“I’ve gone fishing thousands of times in my life, and I have never once felt unlucky or poorly paid for those hours on the water.”

—William Tapply

Lake Almanor

Surface water temperatures had been moving into the high 60s, but have now dropped a bit with the recent cool and windy weather. This will keep the fish scattered throughout the lake just a bit longer.

Fishing pressure is light. Strong winds this past weekend probably had a lot to do with that. Scattered fish coupled with very abundant feed, mostly insects, have anglers working a little longer for their catch.

According to Doug Neal of Almanor Fishing Adventures, the fish are snacking on small portions all day. Doug has had the most success trolling Speedy Shiners, or threaded crawlers behind Strike Master dodgers. Most of his fish are rainbows in the 2-pound range. He is also picking up a few salmon along the west shore.

Insect hatches are abundant, mostly mayflies and midges. The Hexagenia are hatching on the west shore, mostly by the dam where they usually show up first.

Butt Lake

The powerhouse is running, the smallmouth are biting and the Hex are hatching. Fishing pressure is light. That sounds like an invitation to me.

Bucks Lake

Fishing pressure has been light, in part because of wind. Kokanee mixed with a few browns and rainbows are being caught by trollers. The Mill Creek and Bucks Creek inlets are the most productive spots. The kokanee are on the small side, but that is normal for this time of the season.

Frenchman Lake

Fishing pressure has been light so reports are scarce this week.

Night crawlers and rainbow PowerBait are still the most productive.

Fish are starting to move deeper as the water warms.

Trollers are doing well with rooster tails and night crawler flasher combinations. Fly anglers are finding fish with woolly buggers and Jay Fair Wiggle Tail Nymphs.

For the most up-to-date information, call Wiggins Trading Post at 993-4683. They also have all the fishing and camping gear you might need.

Lake Davis

Lake level is at 80 percent; water temperatures are in the low to mid-60s. Fishing continues to be good according to the folks at J&J Grizzly Store and Camping Resort.

Eagle Point continues to be hot. PowerBait or inflated night crawlers are producing for shore anglers.

Fly-fishing from Eagle Point to Freeman has been good. Assorted nymphs, damselflies and woolly buggers have all been reported to be doing well.

Trollers working between and to the west of the islands with Needlefish are finding some nice fish.

Streams

The North Fork Feather is fishing well, according to Tom Maumoynier of Lake Almanor Fly Fishing Co. (258-3944).

Tom says that nymphs are working best. Golden stoneflies are hatching in the evenings.

Deer Creek is fishing well. Nymphs are the best bet in the morning. Mayflies continue to hatch in the late afternoon.

Mill Creek is still off-color.

The Middle Fork Feather River is in good shape. There are abundant insect hatches from Sloat to Nelson Creek.

The water is still cool enough that fish are not moving up into the tributaries yet. The fish may still congregate off the tributary mouths looking for feed delivered by the tributaries.