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
- This Saturday’s trout opener at Lake Palmdale is the top pick for this week. The lake has been planted with five different strains of rainbow trout, including the crimson and gold Lightning Trout. Some of the fish planted already have been over 10 pounds. Trout plants have been going in since December, and a total of 88,000 pounds are scheduled to be planted for the upcoming season. Call the Palmdale Fin & Feather Club for membership and fishing information at 661-947-2884 or go to website at www.palmdalefinandfeatherclub.com.
- Apollo Park Lake was scheduled to get trout Thursday this week, and even without another stock the bite has continued to be a top bet in the area. The best action is in the front lake right after a plant, but as the fish spread out, the back lake tends to be the hot spot. The hot action has been on Mice Tails in pink and white, but marshmallow-meal worm combo, small jigs, PowerBait and nightcrawlers, all with garlic scent, have been getting trout from one to three pounds. For an update on this bite, call Apollo Park at 661-940-7701 or Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
- The striped bass bite at Castaic Lake moves back into the top picks with some very good limits of fish reported in the past week, and most of those stringers had at least one or two fish from three to five pounds to go with the one to 1 1/2-pounders. The best bite has been on sardines or lug/blood worms, but anglers should keep moving until they find a school of fish. Shore anglers have had their best luck along the west shoreline from the dam to the main launch ramp and the last point adjacent to the west ramp. For an update on this bite, check with the marina staff at 661-775-6232 or call Tackle Express at 661-251-8700.
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: Mild weather with little wind led to more activity and better fishing for trout anglers this week. Overall a fair to good bite with the best action on PowerBait (especially rainbow, garlic and salmon peach), nightcrawlers with garlic oil, small trout jigs, and Mice Tails. Most of the rainbows are around two pounds. Hot spots have been 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: Very steady trout action 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 has remained fair to good over the past week, with the best bite on pink and white Mice Tails, although many other baits and small trout lures are getting fish. Green or chartreuse trout jigs and garlic nightcrawlers have also been productive. Trout were slated to be stocked Thursday this week, and there was a plant four weeks ago. The bite is best in the front lake for the first day or two after the stock, and then the fish spread out and frequently the best action has been in the back lake. Stocks are twice a month this season with about 900 pounds per stock. The panfish, carp, and catfish bites are mostly slow. 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 with sheet ice on the lake. No reports. No trout plants yet, and no bass reported. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
LAKE PALMDALE: The big trout opener is this Saturday, February 2. There have been five different strains of rainbow trout planted, including the brightly-colored Lightning Trout. Trout plant have been going in since December, and a total of 88,000 pounds are scheduled to be planted for the upcoming season. 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: Very little fishing pressure over the past week with the evening and night temperatures still very cold. A few stripers continue to show at the far east end of the lake on the 138 side of the lake (receached by bicycling). The best bite has been on ghost shrimp, chicken liver, and nightcrawlers. 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): Light fishing pressure, but there continues to be a decent bite on striped bass along west end of the valley with a lot of two to four-pound class fish. The bite kicked on a little this week as flows turned up. Most of the curves and road crossings, where the current flow is changed, have been producing fish. The bite is best on shad-like jigs bounced across the current along the bottom. A few catfish also continue to show on chicken liver or sardines with scent, especially in the Muns Ranch and 110th West spots at the siphons. 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: No reports over the past week, but a few bass had been showing on warmer days. The lake is open to walk-in fishing, and he water level has come up a little from runoff. Access remains restricted some days because of heavy equipment use. 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.
SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAIN WATERS
SILVERWOOD: Continued light fishing pressure, but a few stripers and trout have been reported. The stripers have been best at the dam, around the marina docks, and the mouth of Miller Canyon near the launch ramp. Most of the stripers are small, under two pounds, and showing on sardines and blood worms. Bruce Green, Ontario, had nine stripers to 1-8 on sardines off the dock. Trout are best on floating baits, Mice Tails, and small spoons in Cleghorn and Miller canyons, with the most recent plant on Jan. 11. No more plants currently on the DFW schedule. Allen Fisher, Havienda Heights, had five rainbows on Pro Cure bait in Cleghorn. A few reports of small largemouth, but no bluegill or catfish reported. 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 mostly 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 light fishing pressure even with the better 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 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 striped bass bite has been fair to good and most stringers have had at least one or two fish from three to five pounds on them in the past week. The best bite has been on sardines or lug/blood worms. The best action for boat anglers has been at the buoy line, Kong Island, and Sharon’s Rest, while shore anglers have had their best luck along the west shoreline from the dam to the main launch ramp and the last point adjacent to the west ramp. Finding a school of fish has been key to getting a nice stringer. Tse Wah Leung, Rosemead, had a limit of stripers to five pounds fishing sardines and anchovies. Song Lim, Los Angeles, landed eight stripers to five pounds on sardines. The trout plant three weeks ago consisted of 1,000 pounds or rainbows, but the action has slowed way down. 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 – most in the 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 and (for shore anglers) in the canal by the front entrance booth and the rocks near the boat shop. The largemouth and smallmouth bass have been slow to fair on nightcrawlers, plastics, and jigs fished in 20-plus feet of water on the points and steep drop-offs. Some smallmouth on deep-running cranks. The catfish bite has slowed way down, with only a few reported from deeper water. Yellowbar has been the best spot with a nice mixed bag of catfish and stripers. The bluegill and crappie bites are very slow. 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: Continued very light fishing pressure, but there has been a pretty decent largemouth bite for anglers jigging in deep water on structure or 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 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 week and two weeks ago. The trout bite remains pretty fair, but getting light fishing pressure. The best bite has been on crickets, nightcrawlers, and salmon eggs. Cold weather and water has slowed the fly bite some, but it’s still fair on small nymphs fished in deeper runs in the low flows, 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 slow on bass with 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: Light fishing pressure, but the striper bite has continued pretty fair. The best bite has been 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 or seven pounds. Catfish are slow with a few on shad, sardines, anchovies, blood worms, chicken liver, and Wussy Bait. There was a 16-pound cat reported by Rodney Bohannon, Bakersfield, fishing an anchovy. 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: Water level is way down, and there has been little fishing pressure. Slow overall. 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 little fishing pressure and no reports. 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: Light fishing pressure, but a few bass anglers have been fishing with plastics and cranks this week in the nicer weather and have reported some largemouth up to eight pounds. 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 over the past week on live minnows and plastics. No crappie reported, and the trout are very slow with the most recent DFW plant five weeks ago. One more 500-pound DFW plant is supposed to go in sometime in Januaqry, but it was never on the trout plant schedule. The bluegill, catfish, and carp are all slow.
BRITE LAKE: A few trout continue to show at the launch ramp, especially on rainbow PowerBait. 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.
BUENA VISTA LAKES: Trout plant last week made for a pretty decent bite 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 very slow. A few bass continue to show 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/. Of note this week: In Inyo County, Owens River (section 2) and Pleasant Valley Reservoir were slated to get rainbows. In Kern and Tulare counties, the Kern River (sections 4-6) were on the schedule. In San Bernardino County, Glen Helen Park Lake was slated to get fish (it is also planted weekly by the county).
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.
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