So what is the outlook for the near future? Look for the spring fishing to continue as we are, in some respects, three weeks to nearly a month behind with conditions. Water temps are cool still in the low to mid 40's depending on where you are in the lake. Good run-off of the surrounding snow in the watershed has really just begun, Hamilton Branch is flowing at a good clip and the super ditch in Chester has just started flowing. The lake is on the rise, and the good supply of water should keep the fish happy for the whole season.  Interested in getting out and hunting some of these trophies? There are some open dates the next few weeks, contact us as soon as possible to lock down your date.

Spring continues to roll on here at Lake Almanor, or does it? While the calendar might say spring some days seem more like winter here on the lake. One thing is for sure, there will be no shortage of water this year.  Recently conditions have been variable and have found us fishing in just about every kind of weather condition from sunny and flat to snow and rain. While the weather has been a bit unsettled the fishing has been fairly consistent and putting smiles on a lot of faces. Our catch has been made up of a mix of Browns and Bows depending on when and where we have been fishing. The fish are well distributed all over the waters of Almanor, and recent trips have had us catching fish close to the Dam, all the way to Chester and along both the east and west shores. The Bows and Browns have been ranging in size from 2.5 to over 7 lbs with a lot of fish in the 4 to 5 pound class. If you don't have a date yet not to worry there are some open dates coming up in April. Contact us to reserve your spot today.

Check out some of our recent release footage of Trophy Browns.

We have had a few ups and downs over the last week of fishing here at Lake Almanor. Winter wants to hold on but spring keeps knocking at the door, some days have seen bright sun and blue skies as well as snow showers sometimes only separated by a few minutes. The bite, over all has been pretty good (we did have one tough day) with the lake giving up both Browns and Rainbows to 6 pounds. We have found fish all over the lake, and I have the fuel bill to prove it, some of our moving around had to do with finding actively feeding fish to target and other times "Plan A" had to be changed due to ice formation that locked us out of certain areas. All that said 2019 fishing operations are well underway and it looks like it is going to be another fantastic year. If you are looking for dates, especially this spring, contact us as soon as possible and get locked in, the calendar is filling up.

Also this week, I had an opportunity to take John and Beth by the Almanor Fishing Association fish pens located in Hamilton Branch. I just happed to be speaking with AFA president John Crotty on the phone while he was on the pens, so we dropped in for a tour and to check out the growth of both the Rainbows and the Browns currently being raised. The fish are looking fantastic and growing well, they will be released into the lake later this spring.

​     Most fishermen put a lot of thought into their day of fishing. A little pre-planning of your time on the boat ramp can go a long way to getting your day off to a good start.
A few things to consider at the boat ramp:
     Have your boat ready to launch when you pull on to the ramp. Things such as covers, straps, motors, and fishing gear should be taken care of in the parking lot. Remember to put in your plug.

​     Keep in mind, some people are faster at launching and recovering than others. There are multi person "teams", with one driving the truck, and the other the boat, that may not even have to tie off the boat to the dock and are often times the quickest in and out. Then there are a lot,  like myself, who are most of the time alone and will have to tie off then return to the boat after parking the truck. We all have our little routine we go through, give people plenty of room and time to accomplish it. Remember to put in your plug.

     Finally, a little common courtesy goes along way. We all want to get on the water as fast as possible to get our chance at those trophy fish. Nothing can ruin the day faster than an incident at the boat ramp. And yes, remember to put in your plug.

What a fall season it has been at Eagle Lake. Fly fishing or fly trolling the bite is on, and as you can see from the pictures below the fish have plenty to eat this year. The lake level is still low but much better than several years ago, and fishing fantastic the last two fall seasons. With a larger than average population of Tui Chubs in the lake, the trout haven't had to push into the shallows hard for food yet. Many of the fish we have landed this year have been out over the deeper open water but still close to the surface. The weather has been relatively mild for this time of year, which also might also be a factor in the trout still holding over deeper water. It has really been a pleasure running trips at Eagle Lake this fall and the customers have been pretty pleased with both the quality and the quantity of these hard charging, rod doubling rainbows. The Eagle Lake Rainbow is also on the list for people undertaking the California Heritage Trout Challenge, this fall season we have checked the box for a number of happy customers. Be sure to watch the video below to see some action from a recent fly fishing trip at Eagle Lake.

It has been a while since I have had time to get a report out on the web site. Lately the schedule has been crazy with trips going out every day and splitting time between Almanor and Eagle Lake, so let me bring you up to speed. The fall bite is just continuing to go off here at Lake Almanor with good numbers on a mixed grade of fish, everything from mild to wild! We have been seeing fish from 2 to over 5 pounds with and occasional slob going up to and over the double digit mark. Water temps are cool running in the mid 40's which mean the fish are shallow looking for food all over the lake. The east side, west side and the north end are all kicking out fish right now. The tactics and baits are also all over the place fish are being caught on slow pulled software as well as fast trolled hardware but most are being caught in the top 10 feet of the water column. What blast, big hookups, fish blasting out of the water and back in only to make a screaming run. Light tackle trophy trout action!  
And be sure to check out the video below of a monster Brown recently caught and released.

The Fall fishing at Eagle Lake has been fantastic, with some of the best yet to come. The fish have been shallow for about a month now, and are aggressively feeding and whacking our baits. While Eagle Lake is open to fishing from Memorial weekend to December 31st, people know that October and November are prime months to get in on some of the best Eagle Lake has to offer. We have been fishing multiple locations around the lake while working our Jay Fair flies on custom fly trolling setups that put our flies in the right spot with the right action to entice these big hot Rainbows to crush them. For those of you looking to check off your California Heritage Trout or California Fishing Passport, let us help you, now is the time. There are still dates available in November for either fly trolling or fly casting trips, contact us asap to reserve your date.