Lake Almanor Browns & ’Bows Hitting Trolled Lures

 “We are expecting abundant sunshine with daytime highs reaching the high 50’s and possibly low 60’s for at least the next 10 days,” said John Crotty, owner/guide of Quail Lodge. “The snow from last week’s storm is dissipating quickly here at lake level, and while we are hoping for more snow/rain, it is impossible to not enjoy this unseasonably warm weather. 

“There was a lot of fishing pressure over the weekend,” Crotty said. “On Saturday, I was the second boat out of Canyon Dam. When I returned in the early afternoon, the main parking lot was full, with a half-dozen vehicles parked in the overflow lot. The majority of the fishermen I saw were targeting the South end of the lake from Rocky Point to the Dam, with 15-20 people fishing from the bank in and around Canyon Dam. Most of the fish caught were planters with a mix of rainbows and browns. 

“On Saturday, my good friend Bob Michaels and I started out trolling speedy shiners at the boat ramp in Canyon Dam and trolled up the East shore to Dorado. We picked up three smaller fish on that run, then we ran over to the Peninsula and trolled from the tip to Hamilton Branch where we had three grabs and landed two smaller fish. We then ran over to Rec #2 where Bob landing a nice 4-pound rainbow and a couple of 2-pound browns.”

All of their fish were caught trolling 2.5-3 mph, 5 to 15 feet deep on the wire, in water from 10 to 30 feet deep. Lures in red and gold were the top producers. Water temp started out at 41.1 degrees and hovered around the 42.5-degree mark. We did find 44.6 degrees in shallower water. Water clarity was ideal at 8-10 feet. Fishing conditions should be perfect for the next few weeks.