Top 5 fishing spots in Central CA: Eastman & Hensley lakes; Shaver Lake; San Luis Obispo
Fresno Bee July 6, 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.
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
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 3 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Eastman turned on in the past week with five bass limits from 25 to 40 pounds as 10- and 12-pound largemouths were reported this week with others in the 5- to 8-pound range. There is a short window that may last as long as 15 minutes with reaction baits at depths down to 20 feet with crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, swimbaits, jigs, or Skinny Bear’s Dice Baits. There is a new 7-inch crappie-imitation swimbait that has been particularly effective as we always notice big bass coming up with a crappie in its throat. This new swimbait is slimmer, and it resembles a crappie, and a few of these larger bass are coming on the new swimbait. With the fish at depths to 20 feet, they can be reached from the banks. Hensley is sneaky good with limits to 20 pounds reluctantly reported using similar techniques as at Eastman as the fish are holding over the rockpiles.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 3
Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service has been scoring limits of kokanee, but he has changed his tactics to running stick baits on his downriggers as deep as 120 feet for the larger fish holding on structure. The dropping water levels have concentrated the kokanee in the main river channel towards the south of the lake, and you must be in contact with the bottom to find these fish. He said, “I am running Head Hunter T-Spoons behind gold hammered dodgers from 5.5 to 8 inches as the kokanee are striking the bait out of anger. It’s the time of year when you must upgrade your dodgers along with the profile of your lures. Stick weights are a must for big fish.”
For bass, Aaron Jones reported a continued solid bite with tons of threadfin shad in the lake. He said, “You can throw whatever you want out there, but jigs are effective at depths to 30 feet, and there is a topwater bite in the mornings and evenings.” With all the feed, the bass are very healthy. Both Glory Hole and Tuttletown open from 6:30 am to 8:00 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Glory Hole will be the only ramp open starting at 8:00 am Monday through Thursday. All boats must be quarantined for 30 days or decontaminated at the New Melones Marina. Water releases have started in earnest as the lake dropped over 3 feet to 1022.35 feet in elevation and 70%. Downstream Tulloch is at 99%, and it is expected to open to the public for fishing out of the South Shore Marina this week.
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 0 King salmon 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Trout trolling remains outstanding for running shad-patterned spoons at depths from 40 to 60 feet once the shad schools are located. The rainbows are feeding heavily on the shad, and king salmon are lurking below the shad schools. For bass, Tas Moau reported bass are found from the banks to 15 feet with a topwater bite in the mornings and evenings, He said, “With the dropping water levels, the bass are feeding heavily on crawdads coming out of the rocks, and jigs or Creature Baits are effective. When shad schools are found, flutter spoons have been working, and there have been a number of largemouth bass landed on the steeper banks before Trimmer with red or white chatterbaits.” Another trout plant is scheduled in the lower Kings River this week, and this will spur on the shoreline bite with a variety of baits including Power Bait, live crickets, nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, or various spinners. The flows dropped to 641 cfs at Army Weir north of Lemoore. The lake dropped to 863.83 feet in elevation and 55%. Only one bass tournament, the Fresno Bass Club on July 26, is scheduled
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3
Dick Nichols of Mountain Tackle reported remarkably good kokanee action before the holiday weekend. He said, “I was out on Monday with Jim Allen of Coalinga and Dave McGlothin of Clovis, and we found a good bite with new Dick’s Silver Tiger or orange Jimbo Trout Busters along with orange Mountain Tubes at depths from 28 to 35 feet deep near the Point and island areas, We used the same tackle on the side rods behind weighted Mountain Flashers at a setback of 135 feet. Midweek, Jimmy Tartaglia of ‘Fishing with Jimmy T,’ and Greg Kimble of Reedley posted two limits of kokanee at depths from 29 to 46 feet using Jimmy T Colorado Spinners, white Hoochies, or orange Lilly Bugs. At Huntington, Larry Prieto and his grandson Eli found a fantastic bite for both kokanee and trout at 30 to 40 feet down, catching and releasing 18 kokanee in the 12-inch range. Shaver’s kokanee are now 15 to 16 inches with a few males starting to have extended snouts. The increasing size bodes well for September’s Kokanee Power Tournament.” Sail boating will dominate Huntington on the weekends of July 11/12 and 18/19 with the annual High Sierra Regatta. Shaver held at 87 with Huntington also holding at 97%. The next meeting of the Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project is July 11 at 10:00 am in Room 44 at Sierra High School at 33326 Tollhouse Rod in Tollhouse. The public is welcome to attend.
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 3
Kelly Brewer of the Wishon Village RV Park and Store said, “Both lakes are full, and bank fishing is really good with green or pink Power Bait while trollers are scoring with Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of nightcrawler or blade/’crawler combinations at 3 to 4 colors of lead core. Limits have been common.” Trout plants in the High Sierras will take place at Portal Forebay, Florence Lake, Ward Lake, and the South Fork of the San Joaquin River this week. Road conditions – Sierra National Forest 297-0706 ext. 4961 or 392-0423.
All the rest
Valley/Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 2
Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported continued ‘hit or miss’ striped bass action on the California Aqueduct, saying, “The best action is taking place either before or after the bends in the aqueduct with flutter spoons, flukes, or Duo Realis 120 jerkbaits.” Catfishing remains decent with nightcrawlers, anchovies, or crawdads.
Lake Don Pedro
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Kokanee Power’s Phil Johnson Memorial Tournament is this coming Saturday, July 11, and since the larger kokanee are now hugging the bottom, participants will be seeking three big fish on the bottom using stick weights. Don Pedro should produce the largest kokanee of any tournament this season, but the numbers are anticipated to be limited. Kokanee pushing 18 inches should be brought to the weigh in station by dedicated anglers who will be pre-fishing in earnest starting during the middle of the week. For bass, Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto reported a topwater bite in the early morning and evenings with the Berkley Choppo 90 or similar walking baits, but you will have to cover water if throwing a topwater lure during the daytime. He said, “The most active fish are in the main lake around 30 feet in depth, but there are some big fish in the backs of coves. There are bass schooling up in the coves chasing shad, but these are smaller fish. There are 7 bass tournaments on the schedule in July, and 5 of the 9 remaining tournaments are on Friday night. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. A self-inspection is required for launching. The lake dropped 3.5 feet to 815.53 feet in elevation. The Blue Oaks Upper Launch Ramp is open. With the limited restrictions for launching, recreational boating is high, particularly on the weekends.
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 Kokanee 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
With the dropping water levels, the kokanee that were scarce last week have been found in the main river channel hugging the bottom. Stick weights on the downriggers are the key to finding the larger kokanee to 17 inches on structure. Prior to the holiday weekend, Calaveras Trout Farm rainbows will plant 1120 pounds at McClure Point. For bass, Aaron Jones reported a 15-pound limit was landed in the upper river on topwater lures in the Bagby area. As the bass have moved out into deeper water, jigs, deep-diving crankbaits, or plastics are all working at depths around 30 feet. The Reel Deal Market is now open daily from 10am – 5 pm on weekdays and 10 am to 6:30 pm on weekends. The Barrett Cove Café is open weekends through September 7. The lake dropped 5 feet this week to 834.01 feet in elevation and 79%. There are no bass tournaments scheduled through the end of July.
Lake McSwain
Trout 3
Calaveras Trout Farm planted 2240 pounds of rainbow trout prior to the holiday weekend, and limits are possible within a few days of the plant with Chunky Cheese or rainbow Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters. Holdover rainbows can be found in the cooler waters of the river arm below the Exchequer Dam with Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger, Kastmasters, or blade/’crawler combinations on a long set back. The Splash-N-Dash Water feature dominates interest on the lake. Information on the Splash N’Dash is available at: https://mysplashndash.com/. The lake dropped slightly to 82%. The Reel Deal Market & Cafe is now open every day the Splash N’ Dash is operation, Mondays thru Fridays from 10 AM to park close; Saturdays from 8 AM to 7 PM; and Sundays from 9 AM to 7 PM.
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
Tas Moau reported the quality has decreased with the rapidly dropping water levels with the best action for small fish in the upper part of the lake in the river arm. He said, “There is an early and late topwater bite along with finesse plastics for 15 to 20 small fish possible.” Recreational boat pressure was extremely high over the holiday weekend. The lake is now releasing water, and it dropped 15 feet to 554.74 feet in elevation and 79%. The San Joaquin River remains stable at 325 cfs at Friant. There is only one bass tournament scheduled in July, the Sierra Bass Club on July 18.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
Tas Moua reported the main lake has been the hot spot this week with plenty of interest from local anglers. He said, “The parking lots have been full of cars with anglers tossing topwater lures or jerkbaits from the shorelines. We have had a lot of interest in grass shrimp.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the heavy winds continue to be the biggest issue for boaters. “ The big lake is still falling about a ¼’ a day, the full moon has passed and the spawning behavior seems to have slowed- but finding the fish is hard. I decided to scout alone on Friday -finally got on at 10:30 due to wind - then only fished till 4 pm when the winds came up. I trolled the main lake at the 60-80’ depth range with silver stick baits - and was surprised when I got a 31”, 12.5 lber, then followed up with a sturdy 36”, 17 lber – both released. Right after that- the bite shutdown. Short bite windows have been common. “ George said . In the forebay, there is a solid largemouth bass bite around Check 12, and small striped bass are still there for those catching and releasing undersized fish with a variety of techniques.” Golden mussel watercraft inspections are no longer needed at San Luis and the O’Neill Forebay. The main lake continues to release water, and it dropped from 62 to 58%. Los Banos Creek Reservoir was scheduled to open this month, but the opening has been postponed to August 1.
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0
Mike Beighey of ‘Bass Lake Fishing Tours with Mike’ reported the lake is very busy during the holiday weekend with ‘crazy’ boat traffic. As a result, he will hold off guiding until July 8th as the water is churned up from the heavy boat traffic. He said, “There are some quality rainbows out there as we landed ‘bows at 6 and 6.39 pounds in the last week. The full moon slowed down the bite during the week, but we managed 11 rainbows to the boat using orange or red Dick’s Trout Busters or Mountain Tube Spinners tipped with scented corn behind a Dick’s big Bluefin/silver or blue/purple Mountain Dodgers. Fluorescent green mini squids or orange Wiggle Hoochies have been working with corn as well, and there some larger fish out there as we lost one that bigger than we have landed this week.” Tas Moau reported an angler posted a 20-pound limit including an 8-pound largemouth bass working the Skinny Bear’s urchin-style baits at depths from 15 to 20 feet along the edge of the grass. He said, “There is grass out to 25 feet deep in some places, and it’s the stringy type that gets all around your lures. Working the docks has been slower.” A webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1. No future bass tournaments are schedule through the end of July.
Ocean
Monterey/Santa Cruz
Salmon 3 Rockfish 3 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch
Salmon action out of Moss Landing is showing improvement as Chris Counts and Brandi Martin of Fresno posted limits to 20 pounds on both Friday and Saturday running blue/green hoochies behind a red Hotspot dodger along the bottom in 110 feet of water off the Sand Plant.
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service reported, “A series of powerful south swells with gusty daytime winds on top made for some uncomfortable boat rides, and this slowed inshore fishing somewhat. Those swells have passed, and reports indicate the inshore bite is improving rapidly. J&M Sportfishing from Monterey tallied limits of rockfish for their clients every full trip this week, including up to six lingcod for the Kahuna. Six-pack charters from Santa Cruz report full limits fishing the deep reefs. This is the first year in ages that we have no depth restrictions for rockfish and lingcod. For king salmon, we are allowed to catch a maximum of 21,800 fish below Pigeon Point this season, and the latest info from the Department of Fish and Wildlife indicates 5968 caught as of July 3. That leaves 15,832 allowable catch before season’s end on August 31.
The kings are still here feeding on abundant bait out towards the middle of the bay. The most consistent reports continue to come from anglers fishing the canyon edges out of Moss, the Soquel and Pajaro Holes. Patterns remain consistent as well, with most fish caught down deep, “in the mud,” meaning very close to the bottom. Typical depths for success are 180 to 250 feet of water, though an increasing number of catches were reported from much shallower water, like 100 to 140 feet, especially near the southern beaches like Mulligan’s Hill and The Soldier’s Club. These fish are also right on the bottom, in cooler water, biting a variety of trolled bait and lures. Bayside Marine’s Todd Fraser reported on Wednesday saying, “There were some early limits caught by anglers trolling in 160 to 220 feet of water. The anglers are having good luck trolling blue Kajikis, chrome Krippled Anchovies, Apexes, gold Tom Mack Spoons and Purple Haze Hoochies for salmon ranging from 12 to 25 pounds.”
It’s already been a good halibut fishing season, and we’d expect that trend to continue, especially if those pesky giant New Zealand swells stop being such a nuisance. Inshore bait consists mostly of Pacific Mackerel which grow to about 10 inches and school up in the thousands. We are seeing those giant schools right now in various spots around the bay. With the warm water “blob” persisting offshore and a Super El Nino firming up in the forecasts, we would expect those mackerel to be here all summer and into the fall. they are excellent bait for lingcod, halibut and offshore bluefin tuna. When amid a mackerel surface frenzy, don’t forget to send a couple out on a fly line. More than one white sea bass has been caught in the bay over the past few weeks.”
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay/Half Moon Bay
Salmon 3 Halibut 2 Striper 3 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2
Interest has been all about salmon, and a bonus is the number of big striped bass hitting trolled baits over the past week. Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters out of Paradise Cove put his clients onto tremendous action on Friday with five limits of salmon to 16 pounds along with five limits of striped bass ranging from 12 to 20 pounds. The big bass have been feeding heavily on anchovies over the past few weeks, and they are big and feisty.
The Pacific Dream out of Berkeley also posted 29 salmon and 19 striped bass on Friday with their companion boat, the Happy Hooker, returning with a similar score of 17 salmon and 17 stripers for 22 anglers. The larger party boats are averaging around a fish to a fish and a half per rod on salmon with many fish lost due to their size. The weather flattened out on Saturday, and further north, Captain Rick Powers of Bodega Bay Sport Fishing was tied up at the docks by 11:30 amp with 20 limits of salmon to 24 pounds. Bodega Bay has been the top location for salmon, and these fish will be migrating south within the coming weeks. However, there is plenty of anchovies and squid to keep them above Point Reyes. As of July 3, 3927 salmon have been reported, leaving 30,973 salmon available below Point Arena during the first portion of the season open from June 27 through July 22 and from August 1 through 23 before an additional 20,000 salmon available below Point Reyes starting September 1.
Rockfishing remains outstanding with the California Dawn 2 posting 26 limits of rockfish including 18 vermilion and a cabezon to go with limits of lingcod to 14 pounds at the Farallon Islands before working the bars for 5 halibut to 20 pounds. The Sea Wolf out of Emeryville returned with 23 limits of rockfish and lings at the Farallons.
Inside the bay, few boats are working with the intense interest outside the Golden Gate, but striped bass, leopard shark, and halibut remain a possibility. With the flat weather arriving on Saturday, bluefin tuna are also an option with the scores of bluefins holding offshore.
Morro Bay
Rockfish 3 Surf Perch 3
Rockfishing remains strong out of the San Luis Obispo County ports with three boats out of Morro Bay Landing with a combined 79 passengers returning with near limits consisting of 576 assorted, 59 vermilion, 75 Boccaccio, 14 copper, 6 Bolina, 5 cabezon, 9 ocean whitesfish, and 20 ling cod on Friday. Also on Friday, three boats were out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis with 49 passengers for 236 assorted, 144 Bolina, 48 vermilion, 9 cabezon to 10 pounds, 12 copper, 2 Boccaccio, 2 ocean whitefish, and 31 lingcod to 12 pounds.
Delta/Stockton
Bass 2 Striper 2 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
Wind continues to be the story, but bass fishing for numbers continues to improve, particularly as we move out of the full moon phase. Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, advises working around moving water near tules or rocks with prop baits, topwater lures, or buzzbaits for the larger fish while seeking numbers with finesse baits such as the Berkeley General in earth tones. Herbicide spraying continues throughout the central and northern sections of the Delta, and there are dying mats of grass. Frogs or punching the weeds has become effective as the water temperatures continue to rise into the low 80’s. Red crankbaits or chatterbaits continue to be effective with the bass loading up on crawdads. The two major frog tournaments arrive at the end of this month with the Ultimate Frog Challenge on July 25/26 and the original frog tournament, the Snag Proof Open, on August 1 and 2. Both tournaments will be held out of Big Break Marina. There are still small striped bass holding in the northern and western portions of the Delta, but the largest fish are gone. Big striped bass generally start to move into the Sacramento side of the Delta starting in August.
River salmon fishing on the Sacramento and Mokelumne rivers starts on July 16, and it will be the first time since 2022 that anglers can work the Sacramento River. Mepp’s Flying C’s or Blue Fox spinners, Silvertrons, Flatfish, and Wiggle Warts are starting to fly out of area tackle shops in anticipation of the upcoming salmon season.
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