Lake Almanor Fishing Report 3/24/24

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.

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