Central CA fishing spots ranked; Fresno-area lakes, San Luis Obispo, Millerton
Fresno Bee Feb. 11, 2026
Fishing report compiled by California Outdoors Hall of Fame member Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, who guides in the greater Fresno area and holds the striper record at Millerton Lake.
Best bets
Bass Lake trout available, Mike Beighey reported, Don Pedro king salmon action good, Steve Wirfs reported. Delta stripers and sturgeon biting, Alan Fong reported.
Rankings key below: 4: Fish are jumping in the boat. 3: Good fishing. 2: Decent fishing. 1: Poor fishing. 0: Don’t bother
Unless noted, area code is 559
Valley/Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 3
Striped bass are starting to show up in the California Aqueduct with shad patterned rip baits or flukes around bends or bridge pilings. Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported Clifton Court Forebay has been the best location for striped bass in the northern secton of the aqueduct. Catfish are a consistent choice with bait. Anglers must be extremely careful when walking on the slippery banks, especially when ice forms on cold mornings. There are yellow-painted escape ladders along the sides of the aqueduct although they may be hard to see.
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
At Eastman, big baits continue to produce big fish as those with the willingness and expertise to toss big swimbaits are being rewarded with an opportunity for a double-digit largemouth. At Hensley, the best options remain for catfish or carp. Both lakes rose slightly. No bass tournaments at either lake in February, but there are 4 at Eastman and one at Hensley in March.
Lake Don Pedro
Bass 3 Trout 2 King salmon 3 Crappie 2
King salmon to 3.5 pounds remain consistent for Steve Wirfs, who found good action while out with Jeff Boyle in the upper end of the lake. It is a matter of locating the schools which are scattered. He continues to find solid action for kings in the upper end of the lake once the schools are located. Bass fishing remains best with jigs in crawdad patterns along with jerkbaits, paddletail swimbaits, or plastics on the drop-shot are also picking up fish. Big fish are found with wake baits in the shallows. The lake held at 801.65 feet in elevation. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. A self-inspection is required for launching. but There are 8 remaining bass tournaments in February and 5 in March.
Isabella/Kaweah/Success/southern California Aqueduct reports available at https://www.tackleandrod.com/weekly-fishing-report.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
With the warm weather, spotted bass are moving toward the banks in the afternoons. Tube baits on a ¼ to 3/8th- ounce jig head are working at depths from 15 to 20 feet for small spotted bass. Shad patterned spoons remain the best bet for recently planted rainbow trout near the surface. The lake held at 812.54 feet in elevation. There are 5 bass tournaments remaining in February with 3 more in March.
Lake McSwain
Trout 2
Shore action remains fair as most of the planted rainbows have either been caught or are moving upriver to find cooler water. Berkley’s Mice Tails, garlic-scented Power Bait, inflated nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters from the Handicapped Docks, the Brush Pile, and the peninsula near the marina. Trollers continue to find holdovers in the river arm past the First Fence Line with Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler or spoons. The lake is nearly filled at 97%.
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
Similar to other lakes, bass are moving into the shallows in the afternoons, and jigs, Roboworm’s Morning Dawn plastics on a shakey head or drop-shot continue to be effective. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant are steady at 414 cfs. Sycamore Island is scheduled for a trout plant this week. Millerton dropped less than a foot this week. 3 bass tournaments remain in February with one in March.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3
Bass fishermen are starting to gravitate to the lake to toss big swimbaits for the opportunity for a trophy largemouth or spotted bass. Experienced trollers continue to find limits of rainbow trout, and Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service reported the lack of a breeze has complicated action. He is scoring limits in the top 15 feet with Papa G or Speedy Shiner spoons. All boats must be quarantined for 30 days or decontaminated at the New Melones Marina. New Melones rose less than a foot with Tulloch at 84%.
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Bass continue to move into the shallows in the afternoons, and anglers are trying for trophies with big swimbaits. This type of fishing is either feast or famine, and its mostly famine. Finesse jigs remain the best offering as the spotted bass are feeding heavily on crawdads. In the lower Kings, trout plants are on the schedule, but the flows are steady at 744 cfs at Trimmer. Berkeley Mice Tails, Pinched crawlers in floating or garlic, small spoons, or garlic Power Bait continue to produce quality holdovers. The lake rose 4 feet this week. Avocado Lake will receive a trout plant this week. Two bass tournaments are scheduled on February 21 with one in March.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
The main lake held at 78%. Tom Niccum of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported some better sized striped bass are the story for trollers along with those drifting jumbo minnows. Portuguese Cove remains the top location, and he said, “A few guys are finding rising fish, and they are finding a topwater bite.”
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that he and buddy scouted on Friday in a very slow bite caused by a low pressure frontal system that went through the area.” It went from dead calm to 20 mph winds after lunch- and the fish didn’t like it. We managed to release 13 schoolies on jigs – once we found an active school that was hitting . Water temps were up to 60 degrees. Things should improve soon.” George said.
In the forebay, Niccum reported small striped bass are the story with jumbo minnows, anchovies, or pile worms around Check 12 or the Highway 152 Bridge. The forebay rose slightly. Los Banos Creek Reservoir is closed to public access through April 2026.
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1
Bass lake is holding steady, but it should come up a bit after the coming precipitation. Mike Beighey of ‘Fishing Bass Lake with Mike’ said, “There are not many people trolling, but shore anglers are seeing plenty of action with rainbow glitter Power Bait across from the Pine’s Marina or the Sheriff’s Tower. Trout to 6 pounds have been reported, but most are in the 14-inch range. Limits are possible for those starting early in the morning. Trollers should target shallow water from 8 to 12 feet with a setback of at least 125 feet.” With the rainbow trout in the lake, bass anglers continue to toss big swimbaits in search of a trophy largemouth or spotted bass, but the most consistent action is taking place for those with Forward Facing Sonar by shaking a 4- to 5-inch Dep’s Sakamata Shad to bring the bass off of the bottom. Launching a boat remains doable, but with no dock, it’s easiest with two people. A webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1. No bass tournaments are scheduled throughout February and March.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2
Dick Nichols of Mountain Tackle said, “Shaver Lake continues with a slow bite for trollers. The best action can be found in Stevenson Bay in the top 25 feet with orange spinner hoochies or tubes tipped with corn or crawler behind weighted flashers or dodgers. Shaver rainbow trout record holder Steve Jones of Fresno confirmed the slow bite, but he managed to pick up a limit on his trip out last week as a limit or more of mixed fish is possible. Yearling trout are perhaps the best biting fish currently, but a few 3rd year kokanee can be found at the same depths. Shore fishermen are picking up a few trophy-sized trout near the Sierra Marina with orange or sparkle lime green Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Panther Martin spinners.” Check the launch ramp at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions. Shaver held at 55 with Huntington once again dropping slightly.
Ocean
Monterey/Santa Cruz
Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 2 crabs 3
Tom Niccum of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported continued excellent surf perch action for big fish to 15 inches with Honey Badger’s Synthetic Motor Oil or Motor Oil Red 2, and the lures have been so popular that they have had to limit the number purchased as anglers are trying to buy all the lures on the pegs. He said, “Striped bass are found at the mouth of the Salinas River along with Zmudowski and Manressa Beaches with Duo Realis Tide Minnows or Lucky Craft Pointers.”
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service reported, “Crabbing is still going very well on Monterey Bay for both commercial and recreational anglers. Using long-soak crab pots really helps with the productivity aspect of trapping delicious Dungeness crab. The crab remain plentiful out in the bay. Halibut fishing is likely to start early this year. Usually in April and May, the flatties to move into the shallow 30- to 60-foot areas. We’ve been assured by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that April 1 will be the opening date for the RCG Complex fishing season (Rockfish, cabezon and greenling). Rockfishing should be scheduled open until December 31, 2026. And as a bonus, it looks like the DFW is doing away with the checkerboard depth restrictions for this season. Rockfishing is scheduled to open “for all depths,” including those beautiful deepwater reefs beyond 300 feet.”
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay/Half Moon Bay
Halibut 2 Striper 3 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 3 Crab 2
The big question is whether there will be an ocean salmon season this year, and the first glimpse will be unveiled during the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s annual Salmon Information Meeting on Wednesday, February 25 at 1:00 pm. This will be a hybrid meeting where in person attendance is available along with a livestream online. According to the department’s press release, “The meeting will provide an outlook for this year’s ocean salmon fisheries, in addition to a review of last year’s salmon fisheries and inland spawner returns.”
This meeting begins the two-month public process to determine the potential for recreational and commercial seasons, involving ‘collaborative negotiations between west coast states, federal agencies, tribal co-managers, commercial troll representatives, commercial passenger fishing vessel representatives, private recreational anglers, non-governmental organizations and others interested in salmon fishery management and conservation’.
After the February 25 meeting, the next steps in the process are the March 4-9 Pacific Fishery Council Meeting (PFMC) in Sacramento for the development of a range of ocean fishing season alternatives. Final season recommendations will be adopted at the April 7-12 meeting of the PFMC.
Information on the Salmon Information Meeting including details, agenda, informational materials and instructions to view the livestream will be published in advance of the event on CDFW’s Ocean Salmon web page. Livestream login information and a handout with the meeting presentations will be posted by the morning of Feb. 25. The Ocean Salmon web page also has a complete Calendar of Events and contact information regarding the Salmon Preseason Process, including other opportunities for engagement in the ocean salmon season development process.
Fishing for striped bass, leopard shark, and sturgeon remains solid in San Pablo Bay, but targeting white sturgeon is restricted from lines connecting Point Chauncy to Point Richmond, the Bay Bridge, and Point Lobos to Point Bonita from January 1 to March 15 annually to protect sturgeon during the herring run.
The beaches remain fair for shoreline crabbing with the most consistent location the Pacifica Pier due to access to deeper water. The status of the pier is available here - https://www.cityofpacifica.org/departments/public-works/field-services/pacifica-pier.
San Luis Obispo
Surf perch 3
Boat-based rockfish season will not reopen until April 2026, and shore fishing for surf perch or rockfish is the only game in town during the coming months.
Delta/Stockton
Bass 2 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
The waters on the Sacramento side of the California Delta are clearing and warming up, and striped bass are on the move through the system. As the water continues to clear with the lack of precipitation, the next month should be epic on the striped bass front. The sturgeon are already here, and six-pack captains are reporting scores in February similar to last March and April.
Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors has been focusing in the shallows in the Liberty Island area, and on a recent trip, Fong and Denise Loo caught and released two linesides over 20 and several over 10 pounds tossing Ballzy Baits swimbaits in 1 to 2 feet of water. Fong said, “The water temperature has risen to 57 degrees, and the stripers are just choking these baits. The water clarity is around a foot, and I expect the bite to break out from Pittsburg to Rio Vista soon as trollers are already starting to pick them up along the West Bank with deep-diving Yozuri’s.”
The sturgeon are already here, and Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing said, “The six-packs really found tremendous action on Saturday with Golden State releasing 27 diamondbacks, Bend Ur Rod landing 38 over two days, and Right Hook releasing 15. This is action like we experienced early spring. There are sturgeon all over in the sloughs or the big bodies of water. Honker Bay, Grizzly Bay, the Benicia/Martinez Bridge, Chain Island, the Middle Grounds, and Montezuma Slough are all holding fish.
Largemouth bass action remains slow, but there are signs of improvement. A slow presentation is working best.
Events:
February 14 – Marin Rod and Gun Club - Golden State Salmon Association Crab Feed – information: https://goldenstatesalmon.org/.
Tournament Results:
Kaweah – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments - February 7th: 1st – David Coy/Dave Simpson – 9.07 pounds; 2nd – Branden Turner/James Beasley – 7.44; 3rd – Josh Steinhauer/Brian Gambini – 6.47. Fresno Bee February 11, 2026
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