Fishing report for week of April 15-21: Most Central California lakes closed

Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, a former Olympic-class decathlete at Fresno State and striper record-holder at Millerton Lake and who now guides in the greater Fresno area. Telephone numbers are in 559 calling area unless noted.

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Key

1-Try dynamite

2-Have to work hard

3-Limits possible

4-Fish jumpin’ in boat

The California Aqueduct is one of the only locations in which fishermen have access for striped bass with the closure of San Luis Reservoir and the O’Neill Forebay parking lots and launch facilities.

In the northern section of the aqueduct, ripbaits or topwater lures around the moving water near the headgates are effective when the bass are chasing shad while soaking anchovies, sardines or blood worms.

In the southern section of the aqueduct in Kern County, Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported continued good action for striped bass with anchovies, sardines or blood worms.

Call: Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis 292-3474; Bob’s Bait Bucket 661-833-8657

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District has closed all recreation facilities, including campgrounds, visitor centers, boat launches and day-use areas, at the 10 lakes and parks it runs to protect against the spread of the coronavirus.

Any questions about the status of a USACE park can be directed to that individual park staff. Contact information can be found at the Sacramento District Parks website spk.usace.army.mil/Locations/Sacramento-District-Parks or by web searching USACE and the name of the park.

Additional information and updates on modifications, closures and other restrictions related to the USACE district’s response can be found at spk.usace.army.mil/coronavirus and on its Facebook (@SacramentoDistrict) and Twitter (@USACESacramento) pages.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255

Another Corps-run lake that’s closed.

Call: Valley Rod Gun, Clovis 292-3474; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam 673-5151

The Don Pedro Recreation Agency reported that a full closure of the reservoir is in effect until further notice. This closure includes campgrounds and recreation on the reservoir. Houseboat owners will have access to their houseboats, and for questions regarding Houseboat Service, owners are to contact Suntex Marinas at 209-852-2369. For campsite cancellations, refunds or credits, email dprc@tid.org, but expect delays in the response as increased phone traffic and emails are being received. Minimal DPRA staff will be on-site to support essential functions of the area, but staff services will not be available during the park’s closure.

Call: Monte Smith 209-581-4734; Kyle Wise – Head Hunter Guide Service 209-531-3966; Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Fishing 691-7008

Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported Lake Isabella continues to be open, and interest in fishing has been high despite windy and rainy conditions up the mountain. The catfish bite remains the best with Triple S Dip Bait, frozen shad, jumbo or extra-large minnows or clams, but the crappie bite has slowed with the slabs moving out into deep water with the recent cold spell. This week’s warmer weather should bring them back into the shallows. Sales of small to medium minnows have been high, but the action had slowed from the banks. Local residents are requesting that fishermen respect the shelter-in-place restrictions and not place the local community in jeopardy.

Trout fishing in the upper Kern River has slowed with the lack of recent plants, but a few planted rainbows can be taken out of the deeper holes with salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, crickets or spinners. The water has been too cold for the bass bite to emerge in the lower Kern River. Buena Vista is open, and small to medium minnows are working for crappie.

The local lakes are open, and fishing has been fair for bass, bluegill and carp. Bass are taken on plastics or nightcrawlers while bluegill are biting waxworms.

Call: Bob’s Bait Bucket 661-833-8657; North Fork Marina 760-376-1812; Golden Trout Pack Station 542-2816

Another Corps-run lake that’s closed.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

Another Corps-run lake that’s closed.

Call: Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com

McClure and McSwain have been temporarily closed by the Merced Irrigation District, and minimal access will be provided for those needing to reach their houseboats at McClure Point or the Barrett Cove launch facilities. Those with existing camping reservations that include a motorhome or trailer with a self-contained restroom only at McClure Point, Barrett Cove or Lake McSwain. No other day-use or camping is available and no new reservations will be taken during the temporary closure. For further information or questions, 855-800-2267 or parkinfo@mercedid.org.

Call: Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Fishing 691-7008, McSwain Marina 209-378-2534

As a California State Park, Millerton State Recreational Area temporarily closed its parking lots and launch ramps. The lake is inaccessible for power boats, and all parking lots at the recreational areas are closed. Sycamore Island Park on the San Joaquin River also temporarily closed.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

All campgrounds, trails, day-use and boat launching facilities are temporarily closed until further notice. Information: 209-536-9094 extension 0 or usbr.gov/ccao/newmelones.

Call: Glory Hole Sports 209-736-4333; Monte Smith 209-581-4734; John Liechty Xperience Fishing Guide Service 209-743-9932

Pine Flat is another Corps-run lake that’s closed. No reports from the river.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626

As a California State Park, San Luis Reservoir temporarily closed its parking lots and launch ramps. The lake is inaccessible for power boats, and all parking lots at the recreational areas are closed. Anglers can walk into the lake from access points to fish from the banks, but they’re reminded to practice social distancing.

Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle 408-463-0711, Roger George, 905-2954, rogergeorgeguideservice.com

The launch ramps are temporarily closed. The 2020 Bass Lake Fishing Derby scheduled for the first weekend in May has been canceled. If you have already registered for 2020, organizers are offering a refund or will carry your registration over to 2021. For more information, email chamber@basslakechamber.com.

Kaiser Pass is blanketed with snow, limiting access to the region.

For the latest Sierra National Forest road conditions: bit.ly/2rfH8BB

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake closed to boat traffic, but anglers can walk in to fish along the banks. Snow fell in the area over the weekend.

Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “The Department of Fish and Wildlife has a lot of trout to plant this year, maybe 35,000 or more. So, for you bank fishermen, expect a plant to happen every now and then. I am going to fish late in the season because the big DF&W plant will provide ample trout until the weather makes us quiet for the winter. Stevenson Bay will be the hot spot from late August to November.”

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Shaver Lake seminar by Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters and Ken Thompson, senior biologist from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, has been rescheduled for May 21 at Turner’s Outdoorsman in Fresno.

Call: Dick Nichols, Dick’s Fishing Charters 281-6948; Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Dinkey Creek Inn 841-3435; Tom Oliveira Fishing 802-8072

Snow will keep these lakes inaccessible until late April, at least.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Go to fresnobee.com/fishing for Ocean, Delta and Central Coast lakes and trout plants.

Ocean

The ocean salmon season will be May 1-Nov. 8, but access to the ocean will depend upon whether the launch ramps are open along the coast. Those with private boats in a berth will be able to launch while the shelter-in-place order is in effect as long as those in the boat are from the same household.

Half Moon Bay

The San Mateo County Harbormaster’s District has closed the public launch ramps and parking lots at Pillar Point and also at Oyster Point on San Francisco Bay. Party boats will not be operating until further notice until the Shelter In Place order is lifted.

Captain Dennis Baxter of the New Captain Pete said, “My son Braden and I were at the storage yard in Princeton a couple of days ago tarping the crab pots, and we took advantage of the minus tide and our location to harvest mussels and clams off of the local reef. I took my children, Jenna and Braden, out to the Pillar Point Buoy for limits of Bolina and canaries so we had seafood chowder for dinner. There is brown water offshore, and although we are fishing locally in the green water, you only have to go a few miles offshore to find salmon water. There are large areas of birds feeding on anchovies offshore all week long, and we took a break from fishing to show Jenna humpback whales chowing down on the bait. You couldn’t troll through it if you wanted as there are brown jellies.”

Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat sent in a picture of a quality Boccaccio at the Deep Reef in 190 feet of water using a shrimp fly and squid. He said, “Social distancing was the order of the day on a private boat.”

The bait shop at Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing is closed temporarily, but they do have a frozen bait vending machine available outside of the shop that is stocked with squid, anchovies, prawns, herring, and octopus depending upon supply. The machine takes major credit cards and bills up to $10, but exact change is recommended.

For kayaks, with the closure of many of the parking lots along the San Mateo coastal beaches, anglers will have to search for a location to put in their boats.

The Pacifica Pier (click here for a webcam) remains open, but anglers are expected to follow Centers For Disease Control guidelines of social distancing.

Call: Captain Dennis Baxter – New Captain Pete (650) 576-3844; Captain Tom Mattusch – Huli Cat (650) 619-0459.

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Fishing Trips said, “We haven’t had any boats out since the shelter-in-place order, but there are some very encouraging signs off of San Francisco and Half Moon Bay regarding the upcoming salmon season. Let’s hope that it spills over to our area, as well.”

The City of Monterey’s boat launch ramps will be closed to recreational boat traffic. The closure is temporary and will be end when the County of Monterey and California State Shelter in Place orders are lifted. This closure will not apply to commercial fishing vessels with valid FG numbers.

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “In the last week, we saw each of the Monterey Bay harbors close their public boat launch ramps due to the Covid-19 shelter-in-place guidelines. The prescribed social distancing space of six feet between all persons also forced charter operations to postpone any fishing trips until SIP orders are lifted or amended. Rockfish season started on April 1st. The Rockfish, Cabezon and Greenling (RCG) season opened Wednesday as scheduled. Unfortunately, Tuesday’s regularly scheduled “salmon” meeting of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, National Marine Fisheries Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife had a result that, in retrospect probably should not have been unanticipated. Salmon season will not open April 1. The delay is the result of an in-season action taken this last Tuesday by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), on advice from the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (PFMC) salmon industry advisors and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). The April delay is a response to physical distancing requirements and widespread closures of launch ramp facilities, charter boat operations and restrictions to harbor and marina access due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Delaying the opener of the fishery will reduce impacts to stocks of concern and provide more fishing opportunity later in the summer months than would otherwise be possible… CDFW reminds Californians that everyone has the responsibility to flatten the COVID-19 curve by maintaining physical distance from other people of 6 feet or more when recreating in the outdoors, and staying home if they are sick.” As it stands at the time of this writing, recreational anglers whose vessel has a slip in one of our harbors may continue to go out sport fishing for rockfish and halibut while adhering to the social distancing guidelines. Surfcasting is also a valid option, as is kayak fishing. Hand launch areas remain accessible at the harbors and of course, from open beaches. But, do not be surprised if the CDFW decides to make an in-season closure for the RCG complex as well, using the same reasoning as was utilized for the salmon season decision. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but viewed from a broader perspective this postponement makes sense and can be worthwhile. An excess of caution is appropriate while facing a potentially deadly pandemic situation. As John Thomas from Go Fish Santa Cruz Charters talked of keeping his boat tied to the dock this month he added, “We just want everyone to be safe, stay healthy and get through this thing together. Then we’ll go out for the fishing and the fun.”

Surf fishing for striped bass has been outstanding with a variety of lures.

Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell – Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732.

San Francisco Bay

There are still a few boat launches accessible in the bay. The Berkeley Marina remains open, and there is even the possibility of guest docking for those who want to launch the night or so before heading out. Fishermen are required to only have household members in their boats with no outside friends or family members.

The rockfish season is open, and the action has been solid on the reefs for those with boats in berths able to make it up the Marin coastline. Halibut fishing inside of the bay has also been solid despite the lack of live bait. There are great signs for the upcoming salmon season with commercial draggers observing excellent sign of brown water, bait, and whales off of the coastline.

Loch Lomond Marina boat launch is closed, but Keith Fraser continues to keep the bait shop open. He said, “The bait shop has been very busy over the past few weeks, and they have ghost shrimp, grass shrimp, and pile worms in the shop. Shore anglers have been the majority of their business as there haven’t been many boats out. He said, “The tides are excellent for sturgeon in the mornings this week. Jonny Moseley went out with his two boys, Tommy and Jack, this week on his boat right out in front of his house in the bay, and the boys landed three halibut from 24 to 28 inches.”

Retired captain Jim Smith of the Happy Hooker fame reported excellent striped bass fishing from the shoreline along Point Pinole with swimbaits or spoons.

Call: Captain Trent Slate Bite Me Charters (415) 307-8582; Captain Jerad Davis, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388;

San Luis Obispo

Similar to all ports, party boat operations are on hold until further notice due to the shelter in place order is lifted. Private boats are able to head out for rockfish if they have a boat in a berth, but the launch ramps are closed. There should be solid action with the local reefs being untouched for the three-plus months.

Call: Virg’s Landing (800) 762-5263; Patriot Sport Fishing (805) 595-4100; Morro Bay Landing

Others

Delta/Stockton

Bass 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

The Delta has a number of launch ramps open as of press time, but this could change at any time.

B and W Resort on the Mokelumne River -store open 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Hogback on Steamboat Slough

Suisun City

Benicia 9th Street

Arrowhead – envelope – exact change – below 18 feet - $10 – more than 18 feet - $12 – put in envelope

Sugar Barge on Bethel Island – two lanes – self serve - $15 cash

Pittsburg Marina

Holland Riverside Marina

Paradise Point – open 24 hours - $15 self-pay

Turner Cut - $10 – pay in envelope

Eddo’s Marina – if there before open, launch and pay when you return

Closed launch ramps –

Sherman Island

Rio Vista City

Belding’s Landing on Montezuma Slough

Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley

Brannan Island

Big Break in Oakley

Russo’s Marina on Bethel Island

Vieira’s Resort on the Old Sacramento

Alan Fong, manager of the Sacramento Fishermen’s Warehouse, launched out of Arrowhead Marina on Thursday, and he targeted striped bass with topwater lures near Liberty Island for two huge striped bass over 20 lbs caught and released on the Mega Bass Mega Dog along with another on a chatterbait. He said, “In addition to releasing these two big fish, I caught and released 10 other smaller ones. There are lots of fish out there. Earlier in the week, we found stripers in the shallows, but they weren’t biting so I switched over to bass fishing for a 20-pound limit flipping jigs or chatterbaits. The bass were not on the beds in the north Delta.”

James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service has been out trolling both deep and shallow-running Yozuri Crystal Minnows on the West Bank, and he reported great action early in the morning for striped bass to 6 pounds, catching and releasing a number of stripes in the 4- to 6- pound range. He did switch over to shallow-running lures for similar action with a 12-pound striped bass at the mouth of Three Mile Slough on the San Joaquin River. He said, “The launch ramp at Korth’s Pirates Lair is still open. The Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow in double chartreuse/black dots or sardine with a green worm trailer continue to work best. This week’s high tide has brought lot of debris into the river.”

Also along the West Bank, Dave Houston of Livermore has been working the area this week, and he said, “This week, new fish showed up on the Sacramento side, and they were very aggressive with doubles and triples but nothing over 23 inches. On Thursday, the bite was a little slower, but the females did show up so we ended up with 20 keepers and 15 shakers and a lot of the fish we’re in the 5- to 10- pound range. We only kept a few small males. We caught them on dark-colored lures both deep and shallow from the West Bank to Collinsville. These fish should also be on the San Joaquin by now, but I can’t seem to find them in numbers. We also were out on Easter Sunday, and the stripers just aren’t holding this year. When the fish come in they’re gone within a day or two. We caught our limits in the morning on Sacramento and then decided to go to the San Joaquin to find the fish but we only found a few more. We ended up with seven keepers and 5 shakers but nothing over 23 inches.”

Steve Wirfs of Ripon and Jeff Boyle of Bass Pro Shops in Manteca went to both the West Bank on the Sacramento and in the San Joaquin for quality striped bass with a variety of plugs including Rebels, P-Line Predators, and Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows.

Steve Bakos had to launch at Sugar Barge since Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor is closed to non-berthers, and he said, “It was a long run to Sherman Island, but my son and I picked up a half-dozen striped bass on Rat-L-Traps or swimbaits. We tried the West Bank, but got tired of the wind and moved on.”

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, reported good action on the San Joaquin side of the Delta with the high tide. He said, “The high tide allowed me to work up tight to the banks with long casts as there are a number of males cruising the banks. Most of the larger females are holding in deeper water from 4- to 8- feet, but there may be some females up into the shallows. I have been throwing the Optima Boom Boom which is a 4-inch swimbait rigged with a keel-hook, and I drag it back slowly bumping into the weeds, tules, or rocks. I use something with a bluegill pattern such as an orange belly. The bass will either pile drive it as it is a rod-ripping strike as they are either hitting it with their forehead to drive it out of the shallows or kill it. I’m not bed fishing, but the bass are holding in the flats. Another option is the Berkley General in earth tones on a weedless presentation, and I throw it up to the banks using 17-pound Trilene fluorocarbon. I leave it and let it sit, throwing it out as far as I can because you want to throw it beyond the target and drag it back to the target areas. The General is a heavy worm, staying in the strike zone longer and is a very productive technique.”

Ladd’s Marina at Buckley Cove in Stockton is now closed as of this week.

Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Captain Steve Mitchell – Hook’d Up Sport Fishing – (707) 655-6736; J.D. Richey – Richey’s Sport Fishing – (916) 952-1554; Vince Borges – Vince Borges Outdoors (209) 918-0828

Lake Nacimiento/San Antonio/Santa Margarita/Lopez

San Luis Obispo County has closed all campgrounds. At Lake Nacimiento, the launch ramps and day use remain open, subject to closure. Interested fishermen are advised to regularly check back on the Lake Nacimiento Resort Facebook page, website, or call the reservations office at 805-237-4924 Option 1 before driving to the lake. A webcam of the lake is available at lakenacimientolive.com.

Lopez Lake Marina store has changed hours to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the docks are open but the bar, dining room and game room are closed until the shelter in place order is lifted. A webcam of the lake is available at 805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam.

Santa Margarita is open for boating, but this may change at any time at all San Luis Obispo County lakes. The Santa Margarita marina is closed.

All tournaments scheduled in April are postponed.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that it has removed the fish plant schedule from its website in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 by preventing public crowding at water bodies. CDFW said it will continue stocking trout at locations where social distancing by anglers and physical distancing of hatchery staff can be maintained.

This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Fishing report for week of April 15-21: Most Central California lakes closed."