.

JESS RANCH LAKES: While the trout bite remains very slow, there are still a few bass showing on Senkos or nightcrawlers off the northern and eastern shores of lake 2 with fish up to four pounds. Bluegill are being caught in pretty decent numbers early and late in the day on meal worms and jigs on western shore of lake 2 and western shore near the pump house. The few trout reported have been in the two-pound range and have been caught on PowerBait, nightcrawlers, Mice Tails, or small jigs, especially off the northern shore of lake two and the grassy point and the eastern logged shore of Lake 3. For more information call (760)240-1107 or go to www.jessranchlakesnews.com.

MOJAVE NARROWS: Weekly plants with most of the fish are in the two to three-pound range. No other reports. Information, call 760-245-2226.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

ANTELOPE VALLEY REGION

APOLLO PARK LAKE: The bluegill and warmouth are small, but the bite is still good to excellent, and the bite is on just about any small bait under a bobber. It’s a great place to take kids for constant action. There is also a good carp bite on a wide variety of dough and paste baits with most two to four pounds, but some bigger. Also more and more catfish showing with fish to five pounds (and the duck feeding area on the front lake has been a hot spot). For more information or updates on plant, contact Apollo Park at 661-940-7701 or Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

JACKSON LAKE (NEAR WRIGHTWOOD): The trout bite has almost completely died since the last plant several weeks ago, and there is no DFW plant in the immediate future. There is, however, still a very good bite on small bluegill on any small bait suspended under a bobber fished near the weeds. Keep the hook size 14 or smaller. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

LAKE PALMDALE: There continues to be a good bite for a variety of fish. The largemouth bass have been good on nightcrawlers pitched into holes in the weed beds, but you need to fish heavy line to get them out of the weeds. Fish to five pounds reported. The evening catfish bite has been good to excellent for anglers fishing fly-lined cut baits best with a lot of one to three-pounders, but also some holdover and wild fish to 10 pounds. The best action has been on sardine or beef liver doused with Triple X Blood Bait scent with a nightcrawler added for wiggle. Suspending a bait under a bobber so it sits on top of the weeds or fly-lining out gets the same result. The hot spots have been some of the open holes in the weeds near the dam or other areas where the weeds are not as dense. The crappie, bluegill, and redear bites have slowed, but that is a weed issue. The carp are excellent at the back end of the lake with a lot of 10-plus pounders reported. The best bite has been on dough baits. There is a $100 bounty for the angler who catches and weighs in the most poundage of carp each month. 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: There continue to be boiling stripers early mornings in the past week with the fish chasing shad. Most are three to seven pounds and showing on Pencil Popper or Whopper Plopper baits on the surface. Some also on jerk baits. Grey shad and bone colors are best. The largemouth are also good with some topwater, spinnerbait, and small cranks early around the tules. Most fish are one to three pounds with some to five. The catfish bite also remains pretty good for anglers are drifting frozen shad under a slip bobber set so the bait runs six to 15 feet, or big hunks of mackerel with no weight fly-lined at the outlet. Night and early and late in the day have been the best times to fish for the cats. The bluegill bite remains pretty fair along the south shore tules on red worms, wax worms, meal worms, crickets, and nightcrawler pieces fished under a bobber. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT (Hesperia to Quail Lake stretch): The catfish action is still pretty much wide open and has been for several weeks. The action is good along the whole length of the aqueduct from Quail Lake to Silverwood. The hot bait has been chicken liver doused with Triple X Blood Bait and then enhanced with a wigging nightcrawler or blood or lug worm. But other cut baits are also getting fish. Almost none of the fish are under five pounds now. The striped bass are also being caught in fair to good numbers. The best bite is before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m., but heat is keeping most anglers away during the day. Top spots continue to be where the flows change and slow, especially road crossings, weirs, siphons, and where the canal curves. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

CENTRAL PARK LAKE (CALIFORNIA CITY): There continues to be a very good bluegill bite and a carp bite as good. Also a few catfish showing for anglers targeting them. The bluegill are being caught on the usual array of small baits with red worms perhaps the best. The carp are best on dough baits. The catfish have been best on cut baits, and an occasional bass has been reported on a crank or plastic.

LITTLE ROCK RESERVOIR: No reports this week, but recent reports were for a good largemouth bass bite on the far side of the lake in the coves there. The best action was on dark plastics. No other species reports. 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 algae bloom that had closed the lake to swimming and fishing has been lifted, and the bite has been fair for both stripers and catfish. The catfish are running up to eight pounds and have3 been best around the marina, off the docks, in Miller Canyon, and at the dam with chicken liver and shrimp the best baits. The stripers best for trollers fishing umbrella rigs along the main lake points, with some smaller bait fish off the dock and in coves around the lake on cut baits, mostly anchovies or sardines. Most are under two pounds. A few largemouth are showing early mornings on topwater and jerk baits in most coves. Moe Huerta, Hesperia, landed a four-pound bass on a jerk bait in Cleghorn. Few crappie or bluegill reports this week, and the trout bite has also slowed way down. Silverwood remains high at 93 percent full. 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 usual summer patters are the best ways to get a few trout. Here’s the skinny from Big Bear Sporting Goods: For shoreline anglers, fishing from sunrise (or before) until 10 or 11 (but earlier is better). Or fish evening from 7 p.m. or after. Top spots are from Old Grays Landing west to the Sandy Beach near the Red House. The average cast from shore will put the bait in 14 to 22 feet of water, which is the depth the trout are hanging out. Sometimes they move even deeper this time of year, so anglers should try west of the buoy line on either the north or south shores. A slip bobber rig can be set to a depth where the fish are suspending. The depth of which an angler suspends his or her bait can be changed by sliding a bobber stop closer or farther from the slip bobber. Some also use a cast-a-bubber filled with water so it sinks slowly and rests on top of the wed beds on the bottom. Using PowerBait and inflated nightcrawlers helps keep the bait above the weeds. Trollers should work the center part of the lake from the buoy line to the SS Relief with three to four colors or more of leadcore line. Other good circuits are the Trout Alley (the Rock Wall to the Zebra Room) and the West Launch Ramp to Old Gray’s Landing. A wide variety of small spoons and Rapala-like lures in gold with red or orange highlights are the best baits to troll. The bass are fair on cranks and topwater early, and some panfish are showing on small jigs tipped with meal or wax worms, or just those baits under a bobber. All the lakes’ public and private launch ramps are open. For information on fishing, call Big Bear Sporting Goods at 909-866-3222 or visit the store’s Facebook page.

GREGORY LAKE: There was a DFW trout plant three weeks ago and the bite has slowed to near-nothing. A few crappie reported. The VFW Auxiliary 9624 Trout Derby will be 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 7. Entry is $20 per ticket. Big trout plant before the event For derby info, call 909-553-8200 or 909-338-5385. 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: Jess Ranch trout plants are going in most weeks. The 400 pound plants always include 50 pounds of trophy fish. There was also a DFW plant three weeks ago. The bite is best early and late in the day, and small trout jigs, Mice Tails, trout spoons, inflated nightcrawlers with garlic, and PowerBait in yellow or chartreuse are the best baits. The fish are congregating in the deeper water at the dam. The website is www.gvlfishing.com and the Facebook page is Green Valley Lake Fishing.

INTERSTATE 5 LAKES

CASTAIC: More and more boils each day on silversides and shad. The key for the stripers is matching the lure to the bait size, which means smaller baits. The duration of the boils has been short, but there is good action for a period of time early and late in the day. After that the stripers are best on sand worms, lug worms, blood worms, and frozen shad, Triple X sardines or anchovies in deeper water. The largemouth and smallmouth bass also continued to be fair to good. The bite is best on plastics worms, nightcrawlers, Senko-like baits, or just about any reaction bait. Most are under three pounds. Gary Paye, Valencia, had four smallmouth bass to five pounds on Flukes and plastic worms. The bluegill action is good along most shoreline structure in four to 20 feet of water on small baits, especially in the lower lake. The trout bite has slowed way down but a few fish are showing for trollers working downriggers or leadcore and small spoons, but some also on PowerBaits and inflated inflated garlic nightcrawlers. Almost no pressure on the trout. The lake’s elevation is pretty stable, with Castaic 91 percent full this week. 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 have been good in most coves on soft plastic worms or drop-shot nightcrawlers during the day, with boiling fish on bait balls in the mornings. Flukes and Senkos (rigged weedless) are best on the boiling fish. Most are 1-8 to 3-0. The striped bass bite remains good on one to four-pound fish with some to seven pounds. There has been good surface boils most mornings in the coves and at Yellowbar, Bear Trap, and Serranno. Bait action has been on sardines, anchovies, and blood or lug worms. A good number of catfish are also showing on cut baits, especially blood, lug, and sand worms, but frozen sardines, anchovies, and shad are nearly as good, especially when scent is added. The fish are deep in most coves, and the channel along the entrance booth is still a hot spot along with the ramp. The bluegill bite is still fair to good along the shoreline structure on meal worm, wax worms, red worms, and crickets. A few trout continue to show from deeper water on inflated nightcrawlers and PowerBait fished with long leaders. The algae bloom has been increasing in the past week, but no warmings or closures have been issued. The lake’s level is not changing much. It was again 93 percent full this 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: The lake level remains high the level is now 50 percent full, down from 52 percent full last week. The catfish bite has been good on dip baits, shad, and clams, especially in the Camp 9 area at night or early and late in the day. A rew crappie continue to show, but only the good anglers are getting them from boats are tubes fishing submerged tree lines in the North Fork area with small minnows. There’s a fair largemouth bite on crankbaits in crawdad colors in less than 15 feet of water, and early mornings are best. Some fish on jigs or plastics in deeper water structure. Few trout or carp reports, but the bluegill bite has been OK in most coves with mostly small fish now. 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 in the upper river have dropped down to just over 800 cfs this week, and there is a fair to good trout bite. Trout were slated to be planted in sections 2 through 5 this week. They were also planted in sections 4 and 6 of the upper river last week. The bite has been fair to good on crickets, salmon eggs, and small spinners. Also improved fly action on the upper river and above the Johnsondale Bridge. Lower river flows were jumped a little to 1,800 this week, down 100 cfs from the same time last week. This is a more fishable level, and there have been some reports of bass and catfish in the bigger pools. Information: Kern River Fly Shop 760-376-2040 or (www.kernriverflyfishing.com) or Gateway Market 760-376-2424.

AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: There have been a lot of small stripers from 15 to 17 inches caught, but very few over the 18-inch minimum keeper size. The best bite has been on blood and sand worms, with a few fish on Flukes. Moss making the fishing a little tougher. There is a pretty good bite on catfish on cut baits and dip baits, especially in the Highway 166 area. 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: The carp and bluegill bites are both pretty good. Carp best on Wussy Bait and Powder Bait, while the bluegill are showing on crickets and wax worms. Still some bass showing, mostly early and late. In fact, all the bites are best early and late.

RIVER WALK PARK LAKE: The carp and bluegill bites both continue pretty good most mornings and evenings, and a few bass are being caught early mornings. The carp bite is best on dough baits, especially Wussy Bait and Powder Bait. The bass have been best on plastics and Senko-type baits, and the bluegill are hammering the wax worms or red worms. Information Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.

HART PARK LAKE: The carp and bluegill bites are good. The bass are still fair and they are showing on plastics, jigs, and reaction baits early and late in the day. The bluegill are best on wax and meal worms or red worms. The carp are best on Powder Bait, Wussy Bait, or other dough baits. A few smaller catfish are being reported on cut baits or paste baits.

TRUXTUN LAKE: The carp and bluegill bites are both good, especially at night, but also early and late in the day. The bass remain fair with a few on plastics or swimbaits early in the morning. The carp are best on Wussy Bait, Powder Bait, or a variety of homemade dough baits. The bluegill are showing in fair numbers on wax worms, red worms, crickets, and meal worms.

MING LAKE: Continued very good carp action on Powder Bait and other dough baits, expecially Wussy and Power baits. The bluegill are fair to good, especially early and late in the day on meal, wax, or red worms. The bass are fair on topwater early and then on live minnows and reaction baits.

BRITE LAKE: Still fair to good numbers of trout showing on floating dough baits or MiceTails with fish to three pounds reported in the past week, including a few limits. The bluegill are pretty good off the rock on small baits. A few bass are showing on jigs tipped with meal worms or wax worms, but the bass are small. Evenings and mornings have been best. The bass are small but a few are showing on small jerkbaits, plastics, or half a nightcrawler.

BUENA VISTA LAKES: The catfish and bluegill bites both remain fair to good. The catfish are best on cut baits with scents added, but the Triple S bait has been the hot ticket. For the bluegill, wax worms, meal worms, red worms, or nightcrawlers pieces have all be good bets, with some on tiny jigs, especially if tipped with bait. The carp action is also good with fish to eight pounds have been reported, but relatively light fishing pressure on the carp. The best bite has been on Powder Bait or other dough baits. Some morning largemouth action, and still the occasional crappie showing. 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: Dropping water levels have scattered the fish or moved the bass out to suspend. The bass action remains fair on reaction baits, with some good topwater on frogs and topwater plugs early. Few crappie reports, but the bluegill action is good on crickets, wax worms, or meal worms, but finding fish has been the challenge. Catfish are fair on cut baits. The lake level continues to plummet, dropping from 82 percent two weeks ago, to 59 percent this week. A little over a month ago, the lake was spilling. 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: Lake levels continue to come down with the lake at 33 percent this week, down from 54 percent full two weeks ago. The dropping water levels have hammered the bites, but there is a fair bass bite on surface biat, reaction baits, and small swimbaits early mornings on or near the surface. A few bluegill and catfish also showing, but much tougher fishing. 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 include sections two through six of the Kern River in Kern and Tulare counties. In In Inyo County, plants are slated for include Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, the South Fork, Middle Fork, Intake II, and lower parts of Bishop Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Rock Creek Lake, and South Lake. No plants in Los Angeles or San Bernardino counties on the list again this week.

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.