Trout opener
Opening Saturday: Most of the state’s trout streams, all lakes in the Eastern Sierra.
Opening Memorial Day weekend: Eagle Lake Open year-round: All lakes in Bay Area (San Pablo Res. closed in winter), all reservoirs in Northern California, most rivers below dams.
TROUT STREAMS
Best for opener: Fall River, Shasta County; Lower Sacramento River, Redding; Carson River, Mono County; Upper Sacramento River, Sims to Pollard Flat.
North state: Fall River/Big Lake (best by small boat); Upper Sacramento (access along Interstate 5, but best if floated); Pit River Powerhouse areas 4, 5 and 1 (difficult wading, cold); McCloud (cold water, crowded, access quota on best area that requires hike); Hat Creek (crowded, planted twice at campgrounds along Highway 89); Lower Sacramento River, Redding, need drift boat to do it right, launching from Posse Grounds in Redding. Central Sierra: Carson River, vicinity of Highway 120 and U.S. 395 (good shape for early season), Truckee (easy access, but high and cold); Merced (west of Yosemite, high and cold); Stanislaus (small fish); Tuolumne (difficult access to best areas).
North Sierra: Middle Fork Feather (flows still high, when flows right, excellent by raft or hike-in); Yuba River (very cold, easy access along Highway 49, small fish); Deer Creek (easy access, mostly locals); Grizzly Creek (mostly locals).
Online reports: The Fly Shop, www.theflyshop.com; Jack Trout Guide Service, www.jacktrout.com; Northern California Fishing News, www.norcalfishingnews.com; Western Outdoor News, www.wonews.com; The Fish Sniffer, www.thefishsniffer.com.
BAY AREA TROUT PLANTS
This month’s trout plants at Bay Area lakes, reported by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, East Bay Regional Park District and Contra Costa Water District, and concessionaires:
Alameda County: 750 pounds of rainbow trout at Lake Chabot near Castro Valley, 3,950 pounds at Del Valle Reservoir near Livermore, 750 pounds at Horseshoe Lake/Quarry Lakes in Fremont, 1,750 pounds at Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton, 750 pounds at Lake Temescal in the Oakland hills, 750 pounds at Don Castro in the Hayward hills. Contra Costa County: 3,000 pounds at Los Vaqueros north of Livermore, 750 pounds at Contra Loma near Antioch, 3,000 pounds at San Pablo in El Sobrante, 1,750 pounds at Lafayette Reservoir near Highway 24.
Marin County: 750 pounds at Bon Tempe Lake near Fairfax.
San Francisco: 750 pounds at Lake Merced North. Santa Clara County: 750 pounds at Sandy Wool Lake at Levin Park near Milpitas.
Sonoma County: 750 pounds at Ralphine Lake near Santa Rosa.
LAKE LEVELS
North state: Antelope (103 percent full), Shasta (92), Lewiston (91), Whiskeytown (90).
North Sierra and foothills: Frenchman (101), Davis (99), Bullards Bar (94), Englebright (92).
Central Sierra and foothills: Pardee (99), Don Pedro (91), Stampede (90), Camanche (88), New Melones (86), Beardsley (81).
Projection: Lake levels will peak in late May and through June for lakes in the Sierra foothills and at higher elevations in national forest, respectively.