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. The Fred Hall Show at the Long Beach Convention Center is the No. 1 pick for most anglers this week with a fairly large percent of those who fish in Southern California attending. The show opened on Wednesday this week and continues through Sunday. Show hours and pricing are available at www.fredhall.com.
2. Apollo Park stays in the top picks after getting around 6,500 pounds of pan-sized trout and another 2,000 pounds of trophy fish planted last week for the derby. While a lot of the trout were caught over the weekend, the bite remains good with limits of rainbows averaging around 1-8 to two pounds each still showing. There is also a chance to get a bigger fish. For an update on this bite, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
3. River Walk Park Lake in Bakersfield breaks into the top picks this week because of the plants going in for the 8th Annual Bakersfield Firefighter’s Trout Fishing Derby and pancake breakfast to be held Saturday from 6 a.m. to Noon. Entry fee is $20. Lowest numbered tagged trout will be worth $1,000, and 25 tagged fish will be planted and there will be trophy fish to eight pounds. The bite is likely to be pretty good for a couple of days after the event thanks to both a DFW plant and 2,000 pounds of private trout. Information Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

VICTORVILLE REGION

HESPERIA LAKE: 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: High winds and rain have continued to hamper the fishing here over the past week. There has been an influx of pelicans (hundreds?) at the lake, and the trout have been balled up in deep water to avoid the feeding pelicans. This has made the trout bite mostly slow, but a few fish are showing for anglers fishing deep-water spots with PowerBait in rainbow, garlic, and salmon peach, garlic nightcrawlers, or MiceTails in the deeper water. Top 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. 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 and a few bigger rainbows. There are weekly county trout plants on Thursdays. 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 this past week was an eight-pounder landed by Frank Villa, Apple Valley, fishing a jig in Pelican. The park is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Information, call 760-245-2226.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

ANTELOPE VALLEY REGION

APOLLO PARK LAKE: Good trout action for the derby this past weekend and the trout bite has stayed good since with a lot of limits reported in spite of the cold, windy weather. And now rain…. Most of the fish are around a pound or better with some to five pounds. Best action 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. 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: There continues to be a very steady bite on both trout and largemouth bass, with the bass already starting to move along the shorelines readying for the spawn. Lots of nice limits of trout reported after stocks last week and two weeks ago. 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. Some are moving in tighter. 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 and windy, cold and/or rainy weather. 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 still pretty fair. 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. Still a few stripers 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 again 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 a number of limits and some quality fish showing in Cleghorn, Miller, and at the Gazebo near the marina. Best action on PowerBait and Mice Tails, but some on small spinners or spoons. The most recent DFW trout plant was last Thursday, when 1,000 pounds of rainbows went in. Carlos Avila Jr., 6, San Bernardino, landed a three-pound rainbow on salmon peach PowerBait, while Mike Long, Wrightwood, also had a three-pounder on garlic PowerBait. Tye, Leo, Gabriel, and Ruben Martinez, Piñon Hills, combined to land 10 rainbows to two pounds fishing PowerBait at the Gazebo. 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 activity. 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 are closed and won’t begin again until late April or early May. The website is www.gvlfishing.com and the Facebook page is Green Valley Lake Fishing.

INTERSTATE 5 LAKES

CASTAIC: Weather has hampered the bite over the past week, but the bites for stripers and the largemouth and smallmouth bass has been pretty fair. The largemouth starting to move up into shallower water for the spawn. 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 and at the dam. 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 Necktie Canyon, the buoy line, Kong Island, and Sharon’s Rest. Kimstrong Leing, Norwalk, had six stripers to four pounds on sardines and anchovies. The black bass are best on plastics worms, and Senko-like baits Trout were planted two weeks ago, and a few are still showing. 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 largemouth and smallmouth bass bites are really starting to turn on with the fish thinking about the coming spawn and moving up out of deep water. The best bite has been on nightcrawlers, plastics, and jigs fished in 10 to 20 feet of water on the points and steep drop-offs, but some fish are moving up into shallower water and starting to nose around. 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. 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: Very light fishing pressure with the weather, but there are still a few bass showing on 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) two and four weeks ago. Next plants in two weeks. The bite has been slow on crickets, nightcrawlers, and salmon eggs. Runoff flows in the upper peaks at nearly 10,000 cfs on Wednesday because of heavy rains, and the clarity and water level has been variable. Fly-fishing for wild fish has also been tough with the best action 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 still low except right after storms. 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 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 bite on small stripers remains fair, but overall little pressure. 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 this week by the DFW and a 2,000-pound private plant will go in for the 8th Annual Bakersfield Firefighter’s Trout Fishing Derby and pancake breakfast to be held here from 6 a.m. to Noon, Saturday. Entry fee is $20. Lowest numbered tagged trout will be worth $1,000, and 25 tagged fish will be planted and there will be trophy fish to eight pounds. Information Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.

HART PARK LAKE: Very slow fishing with very little fishing pressure due to weather and cold. The DFW is expected to plant trout next week. 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.

MING LAKE: DFW trout plant on Monday this week, and that plant has perked the trout bite. Best action on a variety of PowerBait with garlic and Mice Tails. A few bass have been reported on live minnows and plastics. No crappie reported. The bluegill, catfish, and carp are all slow.

BRITE LAKE: More snow is likely this weekend, but the few anglers have been fishing are still seeing a few crappie. No other reports.

BUENA VISTA LAKES: Trout plant two weeks ago, but a few fish continue to show because of little pressure since the plant. 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

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.