
Lake Almanor
Rainbows and Browns highlight catches in perfect conditions.
The conditions have been fantastic here at Almanor, following the cold windy conditions of a week ago. Cool mornings with warm afternoons and light breezes with some occasional gusty periods later in the day. Traffic on the lake is on the increase as we approach the big summer holiday of July 4th. The water level has reached its peak and is now on a slow decline currently sitting just above 4490.5. A drop of about 6 inches in the last week. Flows on all the lake’s tributaries have reduced to seasonal norms. Water temperatures are currently running in the upper 60’s ticking up into the low 70’s during the days. Bug hatches continue all over the lake with the Hex Fly being one of the main attractions. The trout are now widely spread throughout the entire lake. Action for trollers is happening at a variety of locations around the lake, from the dam to Big Springs which has proven to be a hot spot as of late. Both sides of the peninsula have also been giving up fish as is the west shore from Rocky Point to Almanor West giving anglers plenty of locations to visit. Trout have been caught on a wide variety of offerings, with lots of options for anglers. Worms and plastics along with fast trolled spoons in bright as well as dark colors have all produced fish this week. 25 to 45 feet seems to be holding the bulk of the active fish. The catch continues to be a mix Rainbows and Browns along with a few salmon. Bait fishermen have been netting a few fish at numerous locations including Dorado, the dam Rocky Point and Red Bank. Suspended baits like worms, crickets and meal worms close to the bottom will get the job done. Fly anglers suspending nymphs under indicators are tempting the fish that are keyed in on the hex larvae as well as the midge hatches that continue. Of course, the hex action picks up in the evening, with the hot spots cycling up and down the west shore from Canyon Dam to Almanor West. Bass anglers have been throwing jigs on rocky points and shorelines for some pretty impressive smallies. We are currently in a warming trend which looks to be on the increase for the next several days before temps level off and finally decline slightly next week. The warmer temps will most certainly make the cool deeper waters of the east shore. especially around Big Springs and Hamilton Branch, attractive hang outs for the trout and salmon. Report courtesy of the Lake Almanor Fishing Association..