The calendar might still say summer but it is beginning to feel a lot like fall here at Lake Almanor. The cooler overnight temperatures have the water temps dropping, and the fish are turning their attention away from the bugs and gorging on the lake's population of pond smelt. This fall trend makes for some incredible action on board as the fish get increasingly more aggressive while feeding up before winter. Depending on the fish and conditions recent trips have found us offshore running both the fast and slow gear at various locations along the east shore and both sides of the peninsula for a mix of Bows and Browns from 2 to over 8 pounds. Look for this trend to continue as we wrap up the summer and move squarely into fall. Visit the Booking Calendar to check availability and book your trip. 

     It has been a great summer for Kokanee at Bucks Lake and there is one last day available the first week of September. (Tuesday 9/3). Fat and feisty Kokanee are the best eating fish that swim in the Sierras.  Visit the Booking Calendar to check availability and book your trip.

     Eagle Lake is a priority stop in the fall for all trout fishing enthusiasts. As in years past, Big Daddy's Guide Service will be running limited trips in September (one day left available), October (one day left available) and November.  ​Visit the Booking Calendar to check availability and book your trip.

June has been called "The gateway to summer" but lately it is feeling like it is the gateway to big Browns. Quality "goldfish" been hitting the net as of late. Opened up the month on the 1st with another double digit (Congratulations Curt) and a 9+ within 15 minutes of each other, and the parade hasn't stopped yet. The Browns and the Bows continue to be heavily focused on the lake's aquatic bug hatches that are now happening in many locations around the lake. Recent trips have been fishing different locations almost every day with fantastic results. I have to believe that another high-water year with its improved water clarity and quality goes a long way to making a healthy lake and healthy fish. So, what is on the horizon? I have one morning charter and some afternoon trips available throughout the rest of June get a hold of me quick to secure your dates. The first week of July is all full for Bucks Lake Kokanee Fest 2024 so i have opened up additional days starting on July 8th. I still have one day open at Bucks Lake the first week of August and will start locking down Kokanee days at Bucks the first week of September. Don't miss out on the best eating fish that swim in the sierras. See the Booking Calendar to reserve your dates. 

It's been all spring conditions here at Lake Almanor, cool mornings giving way to warm afternoons and the fish on a tear as they gorge on the lake's aquatic bug hatches. We have been finding a good mix of Bows to 6 lbs, Browns to 9 lbs and more salmon starting to show as well. The weather and wind have been very cooperative allowing us to fish multiple spots around the lake. Almanor is in great shape, sitting less than a foot from full and showing good water quality and clarity throughout the lake. I only have a few open days over the next month, don't miss your chance to get out on the lake and see what Almanor has to offer. Check out the Booking Calendar and lock down your days now. Also, for you "Kokanee Heads" there is only 1 day left in early July and 1 day in early August for Bucks Lake Kokanee Fest 2024. Don't miss out on the delicious Sockeyes.

It was a mix of beautiful spring conditions and brutal winds over the last week. The wind made conditions tough for a couple days out on the lake, with very few areas to hide from the big gusts and swells. Overall, we found good action on a mix of Browns, Bows and salmon with fish to 9+ pounds. Where we fished or where the wind allowed us to fish determined the make-up of the catch some days mostly Browns and some days mostly Bows. The lake is in great shape and is now less that 2 feet from full and continuing to slowly rise. We have what looks to be a pretty solid forecast with lots of spring-like conditions in our future, which will continue to ramp up the spring bite here on the lake. I only have a few open days in May and June, don't miss your chance to get out on the lake and see what Almanor has to offer. Check out the Booking Calander and lock down your days now. Also, for you "Kokanee Heads" there are only 2 days left in early July and one day in early August for Bucks Lake Kokanee Fest 2024. Don't miss out on the delicious Sockeyes.

Fun week of spring weather and good fishing. It's always nice to have options and right now there are several bites going on out on Almanor that put a bend in the rod and a smile on the face. We continue to see a nice mix of both Browns to 8 pounds and Rainbows to 6 pounds some days more of one than the other. Even a few salmon are starting to show with more regularity. The lake is on the rise and currently sits just 4.5 feet from full. water temps are ranging from the high 40's to the low 50's depending on time of day and location. Water clarity varies throughout the lake but is greatly reduced when you get near any of the tributaries which are all flowing at increased rates due to the snow melt. Look for these spring conditions and solid bites to continue. I have a few open days on the schedule, don't miss your chance to get in on this exciting action. Book Your Fishing Trip Now

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!

​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!