New Melones Reservoir - New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,120,000 acre-feet of water. Lake is at 46 percent capacity. Lake elevation rose one foot this week, to 959 feet above sea level, and 129 feet from full capacity. Water temperature has cooled to approximately 67-69 degrees, and is stained.
New Melones Lake Visitors Center has some great free Thursday evening lectures at 7 p.m. On Nov. 4, a Bureau of Reclamation speaker will follow the history of Melones, and address current water management and water uses. Where does the Stanislaus River water go? For information on this lecture and all of the other informative lectures, call 536-9094 ext. 22, or visit Glory Hole Sports to see the schedule of lectures for November.
The Angels Cove Boat Ramp is closed. All other boat ramps are in operation.
The trout bite is picking up a bit. When the lake turns over in November, it should improve greatly, and we should start to see some nice browns. The Department of Fish and Game recently planted approximately 24,000 rainbows in Melones, so bank fishing as well as trolling has picked up for smaller fish around Glory Hole, Tuttletown, and the Visitors' Center ramps, where the fish were released. Power Bait is the best choice for bank anglers, and trollers should try Uncle Larry's Power Spin, which allows you to troll with Power Bait. Live crawlers behind Wedding Ring spinners are another good choice. 9-year-old Febby Linares of Redwood City caught three nice rainbows while bank fishing off of Glory Hole Point with a green spinner. Tom Dutil caught a limit of rainbow while bank fishing in Angels Creek with salmon eggs. Trollers are finding fish in the top 15-20 feet of water in the main lake, as well as in the mouths of major creek arms. Greg Branson fished Saturday and Sunday, and got his limit on both days, using a Killer Bee dodger with minnows and crawlers for bait. Leo Slingerland and Robert Grubbs used crawlers behind Uncle Larry's spinners to catch their limits.
Kokanee action has been very slow. Kokanee are done for the season, although anglers are picking up spawned-out kokanee in the creek arms, such as Angels Creek. They are very red and hooked jawed at this time.
Bass fishing has been fair to slow, probably due to the unstable weather. Bass are in the top 20 feet of water, and feeding heavily as they prepare for winter. Many in the main lake are using shad, and not holding tight to structure, so they are hard to target. For those fish close to the bank, plastics or top water baits are working well. Try fishing by main lake points or by steep drop-offs. The new Yamamoto Creatures have been catching fish, when rigged with a rattling weight or brass 'n' glass - noise is very important right now. Another good plastic to use would be Roboworms bold bluegill in 4 or 6-inch worms. At night, a black w/blue or red flake is your best bet, fished in the same areas, but much shallower.
The catfish bite has been slow. Try Angels Cove, Glory Hole Point, under the 49 Bridge, or near Tuttletown. Use mackerel, anchovies or sardines, crawlers, chicken liver, or live large minnows. The action is always best at night for catfish, when they move into the shallows to feed.
Crappie and bluegill are showing up occasionally. The south side of the lake has been good, and near Tuttletown is another good choice. Best crappie bite has been at night under a submersible light, with minnows or red/white crappie jigs.
Glory Hole Sports, 736-4333.
Lake Don Pedro - Best spots to try are around partially submerged trees, near the marina and rocky points.
Don Pedro fishing is still somewhat slow, we're waiting for the lake to turn over but that is still weeks away depending on the weather. Fishing was slow, probably due to the storm front moving in - falling barometers tend to give most of the fish lockjaw. However, Monte Smith of Gold Country Sportfishing did get three fish to bite, and they weighed in from 1 1/2-2 pounds. There were a lot of fish in the dam area, but they just did not want to bite.
852-2369, 989-2206.
Tulloch Reservoir - Fish the main part of the lake for the best chance of action.
The stormy weather discouraged everybody from fishing. Before the storm, bank anglers were getting trout with PowerBait - white and chartreuse are the best sellers. The smallmouth bass bite on crickets has slowed. Minnows are working best for both bass and crappie, but the bites are inconsistent. Most any kind of worm will work for bluegill and redears - both easy fish for kids to catch.
881-0107, 847-3447.
McClure Reservoir - Fish in Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend, Cotton Creek and Temperance Creek for the best luck.
Diana Mello of A-1 Bait and Tackle said not much was happening in the rain, but fishing was good before the storm. There were a lot of slot-limit bass being caught with shad or crawdad-colored crank baits mixed with live minnows or live crawdads 20 feet deep. The bigger fish have gotten a little deeper, and they're kind of in a holding pattern. The trout bite has improved quite a bit around the dam, and shad-colored Needlefish as well as trout- or shad-patterned kastmasters.
563-6505, 378-2441
McSwain Reservoir - Try your luck at the brushpile, in front of the campgrounds and marina, and at Gilligan's Island and the handicap dock.
John Kemper from McSwain Marina said that not many anglers braved the rain. The lake hadn't had a plant since Oct. 5, so the fish are thinning. But after the storm a week ago, the bite had a small boost. Trollers are using either flasher/crawler or dodger/crawler combos between the first and third fenceline. The best shore fishing was at the brush pile.
378-2534
New Melones Lake Visitors Center has some great free Thursday evening lectures at 7 p.m. On Nov. 4, a Bureau of Reclamation speaker will follow the history of Melones, and address current water management and water uses. Where does the Stanislaus River water go? For information on this lecture and all of the other informative lectures, call 536-9094 ext. 22, or visit Glory Hole Sports to see the schedule of lectures for November.
The Angels Cove Boat Ramp is closed. All other boat ramps are in operation.
The trout bite is picking up a bit. When the lake turns over in November, it should improve greatly, and we should start to see some nice browns. The Department of Fish and Game recently planted approximately 24,000 rainbows in Melones, so bank fishing as well as trolling has picked up for smaller fish around Glory Hole, Tuttletown, and the Visitors' Center ramps, where the fish were released. Power Bait is the best choice for bank anglers, and trollers should try Uncle Larry's Power Spin, which allows you to troll with Power Bait. Live crawlers behind Wedding Ring spinners are another good choice. 9-year-old Febby Linares of Redwood City caught three nice rainbows while bank fishing off of Glory Hole Point with a green spinner. Tom Dutil caught a limit of rainbow while bank fishing in Angels Creek with salmon eggs. Trollers are finding fish in the top 15-20 feet of water in the main lake, as well as in the mouths of major creek arms. Greg Branson fished Saturday and Sunday, and got his limit on both days, using a Killer Bee dodger with minnows and crawlers for bait. Leo Slingerland and Robert Grubbs used crawlers behind Uncle Larry's spinners to catch their limits.
Kokanee action has been very slow. Kokanee are done for the season, although anglers are picking up spawned-out kokanee in the creek arms, such as Angels Creek. They are very red and hooked jawed at this time.
Bass fishing has been fair to slow, probably due to the unstable weather. Bass are in the top 20 feet of water, and feeding heavily as they prepare for winter. Many in the main lake are using shad, and not holding tight to structure, so they are hard to target. For those fish close to the bank, plastics or top water baits are working well. Try fishing by main lake points or by steep drop-offs. The new Yamamoto Creatures have been catching fish, when rigged with a rattling weight or brass 'n' glass - noise is very important right now. Another good plastic to use would be Roboworms bold bluegill in 4 or 6-inch worms. At night, a black w/blue or red flake is your best bet, fished in the same areas, but much shallower.
The catfish bite has been slow. Try Angels Cove, Glory Hole Point, under the 49 Bridge, or near Tuttletown. Use mackerel, anchovies or sardines, crawlers, chicken liver, or live large minnows. The action is always best at night for catfish, when they move into the shallows to feed.
Crappie and bluegill are showing up occasionally. The south side of the lake has been good, and near Tuttletown is another good choice. Best crappie bite has been at night under a submersible light, with minnows or red/white crappie jigs.
Glory Hole Sports, 736-4333.
Lake Don Pedro - Best spots to try are around partially submerged trees, near the marina and rocky points.
Don Pedro fishing is still somewhat slow, we're waiting for the lake to turn over but that is still weeks away depending on the weather. Fishing was slow, probably due to the storm front moving in - falling barometers tend to give most of the fish lockjaw. However, Monte Smith of Gold Country Sportfishing did get three fish to bite, and they weighed in from 1 1/2-2 pounds. There were a lot of fish in the dam area, but they just did not want to bite.
852-2369, 989-2206.
Tulloch Reservoir - Fish the main part of the lake for the best chance of action.
The stormy weather discouraged everybody from fishing. Before the storm, bank anglers were getting trout with PowerBait - white and chartreuse are the best sellers. The smallmouth bass bite on crickets has slowed. Minnows are working best for both bass and crappie, but the bites are inconsistent. Most any kind of worm will work for bluegill and redears - both easy fish for kids to catch.
881-0107, 847-3447.
McClure Reservoir - Fish in Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend, Cotton Creek and Temperance Creek for the best luck.
Diana Mello of A-1 Bait and Tackle said not much was happening in the rain, but fishing was good before the storm. There were a lot of slot-limit bass being caught with shad or crawdad-colored crank baits mixed with live minnows or live crawdads 20 feet deep. The bigger fish have gotten a little deeper, and they're kind of in a holding pattern. The trout bite has improved quite a bit around the dam, and shad-colored Needlefish as well as trout- or shad-patterned kastmasters.
563-6505, 378-2441
McSwain Reservoir - Try your luck at the brushpile, in front of the campgrounds and marina, and at Gilligan's Island and the handicap dock.
John Kemper from McSwain Marina said that not many anglers braved the rain. The lake hadn't had a plant since Oct. 5, so the fish are thinning. But after the storm a week ago, the bite had a small boost. Trollers are using either flasher/crawler or dodger/crawler combos between the first and third fenceline. The best shore fishing was at the brush pile.
378-2534
