The outstanding trout fishing continues here at Lake Almanor along with some pretty nice weather. The lake level has seen little change in the last week, and it currently sits at 4491.5 or 2.5 feet below full pool. Flows on the tributaries have slowed. Hamilton Branch is running mostly green and very fishable. Remember when fishing Hamilton or any other location, pack out what you pack in. Water temperature is now running in the low to mid 60’s depending on time and location. The trout are active all over the lake. The dam, east shore, west shore and the peninsula are all giving up fish. Most of the fish are keenly focused on the variety of aquatic bugs as a food source as the hatches continue to happen all over the lake.
The fish can access the bugs at any level and are currently being caught from the bottom all the way to the surface in many locations. Fly anglers are on the fish running nymphs under indicators close to the bottom for a nice mix of quality Bows and Browns and an occasional smallmouth. A few Hex fly sightings have been reported along the lake’s west shore, a tell-tale sign of things to come. Trollers are focusing their attention from the surface to 30 feet with a variety of offerings and techniques to temp fish. Slow trolled (1.5 mph or less) worms, plastics and trolling flies are all solid choices. The hardware bite continues to put smiles on faces and fish in the boat. Spoons, mostly in the brighter patterns featuring reds, yellows and oranges, run fast in the top 20 feet have been providing impressive action. The catch continues to be mixed bag of Browns and Bows in all size classes along with an occasional salmon. All the salmon reported recently are good quality running 24 inches and up. The Canyon Dam boat ramp is open and useable, the west shore USFS ramp has the dock in and is open. The weatherman says we might have a chance at a few showers early next so as usual keep an eye on the conditions. Stay tuned for some Smallmouth updates.
Lake Almanor Fishing Report
