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. Lake Palmdale (Fin & Feather) remains the top pick for this week. The lake was planted with 27,000 pounds of trout for the opener two weekends ago, and another plant was slated to go in Thursday this week. The fish still in the lake from the first round of plants are mostly in deeper water and responding best to small jigs fished on or very near the bottom or PowerBait. Call the Palmdale Fin & Feather Club for membership and fishing information at 661-947-2884 or go to website at www.palmdalefinandfeatherclub.com.
2. The striped bass bite at Castaic Lake stays in the top picks another week. The bite has been fair to good for both boat and shore anglers. Most anglers are getting from three to five stripers up to five pounds or more. The best bite has been on from three to five pounders with some smaller and some to 12 pounds. The best bite has been on sardines or lug/blood worms, but shad-like swimbaits have been getting bigger fish anglers. The hotspot has been the right side (mountain side) shoreline off the main ramp. For an update on this bite, check with the marina staff at 661-775-6232 or call Tackle Express at 661-251-8700.
3. The crappie bite at Little Rock Reservoir has been a secret tip this past week with walk-in anglers reporting catches of 15 or more fish each on small jigs fished under bobbers at the old launch ramp or creek inlet. Most of the fish are under a pound, but the bite has been good. For update on this bite, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

VICTORVILLE REGION

HESPERIA LAKE: There continues to be a good trout bite with stocks each Thursday. Most of the rainbows are from 1-8 to 2-8, and they are showing on garlic nightcrawlers and PowerBait in cheese, salmon peach, and rainbow garlic. Lake information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.

JESS RANCH LAKES: Another week of variable weather and slow to fair trout action in both lakes. A few fish continue to show on PowerBait in chartreuse, garlic, and salmon peach, garlic nightcrawlers, and small trout lures (jigs, Power Worms, and Mice Tails). The rainbows being caught are mostly two-pound class fishing and the best spots continue to be the northern and western shores of lake 2 and the eastern logged shore and western shore near the drain of lake 3. Very slow action on bass, bluegill, and catfish. For more information call (760)240-1107 or go to www.jessranchlakesnews.com.

MOJAVE NARROWS: Weather hasn’t slowed the action here, with a very steady trout bite thanks to weekly county trout plants. No bluegill or bass reports this week. The park is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Information, call 760-245-2226.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

ANTELOPE VALLEY REGION

APOLLO PARK LAKE: The trout bite remains fair in the back lakes, but slower in the front lake with the trout spread out. The best bite has been on pink and white Mice Tails, rainbow PowerBait, or jigs fished under a bobber. Stocks are twice a month this season with about 900 pounds per stock. The panfish, carp, and catfish bites are mostly slow. The trout derby will be from 7 to 11 a.m., Saturday, March 2. Entry fee is $20 in advance (reservations.lacounty.gov). There will be 6,500 pounds of trout planted for this event. 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): Very cold at night and the lake is mostly frozen over. No reports. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

LAKE PALMDALE: The trout action remains good for anglers fishing from boats in deep water with small jigs tipped with red worms. The bite from shore or the fishing docks has been a little tougher, but still good on PowerBait in green pumpkin or Jakes lures. Most of the fish are around two pounds, but fish to eight pounds have been reported. A total of 27,000 pounds of trout were planted for the opener two weekends ago, and another plant was slated for Thursday this week. There is also a fair bass bite on fish to three pounds on nightcrawlers. 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 has been a fair to good striper bite at the outlet on three to seven pounders on the white swimbaits. Occasionally bigger. The bite has been best during the rain. No catfish, largemouth, or bluegill reports this week. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT (Little Rock to Quail Lake stretch): Both catfish and stripers are showing in a pretty fair bite. The stripers are still best on white swimbaits bounced off the opposite bank and then worked slowly along the bottom. The catfish are showing on chicken liver and mackerel heads. The best action for both has been in the west end of the valley from 110th back to Sierra Highway. The curves, road crossings, and siphons hold the most fish. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

CENTRAL PARK LAKE (CALIFORNIA CITY): Very little pressure this past week. A few carp had been showing on dough baits, but there have been no reports of carp, bluegill, or catfish in the past week.

LITTLE ROCK RESERVOIR: Water level is high. The crappie bite has been very good at the launch ramp or creek inlet on small jigs. Most of the fish are up to a pound with most hand-sized. Also some largemouth up to two pounds in this bite. The lake is open to walk-in fishing. The Palmdale Water District has an ongoing sediment removal project, and the U.S. Forest Service (Angeles National Forest) may close the area in the future. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAIN WATERS

SILVERWOOD: Some decent striper action in weather breaks over the past week. Most of the fish are being reported off the marina docks on sardines, but most are around a pound. Jerry Miller, Rancho Cucamonga, landed eight stripers to 1-4 on jerk baits off the dock. A few catfish and trout have also been reported around the dock and launch ramp. Kim Dum Sim, visiting from India, had a five-pound catfish on chicken liver. Matt Cole, Hacienda Heights, lands a pair of rainbow trout to three pounds on garlic PowerBait off the dock. The DFW is scheduled to plant trout again next week. A reminder: the dam is closed to angler access. 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 lake is still frozen over with no fishing pressure. For information on fishing, call Big Bear Sporting Goods at 909-866-3222 or visit the store’s Facebook page.

GREGORY LAKE: No recent trout plants and very little fishing pressure with icy conditions and cold weather. 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 is frozen. The lake facilities closed Oct. 31 and plants won’t begin again until next April. The website is www.gvlfishing.com and the Facebook page is Green Valley Lake Fishing.

INTERSTATE 5 LAKES

CASTAIC: The striper bite for shore anglers has been good on the right side or mountain side of the main ramp off and on all day for anglers fishing lug worms, sardines, anchovies, and Fluke-type swimbaits with some fish topping 10 pounds. The best action for boat anglers has been at the buoy line, Kong Island, and Sharon’s Rest. Seng Chin, Lakewood, had five stripers to eight pounds on anchovies. Trout slow with no plants in over a month. The largemouth and smallmouth bite is slow to fair with a few fish showing on drop-shot or Carolina-rigged plastics, small skirted jigs, or nightcrawlers. The lower lake has been better than the upper lake for bass, with a fair bite. The crappie, bluegill, and catfish bites are all very slow in both the upper and lower lakes. For information call the marina at 661-775-6232 (www.CastaicLake.com) or Tackle Express at 661-251-8700.

PYRAMID: The striper bite has remained fair to good with both boat and shore anglers getting fish in the one to two pound range. Lug worms, chicken liver, sardines, and nightcrawlers have been the best baits for both boat and shore anglers. The fish are in deeper water off the points for boat anglers and in the canal by the front entrance booth and the rip-rap near the boat shop. The largemouth and smallmouth bass have been fair and improving nightcrawlers, plastics, and jigs fished in 20-plus feet of water on the points and steep drop-offs, but some fish are showing on reaction baits in the mornings. No catfish, bluegill, or crappie reports 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: Cruddy weather has continued much of the past week, keeping angler pressure down. There does continued to be a slow to fair largemouth bass bite for anglers fishing plastics or jigs, mostly in deeper water, with jigging spoons working on suspended fish. Silver Buddies have been the hot spoon. There are also still some crappie showing around most marinas on live minnows, and the catfish bite has been slow to fair in the French Gulch area on big chunks of mackerel, clams, shad, and dip baits. There will be a closure to fishing in the area around the auxiliary dam on weekdays for work, but the area is open on weekends and for the whole upcoming trout derby. 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: Trout were planted in Sections 4, 5, and 6 (upper river) this last week and two weeks ago. Another plants in these sections is slated for next week. The bite is pretty fair on crickets, nightcrawlers, and salmon eggs. Cold weather and water has kept the fly action mostly slow, but some fish are showing 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 flows are very low and the bite has been very slow on bass with a only a few on nightcrawlers or plastic worms. No DFW plants slated for the lower river this fall-winter season. The catfish action has been very slow 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 striper bite has continued pretty fair. The best action continues to be on Flukes (pearl with a chartreuse tail) when the water is flowing good and live minnows or blood/lug worms when the flow is low or off. Many of the fish are keeper-sized and up to six to 10 pounds. Catfish are slow with a few on shad, sardines, anchovies, blood worms, chicken liver, and Wussy Bait. 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: Very slow, no reports of catfish or carp this week. Almost no one fishing.

RIVER WALK PARK LAKE: Very slow with little fishing pressure. No trout are slated to be planted by the DFW this fall/winter season. Information Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.

HART PARK LAKE: Very slow fishing with very little fishing pressure due to weather and cold. No trout are slated to be planted by the DFW this fall/winter season. All the other species are very slow. Water level is very low.

TRUXTUN LAKE: Little change with light fishing pressure, and a bass on plastics and cranks between weather fronts. Other species slow, but a few crappie on small minnows. No trout are slated to be planted by the DFW this fall/winter season.

MING LAKE: Very light fishing pressure. A few bass have been reported on live minnows and plastics. No crappie reported. Trout are also dead. There was supposed to be one more 500-pound DFW plant in January, but it fish were never planted last month and it is still not on the schedule for this month. The bluegill, catfish, and carp are all slow.

BRITE LAKE: The crappie bite is slow to fair on fish up to three-quarter pound on small jigs or small minnows fishing in deeper water, mostly from float tubes. The bite on small bass has slowed, but a few trout continue to show at the launch ramp, especially on rainbow PowerBait.

BUENA VISTA LAKES: Trout plant three weeks, and a few trout continue to be caught. Another plant was supposed to go in last week, but no reports. The best trout bite has been on lemon twist PowerBait with garlic oil or nightcrawlers in garlic. Most have been one to two pounds. Very few crappie reports, and the bluegill, carp, and bass bites are very 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 bite here has continued to be slow, but a few more bass are showing on smaller plastics fished drop-shot and split-shot style in deeper water, also some suspended fish on jigging spoons or ice jigs. Most of the bass are in the two-pound range. The crappie are getting little pressure but a few continue to be caught on small minnows. Bluegill very slow and few catfish reported. 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 action remains slow with little fishing pressure. A few bass reported in the past week. This is mostly a deeper-water bite. No reports of other species. 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/. Plants this week in Inyo County, include Diaz Lake, the Owens River below Tinnemaha, and the Bishop to Lone Pine stretch of the Owens River; in San Bernardino County, Silverwood Lake are scheduled to be planted. Next week, all the upper stretches of the Kern River from Kernville upstream are on the schedule.

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.

END