June 7 , 2024

13

FRESHWATER REPORTS :

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EAST BAY LAKES

high for the season making access to most spots difficult but once anglers figured out how to deal with the high water , it was game on ! Lake Temescal has been one of the most popular lakes this season and few anglers were disappointed by the action there . This is an urban lake and receives some of the heaviest fishing pressure in the bay area . Despite the number of anglers , or maybe because of this number , there were far more fish posted than from most other lakes including a slew of lightning trout over 10 pounds and a recent catch estimated at over 11 . Add in multiple rainbows just over or just under 10 pounds and dozens of fish over 5 pounds and you can see why this lake is so popular . Finally , and certainly not to be discounted , Contra Loma also produced some great catches . Heavy weeds and low water made this lake difficult to fish , but overall , the action was as good as on any of the other lakes . With over 59,000 pounds of trout ( not including DFW ’ s ) planted this year alone and over 6 plants of lightning trout , this has undoubtedly been one of the best seasons in years !

- Chuck Wolf , for EBRPD Angler ’ s Edge

4306

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EAGLE LAKE

Eagle Lake Opening Day Fishing Report

Eagle Lake opened on Saturday May 25th for the new year . Eagle Lake is very murky at this time . I cannot see anything more than 3 feet below the surface . Due to the “ dirty ” water , trolling is very slow . Most boats trolling are returning with 0-1 fish . I believe the fish can ’ t see the trolled baits in the dirty water . There is an exception to this . Trolling Jay Fair flies in SHALLOW ( 5-10 feet ) of water is producing fish . Hot orange trolling flies are the best producers for me . You have to stay in shallow water where the trout are feeding for this to be effective . Caution : you need to know where the SAFE shallow areas are to fish . We want you to catch fish , not run aground . By far the best current method I ’ ve found to entice the Eagle Lake Trout is nymphing under an indicator . We are anchoring over rock piles in 6-10 feet of water and setting our flies a foot off the bottom below the indicator . Orange is the best fly color and a size 14 or 16 nymph is producing . This method is effective because the trout are sucking shrimp off the rocks on the bottom . We have found their stomachs loaded with them at the fish cleaning station . Our nymphs imitate the shrimp , enticing the trout to bite . With this type of fishing , you are casting over the rock pile , letting

- Tim Noxon Fishtraveler Guide Service 916-201-4648

FOLSOM LAKE

Kings and Rainbows Attack Lures

FOLSOM – King salmon and rainbow trout are offering outstanding fishing on Folsom Lake on the American River . On his latest trip to Folsom , Cal Kellogg of fishhuntshoot . com reported catching and releasing 12 trout and 3 kings in the 16 to 20 inch range . “ It ’ s no problem getting a mixed limit of rainbow trout and king salmon ,” stated Kellogg . “ Troll at 15 to 30 feet deep in the main body from the peninsula to Brown ’ s Ravine with a variety of spoons including Speedy Shiners and Speed Spoons . Most of the trout are in the 10 to 14 inch range , but larger holdovers are also being caught .” “ It ’ s also possible to catch a limit of kings over 16 inches ,” said Kellogg . “ If you want to catch kings at Folsom , troll Speedy Shiners , Speedy Spoons

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4305 and other lures in open water from 25 to 45 feet deep .” The surface water temperature was 68 to 69 degrees in the main body and warmer in the forks . If you want to hook black bass , Don Paganelli of Paganelli ’ s Bass Fishing recommended fishing 3.5 Keitechs in shad patterns really slow and using drop shot rigs from 5 to 15 feet deep . Most of the fish are a mix between spotted and largemouth bass , with an occasional smallmouth mixed in . Folsom Lake is holding 937,897 acre feet of water , 96 percent of capacity and 118 percent of average .

- Dan Bacher

KLAMATH RIVER

CDFW Releases More Than 2 Million Chinook Salmon Into Klamath River

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife ( CDFW ) this week successfully completed the release of more than 2 million fall-run Chinook salmon smolts into the Klamath River . On Wednesday , May 15 , CDFW released approximately 1.3 million fall-run Chinook salmon smolts below the Iron Gate Dam and carried out another release of approximately 800,000 fish from the same location on Wednesday , May 22 . The salmon smolts were trucked about 7 miles to the release point from CDFW ’ s new , state-of-the-art Fall Creek Fish Hatchery . The fish carried coded-wire tags and had their adipose fins clipped to later identify them as being of hatchery origin and provide scientists and hatchery managers with data about their life histories and the success of the release . Although still undergoing the final phases of construction , CDFW ’ s new Fall Creek Fish Hatchery , which replaces the 63-year-old Iron Gate Fish Hatchery on the Klamath River , has already exceeded its production goal of 3.25 million salmon in its first year of operation , the combined result of the excellent water quality in Fall Creek , a tributary to the Klamath River , along with improved efficiencies of the facility itself . The salmon smolts are about six months old and average just under 3 inches in length . The smolt releases began earlier than scheduled last week due to warming temperatures in the Klamath Basin and C . Shasta disease concerns . C . Shasta – or Ceratonova shasta – is a naturally occurring freshwater parasite native to the Klamath River that can cause disease in young salmon . The fish are particularly susceptible in warmer water temperatures . Those concerns were alleviated this week , however , with a return of cooler temperatures to the Klamath Basin . Dam removal provided a dramatic backdrop to CDFW ’ s salmon releases . The three remaining Klamath River dams targeted for removal – JC Boyle , Copco 1 and Iron Gate – are all being actively deconstructed . Their removal is

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