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
- Silverwood, Pyramid, and Castaic continue to share the top spots this week. The trout bites have remained excellent at these three major reservoirs thanks to Department of Water Resources-funded plants over the last three weeks. Limits of rainbows running around a pound and up to three have been the rule at Silverwood (16,000 pounds planted), Pyramid (19,000 pounds), and Castaic (nearly 17,000 pounds). The action at all three has been best near the marina launch ramps where the fish were stocked, and small spoons or PowerBait are getting the most fish. For updates, you can call Silverwood marina at 760-389-2299, the Pyramid entrance booth at 661-295-7155, or the Castaic marina at 661-775-6232.
- The entire California aqueduct from Hesperia to Taft remains one of the hottest places to fish in the whole region. The action is good on stripers and catfish. 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. 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.
- The Lake Isabella crappie bite is still very good for boat and float tube anglers who can fish in 15 to 18 feet of water. The shore bite is tough. The fish are averaging around three-quarter pound now with fewer big fish spicing up the bite, but still a few to three pounds reported. Most of the action is around structure on small jigs or small minnows. Jackrabbit Flats has been perhaps the top area, but fish are still showing in most of the coves. For an update on this bite, check with Bob’s Bait Bucket in Bakersfield at 661-833-8657.
HIGH DESERT WATERS
VICTORVILLE REGION
HESPERIA LAKE: Good catfish action continues with weekly plants of fish running from 1-8 to three pounds, with some bigger in each stock. Top baits over the past week have been shrimp, M&M (marshmallow-meal worm) Combo, and nightcrawlers. Lake information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.
JESS RANCH LAKES: The bass action has been fair on Senkos, nightcrawlers, and swimbaits from the northern and eastern shores of lake 2. Largemouth up to five-pounds reported in the past week. Trout remain mostly 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 bigger each week. Best bite on frozen sardines, anchovies, or shad with Triple X Blood Bait scent added. The carp are also fair to good on dough baits. Bluegill are very good, but most of the fish are small and showing on wax worms or crickets. Information, call 760-245-2226.
HIGH DESERT WATERS
ANTELOPE VALLEY REGION
APOLLO PARK LAKE: With the heat and waning moon, the best bite has been early and late in the day, but the carp and bluegill bites are both very good. The carp are running from two to four pounds on a variety of dough baits, with the Triple X Amazing Carp Bait a top bet. The bite on small bluegill and warmouth is best on meal worms, wax worms, crickets and nightcrawler pieces. The trout bite has slowed way down with the warm weather, but some fish continue to show on the back side in deeper water on PowerBait and small black plastics or jigs. Also a few bass reported. 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): The bluegill remains wide open with excellent numbers of very small fish caught. Any small bait suspended under a bobber fished near the weeds is getting fish. Keep the hook size 14 or smaller. The trout bite should perk this week with a DFW trout planted slated. The previous plant was four weeks ago. PowerBait in yellow or Mice Tails have been tops for trout. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
LAKE PALMDALE: The carp and catfish bites are both very good. There have been carp over 20 pounds landed in the past week, and the average fish are five to 15 pounds. The carp are biting on a wide variety of home-made and production dough baits. The catfish are running up to 15 pounds with most three to eight pounds, and they have been showing on cut baits, with the chicken liver-blood worm or nightcrawler combo still a good bet. The trout action has also been surprisingly good early in the mornings when the fish are up on top feeding. Flies and small jigs are getting the rainbows. The redear and bluegill remain good on fly-lined nightcrawlers off the docks. 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 largemouth bass bite remains very good on reaction baits and nightcrawlers. The night bite on stripers and catfish has also been good, while the day bite is much slower. The stripers have been best along the north shore at the inlet on frozen shad or swimbaits. The cats are good all along the north shore and along the south shore tules on just about any cut bait with scent added. The bluegill bite is wide open with a lot of hand-sized fish being caught on red worms, wax worms, meal worms, crickets, and nightcrawler pieces. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT (Little Rock to Quail Lake stretch): The bite remains excellent throughout the aqueduct from Quail Lake to Hesperia. There have been stripers to 10-plus reported again this past week, while most are three to five pounds, and the catfish running to 15 pounds. Both are showing on a wide range of cut baits, blood or lug worms, and nightcrawlers. However, frozen shad with scent added has been the hot bait. Some stripers also showing on white jigs. Top spots continue to be where the flows change and slow — especially road crossings, weirs, and siphons, but also where the canal bends. Morning and evening is the best time to fish, but catfish have been showing all day. Flows are brisk so weight is needed to get the baits down. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
CENTRAL PARK LAKE (CALIFORNIA CITY): There continues to be an excellent bluegill bite, and the catfish bite is 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: No reports from walk-in anglers again this week. 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 action has been excellent over the past week thanks to 16,000 pounds of trout planted by the Department of Water Resources over the past three weeks. Most of the fish are around a pound with some to three. The best bite continues to around the marina and into both Cleghorn and Miller canyons, but the fish have spread out over much of the lake with catches reported in Chemise and near the dam. 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. There has continued to be pretty fair crappie and bluegill action off the docks on small jigs with Crappie Nibbles. The largemouth are fair on plastics and reaction baits. Most three pounds or under, but some bigger fish on trout-like swimbaits. 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 remains fair to good in the west end of the lake (toward the dam), 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. Mice Tails are also good. Trollers are dragging two to three colors of leadcore (or at 8 to 12 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 crappie and bass bites are both very good again thanks to the nice weather. The carp bowfishing also turned wide open 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: The trout bite has been fair to good since the 1,000-pound DFW trout plant last week. Top spots have been in the cove by the baseball field and the cove near the dam. PowerBait, Mice Tails, small trout jigs, and small trout spoons have all been getting fish. Early morning and early evening are the times to fish. 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: Trout have been planted four weeks in a row with plants from Jess Ranch (450 pounds last week with 50 pounds of trophy fish), and the DFW also added rainbows (400 pounds) last week. The bite has been good on small trout jigs, Mice Tails, trout spoons, inflated nightcrawlers with garlic, and PowerBait in yellow or chartreuse. With the heat, the best bite is early morning for both shore and boat anglers, and 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: The big news is the excellent trout action with nearly 17,000 pounds planted by the Department of Water Resources over the past three weeks from Calaveras trout from northern California. Most of the fish are around a pound with some to three pounds. PowerBait, Mice Tails, and small spoons (Kastmasters) and spinners were getting easy limits around both launch ramps, but the fish have spread out around the lake. John Mucsarnero, Studio City, had a five-fish limit on small trout plastics in the upper Fish Arm with rainbows to three pounds. The bite for stripers has 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 seem to be on top or near-surface most mornings and whacking jerk baits or topwaters. 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. The bluegill action is excellent along most shoreline structure in four to 20 feet of water on small baits or jigs. A few crappie reported. For information call the marina at 661-775-6232 (www.CastaicLake.com) or Tackle Express at 661-251-8700.
PYRAMID: The big buzz is about the trout fishing with 19,000 pounds or rainbows planted over the last three weeks by the Department of Water Resources. The trout have spread out over much of the lake, but limits continue to show in the marina, around Spanish Point, and Bear Trap. If you find a school of fish, Mice Tails and PowerBait have been the best, but for exploring, small spinners and spoons have been best. Most of the trout are around a pound with some to three pounds reported. Besides the trout, the bite is also very good on two to four-pound striped bass and some bigger on the bigger, trout-like swimbaits. The best bite has been on blood, lug, and sand worms, but frozen sardines, anchovies, and shad are nearly as good. Top spots for stripers continues to be the rip rap in front of the boat shop, the shoreline and points past the swim beach, and the canal by the entrance booth. The largemouth and smallmouth bass bites remain pretty good. The best bite has been on nightcrawlers, plastics, and jigs in the mouths of coves and around structure. Some fish are showing on reaction and jerk baits early mornings. 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. Catfish are fair on cut baits on the sandy banks and coves. 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 has come up again for the past week with the lake at 58 percent full (55 percent last week), and flows remain very high in both the upper and lower river. Fishing wise, little has changed. The crappie bite is still pretty good, but the fish are mostly in 15 feet of water and access to the action for shore anglers is tough. Boat and tube anglers are still getting limits of fish on small jigs or small minnows. Most are under a pound, but a few bigger fish continue to show. The catfish bite has also turned on with the heat, mostly on shad and clams but also on paste baits, and the night bite has been particularly good during the full moon this past week. They 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 cranks and plastics. The trout bite is fair for trollers, but also for bait anglers fishing MiceTails or PowerBait near the auxiliary dam. Not much pressure on the trout. 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: The Kern was flowing at 4,500 cfs in Kernville and at 5,800 cfs below the on Wednesday this week. Those remain difficult flows for good fishing, but the die-hard trout anglers are still seeing fair action on mice tails, spinners, crickets, or salmon eggs in the slower pools and edge water. The DFW is also planting section 4, 5, and 6 this week in the upper river. Fly-fishing for wild fish has also been tough with the best action on small nymphs fished along the edges of heavier flow, especially in the upper reaches of the roadside water and up into the wild trout water past the Johnsondale bridge. The lower river bite has been slow to fair in the very high flows. A few smallmouth on nightcrawlers, small reaction baits, or plastic worms. The catfish also slowed with very few reports. Information: Kern River Fly Shop 760-376-2040 or (www.kernriverflyfishing.com) or Gateway Market 760-376-2424.
AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: The striper bite remains very good on blood and sand worms for bait anglers and on pearl and chartreuse Flukes for lure anglers, with most fish right around the minimum keeper size. Bill Schuman, Bakersfield, landed a 17-pound striper on a white jerkbait this week. Catfish are nearly as good at the stripers, and this bite has been 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: There is fair bass action on plastics and reaction baits, and the carp and bluegill bites have both continued to improve with warm weather and both are pretty good now. Carp best on Wussy Bait and Powder Bait, while the bluegill are showing on crickets and wax worms.
RIVER WALK PARK LAKE: The carp bite is good on dough baits. The bass and bluegill bites remains fair. The bass have been best on plastics and Senko-type baits, and the bluegill best on wax worms or red worms. Information Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.
HART PARK LAKE: The carp action remains excellent on Powder Bait or other dough baits. Lots of fish up to five or six pounds and some bigger. The bass and bluegill bites are also good. The bass are showing on plastics, jigs, and reaction baits, while the bluegill are best on wax and meal worms or red worms.
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 on wax worms, red worms, crickets, and meal worms.
MING LAKE: Very good carp action on Powder Bait and other dough baits. The bass and bluegill are good. 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: The bite on small crappie has been pretty fair, but the trout have continued to slow down. Crappie have been best on small jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles or bait. The few trout being caught are coming in on PowerBait or MiceTails. Small bass are starting to show in better numbers, and the bluegill bite is also now very good.
BUENA VISTA LAKES: The carp action has really taken off with the hot weather, and fish to eight pounds have been reported, but relatively light fishing pressure. The best bite has been on Powder Bait or other dough baits. The bass and crappie bites have been fair. The bass have been best on plastics, spinnerbaits, and jerk baits, while the crappie are best on small minnows or jigs with Crappie Nibbles. The bluegill action has been good on wax worms, crickets, or meal worms. 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 has been good again this week. The lake level is 111 percent capacity with Sierra snowmelt runoff in the Tule River very high. The best action has been on reaction baits with some on plastics. A few crappie continue to show in deeper water on small jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles or small minnows. The bluegill action is also good on crickets, wax worms, or meal worms. Catfish are fair on cut baits. 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 have continued to come up. On Wednesday the lake was 94 percent of full (85 percent last week). The crappie bite has continued to be pretty good on small minnows or jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles or other baits. Most fish are three-quarter pound, but some bigger. There is a fair to good bass bite on reaction baits, plastics, and small swimbaits. Bluegill also are good. 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 in Kern and Tulare counties include section 4 through 6 on the upper Kern River above Kernville. In Los Angeles County, Jackson Lake is slated to get trout. In San Bernardino County, Lytle Creek’s Middle Fork is on the list, and there are again a number of waters being planted in Inyo County. They include Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek’s lower section and Intake II, Georges Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, the Owens River below Tinnemahaa, Rock Creek Lake, Shepherd Creek, Symmes Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinnemana 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.
