Lake Almanor Fishing Report 6/4/26

How is it June already, the month of May passed in the blink of an eye and spring fishing here at Lake Almanor just kept rolling along. The weather dealt us a little bit of everything throughout May, but overall conditions were pretty nice. As expected, the aquatic bug hatches that developed in April only got stronger over the last month, grabbing more attention from the fish. Fish are very opportunistic feeders, and when you have the volume of bugs that we do here at Almanor, it is easy to see how these fish stay so well fed. Most of the trips over the last month have focused on areas where the bug hatches are prevalent, primarily in the west basin of the lake. Areas like Red Bank and Almanor West have been holding a bunch of "hot" Rainbows, a few Browns and an occasional salmon and thanks to the high protein bug diet, the fish fighting strong and fast with hard takedowns and some exciting aerial action. It has been hard to beat the highspeed hardware game for the last month. Spoons in the brighter colors, reds, yellows, coppers and orange have all been scoring hook-ups, most of the time in the top 20 feet of the water column. While much of my time recently has been spent over 3 miles per hour, I have been slowing things down, when appropriate, to more precisely target some of these bug eating fish.  The lake level is currently 2.5 feet from full and has changed little over the last several weeks. The water here at the lake is looking fantastic, with surface temperatures running in the low to mid 60's depending on the time of day and your location on the lake, and as much as 15 feet of visibility in some areas. The much-anticipated Hex hatch is showing early signs of getting under way. I have seen Hex larvae in fish for close to a month now, and recently a few flies have been surfacing along the west shore in the evenings. All in all, it is an exciting time of year here at Almanor with lot of fishy options. The calendar is getting full, June looks to be fully booked and July filling quickly as well. Don't miss your chance to get in on some of the best spring/summer trout fishing California has to offer. Check the Booking Calendar for openings and Contact Us Now to reserve your dates. Also on the horizon is Kokanee Fest 2026 at Bucks Lake currently scheduled for 7/30-8/20. There are just a few days left open to get in on this exciting Sockeye action, Contact Us today for more information or to reserve your spot. I look forward to seeing you on the water.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Bryan Roccucci

---