Spring has sprung, or has it, here at Lake Almanor. Calm warming waters with sunny days and mild afternoons sure might have you thinking that. In fact about the only clue that it still might be winter is the cool morning temperatures ranging in the mid to high 20's and the fairly cool water temperatures still hovering in the upper 30's getting as high as the low 40's at the surface under flat sunny conditions. The fish have been actively  feeding on Almanor's pond smelt population. Recent trips have produced good numbers of a mix of Browns and Bows from 2 to nearly 9 pounds, with the vast majority of the fish falling in the 3 to 4 pound range. The bite has been lighting up at various areas around the lake as the hungry trout push up and gorge themselves on the bait fish. We have been hooking fish at places like the East Shore, Hamilton Branch and both sides of the peninsula on a variety of minnow imitating baits. This is pretty much textbook winter fish activity, fish spread out hunting food all over the lake and feeding basically from the surface to the bottom depending on the location. This is the beginning of what is sure to be another fantastic trophy trout season here at Lake Almanor. Now is a great time to take advantage of the unseasonably nice weather and get in on some of the best winter trout fishing northern California has to offer, limited dates are available. Don't miss your chance, contact us today (530) 370-1001 or through the web site at www.bigdaddyfishing.com and to keep up on the most current events remember to follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram and YouTube) @bigdaddysguideservice.
I look forward to seeing you on the water
​Capt Bryan

Winter is now here in northeastern California and Eagle Lake has already been receiving some of the precipitation that recent storms have delivered. Good news? Yes, but fingers crossed the lake and surrounding watershed will continue to get rain and snow through out the coming months. The fishing season is still open until December 31, however we are done running trips at Eagle for this season. The dock at the Eagle Lake Marina has been pulled, limiting launching options. That said there may be a secret "fly mission" in the works, stay tuned for details. Want to get in on this exciting action? We are currently taking bookings for Eagle Lake fall 2020 trips, don't miss your chance, book as early as possible to secure your dates. We look forward to seeing you on the water.

Know someone that loves to fish, get them one of our "Fish Certificates" available now in our Online Store along with other great merchandise.

Currently fall has given way to winter and the fish are spread through out the lake again searching for food with pond smelt being the food of choice for most. We will continue to run charters here at Lake Almanor through out the winter as weather allows, taking advantage of the best winter trout bite northeastern California has to offer. If you are interested in a winter trout excursion please get a hold of us to check availability. Speaking of the weather, so far so good, we are off to a pretty good start. Recent storms have dropped rain and snow in the Almanor basin which will all eventually end up in the lake. A good supply of water means happy fish and ensures the future health of the lake. We look forward to seeing you on the water.

Know someone that loves to fish, get them one of our "Fish Certificates" available now in our Online Store along with other great merchandise. 

Oh it is definitely   "Fly Season" here at Eagle Lake. Fly Season means it's fall, the fish are in the shallows, and on an aggressive bite. Currently we are seeing quality fish on both our fly trolling and fly casting trips. If you are a trout fishing enthusiast, and you have not experienced Eagle Lake in the fall you really need to make a trip. We are currently working shallow areas all over the lake that are holding actively feeding Eagle Lake Rainbows. Baits of choice include a variety of trolling flies from Jay Fair, Arctic Fox as well as some hand tied ones fished on our custom fly trolling lines on light rods.  Most of the hits can be categorized as "explosions" as these hot bows from 2.5 to 5 pounds put up spectacular battles.  Look for this bite to continue for the rest of October and November. There are still dates available so contact us today, don't miss your chance to get in on this hot fall action. 

Summer has given up, and just like that, fall fishing is underway here in the Northern Sierras at Lake Almanor. Both the air temps and the water temps are cooling down bringing the fish shallower and opening up many areas of the lake to fishing. It hasn't been all smooth sailing, recently we have some big wind on the lake, and a week ago, a front that brought wind, some rain and even a little dusting of snow to the area that made conditions a little tough out there but over all the fishing has been pretty good.  When the fish begin to move shallow they also begin to feed more aggressively and fight harder. We are currently using a variety of techniques to intercept these fish. Both fast and slow presentations with baits including worms, trolling flies, and various types of spoons have all been bringing fish to the boat, sometimes all in the same day. We are currently seeing a mixed grade of fish, mostly Rainbows with a few Browns running from 2 to 6 pounds. Boat traffic on the lake has been extremely light and we might only see a couple of other boats all day.  As the conditions continue to cool look for the fall action to really heat up. Only a few days are left available this month, so contact us today to reserve your day and get in on this exciting fall action. 

Time to book your Eagle Lake dates for October and November. Contact us today

grade of the lake's Rainbow Trout with an occasional Brown showing. The fish have been running 3 pounds and up with the larger ones in the 5 to 6 pound class. There are a few quality King Salmon being caught on the lake as well, however we have been concentrating on other areas of the lake in the west basin where the numbers of Rainbows are higher as they feed on large schools of the pond smelt. Looking forward, as things begin to cool and the days get shorter, the options and possibilities of where and how to target these fish multiply substantialy. It is full steam ahead as we head into the fall season.  If you are looking to get into this action there are still dates available this month, contact us today to reserve your dates.

Eagle Lake trips start in a few short weeks, and this year as in years past we will be splitting the fall seson fishing both Eagle and Almanor. Eagle saw a pretty good bump in the water level this year due to a good winter and it is shaping up to be a pretty exciting fall season up there. Dates are still available in October and November for both light tackle trolling as well as fly casting trips, but they are starting to fill. Don't miss your chance to do battle with these hot Rainbows in the shallows. Contact us today.​

The summer bite continues here at Lake Almanor and there are plenty of beautiful fish coming to the boat. The weather overall has been pretty nice, featuring cool mornings followed by warm afternoons and light winds. We have had several rounds of "heat waves" over the last few weeks, and while it may seem a little on the warm side to us, folks coming from the valley and the 100+ degree temperatures find our high 80's and low 90's to be quite nice. As is the case for August at Lake Almanor, we are having to work harder to find and stay on the fish, and there have been a few days in the last several weeks that were grinds to get fish to bite, but overall the bite has been pretty good and the quality of the fish has been fantastic. In the last several weeks we have seen Bows over 6 pounds, Browns over the double digit mark and Kings over 5 pounds. The fish are primarily feeding on pond smelt now and moving around following the schools throughout the lake in both basins. Right now is a great time to be on Almanor to take advantage of the great weather and the much lighter fishing pressure and lake traffic. Looking ahead, things should only get better as we move out of August and into September. If your are looking to get in on some of this Trophy Trout action contact us today and get your dates locked in.

On the horizon is the fall action at Eagle Lake. Eagle had a pretty good bump in the water level as a result of the great winter and as we have seen in the last several years, better water makes for better fishing. Eagle Lake trips, both light tackle trolling and fly casting, will begin in late September and run through the end of November. The available dates for these Eagle Lake trips are filling up, don't wait contact us today and get you dates reserved.  

  When I say action, I mean multiple double, triple and even 4 way hookups, with the numbers bearing out 40 to 60 hookups by 8 or 9 am in the morning and usually early limits. In addition to the little salmon, the trout are biting as well in both the Bucks and Mill Creek arms of the lake with some smaller Mackinaw showing but for the most part the big Trophy Lakers a generally quiet this time of year.
If this sounds like fun to you, we have some open dates for Bucks Lake during August and September, contact us to secure your dates and lets go fishing.