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. Apollo Park will stay in the top picks after being closed since Monday this week and getting around 6,500 pounds of pan-sized trout and another 2,000 pounds of trophy fish for the Saturday derby. Prior to the stocking closure, anglers were still reporting limits of rainbows averaging around 1-8 to two pounds on small trout jigs, Mice Tails, and PowerBait. For an update on this bite or derby information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
2. The striped bass bite at Castaic Lake stays in the top picks yet 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 on sardines or lug/blood worms, but shad-like swimbaits have been getting bigger fish. 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. Mojave Narrows has climbed into the top picks after a steady succession of trout limits of the past week on garlic-flavored nightcrawlers, PowerBait, or Mice Tails. Top spots have been the north and south shores of Pelican Lake and the back side of Horseshoe Lake near the spillway, and there were trout to 10-pounds reported in the past week. There are weekly plants by the county, and the park is closed Tuesday and Wednesday each week. For information, call the park at 760-245-2226.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

VICTORVILLE REGION

HESPERIA LAKE: No report. There are trout plants each Thursday. Most of the planted rainbows are from 1-8 to 2-8. Lake information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.

JESS RANCH LAKES: Overall, slow to fair trout action in both lakes. The best bite has been on PowerBait in rainbow, garlic and salmon peach, inflated nightcrawlers with scent, and a variety of small trout jigs and plastics. The average fish has been around two pounds. The best areas to fish are the western shores of lake 2 and the eastern logged shore and western shore near the drain of lake 3. Slow action on bass, bluegill, and catfish. For more information call (760)240-1107 or go to www.jessranchlakesnews.com.

MOJAVE NARROWS: The trout action has been fair to good with quite a few limits reported over the past week. There are weekly county trout plants. The best bite has been on garlic-flavored nightcrawlers, PowerBait, or Mice Tails. Top spots have been the north and south shores of Pelican Lake and the back side of Horseshoe Lake near the spillway. Top trout of the week was a 10-pound rainbow landed by Gary Southern, Hesperia, on PowerBait from Pelican. There were a number of five-fish, 10-pound limits reported and several other trout to five pounds. The park is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Information, call 760-245-2226.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

ANTELOPE VALLEY REGION

APOLLO PARK LAKE: The lake has been closed since Monday, and there has been a big plant of trout for the Saturday trout derby — 6,500 pounds of rainbows were slated to be planted, including 2,000 pounds of trophy fish. Before the closure for the derby, the bite had been fair on mini jigs, pink and white Mice Tails, and rainbow PowerBait. 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 run from 7 to 11 a.m. Entry fee is $20 (reservations.lacounty.gov). 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: Very steady bite on both trout and largemouth bass. Lots of nice limits of trout reported after stocks last week and again on Tuesday this week. The bite has been best for anglers trolling with Shad Raps in shad and firetiger colors, while shore action has been best on nightcrawlers and MiceTails fished on the bottom on the outside edges of the weeds. Green pumpkin PowerBait is also still a good bet. Most trout are one to 1-8, with some in the three to five pound range. The largemouth are also showing on the outside edges of the weeds in 10 to 20 feet of water on fly-lined nightcrawlers, Senkos, and plastic worms. 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 light fishing pressure continues here with very cold nights continuing. A few stripers and the odd catfish continue to show at the outlet with most of the stripers better quality fish running from three to seven pounds. The stripers continue to show on white swimbaits. No 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): The catfish bite is finally coming back on a little after the cold weather and downpours of the past several weeks. The road crossing in the Palmdale to Pearblossom stretch have been getting the most attention, and the cats have been best on nightcrawlers and chicken liver. Also still an occasional striper reported on white Zombie swimbaits at 195th Avenue at the gate. The best action is still on white swimbaits bounced off the opposite bank and then worked slowly along the bottom. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

CENTRAL PARK LAKE (CALIFORNIA CITY): Very little pressure this past week and no reports.

LITTLE ROCK RESERVOIR: Water level is high and spilling at spillway, but walk-in anglers have been turned away at the gate this past week. Prior to the recent stoppage of anglers going in, there had been a very good bite on crappie bite 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 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 pretty good with some quality fish showing in Cleghorn, mostly on PowerBait and Mice Tails, but some on small spinners or spoons. Alex and Shawn Lominario, Marina, had five trout on garlic PowerBait in Cleghorn, and the big fish was a six-pounder. Alex Torres, Rialto, landed a three-pound rainbow on drop-shotting a Fluke. A few stripers have been caught off the marina docks, mostly on sardines or anchovies, and a few largemouth bass are stirring on swimbaits and plastics. 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 mostly frozen over with no fishing pressure. Access is only via the desert or up Highway 38 out of Redlands because of a road closure between the dam and Snow Valley. 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 has been fair to good for anglers fishing with lug worms or frozen sardines or anchovies in deep water off the main lake points. Fish to five pounds reported this past week, including some nice stringers of fish. For boat anglers, trolling or vertical jigging has produced fish at the buoy line, Kong Island, and Sharon’s Rest. Trout were planted last week, but the fish have dispersed quickly and only a few are showing. The largemouth and smallmouth bite is fair with a few fish showing on drop-shot or Carolina-rigged plastics, small skirted jigs, or nightcrawlers. 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 and some bigger. 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. Zac McIntyre, Frazier Park, had five stripers to three pounds on chicken liver from shore. The largemouth and smallmouth bass have been fair and improving on 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. 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: There has been 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 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) last week. They also were planted in these stretches three weeks ago. 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: Snow in Taft last week. Lots of small stripers.

The striper bite has continued pretty fair, but the bite has mostly be on sub-keeper fish. Flukes (pearl with a chartreuse tail), live minnows, or blood/lug worms are getting the fish. 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: Trout were planted last week by the DFW, but the word got out and the bite has slowed way down with most caught over the weekend. No other reports. The 8th Annual Bakersfield Firefighter’s Trout Fishing Derby and pancake breaking will be held here from 6 a.m. to Noon, Saturday, March 9. Entry fee is $20. Lowest numbered tagged trout will be worth $1,000, and 25 tagged fish will be planted in advance. 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 fair bass bite 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: A few trout are still showing after a Feb. 2 DFW plant. Very light fishing pressure. A few bass have been reported on live minnows and plastics. No crappie reported. The bluegill, catfish, and carp are all slow.

BRITE LAKE: There was 14 inches of snow here last week, and few anglers have been fishing. No trout reports, but a few crappie continue to show on small minnows fishing from deeper water. Other species also slow.

BUENA VISTA LAKES: Trout plant last week and four weeks ago, and overall the bite is slow to fair since the weekend. Best action has been on chartreuse PowerBait with fewer fish on Mice Tails this week. 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

The early season trout opener will be this Saturday, March 2 in streams in southern Inyo County (check regulations for open waters), and there will be a derby at Diaz Lake out of Lone Pine 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March. 2. Derby. For more information, go to lonepinechamber.org. Trout will be planted in Diaz Lake, Georges Creek, Independence Creek, Long Pine Creek, the Owens River below Tinnemaha and between Bishop and Big Pine, Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Symmes Creek, and Tuttle Creek this week before the early opener.

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/.

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.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]