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. ” alt=”” width=”394″ height=”747″ data-wp-editing=”1″ />It just keeps getting better. The excellent action in the entire California Aqueduct has even gotten better over the past week. The Antelope Valley and the southern San Joaquin valley stretches are both excellent, especially for catfish. Stripers are now playing second fiddle to the cats, but still showing in decent numbers, too. The best bite throughout and for both species has been on lug or blood worms fish 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. 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. Green Valley Lake is slated to get both Department of Fish and Game and Jess Ranch trout plants this week, so the weekend bite should be good to excellent. Even without the plants this week, the action has been pretty decent with good trout anglers getting at last two or three rainbows on small jigs or floating baits fished in deeper water near the dam. It has also been a lot cooler up here than down the hill. For an update on the action, you can call the lake at 909-867-2009 or go to the website at www.gvlfishing.com.
3. The striped bass bite has been good to excellent most mornings at Pyramid Lake with good surface action on smaller fish under two pounds and some bigger fish to five pounds on lures trolled under the breaking fish in the 15 to 25 feet range. Rat-L-Trap-type lures have been hot. The key has been to imitate the shad with 3 1/2- to four-inch baits. For an update on this bite, call the Emigrant Landing entrance booth at 661-295-7155 or Tackle Express at 661-251-8700.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

VICTORVILLE REGION

HESPERIA LAKE: The catfish bite has continued good, especially on the marshmallow-meal worm combo, mackerel with added scent, and garlic nightcrawlers. Stockings have been weekly on Thursdays with most of the catfish from 1-8 to 2-8, but some bigger are planted each week. Top fish this past week included a 10-pounder landed by Edward Guzman, Palmdale, while fishing the M&M combo. Justin Broussard, Upland, landed his five-fish limit, alson on the M&M combo. Lake information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951. JESS RANCH LAKES: The bass action has been slow to fair on Senkos, nightcrawlers, and swimbaits from the northern and eastern shores of lake 2. Largemouth up to five-pounds reported. Trout remain very slow with only a few fish in the two-pound range showing on PowerBait, nightcrawlers, Mice Tails, or small jigs. The bluegill remain pretty good on crickets, meal worms, wax worms, and red worms. For more information call (760)240-1107 or go to www.jessranchlakesnews.com. MOJAVE NARROWS: There continues to be a good catfish bite here thanks to weekly plants. Most of the fish are in the two to three-pound range, but some to eight pounds. Best bite on chicken liver with Triple X Blood Bait scent and either a nightcrawler or blood worm added for wiggle. Fish are also showing on frozen sardines, anchovies, or shad. The carp are also fair to good on dough baits. Bluegill are good, but most of the fish are hand-sized of smaller. The bite is best on wax worms, meal worms, or crickets. There will be a special night fishing event Friday, July 26. Information, call 760-245-2226.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

ANTELOPE VALLEY REGION

APOLLO PARK LAKE: The bluegill and warmouth remains wide open. The fish aren’t big, but the action is almost non-stop when fishing a worm under a bobber. The carp bite on remains fair to good on fish to five pounds and better on a wide variety of dough baits. An occasional catfish to five-plus pounds have been reported in the past week. 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): There are still some trout showing after the DFW trout plant two weeks ago, but the number of fish has been thinned out pretty good. Some are still being caught on PowerBait, MiceTail and small spinners. There is 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: Weeds have become a major problem, but the bites all remain good for anglers who know how to fish around the weeds. The catfish bite has been very good with a lot of fish to 10 pounds or over. Willie Mays, Lancaster, and Tyrone Robson, Palmdale, landed limits of catfish to 10 pounds and released at least a dozen more fish. The best action has been on sardine or beef liver doused with Triple X Blood Bait scent with a nightcrawler added for wiggle. The best way to get fish is to either suspend the bait under a bobber so it sits on top of the weeds or fly-line out with the same result. Even if you fish with weight, the trick is to use extra scent so the fish can find the bait in the weeds and don’t move it around. The hot spot has been some of the open holes in the weeds near the dam or other areas where the weeds are gone or light. The crappie, bluegill, and redear bites have been pretty decent in shady areas on small jigs or jigs tipped with bait. 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. The largemouth bass are showing early in the morning on plastics and reaction baits in rocky areas and in the deeper holes in the weed beds. 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: Shad are everywhere, and the largemouth bass bite has been very good on plastics with some early morning topwater action. Most of the fish are one to three pounds. The catfish bite also remains pretty good for anglers are drifting frozen shad under a slip bobber set so the bait runs eight to 15 feet. 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. Few stripers reported, but those fishing the north shore near the inlet with ghost shrimp or shad the best baits. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824. CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT (Hesperia to Quail Lake stretch): The catfish action is exceptional 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 worm. But other cut baits are also getting fish. Lots of fish from two to five pounds, and enough bigger to make it interesting. And it’s not just the cats that are hot, the striped and largemouth bass are also being caught. One anglers reported a 10-pound striper and a 7-8 largemouth off 25th Ave West and Palmdale Blvd on nightcrawlers with scent. Best bite is before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m., but there have also been a lot of fish caught during the day again this past week. 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): Little change here with a good good bluegill bite, and the catfish bite is fair to good at night. The bluegill are being caught on the usual array of small baits with red worms perhaps the best. The cats are showing on chunks of mackerel and running from two to five pounds. Carp are also pretty decent on dough baits, and a few bass are showing on cranks, plastics, swimbaits, and nightcrawlers. LITTLE ROCK RESERVOIR: A couple of walk-in anglers this week reported very good largemouth bass fishing 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: Little change here. The trout bite continues to be fair after the big plants by the Department of Water Resources last month, but the fish have spread out around the lake. The top action has been for boat anglers fishing the coves off the main channel, but shore anglers continue to get fish in Miller and Cleghorn canyon areas and around the marina. PowerBait, Mice Tails, and small spoons (Kastmasters) and spinners are the best baits and lures. Most of the trout are around a pound with some to three. The stripers also continue to be good. Most are from one to two pounds and showing at the dam, the main lake points, Chemise, and around the marina and up into both Miller and Cleghorn. Top baits continue to be sardines, nightcrawlers, frozen shad, and blood or lug worms. Trollers are using umbrella rigs with shad-like swimbaits. The catfish bite has picked up in most of the coves, especially for walk-in anglers (or campers) fishing at night. Best bite on cut baits (chicken liver and blood or lug worm combos have been very good). A few crappie and bluegill continue to be caught off the docks on small jigs with Crappie Nibbles or in most coves on deeper flooded brush. The largemouth are fair on plastics and reaction baits. Most three pounds or under, but some bigger fish on trout-like swimbaits. Silverwood is 91 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 trout bite is pretty fair overall, with some limits reported, especially for trollers, but also for bait anglers fishing near the dam. Most of the fish are solid one to three-pound fish. The west end of the lake (toward the dam) has been the best area to fish, mostly from Windy Point to the Buoy Line. The best bite has been early in the morning and then again in the evening. Bait anglers are mostly using PowerBait in bright colors in the corn, cheese, and garlic flavors or inflated nightcrawlers fished on Carolina rigs with two to three-foot or longer leaders. The weeds have become a problem, so most anglers are using filling Cast-a-bubbles full water that sink very slowly. These “weights” sit on top of the weeds and allow the bait to float up about the weeds where the trout can see them. Trollers are dragging two to four colors of leadcore (or at eight to 18 feet on downriggers) along the south shore, Trout Alley, the west end from the west public launch to the dam. 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 and crappie bites are good, on cranks and small jigs tipped with meal or wax worms, respectively. The carp bowfishing is also excellent in all shallow areas of the lake. 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: Overall slow action. The last trout plant was over a month ago, and the water is pretty warm with an algae bloom. There is however a DFW trout plant slated for this week. The VFW Auxiliary 9624 Trout Derby will be 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 7. Entry is $20 per ticket. 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: There was a 400 pound plant from Jess Ranch right before the kids derby on Saturday, and nearly 40 youth participated and most caught at least one fish and several had limits. Most were pan-sized one-pound class rainbows. DFW trout are slated to be planted this week. Small trout jigs, Mice Tails, trout spoons, inflated nightcrawlers with garlic, and PowerBait in yellow or chartreuse are the best baits. The best bite is early morning for both shore and boat anglers, and the fish are congregating in the deeper water at the dam. There has been a young bear roaming around the lake in the past 10 days. Use common sense. The website is www.gvlfishing.com and the Facebook page is Green Valley Lake Fishing.

INTERSTATE 5 LAKES

CASTAIC: The trout bite continues to be fair after the big plants last month by the Department of Water Resources, but the fish have spread out around the lake and gone deeper. The best action has been for trollers working downriggers or leadcore and small spoons. Not many on bait this past week. The stripers have remained pretty good on sand worms, lug worms, blood worms, and frozen shad, Triple X sardines or anchovies. The fish are still mostly in deeper water, but there is surface action every day now. 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. The bluegill action is good along most shoreline structure in four to 20 feet of water on small baits or jigs, and crappie are also pretty decent, especially in the lower lake. The lake’s elevation is pretty stable, with Castaic 94 percent full. For information call the marina at 661-775-6232 (www.CastaicLake.com) or Tackle Express at 661-251-8700. PYRAMID: The trout fishing has into the slow to fair range since the big plants by the DWR last month. The fish have spread out and gone deep. The shore bite has fizzled with only a few around the marina on Mice Tails and PowerBait. Trollers have been getting the most trout in 20 to 35 feet of water on small, shad-sized spoons. Most of the trout are around a pound with some to three pounds reported. The striped bass bite remains very good on one to four-pound fish with some to seven pounds. There has been good surface boils most mornings in the coves, especially Yellowbar and Spanish Point, on jerkbaits, and trout-like swimbaits. 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 bluegill bite is very good along the shoreline structure on meal worm, wax worms, red worms, and crickets. Even a few fish bigger than hand-sized. The lake’s level is not changing much. It is again 92 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 but down a little from last week at 55 percent (from 57 percent). The catfish action has been very good on dip baits, shad, and clams, especially in the Camp 9 area with some quality fish topping 10 pounds. The crappie bite is still fair to good, but with fewer limits. The fish are mostly in 12 to 20 feet of water for boat and tube anglers using small minnows. Most are from a half- to three-quarter pound, but some bigger fish continue to show. The Camp Nine and South Fork areas are best, but the crappie are showing around much of the lake. The largemouth bass bite is pretty good with topwater action early and then a lot of fish on swimbaits, cranks, jigs, and plastics. In a weekend bass event, it took over five-fish, 17-pound limits to win each day. The trout bite is fair for trollers, but also for bait anglers fishing MiceTails or PowerBait near the auxiliary dam and up near the old cemetery area. Few carp anglers, too, but dedicated carpers are getting fish on flooded flats and fly anglers are finding a lot of gulpers working. Bluegill good for the few anglers fishing them. 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 about 1,900 cfs this week, and there has been a pretty decent trout bite. There were plants last week in sections 4 and 5 this week. Best action in the bigger pools on crickets, salmon eggs, and small spinners. Lower river flows were down to 2,550 cfs Thursday, and the action is still tough. Information: Kern River Fly Shop 760-376-2040 or (www.kernriverflyfishing.com) or Gateway Market 760-376-2424. AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: The catfish bite has continued to get better and better with excellent action on mackerel, dip baits, and sardines. The cats are running from three to eight pounds. The stripers also remain pretty good on blood and sand worms for bait anglers and jerk baits and Flukes for lure anglers. Most fish right around the minimum keeper size. Catfish are best on shad or mackerel. The flows remain high and anglers need to be prepared to use heavier weight to get down through the heavy current. 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: Not much change here. There is fair to good bass action on plastics and reaction baits, and 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. RIVER WALK PARK LAKE: No surprises here with carp and bluegill on tap with some bass. The carp bite is very good on dough baits. The bass and bluegill bites remain fair to good. The bass have been best on plastics and Senko-type baits, and the bluegill hammering the wax worms or red worms. Even a few crappie being caught. Information Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657. HART PARK LAKE: The bass and bluegill bites are also very good. The bass are showing on plastics, jigs, and reaction baits, while the bluegill are best on wax and meal worms or red worms. The carp action remains excellent on Powder Bait or other dough baits. Lots of fish up to five or six pounds and some bigger. A few smaller catfish are being reported on cut baits or paste baits. TRUXTUN LAKE: Fair to good bass bite, and the carp and bluegill bites are both excellent, especially at night. The bass remain best on plastics or swimbaits. The carp are best on Wussy Bait, Powder Bait, or a variety of homemade dough baits. The bluegill are showing in good numbers on wax worms, red worms, crickets, and meal worms. MING LAKE: Continued very good carp action on Powder Bait and other dough baits. The bass and bluegill are good, especially early and late n the day. The bass are best on dark plastics, but some are also showing on small swimbaits, cranks, buzz baits, or live minnows. The bluegill are showing on meal, wax, or red worms. BRITE LAKE: There is a very good crappie bite on suspended fish in about seven feet of water. Most are half-pounders. Still some trout showing on floating dough baits or MiceTails. The bluegill are pretty good off the rocks, and a few bass are showing from all around the lake. The small crappie (most are half-pounders) are showing on small jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles, meal worms, or wax worms. Evenings and mornings have been best. The bluegill are best on wax worms under a bobber. The bass are shall and showing on small jerkbaits, plastics, and half a nightcrawler. BUENA VISTA LAKES: Little change here with the catfish and bluegill bites both remaining good. The catfish are best on cut baits with scents added, but the Triple S baits 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. The bass bite surged over the past week with a lot of schoolie fish up chasing shad in the afternoons with reaction baits getting the fish. A few 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: The bass action remains fair to good on reaction baits early and late and plastics throughout the day, with good topwater on frogs and topwater plugs early. Few crappie reports, but the bluegill action is good on crickets, wax worms, or meal worms. Catfish are fair on cut baits. The lake level dropped from 102 percent full to 93 percent capacity as runoff subsides a little. 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 68 percent this week (down from 80 percent last week and 91 the week before). There is a fair bass bite on reaction baits, plastics, and small swimbaits, but the falling water levels have hampered the bites. 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 Kern and Tulare counties include sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Kern River (above Isabella), Big Meadows Creek, and Stoney Creek. In San Bernardino County, Arrowbear Lake, Green Valley Lake, and Gregory Lake are slated to get DFW trout. In Inyo County, waters planted include Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek’s Intake II, Middle Fork, and South Fork, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Owens River in the Bishop and Tinnemaha areas, Rock Creek Lake, Shepherd Creek, South Lake, Symmes Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinnemaha Creek, and Tuttle Creek.

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.