Central CA’s Top 5 fishing spots: ‘Very enthusiastic about fishing at Shaver Lake’

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.

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

Top 5 Bee Fishing Picks

Lake Don Pedro

Bass 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto reported the bass bite is turning on in the Blue Oaks/Fleming Meadows end of the lake as the water temperature is approaching the mid-60’s in the coves. There are bass moving into the flats, but the females have yet to lock in on their beds. He said, “Keitech paddletail swimbaits, underspins, and crankbaits are working, and when the wind is blowing, spinnerbaits are effective. Jigs and plastics on the drop-shot are working around 15 feet.”

Limits in the 20-pound range are winning tournaments with a 20-plus pound limit taking Saturday’s Best Bass Tournament and an average close to 20 pounds for the two-day Fresno Bass Club event. Trout fishing remains slow as the rainbows have moved out of the main lake. Kokanee to 16 inches have been caught near the dam, and this is a strong early-season sign of what’s to come. The lake is discharging water heavily, and it remains stable at 804.95 feet in elevation. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. A self-inspection is required for launching. There are five more bass tournaments in March with 10 on the schedule in April.

Isabella/Kaweah/Success/southern California Aqueduct reports available at https://www.tackleandrod.com/weekly-fishing-report.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2

John Liechty of Xperience Bass Fishing Guide Service reported largemouth and spotted bass in the 3- to 6-pound range have been taken on big swimbaits in the shallows while bass to 7 pounds have responded to plastics on the drop-shot or shakey head.

He said, “There are a ton of fish in the shallows but only in certain areas. The wide-open spring bite has yet to happen, but it will as every day has been different. The water is rising every day, and this is keeping the fish from locking into their beds. The water temperature ranges from 57 degrees in the morning, but it is warming up to 62 in the coves in the afternoons. Finesse has been the most consistent presentation.”

All boats must be quarantined for 30 days or decontaminated at the New Melones Marina. The decontamination unit is only available on Fridays by appointment only. New Melones rose 3 feet to 1040.26 and 78% with Tulloch dropping to 82%.

McClure Reservoir

Bass 3 Trout 3 King salmon 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2

Due to the NICA youth mountain bike races at Barrett Cove, the Barrett Cove North and South launch ramps will be closed once again this coming weekend from March 20/22, but boaters can still access the lake at McClure Point or Horseshoe Bend. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing found solid rainbow trout action trolling spoons behind 3.5 to 4.5 colors of lead core or with a Chinook Diver, and several of the rainbows had square tails typical of a holdover. Calaveras Trout Farm planted 1,000 pounds of rainbows at McClure Point North Ramp on Friday.

For bass, Aaron Jones reported the best action in the lower half of the lake near the dam, as the upper river is mostly smaller fish. The bass have moved into the shallows in the warmer coves, and techniques similar to Don Pedro’s are most effective. The lake rose 4 feet to 819.48 feet in elevation and 71%. There are 4 bass tournaments scheduled in March. At downstream Lake Yosemite, Calaveras Trout Farm planted 3360 pounds of trout, including 1,000 pounds of Lightning trout, and there are trout more than 6 pounds released. Two bass tournaments remain in March with one in April.

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 3

Dick Nichols of Mountain Tackle said, “I’m very enthusiastic about fishing at Shaver Lake as the kokanee are plump and on schedule for size, although not everyone is connecting. I was out with Dave McGlothlin of Clovis this week, and we found the bite at 20 to 22 feet south of the island with Dick’s Mountain Tubes, Candy, or Koke Busters tipped with pink corn behind Popsicle and Super Dave Mountain Dodgers on the downriggers. On the side pole, we had the new J.W..’S and Jimbo Trout Busters tipped with pink corn behind weighted Demon Mountain Flashers. We ended up catching and releasing 3 limits of kokanee 13 to 15 inches and 2 yearling trout. At the same time Jimmy Tartaglia of Reedley and Chris Hansen of Tollhouse were out, and they found similar action with pink lures and pink corn. Dave Loftin of Visalia caught and released 10 kokanee at depths to 30 feet at the Point, Island and Black Rock. Another plant from the Department of Fish and Wildlife of big brooders occurred at the Sierra Marina, and rainbows to pushing 9 pounds are taken on Power Bait or spinners from the shorelines. Check the launch ramp at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions. Shaver is at 58 with Huntington at 69%.

Delta/Stockton

Bass 2 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3

Sturgeon fishing remains phenomenal in Suisun Bay with six-pack captains reporting as many as 20 fish to the boat. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing took a father and his six-year-old son out on Friday, and they brought a total of 10 sturgeon to the boat, all between 40 and 60 inches along with two striped bass to 15 pounds. Oversized sturgeon exceeding 200 pounds have been caught and released as the peak of the season is here. Striped bass trolling has been excellent on the San Joaquin side, and it is also picking up on the Sacramento side along the West Bank with shallow-running Rat-L-Traps or deep-diving Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows. Plugging in the flooded islands in the north Delta is producing linesides over 20 pounds in the shallows. Largemouth bass action is heating up also as Dave King of Nor Cal Bass took the Manteca Bassin’ Buddies tournament out of Paradise Point Marina on Saturday with 18.90 pounds including a big fish at 6.45 pounds. He said, “We were in the sloughs in the east Delta, and all they wanted was a watermelon/red Senko.” Both striped and largemouth bass are feeding heavily on crawdads.

All the rest

Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake

Bass 3 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Moau reported a continued solid swimbait bite with largemouth bass in the 4- to 5-pound range moving into the shallows. The water remains murky, but there are numbers of bass holding close to the banks. 5.8-inch Keitech swimbaits or dragging plastics are working best. Crappie fishing remains slow, but it is only a matter of time before the slabs move into the shallows. Big swimbaits continue to be in high demand, but Moua said, “We have plenty of 8- and 10-inch Huddlestons in the shop.” Hensley remains slow overall with catfish and carp making the best showing. There are 4 bass tournaments at Eastman and one at Hensley in March. Eastman rose 2.5 feet to 507.96 feet in elevation and 28% with Hensley also rising nearly 4 feet to 4 feet to 494.04 feet in elevation and 36%. The Sierra Bass Club is holding a tournament at Eastman this coming Saturday with one more tournament on the schedule in April. Trout plants at Eastman and Hensley are scheduled this week.

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River

Bass 3 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2

Jayden Moua reported a solid spotted bass bite close to 2 pounds as the fish are moving into the shallows. The spots are pushing up shad, and Keitech swimbaits, jerkbaits, or plastics on a Texas-rig are working at depths from 10 to 15 feet. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant rose to 1104 cfs as heavy water releases have begun. Millerton rose to 550.33 feet in elevation and 76%. There are no bass tournament scheduled in the remainder of March or in April. A trout plant is scheduled at Woodward Park this week.

Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Jayden Moua reported the bass are moving to the shallows for spawn, but some are holding off around 20 to 30 feet in depth. Rocky areas remain the best, and crankbaits are effective around rocks. He said, “The bass are blowing up on the shad schools on the surface above Trimmer, and flukes, ripbaits, or dragging a Texas-rigged Trick Worm in watermelon/red have all been working.” For trout, Dave and Mia Geil of Sanger found 8 rainbows to 17 inches trolling orange Mountain Hoochies or Texas T Trout Busters tipped with a nightcrawler behind a Dick’s Sunset or Watermelon dodger at depths to 30 feet around 2 mph near the Power Lines.A trout plant is scheduled on the Kings River below the dam this week, but the flows are high at 2626 cfs. Berkeley Mice Tails, Pinched crawlers in floating or garlic, small spoons, or garlic Power Bait are working for the recent planters. A trout plant is also scheduled at Avocado Lake this week. The lake continues to rise, and it is at 888.46 feet in elevation and 67%. One bass tournament remains in March with three on the books in April.

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay

Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2

Jayden Moua reported a slowdown for striped bass on the main lake with some anglers returning without a fish. Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill confirmed the slowdown, but he said, “Some are yo-yoing LV 500 crankbaits with success while others are drifting jumbo minnows or soaking pile worms.”

Roger George of Roger George Guide service reported a slow overall bite this last week.” I guided two trips this week and the fish were suspended in the main lake- and the shoreline jerk bait bite had also slowed. We released 18 fish to 24” trolling Lucky Crafts in shad tones on Wednesday, then Saturday we had to work even harder for 17 stripers to 24”. We had a lot of good solid 22-23” fish working the 60’ depth at 2.2 mph at areas all over the lake with one fish here and there. They were very picky” George said.

In the O’Neill Forebay, small striped bass remain the rule, but the largemouth bass bite is solid flipping plastics near the grass as the fish are moving into the shallows. The main lake rose to 88% with the forebay also rising to 88%. Los Banos Creek Reservoir is closed to public access through April 2026.

Lake McSwain

Trout 3

The lake received another 2,125 pounds of Calaveras Trout Farm rainbows on Friday to go with yesterday as 2240 pound on February 25, and there are plenty of fish in the lake. Bank action is best in the early mornings or evenings with 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 are finding their best action in the river arm above the Fence Line with Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of nightcrawler behind a dodger or Kastmasters. The lake held at 86%.

Valley/Westside waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 3

Jayden Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported a decent striped bass bite depending upon the time of day and location as there have been specific short bite windows. Bridge pilings, bends in the aqueduct, and head gates remain the best locations with flukes, bait, or ripbaits. Striperz Gone Wild’s Spring Striper Tournament is Saturday, April 25 at Volta Road with an entry fee of 10 non-perishable food items to be delivered to Merced County food banks. Trophies for first through third will be presented in both the adult and youth divisions.

High Sierra

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 1

Mike Beighey of ‘Fishing Bass Lake with Mike’ said, “The lake is filling up quick. The weather is awesome, but right now fishing is slow, and I think it’s because the lake is filling and the fish are following the shoreline. This means that fishing from shore should be good. Trolling should turn back on soon. I start my season on April 3. The Veteran’s fishing tournament is on April 25 out of Miller’s Landing, and so far, 36 veterans have registered, and there will be three veterans per boat.” For bass, Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported the bite is picking up as the females are fanning beds under the docks. The lake is warming up much earlier than normal, and he scored a 14-pound limit flipping jigs around the docks. A 10-inch Huddleston also worked for a 3.5-pound spotted bass. A webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1. Three bass tournaments are scheduled in April.

Ocean

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

It is confirmed that salmon season will begin south of Pigeon Point to the Mexico border on Saturday, April 11, and although the exact harvest quota has not be confirmed, it appears to be in the range of 21,300 to 21,800 fish in this section of the coast. Noting that last season’s fishing in the two-day season was strong, the harvest quota could be achieved within a few weeks.

The 21^st Annual Sand Crab Classic Surf Perch Derby was held out of Santa Cruz on Saturday, and all proceeds from the event are dedicated to the Monterey Bay Trout and Salmon Project. From the surf, Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported continued excellent action for barred perch to 15 inches from Watsonville to Monterey with all sorts of motor oil/red flake grubs. He said, “We are still limiting family groups to three packs of grubs as the Mekini Baitz, Honey Badgers, and Lucky 13’s are going fast.”

Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay/Half Moon Bay

Halibut 2 Striper 2 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2

Boat-based rockfish season starts on April 4^th, and San Francisco Bay party boats are gearing up for the opener. It is still unclear as to the ocean salmon opener in this section of the coast from Point Arena south to Pigeon Point, but the harvest quota will be between 31,000- and 34,000 fish. Once again, the quota could be achieved within a few weeks at the most if interest and action is like the six-day season in 2025. Final season recommendations will be adopted at the April 7-12 meeting of the PFMC.

Party and private boats are targeting halibut by trolling in the south bay, and although many of the flatfish are undersized, a few keepers are coming in the mix. Striped bass continue to be taken on bait in the north bay with smaller fish found plugging in the stained waters.

San Luis Obispo

Surf perch 3

Boat-based rockfish season will reopen on April 4th, and both landings are taking reservations for the opener.

Events:

Tournament Results:

Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments Mother Lode Division – March 14^th: 1^st – Russ Pierson/Michael Beevers – 20.65; 2^nd – Xong Heu/Yoham Chang -19.90 (Big Fish – 9.36); 3^rd – Jason Buffalow/Marco Navarrete – 16.42.

Delta/Paradise Point – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies – March 14^th: 1^st – Dave King/Danny Goddard – 18.90 (Big Fish – 6.65); 2^nd – Bill Vernon/Kevin Guest – 14.40; 3^rd – Hunter Cook/McKenzie Kerthla – 14.05.

Don Pedro – Fresno Bass Club (10-fish total) – March 14/15^th: 1^{st –} Timmy Wells – 33.21; 2^nd - Matthew Mendes – 27.85; 3^rd- Kyle Reynolds – 27.37. Big Fish – Mark Corrente – 8.00 pounds.

Christopher Kirkpatrick

The Fresno Bee

Christopher Kirkpatrick is senior editor of The Fresno Bee and Vida en el Valle.