Fishing improves with waning moon
Compiled by Mari Erin Roth
Lake Almanor
There has been little change since last week’s report. Clarity is unchanged at 5-8’, lake level is up two-tenths to 4480.42 and water temps are beginning to creep up reaching the low 40s with the increasing afternoon sun. Another week of dry weather is in the forecast with cool mornings and sunny afternoons; temps are to reach into the low 50s. There is a slight chance for some weather this coming weekend.
Hamilton Branch is still depositing muddy water into Almanor with less than a foot of visibility. “We are seeing an increase in shore fishing around the dam; the majority of the fish caught are small with reports of a few mature fish in the mix,” said John Crotty of Almanor Fishing Association. The recent full moon accompanied by winds has made for tough conditions for trollers. “The bite around the dam has all but dried up and you have to search the lake for biters,” said Crotty. “With the warming water temps we will begin to see bug hatches around the lake, fish should move to the north/west end of the lake keying in on insects.”
It’s the time of the year when fishermen will need to cover some water in search of fish starting at any of the big name trolling lanes, Goose Island to the jetties, Big Springs, Hamilton Branch, Big Cove to the Peninsula and along both the east or west shorelines. “Fish your favorite presentation and find some pond smelt to find fish,” suggests Crotty. “The bite should improve with the waning moon.”
AFA is in the process of finalizing its annual newsletter and prepping for printing. AFA distributes more than 4,000 newsletters to members and supporting businesses throughout Plumas County. “If you are a business owner and would like to be recognized as a supporter of AFA please go to our website and signup or send us an email,” said Crotty. “If you have been a supporter of AFA in past years and you or your business have been impacted by COVID and you would like to have your business listed, send an email to [email protected]”
AFA Fish pen update
The West Virginia strain Rainbow in the AFA pens are doing great. Some are approaching the 10-inch mark. They are eating up to hundreds of pounds of food a day and AFA volunteers have not missed a day of feeding the entire season. “Our 10,000 Feather River College Browns are also doing well and growing quickly,” said Crotty. “We ordered 1,000 tags for this year’s pen fish, they will be white in color; if you catch a tagged fish please report your results on the AFA website.”
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