VOL. 44 • ISS. 4 April 25, 2025

13

FRESHWATER REPORTS:

CONTINUED FROM PG 12

EAST BAY LAKES ROUNDUP

Target Del Valle for Black Bass and Trout

ALAMEDA COUNTY- Lake del Valle continues to deliver, and trout action should remain solid for the next couple of weeks. The East Bay Regional Parks District continues with their heavy plants and while most of the park district lakes are kicking out some heavy stringers, Lake del Valle remains a standout! This week del Valle, Shadow, Contra Loma and Quarry, all received another 1,000 pounds of Mt. Lassen rainbows, and action remains solid, but as we move into the warmer months, you are going

Join us for a unique experience that will keep your family coming back year after year!

RV Site | Cabins | Tent Sites | Free Wifi | Rec Room Grocery Store | Gas | Diesel | LPG | Laundry

YOUR ATV RIDING HEADQUARTERS!

502-705 The Strand Eagle Lake, California 96130

to need to change-up your tactics. The lakes are all turning over. This is the time of the year when water temperatures change and the top and bottom layers mix, bring oxygen rich water down, and oxygen poor water up. As a result, we will see the fish move between the shallow water in the mornings and evenings when the water is cooler, and deeper when the surface water warms.

A great example was Lake del Valle during the past week. Del Valle is one of the larger East Bay Lakes and has a mix of shallows, moderate drop-offs and deep water. Currently, the trout are moving into the shallows early in the day, hold there until mid-day, move deeper through the afternoon and then move shallow again later in the evening. Right now, the golden hours appear to be sometime around sunrise, to about 12 or 1 pm. The bite will start off well and then gradually, even drastically drop off. By 4pm and into the early evening, the fish will start to again move shallow. By next month, the trout will hold deep throughout most of the day. Changing up your tactics will become more and more important as the season progresses. With the fish moderately

Full Service Store

4310 shallow in the morning, shorter casts will continue to produce. Longer leaders might be necessary to stay above the weeds, and you’ ll need to check your baits more frequently to keep them clean. As the day warms, lengthen your casts to reach the deeper water. By midday, you may need to move to find even deeper water. Reverse the process in the late afternoon. Deep first moving shallow as the evening progresses. This is a general rule, but it works with both bait and lures. By the end of May, the window will become even

This nice striper was taken on the Sacramento River in early April. Photo courtesy of Peard Fishing shorter until the trout make their final move, out of the shallows and into the deep. Lake del Valle continues to deliver and remains the top producing lake in the East Bay Regional Parks District. The lake boasts a robust mix of species and as the trout season winds down, anglers will see more bass, striper and catfish. The trout bite in the shallows along the East Swim Beach has been very productive early in the day, but this water warms quickly and on warm days the bite window will get shorter and shorter. Once the bite drops off, try the cooler water on the shady side of the lake. The West Swim Beach will start to produce and the deeper water beyond the“ Narrows” will also become more productive. If you’ re targeting trout and had to pick a single spot to fish, I’ d still fish the East Swim Beach. Conditions are fair. Bottom growth is getting worse but is manageable and the fish have been holding well early and late in the day. Once the bite drops off... move. The largemouth bite is good and will get better over the next couple weeks as the spawn gets going. The shallows near the inflow end of the lake will become more and more productive, as will the coves beyond the narrows. The bass tend to bite throughout the day and you may want to mix it up between trout in the morning and bass later in the day. Smallmouth action is also picking up. These fish do hold deeper than the largemouth, so make slightly longer casts if targeting them. Trolling the far side of the narrows is also a great place to start. Striper are always a hard target, but the shad are getting up in size and there has been an increasingly productive surface bite. Soaking anchovies or sardines on a sliding rig from the shoreline can be productive, but most of the fish are a bit further out and you may need a boat to reach them. Smaller swim baits in a shad pattern should be productive. Shadow Cliffs remains consistent for trout and there has also been a decent bass bite. The lake is approaching summer conditions, weed growth along the shoreline is increasing and you’ re going to have to make longer casts to get out beyond it. You don’ t need to bomb your baits into the middle of the lake, but you do need to get outside the weeds. From the shoreline this will be about 20 feet but will vary with water depth. Shorter casts will still work from the docks. Quarry Lakes Park including Horseshoe Lake, Grau and Shinn Ponds – Trout action picked up with the recent plant, but this lake has turned over and is starting to show signs of summer conditions. Weeds are starting to get thick along the shoreline and the shallows are becoming difficult to fish. It may be more productive to fish the dock, further down the“ Row” beyond the old boat ramp, or shift your focus to the deeper water around the peninsula.

CONTINUED ON PG 14