Winter returned to the lake last week bringing morning temps in the low 20’s and off and on snow. The last few days however have been beautiful out on pond featuring cool starts but warm flat afternoons. With the milder conditions came an increase in traffic on and around the lake. Water temps that were locked in the low 40’s have now inched upward and are exceeding 50 most days. Lake level edged up slightly now sitting at 4484 feet. Despite these cold conditions early this week some bug hatches are happening, and trout have begun to transition from an all pond smelt diet to the readily available aquatic insects. It was a mix of average to “battleship” sized Browns and some impressive Rainbows this week, more and more Bows should begin to show as they finalize their spawning efforts. The weatherman says it’s back to “less than spring like weather” for a few days before warming up again next week. This is a fun time of year, multiple options around the lake allowing for the use of several techniques to get the rods to bend. There are a few open days on the schedule, don’t miss your chance to get in on the exciting spring fishing. Book Your Fishing Trip Now!
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Lake Almanor Fishing Report 3/31/24 Written for the Almanor Fishing Association Unsettled weather dominated the Almanor basin over the last week with just about every kind of condition you can imagine, in some cases, all in the same day. Light snow fell on and off at the lake with only a limited amount sticking and usually melting off pretty quickly. The fishing pressure on the lake was very light, a few boats going out and a few people scattered on the shoreline. Changing wind directions made finding fishable water a little difficult at times, but on a positive note it allowed us to explore some new water and we found fish everywhere we went. Seemingly the fish are very well dispersed throughout the lake, and at a variety of depths from the surface down. Fish, mostly Browns, were being caught at many locations starting at the dam and extending several miles up the east shore. The entire west shore from the dam to almost Chester had pockets of fish made up of a mix of Browns and Bows, some days more of one than the other. Both sides of the peninsula have also been producing, giving fisherman a variety of options on where to fish. No word on the bass this week but I suspect they are not entirely happy with these weather swings. The main diet for the trout continues to be the lake’s population of pond smelt making minnow imitating offering your best bet. Pick your poison, plugs, flies, and plastics all scored fish for anglers this week. The extreme mud plume that was being kicked out of Hamilton Branch into the lake has receded. Cleaner water has been flowing down from Walker for a week now, resulting in dramatically improved water visibility in that lobe of the lake. Reports from our dedicated fish feeding volunteers are that the AFA Pen Program fish are very much enjoying the better water quality and their appetites jumped as the water cleared. Big shout out to all the feeders who are at the pens daily rain, snow, wind or shine feeding and caring for the fish and this fishery. Water temps all over Almanor remain stagnant in the low 40’s without much change throughout the day. The lake level is basically unchanged again this week at 4487.5, 6.5 feet from full maximum pool. Looking forward we should have a few nice days early week with more unsettled weather due in around Thursday. Details like snow levels and precipitation amounts are just guesses at this point so it is best to keep an eye out for updates and changing details. Access remains good for this time of year with the boat ramps and parking lots at Canyon Dam, Rec1 and Rec 2 all clear and open. Lake Almanor Fishing Report 3/24/24 Written for the Almanor Fishing Association This week saw both spring and winter weather on the lake. Most of the week featured cool mornings with bright sunny afternoons through friday midday and then we got kicked right back into winter with some light snow and moderate winds. This upcoming week looks as if we will be seeing a mixed bag of similar conditions. One of the big questions I have been getting is “what’s going on with Hamilton Branch?” Specifically in regards to the extremely muddy water coming down from Walker Lake into Almanor causing a large sediment plume far out into the lake. I consulted several of our AFA experts and here is what we know. Phil provided data (as he often does) that indicates this is nothing new and generally shows up each year in March or April depending on the winter and runoff. Brett and Bruce took a ride to Walker Lake and found that at the current lake level, water flowing out was picking up silt that had been previously deposited behind the dam and carrying it into the Branch and down stream. On a positive note, our expert water watchers reported a noticeable difference for the better in the water flowing down the branch today. Thanks guys. Fingers crossed we will see the lake visibility improve especially out from the mouth of Hamilton Branch. Also visible this week was some work being done on the intake tower at the dam. The windows were lit in the early mornings and large water releases could be seen flowing below the dam. Despite the increase in the outflow the lake level remained virtually unchanged at 4487.5. In other news, rumor has it that some dock repair and maintenance may be happening in the near future at the canyon dam boat ramp. Exact dates and details were not yet available but I will pass those along as soon as I get confirmation. Water temps that were beginning at 40 made their way into the mid 40’s on the warm flat days however the cold air and wind that came in late week knocked it back by a few degrees. Catches this week continue to be dominated by Browns with a few Bows showing, aboard my boat we caught and released the first Smallie of the year and it was a jumbo, further indicating that spring is on the way. More areas seemed to open up with bites including both the east and west shores as well as the peninsula. The poor water clarity seemed to slow the fish down in areas adjacent to Hamilton Branch. Boats continue to catch from the surface to 30 feet with minnow imitations being the most popular offerings. A few boats were seen bait fishing as well and reported some action. Shore based anglers were having some success in the coves near the dam, some choosing bait, while others were fly fishing. As I mentioned earlier we will have to keep and eye on the unsettled weather for the upcoming week but all in all the state of the fishing at Lake Almanor is strong. Solid winter action happening now. It's been mostly a Brown thing with fish running average to jumbo in the size category. We are finding just a few Rainbows on recent outings; these fish have been running 3 to 5 pounds but seem to have "10 pound" attitudes when they smash the baits. Check out the video below to see a few of the recent catches. Want to get in on the action? Hit the Booking Calendar grab an open date and jump onboard! How many times have you heard that title question in your everyday life. Seems these days there is an App for just about everything we do from grocery shopping to social media, to navigating from point A to B or summoning a car to take us there. Just look at the home screen of your phone or tablet, and if you don’t have an App for it, a quick trip to the App store will provide you with one for just about anything. Well as of February 20th, 2024, if you are a fisherman or hunter, you can add the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) new licensing App. Just search it out in your App Store and download it to your phone or device that you carry with you. Once you open the App you will have to register with basic information as well as confirm your email address. The process is much the same as when you purchase your license online, once registered your App with be populated with all your current licenses. The licenses appear much the same as if they were printed out with all the important information, including the Document and GO ID numbers. Need to purchase or renew a license? That can be done in the App as well as dealing with things like harvest reporting, current regulations and links to articles of interest. I must admit that my reason for excitement about this new App is a selfish one. As a fishing guide, I can’t tell you how many times people have come onboard for a trip and realize they have forgotten their fishing license. That said, I bet in 20 + years I can count on one hand how many times someone has come onboard and forgotten their phone. During the legislative session prior to the 2022 licensing year AB 817 was passed and signed into law. The new law provided among other things that electronic copies of CDFW licenses would be accepted along with the traditional “paper licenses”. The state, citing the need for “technological infrastructure upgrades” could not implement the new provisions until the launching of this new App. AB 817 is also the bill that provided for fishing licenses to be valid for the term of one year, (365 days) from the purchase date instead of only being valid until December 31st. It took them awhile, but electronic CDFW licenses are now up and running in California and yes there is an App for that! Winter is a magical time in the Northern Sierras, and Lake Almanor, being one of the few higher elevation lakes open to fishing year-round, offers anglers a phenomenal opportunity to get a crack at its population of Trophy Trout. Unlike last winter when the area, hell the whole state, was inundated with rain and snow, this year has proven to be a bit milder with plenty of nice days between the storms to get out and chase the fish. Getting ready to net release another beautiful Brown. The fishing has been good as of late, recent trips have produced mostly Browns with most fish in the 3 to 4 pound range all the way up to 9.5 pounds. The fish are feeding aggressively on the pond smelt in the lake and the easily available forage is bringing out the quality fish. These smelt were belched up by a 4 pound brown while the hook was removed before being released. Look for this winter bite to continue right on into spring. The lake is up, and the water and fish are in great shape, 2024 is looking to be another fantastic year of fishing. If you want to get in on this action, contact us today through the website or call (530) 370-1001and secure your dates. Time to let go of this hand full of "Sierra Gold". Simply put, this is the premier veteran fishing event in Northern California. The date is set, and plans are underway for this year's Veteran's Fishing Day on Lake Almanor. Last year more than 50 boats took 130 veterans out and this year is sure to be even bigger. Please see the flyer below for details. If you served our country, we want to take you fishing. Some of the highlights include Friday Meet and Greet, Fishing, Custom T-shirt, Flag Island Boat Parade, BBQ and Raffle, with all of this being 100% free to all participating veterans. Please call the number below and get signed up. New this year will be a hosted group camp on the west shore of Lake Almanor. In years past the Almanor Fishing Association has made this group camp facility available for anyone participating in the event, but this year there is a twist. The group camp facility this year is hosted and coordinated by Michael Jones and is available to anyone participating in the event from June 19th -23rd. There are both tent and RV camp spots available as well as a BBQ for all campers planed for the evening of June 20th. Please see the flyer below and contact Michael Jones to secure your campsite. Check out the video from our 2023 event put together by one of our fantastic volunteers Jason Lai. 2024 is under way and all the necessary preparations are being wrapped up for this year’s fishing season. Things are set to fire off at Lake Almanor with trophy Browns and Bows on the menu. The winter bites here at Almanor can be fantastic and the lake traffic is virtually non-existent. Things will keep right on pushing into spring, with the early portion focused on shallow fishing for those beautiful Browns that Lake Almanor is known for. A popular time to say the least. Late spring brings the return of the aquatic insects as well as the post spawn, aggressively feeding Rainbows. These fish are hot and known for their bad attitudes when hooked. For those of you looking for a bit warmer weather, summer in the mountains just might be your ticket. Plenty of Bows and Browns with an occasional King Salmon are on tap for Almanor along with a couple of very popular, “don’t want to miss” events so mark your calendars to support and attend. The first to take place will be the 7th annual AFA Veterans Fishing Day set to happen June 22nd. Last year AFA, it’s partners and volunteers put over 130 United States Veterans on the water for a morning of fishing and treated them to a BBQ in the afternoon. The second event will be the Almanor Fishing Association’s 31st annual Founders Family BBQ and Fundraiser set for July 27th. This thing keeps getting bigger and better but is always a sell out and a hell of a lot of fun. Also popular in the summer is sure to be some wide-open Kokanee action at Bucks Lake. This year, as in years past early in the months of June, July, August and September, the boat moves to Bucks Lake to take advantage of this delectable, renewable resource. Kokanee are land locked Sockeye Salmon and are arguably the best eating things that swim in the Sierras. Canned, smoked, pattied or grilled, these Kokanee are fantastic table fare and put on an exciting show with fast paced morning bites and a ten fish per person limit. In addition to Kokanee, Bucks also offers a mix of trout which can also be targeted. But the Bucks Lake dates are limited and have already started to fill so don’t hesitate to get your dates locked in the books. As summer gives way to fall and the leaves begin to change the trout bite at Almanor keeps right on rolling and another popular bite begins to grab the attention of “trout-aholics” over at Eagle Lake. The world-famous Eagle Lake Trout are really quite something, offering hard charging battles on the light tackle. Last year we saw a very positive increase in the average fish size and are looking forward to seeing them again this fall. There are limited dates available in October and November. For those of you that have an aversion to the colder weather at that time of year, there are still a few Eagle Lake days left in mid-September. Following Thanksgiving, and into December it's back to wrap up the year at Almanor again hunting for the Trophy Browns and Bows the lake has to offer. As mentioned, several times previously, days are limited and the calendar is already beginning to fill, so booking early is advised, especially for specific dates. Feel free to reach out any time to discuss options. I would like to thank everyone who came onboard in 2023 making our 26th season a success. Your continued support is very much appreciated, I look forward to seeing all of you, as well as all the new customers signing up this year for a fantastic season number 27.
Tight Lines, Capt. Bryan For the most up to date information and to see what is happening follow us on social media. Facebook and Instagram. To reserve you day on the water: Please visit the Reservation Page or call us at (530)370-1001 To start off, there has not been a lot of fishing going on around the lake. The recent onslaught of winter conditions, including heavy snow, wind, and ice have made it all but impossible to access the lake. Area roadways seem to have had chain controls and closures more than they haven't, the deep snow depth is hampering the shore-based anglers and unplowed snow at the Canyon Dam Boat Ramp has prevented boats from launching. The positive side of this is the Almanor basin, along with the rest of the state, is receiving the healthy dose of water we needed rectify the drought conditions. There have been small windows in between storm fronts that have allowed some fishing to take place. A few boats did manage to get out prior to this last heavy round of snow and found some limited success near the dam trolling a variety of offerings in the top ten feet of water. Ice on the surface of the lake was a major factor on where they could go and fish and was changing from day to day even affecting launching and recovering the boats. Use extreme caution when using the ramp this time of year as conditions can be slick. A few fish were caught by some hearty bankies close to the Canyon Dam Ramp as well before being blanketed in snow again. Post Dixie Fire the USFS has taken over the responsibility to maintain the ramp, access road and parking lot at Canyon Dam, but this series of storms have tested the limits of everyone's snow removal ability. On March 3rd, the ramp and lot were beautifully opened up by Travis and the guys from All Phase Landscaping in Chester, however their work was quickly covered by additional snow fall including, at times, blizzard conditions. Water conditions have changed very little over the last month, Surface temps running in the mid 30's, ice mostly covering the west basin and at times covering the east basin as well. The ice in the east basin is subject to rapid changes depending on conditions and the wind. Lake Almanor's water elevation has remained mostly unchanged for the last month as well currently sitting at 4481.39 ft out of a maximum storage level of 4495.5 ft. with very low inflows as most of the water sits locked up in the snowpack waiting to melt.
So what is the outlook, well I have some good news and some bad news. Forecasts are calling for a few more days with light snowfall as this current low spins cold temps and moisture at us before moving on providing a brief break mid to late week. I guess that is the good news, lighter snow, small break. On the not so good news side, it looks as if the next series of storms, due in this coming weekend are "Straight Outta Hawaii" aka the "Pineapple Express". Given our current snowpack, these warmer systems with heavy rains and higher snow levels have the potential to cause both localized flooding as well as problems downstream in the valley. This pattern is not set in stone and can always change. As always if you are traveling to the Almanor basin please be aware of current road and travel conditions, as they has been rapidly evolving. Let's end on a good note, given the amount of precipitation this winter, we should see a full Lake Almanor this year. I look forward to seeing you on the water. Thank you to everyone that has come onboard over these last 25 years. 2022 was another great season and I am looking forward to having you onboard in 2023. Stay tuned, some exciting things are coming in 2023. |
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April 2024
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