Right now at Bucks Lake it is all about the Kokanee. The bite has been fantastic and it has been limits to near limits depending on the group size. (remember the Kokanee limit at Bucks is 10 fish per day) So we have been coming off the lake with 30 to 50 Kokanee each plus losing some and releasing a few Rainbows that have been whacking the Paulina Peak Kokanee rigs, thats a busy morning of fishing. The size of the Kokanee this year at bucks has also been impressive, currently running a fat 13 to 16 inches. The action is hot, the size is good and weather you like it grilled, smoked or canned now is a great time to come to Bucks and get after them. Brookies and Bows are biting good as well at Bucks right now, both on the troll or drifting bait on ultra light spinning gear. The smoke from the Nor Cal fires, while visible from Bucks, has not been nearly as bad as other locations around the state. There are a few open days in the next few weeks, so come on up and lets go fishing.

It is hard to believe we are squarely in the middle of the summer season here at the lake, this year has just flown by. The fishing here at Almanor has remained quite good, mainly due to the outstanding high water level. (the lake is basically full) Even with the surface temps high (in the mid 70's), the fish have plenty of cooler water at deeper depths as well as plenty of food with massive insect hatches taking place the last couple of weeks. These hatches will serve to concentrate fish in to the areas with the most activity and put them on the chew. There are also plenty of pond smelt starting to show around the lake but almost all the fish we have been catching have been bug eaters. Our catch has been mainly made up of Rainbows to over 6 lbs with a few King Salmon and an occasional Brown, and when the Brown hooks up its generally a pretty good one. The water levels are expected to stay high for an extended period which will only continue the fantastic summer bite here at the lake.  If you are headed this way and want to get in on this action don't wait until the last minute, contact us today, availability is limited the next few weeks. 

Update on the second annual Lake Almanor Veterans Fishing Day that was held June 24th. The event was fantastic, a huge success due to a great group of volunteers who came together to make it happen. Thanks to everyone who helped out.  Below you will see a picture of the back of this year's shirts "home of the free because of the brave" (Thank you Mike Daly for covering the cost of the shirts) We had good weather great fishing and an outstanding gathering afterwards at the Chester Elks hall. It is an honor and a pleasure to participate in this event. The annual date has now been set for events in the future as the Sunday following Fathers Day 6/23/19. If you would like to participate in upcoming events please contact me.

​Tight Lines,

Bucks Lake is open for business and fishing good this year. The lake is full and we have managed to get on pretty consistent bites for both the lake's Trophy Mackinaw as well as the abundant Kokanee with a few nice trout in the mix as well. While the Mackinaw bite has started to slow down recently the Kokanee are coming on strong. This is the second year of the 10 fish per person Kokanee limit and we are seeing a slight improvement in the size of some of the fish. There are still a lot of 11 and 12 inch fish but there have also been quite a few 13 and some fat 14 inch fish as well. On recent trips we have been landing 25 to 35 Kokanee per outing along with a few beautiful Browns hitting the Kokanee gear as well. Look for these fantastic eating fish to continue to grow as summer moves along. 

​Tight Lines

Big Hot Rainbows! The End.

Oh you want some more details? Well here goes, the fishing at Lake Almanor has been pretty fantastic overall with the Bows being the stars of the show. Rainbows from 2.5 all the way up over 8 pounds are putting big bendo on the rods! I'm talking 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, all the way to 29 inch class fish.  We are also continuing to see some of the lake's King Salmon, many running around 18 inches and fat and a few Browns as well over the 5 pound mark. As in previous reports, most of our action has been had working the waters north of the tip of the peninsula and Prattville. Lots of aquatic bugs are keeping these fish fat and happy with multiple hatches taking place as the day goes along. New, earlier this week, the Hex flies have started to pop, drawing fish and fly fishermen into areas along the west shore in the evenings.  We have been seeing casings as well as dead larvae floating on the surface during the mornings with some fish still tailing on the surface feeding on the easy protein rich food source.  It has been an outstanding season here at Lake Almanor and it looks to continue. If you are headed this way and want to get in on this action don't wait until the last minute, contact us today, availability is limited the next few weeks. 

Tight Lines,

Alright trout fishing fin addicts it's late spring at Almanor, bugs are popping and fish are biting. In recent weeks we have been fishing all over the lake but the bulk of our action has come north of the tip of the peninsula. It has been a combination of fast hardware and slow fished crawlers, from the surface to 20 feet, that have been consistently putting fish in the boat. Some days one technique has worked all day and other days we have been splitting our time starting out fast then working slow later in the morning. There are plenty of fish out there but at the same time there is more than enough food to keep them happy. The fish, mostly big thick stout Rainbows to 6 pounds, a few Browns to 5 pounds, King Salmon running 17 to 20 inches and even a monster Sacramento Perch (see the picture below) are currently stuffing themselves with all the aquatic bugs they can eat. It may take a few passes over fish before they hook up but being persistent has been key to our success. The combination of fish moving around as the hatches come off coupled with this current unstable weather can have the bite a little up and down, but overall it has been pretty solid and looks to continue. The are only a few open days over the course of the next few weeks, if you want to get in on some of this action don't wait, contact us asap to lock down your trip.

​We also have been venturing to a few other lakes in addition to Almanor in recent weeks and have found some fantastic action. Stay tuned for more trophy trout action and future reports coming soon.

Also, lets take a moment this weekend, while out enjoying the fishing, camping and spending time with family and friends, to remember all those who served and sacrificed.


Tight Lines! 

It is spring time here at Lake Almanor and that means big hot Rainbow Trout. These fish are hot and nasty while on the lines making big runs, diving under the boat, and generally putting up some fantastic battles. There is no shortage of food for these fish as spring time bug hatches are well underway and the fish are stuffed with them. This time of year they also seem to develop a taste for bright metal lures run fast. The combination of the faster boat speed and aggressive attitudes of the fish make for some wild hookups. It's not entirely a Rainbow show, there are a few quality Browns in the mix as well as some King Salmon with all the fish running 2.5 to 6.5 pounds. We have more nice weather in the forecast and that will only increase the water temps (currently in the low to mid 50's depending on time of day and location) and the bug activity. Look for the solid spring action to continue as we move deeper into this month. There are a few days available in the upcoming weeks but not many, contact us today and book your fishing adventure.

Well the weather continues to be somewhat unsettled here at Lake Almanor. One minute it's spring, the next it's back to winter. Water temps have been all over the place from the mid 40's to almost the mid 50's on several flat sunny afternoons. All of these spring storms have ensured Almanor, as well as many other lakes, will have a good supply of water to get us through the season with good fishing. The changing weather is also having an effect on our fishing and the locations and techniques used. We are still catching some nice browns, including a beautiful on the put up a fantastic battle yesterday, before freeing himself prior to the net. The one that got away! Also in the mixed bag are Rainbows, Salmon and some nice Smallmouth, and I guess even Cutthroat. (See picture of Jeff's fish below with close up of bottom jaw) The fish are not holding in any particular areas in big numbers, so as in weeks past we are still covering a lot of water. Locations on the west shore, east shore, areas on both sides of the peninsula and even up north have all given up fish to us. It is just a matter of reading the conditions on a daily basis. The plugs are still producing, however we are starting to see signs that the usually hot spring Rainbow bite could be just around the corner. Time to polish up the hardware.

If you haven't already seen it check out the latest video of what we have been up to.

Spring time is rolling on here at Lake Almanor, and if April showers bring May flowers then we are going to have a bunch next month. Currently we are catching multiple species around the lake including Browns to 7.5 pounds, Bows to 5.5 pounds, Kings Salmon to 3.2 pounds, and even some pretty nice Smallmouth Bass up to 4 pounds. Many areas of the lake are holding fish and in order to stay on them we are covering a bunch of water, as the fish cruise the lake in search of food. The water temps are still cool mainly in the mid 40's and subject to change as we have a storm moving in here to Northern California. Cool temps mean fish are shallow, and this is the time of year to intercept some fantastic fish on shallow gear. It is simply amazing how hard these fish crush the plugs. Look for this shallow spring bite to continue and at some point I'm sure we will get back to more traditional spring time pattern and warming temps. Want to get in on this Trophy Trout action? There are a few days available in the upcoming weeks but not many, contact us today and book your fishing adventure.

Following a beautiful day out on the water (several days back) lol we cruised up Hamilton Branch where we met the esteemed President of the Almanor Fishing Association John Crotty. John was kind enough to give my clients a tour of the fish rearing cages and allow them to feed the fish.  This is the oldest in lake pen program in the state having been operated for 35 years by AFA and funded by membership dues, donations and fundraising efforts and staffed by AFA volunteers.

Mother nature just wont let winter give way to spring. Despite the onslaught of weather fronts moving through Northern California the bite at Lake Almanor has remained pretty good with some good quality fish showing. We continue to catch a mix of Browns Bows and Kings at various areas around the lake. With current conditions the fish are somewhat scattered and covering a lot of water seems to be the key to finding them. We have moved on from the flies and are now focusing on the spring plug bite. These fish absolutely crush the plugs with a good number going aerial on the initial hit.  The fish are fat and healthy (see the pictures) and giving some fantastic battles in the sub 40 degree water. Look for the bite to intensify as we are scheduled to have a dryer, warmer, more stable weather week coming up.