Summer hours take hold for fishing

Compiled by Mari Erin Roth

Lake Almanor

Like most of California, folks in Plumas County have been under an excessive heat advisory the past few days with daytime highs approaching triple digits. Locals and visitors to Plumas County are in for at least another week of weather exceeding 90 degrees. Relief comes as overnight lows cool to the mid-50s. Lake level dropped six inches in a week and now sits at 4492.26. Clarity is good, ranging between 8-15 feet. The surface water temperatures are in the low 70’s in the morning and warm to mid-70’s in the afternoon.

About the fishing

The bite at Red Bank is just “ok” early in the morning and quits when the sun gets on the water. Boats spread out after the early morning bite in search of fish, and they have been tough to find. Pond smelt are beginning to show up in larger numbers along the shoreline, they are an inch or so in length. Boats on anchor are picking up fish at the bank with the Almanor Cocktail. “Hamilton Branch is your best shot at catching quality fish from shore,” said John Crotty of Almanor Fishing Association, “and that bite should improve as water temperatures rise.”

Crickets, meal/king worms and crawlers are the top baits and slow is the preferred method. “We are not seeing any concentration of fish over springs (yet) that too should change with the continued warm weather pattern and escalating water temperatures,” said Crotty.