The Fish Sniffer

 (Chester) Lake Almanor anglers just can’t seem to catch a break! Besides having snow and chilly weather, now even the water is freezing over in some parts, so be careful if you dare go out! 

To give you an idea of how cold it is, it’s been below zero on some days and the high has been hovering around 16 degrees. No anglers are on the lake, and who can blame them with weather like that? 

If you are thinking about fishing anyway, Doug Neal of Almanor Fishing Adventures reminds us that “extreme cold can be hard on your boat and tackle. Backing a boat down an icy ramp can be risky. Any ice around the dock can damage your transducer as you back in, so if you must back it in, break up that ice first or risk damage to your electronics.” 

As a positive, the upcoming forecast is looking good and temperatures in the 50s are on the way, so ou can expect the rainbow and brown trout and king salmon fishing to pick up. When you do decide to return to the lake, remember Canyon Dam no longer has a usable dock, but it is open; the USFS ramp is also open and it is scheduled to be plowed soon.