See top 5 fishing spots in Central CA; Fresno-area lakes, Millerton, Delta, San Luis Obispo
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 Picks
1. Lake Don Pedro
Bass 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 3 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Don Pedro continues to be the highlight for Central Valley kokanee trollers, and Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service has opted to chase kokanee here as opposed to his home lake of New Melones due to the plump landlocked salmon he describes as ‘footballs.”
Wise reported, “Last year it was dismal at Pedro, but this year is totally different as these kokanee are fat and healthy. Your average fish is 14 to 15 inches, and as healthy as they can get. I think Pedro will be the hot spot in the Mother Lode this week. The kokanee are relatively shallow at 30 to 40 feet, and we are just pulling spinners and Apex lures for limits.”
For bass, Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto reported a very good bite leading up to the weekend’s stormy weather, saying, “I can’t imagine the action getting much better.” Topwater lures during stormy or overcast conditions, walking baits, Poppers, spinnerbaits, big or little swimbaits, or crankbaits are all working. A 9-pound largemouth was landed on a Berkley Choppo 90 topwater lure. The bass are in all stages of the spawn with around half the fish being spawned out. The lake rose slightly to 807.81 feet in elevation and 87%. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. A self-inspection is required for launching. There are 6 bass tournaments remaining on the schedule in April with 8 in May.
Isabella/Kaweah/Success/southern California Aqueduct reports available at https://www.tackleandrod.com/weekly-fishing-report.
2. McClure Reservoir
Bass 3 Trout 3 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
Aaron Jones reported McClure has been kicking out some larger bass as the fish are cruising the shallows or holding on beds. 4-inch plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, 3-inch swimbaits on an underspin, crankbaits, and finesse are all working. Trout plants have led to some solid trolling action with shad-patterned spoons near the dam as the lake is producing quality rainbows with square tails. There will be single plants from the Calaveras Trout Farm in April and May with a double plant in June.
The Reel Deal Market & Cafe at Lake McClure is now open for weekends with Barrett Cove Cafe service returning on May 23. The lake rose over a foot to 835.78 feet in elevation and 80%. Best Bass Tournaments will host events this coming Saturday and Sunday, and there are five additional tournaments on the schedule in May.
3. Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 3 Striped bass 2 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
Tas Moua reported a continued strong spotted bass bite as the water has stabilized, He said, “The bass seem to be acclimated to the water level, and finesse techniques are working around rocky points and the backs of coves. Three striped bass to 22 pounds have been landed from the shoreline including a lineside from the Fresno side launch ramp as the stripers were pushing bait into the shallows.” The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant rose slightly to 857 cfs as the lake rose only a foot to 558.49 feet in elevation and 82%. There are no bass tournaments scheduled in either April or May. A trout plant is scheduled at Woodward Park this week
4. New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 3 Kokanee 3 Trout 2
The New Melones Marina will be moved into deep water early this week with a plan of opening on May 1 for the season. Park hours will also change to 6:00 am to 8:30 pm starting May 1 at both Glory Hole and Tuttletown. Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service reported limits of kokanee at depths from 30 to 50 feet, moving deeper in the afternoons with the boat pressure, but the landlocked salmon are small overall with the occasional 14- to 15-inch fish.” Papa G’s J-Pex lures in pink/gold or hoochies in pink or gold tipped with Pautske’s Tuna Fire Corn behind a gold dodger continue to be the trick. For bass, Aaron Jones touted a solid bite with topwater lures, flukes, tubes or spinnerbaits. He said, “Anglers are reporting large bait balls forming so there must have been a large shad spawn. Umbrella rigs have been effective in the bait balls.” 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 until May 1. New Melones dropped 1.5 feet to 1039.49 feet in elevation and 78% with Tulloch holding at 83%.
5. Delta/Stockton
Bass 2 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
The weekend’s storms didn’t put a damper on striped bass fishing on the Sacramento River side as Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing continued to find a solid troll bite for downstream linesides on the Sacramento side. The river has risen with pulse flows out of Lake Shasta along with the inflow from the storms, and the remaining spawning striped bass are moving north while spawned-out linesides are moving through the Delta returning to the bay. Sturgeon are still a strong possibility, but only Gamez and Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing are still working out of Pittsburg. Largemouth bass has been decent with the best action in the central Delta north of Stockton as the bulk of the spawn has yet to occur. In the south and central Delta, most of the largemouth bass have spawned, and the bite has been a challenge. The two-day Badges, Bass, and Badges tournament out of B and W Resort on the Mokelumne River produced winning limits in the 23.5-pound range on frogs, jigs, or plastics. American shad have flooded into the north Delta near Freeport on their way to the American and Feather Rivers.
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Valley/Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 2
Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported the best action between Fairfax and Nees Road with slower current as the largemouth bass are trying to spawn. Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait reported bait fishing with anchovies or pile worms with 4- to 5-ounce weights are best for striped bass. 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. Every participant receives a raffle ticket for prizes including a new kayak from Bass Pro Shops. Food trucks, vendors, and a bounce house will be on site at Volta Road.
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Moau reported the big swimbaits remain effective as an angler who has been working hard landed his personal-best double-digit largemouth this week. He said, “There is a lot of dead water, but rockpiles seem to be holding the most bass, and lipless crankbaits or Brush Hogs are finding these fish. The fish are starting to pull up into the shallows. Hensley continues to be ‘hit or miss’ for bass with the best action for bluegill, catfish, crappie, or carp. There are no bass tournaments at either lake through the remainder of April with one at Eastman in May. Eastman rose slightly to 509.91 feet in elevation and 29% with Hensley rising less than a foot to 497.63 feet in elevation and 40%.
Lake McSwain
Trout 3
The Merced Irrigation District’s Spring Classic Trout Derby is this coming Saturday, April 18 from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm with the winners announced starting at 3:00 pm. There is no derby registration fee, and the Fish Donkey app will not be used this year. Registration is easy- Just show up and fish. There is a $20 vehicle entry fee and an $8 boat launch fee. Free vehicle entry for active and veteran military, annual passholders, campers, first responders, and students from Merced or Mariposa County school districts. A trout plant will be released prior to the derby, 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 are the best bets. Trollers are scoring in the river arm above the Fence Line with Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of nightcrawler behind a dodger or Kastmasters. The lake is at 88%. Heavy planting is scheduled in the next three months with another plant in April, one in May, and 2 in June. Single plants are scheduled at Lake Yosemite in April, May, and June. The Reel Deal Market & Cafe is now open for weekends.
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Tas Moua reported the topwater bite has slowed down as the shad has moved out of the back of the creeks. The best action has been on secondary points with Neko-rigged Senkos or plastics on a drop-shot for small spotted bass in the 12- to 15-inch range. Anglers pre-fishing for upcoming tournaments are working hard to put together 9 pounds. A trout plant is scheduled this week. In the lower Kings River, a trout plant is scheduled below the dam this week, but the flows remain high at 2650 cfs., making for dangerous wading conditions. Berkeley Mice Tails, Pinched crawlers in floating or garlic, small spoons, or garlic Power Bait are best in the transition from slow to fast water. The lake continues to rise, and it came up 2.5 feet this week to 916.47 feet in elevation and 81%. Three bass tournaments are on the books in April including two this coming weekend.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported a bit tougher striped bass bite in the main lake, and boating has been slowing down due to mussel restrictions. Bank anglers are soaking extra-large or jumbo minnows or pile worms for schoolies. Tas Moua reported an improving troll bite “
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the lake is slowly releasing water, but the fish rebounded some after the waning full moon diminished. “ I did a scouting trip with a buddy, Sonny Johansen of Clovis, to try to figure out what the best patterns might be – since both the wind and moon had impacted the action. We worked hard for every fish and ended up with over 20 nice schoolfish – plus Sonny connected with a beast that took over 15 mins to land on heavy gear. The 40” , 30 lb. striper was absolutely one of the fattest , heaviest stripers I’ve seen there- which is a great sign. It just wouldn’t come up. Got it at the 50-60’ depth range in the main lake . Released on the Seaqualizer. “ George reported.
, “The forebay has been very good for numbers of stripers with 4-inch swimbaits such as Reaction Innovation’s Skinny Dippers or River2Sea Rig Walker 100’s along with jerkbaits” , Moua added. The main lake held at 88 with the dropping to 85%. Los Banos Creek Reservoir is closed to public access until May 11.
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 1
Mike Beighey of ‘Fishing Bass Lake with Mike’ said, “Until the storms and low pressure arrived over the weekend, the trout action was improving, It won’t take long to improve once again once the high-pressure systems kick back in. Limits were starting to happen with the occasional rainbow to 5 pounds with orange or pink Dick’s Trout Busters tipped with a piece of nightcrawler, Mountain Candy spinners, orange Apex lures, or orange Wiggle Hoochies behind various colors of Mountain dodgers between Ducey’s and the Fork’s Resort at depths from 8 to 14 feet. The bite varies between pink and orange so keep changing colors until you find the pattern. Shore anglers are scoring with rainbow Power Bait across from the Pines Resort.” For bass, Tas Moua reported a slowdown in action after anglers were landing up to 20 fish the previous week. He found best action with Senkos on a Neko-rig, finesse jigs, or Morning Dawn Roboworms on a drop-shot rig. He added, “The big fish may have pulled off with the coming storms.” The lake is rising steadily, A webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1. Two bass tournaments remain in April with two in May. The annual Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby is May 2/3 with over $55,000 in total cash prizes. Information and registration: https://www.basslakechamber.com/fishing-derby. A trout plant is scheduled next week.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2
Dick Nichols of Mountain Tackle reported, “Before the storms arrived on Thursday night throughout the weekend, Shaver trollers were finding a slowdown. Some were reporting skunks while others are picking up to 5 kokanee per trip. Steve Blair of Hanford trolled both Shaver and Huntington this past week. At Huntington, he reported a slow bite with a few kokanee, and Blair also found a slow bite at Shaver with a few kokanee landed out of 5 bites using pink Dick’s Mountain Candy behind a Super Dave Mountain Dodger at 25 feet deep from Black Rock to Eagle Point. On Friday, Shaver Lake Sports tackle manager Jarrett Watson confirmed the slow bite, but he advised a family to use Rooster Tail and Panther Martin spinners in chartreuse from the banks at Road 3, and they landed four limits of rainbows.” A Department of Fish and Wildlife plant is scheduled this week. Check the launch ramp at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions. Shaver rose to 69 with Huntington also rising to 94% as the snowpack is rapidly melting. Online registration begins on May 1 for the June 13 Greg Marks Youth Fishing Derby. This event fills up quickly. The next meeting of the Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project is May 9 at 10:00 am in Room 44 of Sierra High School. A trout plant is scheduled at Shaver next week.
Wishon/Courtright:
Access to both Wishon and Courtright is closed as of December 1, but access should be open soon with the rapid snowmelt. Road conditions –297-0706. Several CDFW plants are scheduled in the local creeks, and a plant is set for Wishon this week and Dinkey Creek next week.
Ocean
Monterey/Santa Cruz
Salmon 2 Rockfish 3 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch
The ocean conditions were far less than ideal on Saturday’s April 11 salmon opener below Pigeon Point, but an entire flotilla of private boaters launched out of Moss Landing, Santa Cruz, or Monterey to find angry winds up to 30 knots by 10:30 am. Only a few salmon were landed despite all the private boaters, and Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill was on one of the skiffs launching out of Moss Landing. Clements said, “It was fine until around 10:30, but a massive black cloud came in from the south, chasing all the boats back to the safety of the harbor. We didn’t get even a single hit.” All in all, few fish were counted by personnel from Fish and Wildlife. Clements added, “From the surf, there are some stripers popping up, but before the weekend’s storms, perch fishing remains tremendous throughout the entire stretch of Monterey Bay.” Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service reported, “Charters boats are already racking up good numbers of deep-water rockfish. Counts of chili peppers, bocaccio, vermilion and canaries are flowing in, limit style.
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay/Half Moon Bay
Halibut 2 Salmon 2 Striper 2 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2
The weekend’s weather put a major damper on the salmon opener below Pigeon Point, but three boats out of Half Moon Bay braved the southerly winds for the 18-mile run below the point to come up empty on Saturday. The water is warm and clear which are far from ideal conditions for salmon. The weather will improve during the week, and the boats will be able to make the long run to find out if and where the salmon are along the northern Santa Cruz County coast. The ocean salmon regulations were released for the section of coast from Point Arena to Pigeon Point affecting the ports of Half Moon Bay, San Francisco Bay, and Bodega Bay starting June 27 through July 22 with a harvest quota of 34,000 salmon. Anglers wishing to get on a party boat need to get a reservation soon as some party boats are already reserved for the entire block. Rockfishing was put on hold over the weekend, but with the better conditions this week, excellent action should continue to be the rule as all depths are open.
Inside the bay, striped bass are the story as party boats are loading up on limits of linesides who are arriving after spawning upriver.
San Luis Obispo
Rockfish 3 Surf perch 3
The party boats out of Morro Bay and Port San Luis made it out on Sunday with two boats from Morro Bay Landing returning with 267 assorted, 81 vermilion, 70 Boccaccio to 11 pounds, and 7 copper rockfish for a combined 56 anglers. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing at Port San Luis, 19 passengers returned with near limits of rockfish consisting of 133 assorted, 6 vermilion, 19 Boccaccio, 12 copper, and 11 ling cod to 8 pounds.
Events:
April 24/26th – Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill – Annual Spring Sale with everything on sale with no tax for three days
Tournament Results
:Delta/B and W Resort - 31st annual Badges, Bass, and Veterans Tournament – April 9/10th: 1st – Phil Tilbury/Aaron Sapp – 47.76; 2nd – Lucien Nault/Austin Kephart – 47.03 (Big Fish – 7.04); 3rd – Billy Hume/T.J. Alves– 44.50.
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