Fish report
LAKE OROVILLE: The king salmon bite continues to improve for trollers working from 40to 60 feet with white Speedy Shiners or white/pearl hoochies behind a large dodger. The kings are getting larger as fish to 6pounds have been reported. Finding bait is the key to success. The first big bass tournament of the year took place this past weekend with the Wild West Bass Trails Teams, and largemouth bass to 6.77pound highlighted the event although the majority of the limits were in the 8- to 10-pound range. There are several bass tournaments are scheduled in /March with a mix of club circuits and major tournaments such as Best Bass Tournaments. The Bidwell Canyon, the Spillway, and Lime Saddle ramps are open with Loafer Creek remaining closed. Updated information available at 530-538-2200. The lake slightly to 38percent.
FEATHER RIVER: The flows remain low at 1250cfs out of Lake Oroville, and the river is clearing up with the lack of rain. Striped bass are taken in the lower river from Boyd’s Pump through Beer Can Beach to Verona on swimbaits or glide baits. The launch ramps at Boyd’s Pump and Yuba City are accessible, but a jet boat and knowledge of the river is needed in the low flows. Only hand-carried boats are able to launch at Star Bend.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Red Bluff to Colusa: Sturgeon fishing has taken off in this section of the river with Captain Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob’s Guide Service landing fish on several trips this week on either eel or ghost shrimp/nightcrawler combinations. The launch ramp at Colusa is open, and although the flows are low, but the river is navigable. The flows are 3746cfs at the Colusa Bridge.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Verona to Colusa: Sturgeon continue to push upriver, but the best action for the diamondbacks are found higher in the river system. Ghost shrimp/pile worm combinations or eel are working for the occasional sturgeon. Striped bass are found near Verona on River2Sea Swavers, and the bite is improving. Both launch ramps are now open. The flows at Verona are 7526 cfs.
TRINITY RIVER: Jeff Goodwin of Jeff Goodwin’s Guide Service said, “With the low flows, we will be staying off of the river until there is some rain to bring up the levels.” The Trinity dropped from 8514cfs to 4372cfs at Hoopa.
AMERICAN RIVER, Sacramento: Steelhead action was the best of the year due to the fry moving out of the salmon redds in the upper river, and small silver spoons such as Little Cleo’s are working for the occasional chrome fish to 13pounds. Keenan James landed steelhead at 9and 13pounds below Sailor Bar with a Little Cleo or roe. The downstream steelhead are on their way, and the action should continue to improve as they move back into the main Sacramento River. The flows on Sunday at Fair Oaks remained low, dropping from 994 to 975 cfs.
AMERICAN RIVER, above Folsom: The river is catch and release barbless hooks only above Folsom, and access to the upper river has improved with the lack of recent snow.
LAKE SHASTA: The best bass action remains on the bottom at depths from 20 to 45 feet with plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, or Senkos, but there is a Department of Fish and Wildlife planted around 45,000browns in Shasta this past week on top of the 60,000browns they planted last year around this
time. We’re grateful for the robust planting schedules on Shasta which include plants of king salmon, kokanee, and rainbow trout. As a bonus, there are 7net pens on Shasta this year that are holding catchable browns and some Eagle Lake rainbows
until the first week of May when they are released for the spring trout derby.” The public docks of Centimudi, Sugar Loaf, Jones Valley, and Packer’s Bay are open. The lake held at 49percent.