July 7 Fish Bits report
Mari Erin Roth
Special for Feather Publishing
Lake Almanor
Many thanks to Almanor Fishing Association for providing updates for northern Plumas waterways. “We have settled into a seasonal weather pattern up here at the lake with daytime highs in the mid 80’s and night time lows in the 40s,” said John Crotty of Almanor Fishing Association. “We are expecting to see this trend continue for at least the next week. Water temps are in the low 70’s and clarity remains 15-18 feet throughout the lake. Water level is around 4486 feet, which is approximately 6 feet less than last year.”
Trollers continue to target fish in the north-west section of the lake from the tip of the peninsula to Prattville. There have been more than thirty boats fishing around Red Bank on weekends. As the lake continues to warm these fish will migrate throughout the lake. “Slow trolling crawler’s remains the top option,” said Crotty. “The hex hatch has slowed and we are seeing less pressure from fly fishermen along the west shore and around Canyon Dam.”
Signs of pond smelt are beginning to appear and the fish will begin targeting these tasty morsels. “This past Wednesday on an exceptionally calm morning, I witnessed numerous pond smelt boiling along the rocky edge,” said Crotty. “Fish will begin seeking cooler oxygenated water around springs and we will see more boats on anchor.”
Young fisherman, Jase Gouchenour, examines the rainbow he hooked within five minutes of arriving at his Frenchman Lake fishing spot at Turkey Point on a floating salmon egg he found on the ground. Photo by Gary BlanchardThe prediction: Bass fishing will get tough as the bass begin to key in on pond smelt.
Campgrounds are beginning to open around Plumas County and the USFS boat ramp at Prattville is open. Contact the USFS or PG&E to find out which campgrounds are open.
Heads up: Road construction will continue throughout the rest of the year on Highway 36 at both Fredonyer and Morgan summits, with delays up to 30 minutes.
Lake Davis
“With California’s event and gathering rules the way the are right now, the Father’s Day Weekend Fishing Derby for June 20 is being rescheduled to the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 5,” said Jim Graham at J&J Grizzly Store. “We sincerely hope you will be able to join us for a fun filled day with family and friends and raising money for our local Volunteer Fire Department.” As a side note, Saturday, Sept. 5 is the second free fishing day in California. Hopefully everyone was able to enjoy the first, on the fourth. Tight lines friends, tight lines and social distancing is the name of the game and what better place to do that than on the water or along the shore.
Send your fishing stories and pictures to [email protected] for inclusion in this regular article.
